Staying Fit
(Left to right) Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in "The Banshees of Inisherin."
Searchlight Pictures
Fourteen years after the critical and commercial success of In Bruges, writer-director Martin McDonagh is reteaming with his two stars — Colin Farrell (46) and Brendan Gleeson (67) — for another black comedy set in a wanderlust-inspiring locale. This time around, the action has moved to the actors’ homeland of Ireland. The Banshees of Inisherin, which hits theaters Oct. 21, is set on a fictional island but filmed on the very real (and very beautiful) islands of Inishmore and Achill. It’s 1923, and as the civil war rages on the Emerald Isle, a different type of battle emerges when Colm (Gleeson) abruptly ends his lifelong friendship with Pádraic (Farrell). When Pádraic refuses to accept it, events escalate and quickly spin out of control. The movie got a 13-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Before you get transported to the wild and windswept world of Inisherin, kick back with a Guinness and check out these 10 Ireland-set films, from swoony romances to inspiring biopics to historic epics. No passport required!
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The Quiet Man (1952)
The premise: John Ford and John Wayne had one of the most fruitful collaborations in Hollywood history. Among their few non-Westerns was this quirky romantic comedy, which starred the Duke as retired Irish American boxer Sean Thornton, who returns to his birth village of Innisfree and falls for feisty redhead Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara). The only thing standing in his way is Mary Kate’s cantankerous brother Red (Victor McLaglen), and their animosity erupts into a hilariously long-winded fistfight that stretches over nine minutes — and is punctuated by a quick drink together in the village pub.
Where it was filmed: Standing in for the fictional Innisfree is the town of Cong in County Mayo; much of the movie was shot on the grounds of Ashford Castle, which now operates as a luxury hotel.
Watch it: The Quiet Man on Prime Video, Apple TV, Paramount+
Ryan’s Daughter (1970)
The premise: This epic romance by Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia director David Lean is set on the Dingle Peninsula in the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising. Rosy Ryan (Sarah Miles, 80), the daughter of the local publican, is married to town schoolmaster Charles Shaugnessy (Robert Mitchum), but she begins an ill-fated affair with the enemy, British officer Maj. Randolph Doryan (Christopher Jones). The nationalist townsfolk are unsurprisingly scandalized by the relationship, and if the story sounds familiar, it was based on Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary.
Where it was filmed: Dingle Peninsula locations used in the film included Inch Beach, Coumeenole Beach, Minard Castle and the parish of Dún Chaoin, which stood in for Shaughnessy’s schoolhouse. Ashe’s Seafood Restaurant, which is still operating in Dingle, was a popular hangout spot for the cast and crew.
Watch it: Ryan’s Daughter on Prime Video, Apple TV
My Left Foot (1989)
The premise: Daniel Day-Lewis, 65, won his first of three Academy Awards for playing Christy Brown, an Irish man who lived with severe cerebral palsy and only had control over the title extremity. With the support of his mother, Bridget (fellow Oscar winner Brenda Fricker, 77), Brown learns to write and paint with his left foot, eventually publishing the autobiography that would inspire the film. “The story of Christy Brown is one of the great stories of human courage and determination,” Roger Ebert wrote in his four-star rave. “He belongs on the same list with Helen Keller, and yet it is hard to imagine Christy being good company for the saintly Miss Keller, since he was not a saint himself but a ribald, boozing, wickedly gifted Irishman who simply happened to be handicapped.”
Where it was filmed: Scenes were shot at the 17th-century Killruddery House on the outskirts of Dublin. The grand estate has also appeared in Far and Away, Excalibur, The Tudors and Angela’s Ashes.
Watch it: My Left Foot on Prime Video, Apple TV
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