Latest addition 24/3/2023
“An Irish Goodbye” (2023) (23 mins) Dark Comedy
Seamus O’Hara, James Martin, Michelle Fairley and Paddy Jenkins.
Writers/Directors: Ross White and Tom Berkeley.
Set on a farm in the rural Northern Irish countryside of County Antrim, estranged brothers Turlough (Seamus O’Hara) and Lorcan (James Martin) are forced to reunite following the untimely death of their mother (Michelle Fairley). But when the pair discover an unfulfilled bucket list belonging to their late mum, their pained reunion takes an altogether different course.
Oscar winning production in 2023.
“Before I Sleep” (1997) (27 mins) Drama.
Brendan Gleeson, Vinnie McCabe and Paul Nolan.
Director: Paul Mercier.
Filmed in Dublin.
Before I Sleep is one man’s odyssey through Dublin city, an impersonal, cold and uncaring place. It is a crowded hectic film, unmistakably Dublin, yet with one constant character – John Harte (Brendan Gleeson), a recently unemployed middle class man in a state of quiet anxiety.
Not available.
“Breakfast Wine” (2013) (12 mins)
Pat Shortt, Dylan Moran, Ruth Bradley and David Pearse.
Director: Ian Fitzgibbon.
Screenplay by Kevin Barry based on his short story of the same name.
Grand Pictures Ltd.
In Ireland they say it takes just three alcoholics to keep a small bar running in a country town. But what if you’ve only got two?
Available on YouTube – above.
“Coward” (2012) (28 mins) War Drama
Martin McCann, Sean Stewart, Charlotte Bradley, Nick Moran, Cillian Roche, Charlie Clements.
Director: Dave Roddham.
Budget: $250,000.
Filmed in Ireland and Hertfordshire, England.
Coward is a moving and insightful drama that takes us from the idyllic pastures of Ireland to the brutal and senseless trenches of the First World War in Belgium.
“Hell for Leather” (1999) (28 mins) RTE Two Lives series.
Barbara Brennan, Gemma Craven.
Director: Kieron J.Walsh.
Written by Roddy Doyle.
Filmed in County Dublin.
A Catholic single mother and a Protestant career woman meet at the funeral of a priest only to discover there was more to the deceased than they realised.
Not released on DVD.
“Ignatius” (2020) (10 mins) Dark Drama
Written, directed and starring Fintan Kelly, the film boasts an entirely local cast including Gemma Delaney, Kate Breen, Rónán P. Byrne, Paul O’Reilly, Niall Holohan, Sheelagh Delaney, Liam Doyle, Lorraine Kelly, and introduces Jennifer and Mary Kelly.
The tale of Ignatius Doyle, a family man and local politician, who, on the outside, is respected by all. However, at home, not everything is as it seems.
A family drama that gives an insight into a day in his life, this film is strictly over 18s and includes sensitive subject matter which some viewers may find disturbing.
Shot entirely in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Ireland, by internationally acclaimed director Ger Walsh.
“My Life for Ireland” (2016) (14 mins) Dark Comedy.
Denis Conway, Lorcan Cranitch, Aoife Duffin, Manus Halligan, Charlie Kelly.
Director: Kieron J. Walsh.
Writer: Patrick McDonnell.
Budget: €60,000 (estimated).
Filmed at Redcross, Co. Wicklow.
My Life for Ireland, is a black comedy about a rebel cycling to Dublin for the Rising but who gets a puncture and decides to take over his local post office instead.
I managed to get a FREE copy from the Irish Film Board – part of the special ‘After 16‘ DVD which includes eight other quality shorts.
“Shore, The” (2011) (29 mins) Comedy/Drama.
Ciarán Hinds, Conleth Hill and Kerry Condon.
Director: Terry George.
Produced by Seamus Productions in association with Northern Ireland Screen, Lough Shore Investments and Tourism Ireland.
Filmed in Northern Ireland – Killough, County Down.
The story of two childhood best friends – Joe (Ciarán Hinds) and Paddy (Conleth Hill) – divided by 25 years of misunderstanding. Their world and their friendship is shattered by the escalating conflict in Northern Ireland, the two boys’ lives take very different paths until, 25 years later, Joe returns for the first time to his homeland with his 24-year-old daughter, Patricia. In his absence, Paddy, his best friend, has married Joe’s former fiancée Mary. What happened all those years ago? Can old wounds be healed?
Aired on RTE in 2012.
Not officially available.
“Slab” (2018) (12 mins) Thriller
Michael Cloke, Aoibhinn Hyland, Katie Marie Cloke, Ella Maria Carmen, Sinead Farrell.
Director: Donna Marie Sludds.
Writer: Michael Cloke.
Shot in County Wexford.
An epic thriller about how far one would go for a loved one. Kidnapping, butchery and blood all in the name of love as Alex tries to undo mistakes from his past. Torn between what is right and wrong Alex tries to follow his heart and deal with the consequences later. Although his heart might be in the right place, his mind goes beyond reason.
Alex and Laura live in a small shack away from society, Laura becomes gravely ill from poor living conditions, which leaves Alex no choice but to doctor her himself in desperate hopes to save her life.
Laura pleads to seek help so Alex takes it upon himself to fix what he has done. Feeling guilty with how he handled the situation, he agrees to get Laura the help she needs but not in a way she is expecting. Yet again Alex takes matters into his own hands and devises a plan to help her but it doesn’t go as smooth as he hopes.
Available on YouTube here: “Slab”.
“Sometime City” (1985) (35 mins) Drama
Michelle Houlden, David O’Meara, Joe Savino, David Nolan, Mary Elizabeth Burke-Kennedy.
Director: Joe Lee and Frank Deasy.
Production company: City Vision.
Filmed in Dublin – Ballymun.
The story of a young Dublin couple Maria and Peter (Michelle Holden and David O Meara) who illegally move into a local authority flats complex with their two young children in an effort to start a new life together. Things begin to unravel for the young couple and they soon come into contact with the hard pressed local social services and the social worker Paul ( Pat Nolan). The film is set in the early 1980s just as the heroin epidemic was beginning to devastate marginalised city communities. Paul tries and fails to get Maria childcare support and finds himself questioning her ability to care for her kids as Peter’s life spirals out of control. Sometime City won best short film in the Cork Film festival in 1996 and was acquired by the Irish Ward Anderson Cinema Group and screened in a number of Dublin Cinemas as a short film along with Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2!!! It was written by Frank Deasy. It was his first original screenplay in a distinguished career that ended too soon when he died tragically early at just 50 years of age. – Joe Lee.
Not available on DVD, but full movie available on YouTube – above.
Irish Movie Madness 