Movies Similar to Ireland and Your Irish Ancestry

The Irish Pub(2013)

A eulogy to the greatest institution in Irish society, the pub, or more specifically the traditional Irish publicans who run them. Speaking to pub owners all over Ireland, Alex Fegan gets into the heart of what makes "the Irish pub" the institution that it is.

7.9

Living With Lions(1999)

Exclusive two-disc film documenting the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa in the summer of 1997. The unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the team shows the preparations, the training, the fun, the team selection, the 'earthy' language, the bonding, the awesome task of playing and some shocking footage of injuries. Despite securing the series with wins in the first two tests, the Lions remained motivated by the prospect of a 3-0 whitewash, a feat never achieved against the Springboks throughout the century.

4.8

Abortion: Stories from North and South(1984)

Women have always sought ways to terminate unwanted pregnancies, despite powerful patriarchal structures and systems working against them. This film provides a historical overview of how church, state and the medical establishment have determined policies concerning abortion. From this cross-cultural survey--filmed in Ireland, Japan, Thailand, Peru, Colombia, and Canada--emerges one reality: only a small percentage of the world's women has access to safe, legal operations.

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The Genius of George Boole(2015)

Narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, The Genius of George Boole assembles academics and industry leaders from across the globe to explore the life and importance of one of the world’s greatest unsung heroes.

7.5

The Future Tense(2022)

Staged as a series of voiceover sessions, written with gloriously off-balanced precision and dipped in the color green, THE FUTURE TENSE unfolds as a poignant tale of tales, exploring the filmmakers’ own experiences in aging, parenting, mental illness, along with the brutal history that lies submerged beneath Ireland’s heavy, moist earth.

6.8

Novena(2013)

In 2012, Stephen Vaughan and Kay Ferreter are invited to address the congregation at St. Joseph's Redemptorists Church in Dundalk, Ireland for the Solemn Novena Festival. In a powerful speech, the pair describe their experiences being gay and lesbian in Ireland, feeling excluded by Catholic doctrine, and the importance of a more inclusive church.

9.0

A Fanatic Heart: Geldof On Yeats(2016)

A biography of the poet W. B. Yeats and his contribution to the Irish independence movement as a Protestant nationalist.

1.0

I Am Ireland(1959)

Mise Éire ("I am Ireland") is a 1912 Irish-language poem by the Irish poet and Republican revolutionary leader Patrick Pearse. In the poem, Pearse personifies Ireland as an old woman whose glory is past and who has been sold by her children. The poem inspired this 1959 film of the same name by George Morrison. Here, Morrison painstakingly assembled historical footage of the events surrounding the 1916 Rising from archives across Europe and deals with key figures and events in Irish Nationalism between the 1890s and the 1910s. The narration is by Liam Budhlaeir and Padraig O'Raghallaigh and the musical score is by Seán Ó Riada.

5.8

Ordinary Things(2001)

A short documentary about everyday objects, the people who used them, and the beauty of that use. From the video description: "An encounter with the past. The introductory film for visitors to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) - Country Life. It tells a story about Irish traditional folk life, the self-sufficiency and community spirit by which people's lives were played out against a challenging physical environment. That environment quite often dictated the materials, crafts and traditions by which lives were lived. The museum's collection of 'ordinary things', on display in Turlough Park, illustrate these stories." Written and narrated by Irish writer and broadcaster Theo Dorgan. Made in association with the NMI — Country Life. Available online on the Youtube channel of the NMI — Country Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCYrq8yWSSQ

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Ireland(2004)

This installment of the series produced by the acclaimed Nature team showcases the grandeur of the Emerald Isle. Going beyond the usual travelogue, the film takes viewers to places they've never been before so they can truly appreciate the natural treasures of the country: the lush plant life; the animal families that call the country home, including peregrine falcons and dolphins; and the magnificent countryside, from the mountains to the bogs.

7.5

My Astonishing Self: Gabriel Byrne on George Bernard Shaw(2018)

Award-winning Irish actor Gabriel Byrne explores the life, works and passions of George Bernard Shaw, a giant of world literature, and - like Byrne - an emigrant Irishman with the outsider's ability to observe, needle and puncture.

6.0

Man of Aran(1934)

A documentary on the life of the people of the Aran Islands, who were believed to contain the essence of the ancient Irish life, represented by a pure uncorrupted peasant existence centred around the struggle between man and his hostile but magnificent surroundings. A blend of documentary and fictional narrative, the film captures the everyday trials of life on Ireland's unforgiving Aran Islands.

7.2

I Am Belfast(2016)

Belfast, it's a city that is changing, changing because the people are leaving? But one came back, a 10,000 year old woman who claims that she is the city itself.

6.7

Rocky Road to Dublin(1968)

Irish-born journalist Peter Lennon examines the contemporary (1967) state of the Republic of Ireland, posing the question, “What do you do with your revolution once you’ve got it?” It argues that Ireland was dominated by cultural isolationism, Gaelic and clerical traditionalism at the time of its making.

7.2

Knuckle(2011)

An epic 12-year journey into the brutal and secretive world of Irish Traveler bare-knuckle fighting. This film follows a history of violent feuding between rival clans.

5.6

A Doctor's Sword(2015)

An Irish doctor survived the atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki and was given a Samurai sword for the lives he saved. 70 years later his family searches for the origin of their father's sword.

5.0

Nothing Compares(2022)

Since the beginning of her career, Sinéad O’Connor has used her powerful voice to challenge the narratives she was surrounded by while growing up in predominantly Roman Catholic Ireland. Despite her agency, depth and perspective, O’Connor’s unflinching refusal to conform means that she has often been patronized and unfairly dismissed as an attention-seeking pop star.

7.6

Gama Bomb - Survival Of The Fastest(2024)

When they hit the Billboard charts, Gama Bomb were trapped by lockdowns, missing a drummer, and unable to tour. Survival Of The Fastest is a new Irish take on classic music documentaries like Anvil or Spinal Tap with a sweet and charming portrait of male friendship during troubled times. Capturing Gama Bomb's quest to play for 10,000 people at Hellfest – the 'Glastonbury of Metal' – Kiran Acharya’s warm and wayward film surprised cinema audiences with a smart, sincere, and absurdly funny year in the life of dear friends trying to keep the show on the road. Packed full of Gama Bomb's trademark humour and pop culture references, the film reflects on their 20-year history in the absurd worlds of punk and metal and their earliest days during the first sparks of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland.

9.0

I Captured the King of the Leprechauns(1959)

Behind the scenes of Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

9.0

Out of Ireland: The Story of Irish Emigration to America(1994)

Originally broadcast to critical acclaim on PBS, this documentary traces the story of flight from the famine-swept villages of 19th century Ireland to the industrialized cities of 20th century America. Actual letters chronicle the stories of eight immigrants who made this trans-Atlantic journey. Kelly McGillis narrates.

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