Paddy's Day is just around the corner and if you're not bothered joining all the festivities, you can celebrate from the comfort of your own couch by watching one of these great Irish offerings on Netflix.
The Lobster
We can see how this flick managed to get a Best Original Screenplay nomination at this year's Oscars, as it's a pretty bizarre premise to a movie. Filmed mostly in Kerry, it stars Colin Farrell as a man called David who has recently being dumped by his wife. Nothing new here, you might say. Well, thing is, David actually lives in a dystopian world where single people have 45 days to find love or else they are turned into the animal of their choice. Curious? You should be. Although the dark humour of it may not be for everyone, this film is a wonderful commentary on how obsessed society is with the nuclear family. You may even recognise a few of the film's locations too.
Sing Street
John Carney, the Irish director who brought the world Once and Begin Again, hit gold once more in this fantastic coming-of-age flick filmed in 1980s Dublin that is kind of like The Commitments meets The Breakfast Club. It's told through the eyes of fourteen-year-old Conor, who finds himself setting up a band to get the attention of a girl he fancies. It has its corny moments but it's got a cracking soundtrack that will fill you with nostalgia and at times, this movies knows exactly how to hit you right in the feels.
Brooklyn
It earned a second Oscar nomination for Saoirse Ronan and proved another hit for Irish director John Crowley (Intermission, Closed Circuit). Brooklyn was the talk of the town upon its release in 2015, with fans of the Colm Tóibín novel of the same name eager to see if the adaptation lived up to expectation. It follows the story of a young Irish girl who heads to America for a better life, only to find herself crippled with homesickness and deeply unhappy. However it's not long before she finds someone to put the smile back on her face, but her world is shook once more when bad news from home comes calling.
The Siege of Jadotville
50 Shades actor Jamie Dornan stars in this 2016 film based on the true story of a battalion of Irish UN peacekeepers dispatched to the Congo during the 1960s. Directed by Richie Smyth, it tells of the incredible tale that has been lost in the history books about the siege of a 150-strong Irish UN 'A Company' under Commander Patrick Quinlan (Jamie Dornan) by 3,000 Congolese troops led by French and Belgian mercenaries working for mining companies. The men defended themselves bravely with remarkably no loss of lives, only for the story to be turned on its head when they returned home as they found themselves branded cowards and became known as the Jadotville jacks. The movie features a predominantly Irish cast too, including Jason O'Mara and Sam Keeley, as well as Guillaume Canet, Mikael Persbrandt and Mark Strong.
Tommy Tiernan: Crooked Man
Tommy Tiernan has been on the stand-up circuit for over two decades at this stage, and by now can consider himself a master of the craft. In this one-off special, the comic performs a live stand-up show at City Limits Comedy in Cork. Funnily enough, it was also directed by The IT Crowd's Richard Ayoade, who was so impressed by Tommy when he saw him on his Crooked Man tour, he insisted the show should be immoratlised on film. Commenting on everything from family life to religion in his own inimitable way - an hour with Tommy is a fantastic reminder of just how much craic us Irish can be.