There's nothing worse than an Irish stereotype on screen, except perhaps an Irish stereotype with an equally cringe-worthy Irish accent. There's an endless list of offenders, from Chris O'Donnell in Circle of Friends, to Brad Pitt in The Devil's Own, and Tommy Lee Jones in Blown Away. In the spirit of St Patrick's Day, we've had a trawl through the movie archives and picked out five of the most memorable fake Irish accents on film for your, errr, viewing pleasure...
Tom Cruise: Far And Away
Without doubt, one of the worst Irish accents ever to be heard on film. We weren't quite sure if he was supposed to be Irish or Scottish, and Nicole Kidman didn't exactly help matters either now did she? At least Colm Meaney was there to remind them how it's done!
Julia Roberts: Michael Collins
Ah sure Julia's accent was only shocking to be sure, to be sure, to be sure Mick. She did no favours for Kitty Kiernan in the 1996 epic, and it wasn't her only offence against the Irish accent either. Nope, she played a chamber maid called Mary Reilly in the film of the same name that year. Just goes to show, you can have the ginger locks, but that doesn't mean you've got the acting chops!
If you want to find out which other awful Irish accents made our list, then head on over to our Rice Krispies Mint St Patrick's Festival Guide. While you're there, why not find out what's happening where you are this weekend, and get well and truly minted!
