Movies About Ireland History

From Jim Sheridan, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Alison Crosbie, Philip King
Rated R

In the Name of the Father is a 1993 historical drama directed by Jim Sheridan. Based on the true story of the Guildford Four, the film stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Gerry Conlon, a young man wrongly convicted of IRA bombings in London. With the help of his lawyer, Gareth Peirce (Emma Thompson), Conlon struggles to prove his innocence and clear his name. Along the way, he is aided by a sympathetic priest (John Lynch) and his father Giuseppe (Pete Postlethwaite), who also wrongly convicted for the bombings. In the Name of the Father is a powerful and emotionally charged story of one man's fight for justice.

From Paul Greengrass, starring James Nesbitt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Nicholas Farrell, Allan Gildea
Rated R

Bloody Sunday is a 2002 British docudrama film about the 1972 "Bloody Sunday" incident in Derry, Northern Ireland, when British Army paratroopers fired on unarmed civil rights marchers, killing thirteen and wounding fourteen others. The film is directed by Paul Greengrass and stars James Nesbitt as Ivan Cooper, a civil rights leader and key figure in the incident. Through Cooper's perspective and first-hand accounts from eyewitnesses, the audience is taken through the events of the day and its aftermath. As the day progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that the British military was intent upon provoking a confrontation, leading to the tragic events that unfolded. The film confronts the tragedy of Bloody Sunday and the way it changed the direction of the struggle for civil rights in Northern Ireland.

From Ken Loach, starring Cillian Murphy, Pádraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald
Rated Not Rated

The Wind that Shakes the Barley is a 2006 historical drama directed by Ken Loach. Set during the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921), the film tells the story of Damien, a young medical student in County Cork, who joins the Irish Republican Army (IRA) to fight against British forces. It follows the struggles of Damien and his brother Teddy, an IRA leader, as they fight for Irish independence and face the consequences of their actions. The film deals with themes of freedom, family, loyalty, and the tragic nature of war.

From Steve McQueen, starring Stuart Graham, Laine Megaw, Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon
Rated Not Rated

Hunger is a 2008 British drama film by Steve McQueen. It tells the story of Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), an Irish Republican Army prisoner in the Maze Prison who leads a hunger strike in the 1981 Irish hunger strike. The movie depicts the harsh truth of the prison system in Northern Ireland and the impact that Sands and his hunger strike had on the British government, as well as the people of Northern Ireland. The film follows Sands as he struggles to keep the hunger strike alive, despite the British government trying to crush it. Sands also forms an unlikely bond with a Catholic priest which helps to inspire him to stay on course. The film culminates in Sands' death, but his legacy lives on. The film shows the power of one person's commitment to a cause and the lengths he will go to bring about change.

From Neil Jordan, starring Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker, Miranda Richardson
Rated R

From Neil Jordan, starring Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Julia Roberts, Ian Hart
Rated R

From Jim Sheridan, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Emily Watson, Daragh Donnelly, Frank Coughlan
Rated R

From Kari Skogland, starring Ben Kingsley, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Zegers, Natalie Press
Rated R

From Joel Schumacher, starring Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell, Brenda Fricker, Ciarán Hinds
Rated R