“I remember one particular kid… one of the players… he left the pitch and he said to his dad; ’I don’t give a fock how you think I played, just crack open the wallet dude’ … and that’s the moment in my mind that Ross O’Carroll-Kelly was born.” Paul Howard, Episode 86: An Irishman Abroad … Continue reading The Curious Case of Ross O’Carroll-Kelly
Since its debut on Channel 4 this spring, Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls proved to be a hit with critics and viewers alike. Partly based on McGee’s experiences growing up in Derry, the series offered a refreshingly warm and funny look at adolescence in 1990’s Northern Ireland. Throughout the first season the Troubles acted as a … Continue reading Season 1 of Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls bows out with a gripping and poignant finale
In celebration of the release of season one of Stefanie Preissner's comedy-drama Can't Cope, Won't Cope on Netflix, I'm taking a look at some of the best recent Irish television comedies. I want to pay particular attention to comedies that have female writers and shows where female characters play a substantial role. Derry Girls: Lisa … Continue reading Funny Girls: A look at female-centric Irish television comedies
In the last decade the podcast industry has grown to become one of the most popular forms of audio entertainment. With the rise of smart phones and iPods podcasts have allowed for a portable and assessable way to listen to long-form conversations and interviews. In Ireland some of the recent developments in the field have … Continue reading Top Five Irish Podcasts
The following article looks at two BBC productions that recounted true incidents of violence against women. The three-part drama Five Daughters aired on BBC One in April 2010. Written by Stephen Butchard the mini-series revolves around the Ipswich serial killer case where Steve Wright murdered five young women during the winter of 2006. The BAFTA Award-winning television film … Continue reading Five Daughters and Murdered By My Boyfriend: Giving a human face to the victims of crime
A profile of David Gleeson's 2003 comedy-drama. Contains some spoilers. Set in Limerick city during the boom years, Cowboys and Angels depicts the growing friendship between two very different men and looks at the anxieties and challenges faced by young people trying to establish their identity in a modern city. When shy civil servant Shane (Michael Legge) … Continue reading Rewind: Looking back at David Gleeson’s Cowboys and Angels
The following article contains some spoilers for the recently released Irish film Handsome Devil, directed by John Butler. The film explores the friendship between a social outcast and the star athlete at a rugby-obsessed, all-boys private boarding school. The film stars up and coming actors Fionn O'Shea and Nicholas Galitzine as the central characters. http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/the-official-trailer-for-irish-comedy-handsome-devil-1.2980780 In a key … Continue reading John Butler’s Handsome Devil and the hollow promise of “it gets better”
In his 2012 film What Richard Did director Lenny Abrahamson depicts the downfall of a rugby playing 'golden boy' following an act of violence. The film's serious subject matter, and the fact that it's plot was inspired by the real life events surrounding the death of a Dublin teenager, meant that it's production was a heavy undertaking … Continue reading What Richard Did: A film about failure
In his 2007 essay "Cinema, city, and imaginative space: 'Hip hedonism' and recent Irish cinema" McLoone outlines how the relative prosperity and optimism of the Celtic Tiger years led a cultural rebirth of Dublin and a re imagining of Ireland's capital in film as a space of "sexual freedom and exploration" (213). Films like Goldfish Memory … Continue reading Beyond ‘Hip Hedonism’: The darker side of urban Celtic Tiger Ireland
Matthew Warchus's critically acclaimed 2014 film Pride opens with the trade union anthem 'Solidarity Forever'. A recurring theme throughout the film is that there is strength in solidarity, particularly when people from different communities unite. In a key scene striking Welsh miner Dai tells young Northern Irish gay activist Mark: "That's what the labour movement means, should mean. … Continue reading Solidarity Forever: Bridging the divide in Pride and Good Vibrations
