Best Movies To Watch On St. Patrick’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Not everyone feels like squeezing into a crowded pub, shouting over music, and waiting twenty minutes for a drink dyed aggressively green. For those opting for a quieter celebration, an “Irish-ish” movie marathon offers a solid alternative, blending crime, folklore, romance, and history into one couch-friendly lineup.
Here’s a curated watchlist:
- “The Boondock Saints” (1999)
- “The Luck of the Irish” (2001)
- “Leprechaun” (1993)
- “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” (1959)
- “Gangs of New York” (2002)
- “Irish Wish” (2024)
- “The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022)
- “Leap Year” (2010)
- “The Departed” (2006)
- “Belfast” (2021)
The lineup covers a wide range of tones. If you want action and moral gray areas, The Boondock Saints and The Departed deliver. For something rooted in history, Gangs of New York and Belfast explore Irish identity through different eras and perspectives. On the lighter side, Leap Year and Irish Wish lean into romance and modern storytelling.
There’s also room for the strange and nostalgic. Leprechaun offers campy horror, while Darby O’Gill and the Little People brings classic Disney fantasy. Meanwhile, The Luck of the Irish adds a family-friendly option that leans into cultural mythology.
Rounding things out, The Banshees of Inisherin provides a quieter, more introspective take on friendship and isolation set against an Irish backdrop.
My personal choices are In The Name Of The Father starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Finian’s Rainbow, a wonderful musical from 1968, and Once from 2007, a movie about a young Irish musician. You’ll be speaking with an Irish lilt after watching these.
Whether you watch one or all, it’s a way to celebrate the holiday without leaving your living room.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Doug O’Brien
