18 Must-Watch Films Set in Ireland in Honor of St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is on March 17, but while the world seems to always collectively go green for those 24 hours, the holiday is really celebrated all month long. From the colored beer to the crazy outfits to hearing about everyone's great-great-grandfather coming over from the Emerald Isle, this holiday really does speak to almost everyone. And since there are so many amazing movies set in the beautiful and romantic country of Ireland, we decided to round up some of our favorites. Keep reading to see all the must-watch films, then check out these 20 insanely hot Irish actors.

— Additional reporting by Shannon Vestal Robson and Quinn Keaney

01
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
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The Wind That Shakes the Barley

This gripping drama is set during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War, which spanned from 1919 until 1923. It tells the fictional story of two brothers, Damien and Teddy O'Donovan, who join the Irish Republican Army to fight for Irish independence from the United Kingdom. Cillian Murphy's emotional performance and the deep Irish history should put this film at the top of your list.

02
Once
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Once

The streets of Dublin provide the backdrop for penniless musicians played by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (listed in the credits as only "Guy" and "Girl") to meet, make beautiful music together, and then be forced to part.

03
Leap Year
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Leap Year

Leap Year may have been far from a critical darling when it hit theaters in 2010, but the romantic comedy's gorgeous setting is reason enough to watch. As uptight American Amy Adams travels to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day, she ends up falling in love with gorgeous Irishman Matthew Goode. The cute chemistry and idyllic countryside will quickly make you forget all about the geographical inaccuracies and sometimes cringe-worthy Irish stereotypes.

04
Brooklyn
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Brooklyn

Brooklyn took the 2016 award season by storm, garnering best picture, best actress, and best adapted screenplay nominations at the Oscars. Saoirse Ronan plays a young Irish girl who travels to America in the 1950s in search of a better life than her small hometown could offer her. The painfully relatable feeling of homesickness and the love triangle make this one worthy of all its buzz.

05
The Magdalene Sisters
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The Magdalene Sisters

If you want a good cry (or five) and want to know what life was like for women in 1960s Ireland, The Magdalene Sisters is definitely a movie that will stay with you for weeks. The story follows a group of young girls who are sent to live and work in Magdalene asylums, or homes for "fallen women," though their crimes aren't criminal. The girls, all of whom were deemed too promiscuous or had gotten pregnant and were forced to give up their children for adoption, were under the abusive eye of nuns and priests and tried to be redeemed before being released back into society.

06
In the Name of the Father
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In the Name of the Father

Daniel Day-Lewis stars in this biographical courtroom drama based on the true story of the Guildford Four, four people falsely convicted of the 1974 Irish Republican Army's Guildford pub bombings, which killed four off-duty British soldiers and a civilian. The film received seven Oscar nominations back in 1994, including best actor, best director, and best picture.

07
The Guard
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The Guard

This hilarious and slightly dark comedy, which tells the story of a drunk and crass cop who investigates a murder with the help of an American FBI detective, was well-received by critics and audiences alike when it was released in 2011. It quickly went on to become the most successful Irish film of all time in terms of box office sales, so you know it has to be good.

08
The Butcher Boy
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The Butcher Boy

Set in early 1960s Ireland, The Butcher Boy tells the story of Francie Brady, a 12-year-old boy whose imagination helps him create a dark fantasy world in order to escape the reality of his dysfunctional family. As his real life gets worse, however, he starts acting out in increasingly violent ways.

09
Circle of Friends
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Circle of Friends

Minnie Driver stars as Benny in her 1995 debut about a group of high schoolers in 1950s Ireland. The randy young kids are oppressed by their Catholic upbringing — but they still manage to make some, uh, connections in the beautiful setting.

10
The Field
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The Field

If you've ever dealt with drama with a neighbor, this movie is definitely relatable — well, sort of. "Bull" McCabe's family has farmed a field for generations, but when the widow who owns the field decides to sell it, Bull does everything in his power to ensure that doesn't happen. While this movie may sound like nothing special from the outside, the fact that things go horribly wrong make this suspenseful thriller worth the watch.

11
Philomena
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Philomena

While Philomena isn't directly related to The Magdalene Sisters, it does tell the story of what happens to a woman who was forced to give up her child and survived living in the laundries. The movie, which was nominated for four Oscars in 2014, shows Philomena's 50-year search for her lost son and a journalist's efforts to help her find him.

12
Tristan & Isolde
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Tristan & Isolde

This film is based on the medieval romantic legend of Tristan and Isolde. Tristan, played by an often shirtless James Franco, falls in love with an Irish princess without knowing she had already been promised to marry his adopted father. Strange love triangle aside, this movie has a ton of action, romance, and steamy scenes.

13
The Quiet Man
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The Quiet Man

This classic film, which stars John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, tells the story of an Irish-born American who returns to his hometown to reclaim his family's farm. Of course, he meets a girl and falls in love, and that is something we can always get on board with.

14
Far and Away
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Far and Away

There was a time when Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were in love, and that time was during their film Far and Away. Though the movie is mostly set in 1890s New York City, Shannon and Joseph meet in Ireland, from wildly different walks of life (she's rich, he's poor). Eventually, they make it work, although the same can't be said for real life.

15
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
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Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Disney's live-action movie about an elderly man and his interactions with leprechauns is meant for kids, but the use of other Irish folkloric figures, like banshees, is actually pretty terrifying. Fun fact: it stars a young Sean Connery.

16
P.S. I Love You
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P.S. I Love You

This heartbreaking movie tells the story of a young widow (Hilary Swank) who discovers that her husband has written her letters to help ease her pain and encourage her to start a new life without him. The breathtaking scenes in Ireland, the dreamy Gerard Butler, and the beautiful writing will make you want to watch this one over and over again.

17
Ondine
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Ondine

This 2009 Irish romantic drama stars Colin Farrell as a single father and fisherman named Syracuse, who finds a mysterious, scantily clad woman caught in his net one day, who calls herself Ondine (Alicja Bachleda). So begins a modern day fairy tale, of sorts, that sees Syracuse, his young daughter Annie, and Ondine fighting for the love they all share for each other.

18
Calvary
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Calvary

Kelly Reilly and Brendan Gleeson lead this 2014 black comedy, which follows a well-meaning, kindhearted priest (Gleeson) as he deals with his cynical, spiteful parishioners over the course of one week, at the end of which an anonymous man has vowed to kill him.