A review of Báite by Dymphna Lonergan Director Ruán Magan, acclaimed for his historical documentaries, brings us this murder mystery Báite, The Drowned (2025) available online as part of Australia’s 2026 Irish Film Festival and much appreciated by those who are unable to attend screenings in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. The screenplay is … Continue reading
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2026 Irish Film Festival Reviews (Part II)
A Review of TESTIMONY by Karen Lochhead Testimony (1925), Director, Writer and Executive Producer – Aoife Kelleher; Producers – Rachel Lysaght and Farah Abushwesha; Cinematographer – Eleanor Bowman. Featuring Dr Maeve O’Rourke, Philomena Lee and Michael O’Brien, and other contributors. This confronting documentary tells the story of the fight for justice for the women and … Continue reading
Nolan’s Odyssey and Joyce’s Ulysses
Which Odyssey? Let us not pretend that any translation can be transparent or without values. Continue reading
Saipan: ‘Football isn’t a matter of life and death. It’s much more serious than that.’
The country has come a long way since – and not just in sport, where its rugby union team in
particular has excelled – but as an economy, with Saipan taking place during the Celtic Tiger years. Continue reading
Another Irish Film Festival 2025 Review: Never Stop the Action
Kathleen, an eighteen-year-old, navigates life after her mother’s death and returning to her childhood home in a coastal Irish town. Given a second chance, she struggles with her volatile nature and connections while pursuing dreams of a beauty salon. Strong performances highlight her quest for love and recognition amidst psychological challenges. Continue reading
More Irish Film Festival 2025 Reviews: Dead Man’s Money, Chasing the Light, Mrs Robinson
Dead Man’s Money, a film by Paul Kennedy, explores familial tension and betrayal as Young Henry fears his wealthy uncle’s courtship with the Widow Tweed. This noir adaptation evokes Shakespearean themes, skillfully blending dark humor and character complexities. The 82-minute film offers a gripping tale of moral ambiguity and human frailty. Continue reading
Irish Film Festival 2025 Reviews: Kathleen is Here, A Want in Her, Bring Them Down, Fran the Man, Housewife of the Year, Froggie, Fidil Ghorm, The Spin, and David Keenan:Focla ar Chanbhás
Kathleen, an eighteen-year-old, navigates life after her mother’s death and returning to her childhood home in a coastal Irish town. Given a second chance, she struggles with her volatile nature and connections while pursuing dreams of a beauty salon. Strong performances highlight her quest for love and recognition amidst psychological challenges. Continue reading
Small Things Like These
The world of the film is a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business, and yet no-one ever speaks of what happens just down the road. Continue reading
Irish Film Festival Reviews: Tarrac & Dance First, That They May Face the Rising Sun, and more.
Tarrac, a heart-warming Irish language comedy drama set on the Kerry coast in Dingle… Joyce feels like someone we can know, though probably not like very much….The scaffolding and the bedrock of this visually sumptuous film is what it does with landscapes and cloudscapes and the imposition of the human impress on them. Continue reading
Vale Edna O’Brien (1930-2024): an Irish country girl
Edna was a fearless teller of truths, a superb writer possessed of the moral courage to confront Irish society with realities long ignored and suppressed. Continue reading