Irish Film Institute -International Film Directory – Category

Music

Irish Music in all its forms has been a vibrant presence on the Irish screen and is celebrated here in a dynamic range of films. Dramas featuring contemporary music such as Once sit alongside profiles of Ireland’s great musical figures and documentaries exploring the popularity and impact of traditional Irish music and dance in Ireland and further afield.

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Ag Taisteal Siar

Méabh O’Hare, 73 minutes, 2025

Traveller music has been a defining force in Irish musical heritage since the ballad boom of the 1960s. As the music reached new heights, the Traveller way of life was undergoing profound change. The transition from life on the road…

Aisling Gheal

Dónal Ó Céilleachair, 79 minutes, 2013

Sean-nós singing is one of the most precious aspects of Irish traditional music and the Sean-nós singer is the living embodiment of a tradition that stretches far into Irish history. Aisling Gheal is a project run by a team of…

An Rinceoir

Elaine Gallagher, 4 minutes, 2011

An Irish language short, An Rinceoir consists primarily of the Irish dancing performed by Ania (Vitalija Bondareva). With Ania mistaken identified by the Irish speaking community as Áine, An Rinceoir portrays the meeting of Irish and foreign cultures in a…

Art Will Save the World

Niall McCann, 70 minutes, 2012

Niall McCann’s energetic first feature Art Will Save the World celebrates forgotten singer-songwriter, novelist and artist, Luke Haines. Haines, one of the founding members of “The Auteurs”, is often described as one of the great English contemporary songwriters, a man…

Ballroom Boom

Billy McGrath, 85 minutes, 2025

Adam Clayton from U2 explores the phenomenon of 1960s Irish showbands, when thousands of musicians performed the latest hits live in ballrooms. Chronicling a hugely successful local industry, made up of working-class musicians, that created legends such as Joe Dolan…

Ballymun Lullaby

Frank Berry, 72 minutes, 2011

Music teacher Ron Cooney has been working in the Republic of Ireland's only high-rise housing estate for fifteen years. During this time he has seen the area undergo a dramatic transformation, including the demolition of six of its seven tower…

Breaking Out

Michael McCormack, 85 minutes, 2019

Fergus O’Farrell was the charismatic voice of Interference, one of the most influential bands on the Irish music scene in the '80s and '90s.  Although diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age, Fergus did not define himself by his…

Broken Song

Claire Dix, 66 minutes, 2013

GI, Costello and Willa Lee are street poets, hip-hop artists, rappers and song-writers from Dublin’s often-deprived suburbs. Through their words they have found a way to diffuse their frustration with the chaos that surrounds them and to inspire others to…

Ceist an Taibhse

Richard Harvey, 6 minutes, 2024

A talented mandolin player who prefers his own company, discovers an unexpected sparring partner in a remote place. After taking the time to listen to himself, he realises that his talent must be shared in order to progress.

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