Conan O'Brien in talks about making upcoming tour into documentary

Former late night talk show host, Conan O'Brien, is in talks to have his upcoming 30-city theater tour of the U.S. made into a feature documentary. FULL STORY >

The secrets of Brendan Gleeson's success

Brendan Gleeson is one of Ireland’s most admired screen actors. In The Secret of Kells, the Oscar nominated Irish film, Gleeson lends his talents to a striking animated feature about ancient Ireland and the struggle against the invading Viking hordes. FULL STORY >

Waveriders

Waveriders, the acclaimed documentary directed by Dublin native Joel Conroy and coming out on DVD March 16, is based around an unusual premise: modern-day surfing’s Irish-American roots. The award-winning film traces the history of the “father of modern surfing,” Irish-Hawaiian George Freeth. FULL STORY >

Tom Deignan: Irish Eye on Hollywood

Special section / Saint Patrick's Day! Stories, music, videos, recipes, more! / Click here Back in 2004, Irish playwright Mark O’Rowe teamed up with Irish director FULL STORY >

Jimmy Fallon says he’s a 'stubborn, very pale begrudging Irishman’

Late night host Jimmy Fallon told members of the American-Ireland fund Thursday night that his Irishness is a big part of who he is. “I’m a very stubborn, very pale begrudging Irish man,” he declared. FULL STORY >

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The Irish movies industry has grown somewhat in recent years thanks partly to the promotion of the sector by The Irish Film Board and the introduction of heavy tax breaks. Some of the most successful Irish movies include The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Intermission (2001), Man About Dog (2004), Michael Collins (1996), Angela's Ashes (1999), The Commitments (1991) and Once (2007). In 2005 a Jameson Whiskey-sponsored poll selected the top 10 Irish movies: 1. The Commitments (1991), 2. My Left Foot (1989), 3. In the Name of the Father (1993), 4. The Quiet Man (1952), The Snapper (1993), 6. Michael Collins (1996), 7. The Field (1990), 8. Intermission (2003), 9. Veronica Guerin (2003), 10. Inside I'm Dancing (2004). In the past many Irish movies were censored or banned, owing largely to the influence of the Catholic church, although virtually no cuts or bans have been issued in recent years. Ireland has also proved a popular location for shooting films, largely due to the tax breaks, with The Quiet Man (1952), Braveheart (1995), Reign of Fire (2002) and King Arthur (2004) all being shot in Ireland. The first film ever shot in Ireland was The Lad from Old Ireland (1910), which was advertised as "The first ever film recorded on two continents". The Irish movie was a short silent story about a young Irishman who went to the USA to find riches, before returning home to save his family home from creditors. The first cinema in Ireland (the Volta) was opened in 1909. Ireland has a high rate of cinema admissions — the highest in Europe. The biggest multiplex Irish movies chain in the country is Ward Anderson (owners of the Cineplex, Omniplex, and Savoy brands), with other cinemas being owned by United Cinemas International, Cineworld (formerly UGC Cinemas), and Vue (formerly Ster Century). One of the largest Irish owned independent cinema chains is Storm Cinemas, with cinemas currently in Belfast, Limerick, Waterford, Navan, Naas, Portlaoise and Cavan. In Autumn 2005, a new multiplex cinema chain, Movies(at) entered the market, opening its first cinema in Dundrum, with Galway and Swords sites to come. There is also a large video rental market for Irish movies, dominated by Xtravision, a subsidiary of Blockbuster.

Conan O'Brien in talks about making upcoming tour into documentary

The secrets of Brendan Gleeson's success

Waveriders

Tom Deignan: Irish Eye on Hollywood

Jimmy Fallon says he’s a 'stubborn, very pale begrudging Irishman’

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