Gaelic Games on Film

Gaelic games have been a recurring motif in film, representing ‘perceived’ aspects of Irish identity that are neither straightforward nor unproblematic. International productions have used the sport to reinforce regressive Irish stereotypes such as a propensity for violence. For indigenous producers, on the other hand, the games symbolize Irish cultural practices and have been utilised to promote and affirm the nation with the rise of domestic filmmaking in the wake of World War II. Representing the first major study of Gaelic games on film, this book examines significant cinematic moments from early film (including Ireland's first feature film production Knocknagow (1918)) to newsreels; Oscar-nominated short, Three Kisses (1955); Palme d'Or winner, The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006); Neil Jordan's acclaimed biopic, Michael Collins (1996), and much more.