Take advantage of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations honoring Irish culture and heritage to enjoy some special films and music.
Films available for the enjoyment of grandchildren, parents and grandparents alike include:
The Secret of the Kells, an award-winning animated film about 9th Century Ireland.
Darby O’Gill and the Little People, a 1959 Walt Disney film. It’s a tale about a wiley Irishman and his battle of wits with the little people-the leprechauns.
The Magical Legend of the Lebrachauns. A 1999 film about a man who rents a home in the Irish countryside, and discovers it is also inhabited by a family of lebprechauns.
Finian’s Rainbow is a 1968 musical directed by Francis Ford Coppolo, starring Fred Astaire and Petula Clark. With a beautiful score of music composed by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy with lyrics by Harburg. The music alone is worth watching this movie for.
My favorite of all the Irish films is The Secret of Roan Inish. An American/Irish independent film written and directed by John Sayles, was released in 1994. Based on the mythical Irish and Oracadian tales of the selkies (seals who can shed their skin to become human). Filmed in Donegal, the film tells the tale of Fiona, a young girl sent to live with her grandparents in an Irish fishing village.
Music is a grand part of Irish culture, and some of the best Irish musicians are from the Monterey Peninsula. http://www.sfcelticmusic.com/IRISHMUS/irishmusic.htm#local
Shannon Miller and Laurel Thompson’s CD, Sweetfire, is a lovely collection of traditional Irish music.
Celtic Woman http://www.celticwoman.com/ have a wide variety of music and music videos.
Celtic Heart Band’s music includes a variety of traditional and contemporary Irish music. http://celticheartband.com/
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