Irish cinema has always been held in high esteem and can boast a catalogue of commercially successful and critically acclaimed films that often draw on Ireland's strong literary and musical traditions.
Undeterred by an economic recession, Irish cinema could be considered to be currently going through its most successful period. Irish films featuring heavily in the list of Oscar nominations in recent years and two Irish films being nominated for the best picture award at last year's ceremony are examples of this success.
This list will look to see how the new breed of success stories stack up compared to the established cornerstones of Irish cinema that went before.
These are twenty essential films for anyone interested in or who wishes to be introduced to Irish cinema.
