irish icons

“It’s the perfect mixture of music and visuals,” says Brendan (Jack Reynor) of Duran Duran’s “Rio” music video in John Carney’s 2016 film, Sing Street. The same could be said of Sing Street itself; with a soundtrack made up of Hall & Oates, Motörhead, The Jam, and original feel-good songs, this coming-of-age musical perfectly blends an 80s punk rock sound with a romanticised Dublin.

Conor Lawlor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) is transferred from his private school to a rough inner-city school on Synge Street (get it?) where, in between facing bullying classmates and strict teachers, he meets the sophisticated, older Raphina (Lucy Boynton). To impress her, he decides to start a band with some of his classmates, taping music videos and playing gigs at school discos. They frequently adapt their image and sound to match their inspirations, veering from the edginess of The Cure to the preppiness of Spandau Ballet. With its heightened sense of reality, Sing Street is characteristic of Carney’s films like Begin Again (2013) and Once (2007), as Conor transcends his bullies and arguing parents to make a path for himself and “get the girl.”

The charm of Sing Street is in the depiction of 1980s Dublin. While it does show the era’s downsides, such as the toxic masculinity of all boy’s schools and the economic recession, it focuses more on the upsides like the exciting music scene and fashion trends. It’s a pleasure to see familiar spots like Dalkey Island, St. Catherine’s Park, and Dún Laoghaire pier. The way cinematographer Yaron Orback shoots these locations makes one not only look at 80s Dublin through rose-tinted glasses but also feel sentimental about the magic of our capital.

Sing Street’s romanticisation of the mid-80s and of teenage love does not reduce it to a cheesy nostalgia trip but rather adds to its witty humour and heart-warming tone. The film allows audiences to walk away feeling a sense of hope that isn’t curated, but natural. As we watch Conor and Raphina jet off to achieve their dreams, we can’t help but be inspired to take control of our own lives and “drive it like you stole it.” jane loughman

nicola coughlan

Best known for her role as Derry Girls’ (Lisa McGee, 2018-present) wee lesbian Clare Devlin, Nicola Coughlan is a twenty-first century Irish icon. Coughlin began acting on-screen and on the stage at a young age, but Clare Devlin was her breakout on-screen role. Since then, she has made her West End debut and has won main roles in the period drama, Harlots (Alison Newman; Moira Buffini, 2017-19), and in Netflix’s hit series, Bridgerton (Shonda Rhimes, 2020-present). Coughlan is giving what are arguably some of the best comedic and dramatic performances on television today.

Coughlan’s depictions of adolescent girls has established her as an actress with the most respect for and the most hilarious depictions of imperfect young women. The actress plays teenagers so competently that both Derry Girls and Bridgerton’s viewers were shocked to discover that the actress is actually thirty-four-years-old. Like her Derry Girls co-stars, Nicola’s exaggerated facial expressions render her portrayal of a melodramatic teen convincing and charming. Without uttering a word, Coughlan can amplify the pure anguish or overwhelming joy experienced by her character with a scowl or a dropping jaw. Clare’s trademark uneasiness is distinguished by her shrill voice and her twitchy head movements. Mastering the hilarious physical expression of heightened teenage emotions, Coughlan is an Irish comedic icon.

However, the actress is also becoming a familiar face in period dramas, such as Hannah Dalton in Harlots and

more recently, as Penelope Featherington in the Netflix hit Bridgerton. These drama series challenge preconceived ideas about women of Regency England and the Georgian era, with a strong emphasis on the complicated relationships between the women depicted. Coughlan’s status as a rising international star has been elevated by her role as Bridgerton’s Penelope, whose best intentions to support her fellow high society misfits are tainted by emotions of jealousy and rejection. Coughlan’s performance in the series’ debut season is so striking that she was recently nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award.

Coughlan has built a reputation for herself as the star behind many of the most nuanced and captivating female characters we see on television today. In a recent opinion piece for The Guardian, Coughlan expressed her gratitude for having the opportunity to depict the “complexity and depth of female friendship” in both Derry Girls and Bridgerton. These series prioritise platonic love over romance – a theme that is finding its rightful place to the forefront of today’s television – in very different ways. In the finale of Derry Girls’ first season, Coughlan’s character becomes the emotional glue of her friendship group, as they reunite to support her coming out as a lesbian. In Bridgerton, we see Penelope begin to drift away from her best friend Eloise and into the world of the ton. In both performances, Coughlan achieves the perfect blend of comedy and melodrama.

Coughlan has accomplished so much since her breakout role in 2018 and it is exciting to consider the range of performances she might bring to the screen in the future. From a country in which our most internally successful actresses rarely receive the same national acclaim as their male counterparts, Coughlan has become a national treasure in a short space of time. Nicola Coughlan is certainly redefining what it means to be an Irish icon.

grace kenny

cillian murphy

Cillian Murphy has made showings in everything from independent comedy gems to prolific streaming titles. Being aware of his work in the aggregate is a good way of understanding why his acting is so believable, memorable, and ultimately entertaining. However, looking at some of his notable performances demonstrate his unique qualities as an actor.

Early on in his career, Murphy starred in Intermission (John Crowley, 2003), a delightful Irish comedy about a grocery store employee (Murphy), a small time criminal (Colin Farrell), and a hard boiled Dublin cop (Jerry Lynch). Among its comedic twists and turns, the film explores differing conceptions of love, friendship, and personal value. Murphy’s character, John, is a complete idiot yet also displays the emotional depth needed to drive the film’s nuanced plot. John uniquely subverts the trope of the foolish main character who stumbles into situations and instead manifests them directly. He exhibits a total lack of self awareness throughout the film. John is confused by his relationships, his station in life, and his resulting emotions. Murphy’s performance plays out beautifully on screen in this underappreciated gem of his early career.

The mid-2000’s saw Murphy take the backseat as a supporting actor in Christopher Nolan’s memorable blockbuster titles. During this phase in his career, Murphy exemplified the adage that there are no small roles, only small actors. Nolan’s visually stunning Inception (2010) was fertile

ground for Murphy as a character actor. Passionate scenes bookended Murphy’s acting subtlety in his portrayal of Fischer, a conflicted and passive heir to a massive industrial empire. In The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012), Murphy made appearances as the Scarecrow, who’s grittiness would serve him well in his most iconic role as Tommy Shelby.

Aside from its obvious commercial success in generating Netflix subscriptions and BBC viewers, Peaky Blinders demonstrates its team’s tremendous artistic skill in writing, camera work, and sound design. Of course Cillian Murphy also delivered groundbreaking performances throughout as he lent an angry, chaotic, and disillusioned voice to the silent generation of the Great War. Steven Knight’s interbellum drama draws in the audience with black and white visions of the 1920’s and themes of classic gangster mythos. Murphy’s exquisite portrayal of a deeply flawed protagonist colors those still frames and sets them in motion as the actor’s depth of presence comes alive on screen. Tommy Shelby is written as an incredibly complex and in many ways contradictory character. Broken by the war and at the same time driven by ambitious dreams and staunch family loyalty, Murphy expresses this inner turmoil in the gruffness of his dialogue, soldierly mannerisms, and the genuine charisma of a magnetic 20’s gang leader. Beset from below by rival gangs and from above by the powers that be, Shelby conquers the world in self defense. Once again, Murphy’s ability to portray a lack of self awareness on screen breathes authenticity into his performance. The show explores the retention and use of power at all levels of society. The plot suggests that those with a level head command respect and control the situation during chaotic times. However, Shelby’s underlying anxieties bleed out in Murphy’s emotive movements, choppy dialogue, and thousand yard stare. His ability to portray Shelby’s publicly stoic facade and private life as a smoldering train wreck, is worthy of much acclaim. The challenge of historical drama is eliciting credibility with subtle acting performances while avoiding the pitfalls of going overboard or lionizing historical figures. Good actors can build human connections between the audience and events that took place more than a century ago.

As Peaky Blinders draws to a close, Cillian Murphy will continue to deliver stellar performances in the future, using subtlety to express complexity, and providing food for thought to those who appreciate Irish Icons in TV and film.

seamus conlon

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