Ah, Ireland. Land of lush rolling hills, castles, leprechauns, shamrocks, potatoes, red-heads, U2, green stuff, Guinness, and Riverdance. As we gear up to celebrate yet another St. Patrick's day, let's take a moment to remember Ireland and a few of the talented, beautiful people She has given us.
1. Niall Horan, 22
Who else would I start this list with? Niall is the only non-British member of One Direction, in fact he's quick to point out and very proud of. He's also adorable and the favorite member of 1D of many, including yours truly.
2. Michael Fassbender, 38
Okay, so technically he's "Irish-German" and was born in Germany, but he was raised in Ireland, has an Irish accent, and is far too good-looking to omit from this list (seriously, I spent 20 minutes trying to decide which picture of him to use). He's perhaps most widely known for his role as Magneto in the X-Men prequels but has also starred or been featured in countless other films such as 12 Years a Slave for which he earned an Academy Award nomination, Prometheus, Macbeth, and most recently Steve Jobs in which he appeared as the title character and earned his second Oscar nom.
3. Liam Neeson, 63
Though he hails from Northern Ireland, which is technically separate from the country of Ireland and a part of the United Kingdom, it just didn't feel right to exclude him from the list. He doesn't know who you are, he doesn't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, he can tell you he doesn't have the money (which is probably a lie). But he does have a very particular set of skills; skills he has acquired over a very long career in films such as Schindler's List, Batman Begins, Love Actually, The Grey, and of course Taken. Skills that make him a nightmare for people like you. If you let his daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. If not, he will not look for you, he will not pursue you. But if you don't, he will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you.
4. Allen Leech, 34
I LOVE ALLEN LEECH AND I WILL FOREVER SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS. This wonderful Irish man starred as, go figure, a wonderful Irish man in Downton Abbey (just writing that in past-tense made my heart sad). Beyond playing the lovely Tom Branson for six seasons, he's also been on other shows like the final season of The Tudors (where, spoiler alert, things don't end well for him) and Rome as well as in the Academy Award-nominated The Imitation Game. He also bears a resemblance to an aforementioned lad which makes me love both of them even more.
5. Eve Hewson, 24
A name you may not know, Memphis Eve Sunny Day Hewson (I promise you that's her real name) is the second daughter of one of Ireland's best known and loved sons, Bono of U2. Eve went into the family business of show-biz but pursued acting rather than music. She had a supporting role in the Academy Award-nominated Bridge of Spies last year and starred in Cinemax's The Knick (which you probably haven't heard of but is too good for words, take my word for it) for two seasons.
6. Saoirse Ronan, 21
Perhaps best known for having a hard-to-pronounce traditional Irish name, Saoirse Seer-sha Ronan has been nominated for two Academy Awards, with the first coming for her role in Atonement when she was just 13 and the second for Brooklyn this past year. Considering how much she has accomplished at only 21-years-old (which makes me feel super unaccomplished) it'll be interesting to see what all she does in the coming years.
7. Evanna Lynch, 24
LUNA LOVEGOOD. Enough said? Enough said. The story of how her character impacted her life even before she played her in the Harry Potter films has circulated around the Internet and never feels to be a pick-me-up.
8. Conor McGregor, 27
9. Kenneth Branagh, 55
I'd be lying if I said watching Branagh's 1996 (four hour long) adaptation of Hamlet wasn't one of the highlights of AP literature my senior year of high school. He's arguably the master actor-director of modern Shakespeare films and has garnered Academy Award, BAFTA, and Olivier award nominations for them. Not many people know that he's also the director behind movies such as Thor and the recent adaptation of Cinderalla. I'd like him even more if he hadn't cheated on the queen that is Emma Thompson (with Helena Bonham Carter of all people). But I digress.
10. Cillian Murphy, 39
Cillian Muphy is a name you may not recognize (or know how to pronounce) but he has a face you likely know as a result of his roles in such films as 28 Days Later, Batman BeginsInception, and In Timeas well as his role in the acclaimed BBC drama Peaky Blinders.
11. Hozier, 25
The Irish musician stole the hearts of many with his 2013 hit "Take Me to Church" and much of his work is influenced by traditional Irish music as well as Irish writers like James Joyce, Seamus Heaney and Oscar Wilde.
12. Daniel Day-Lewis, 59
Alright, full disclosure: DDL was born in London but he has some Irish roots, dual-citizenship and currently resides in Ireland. Plus his exquisite portrayal of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown in My Left Foot (which earned him his first of three Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role) was enough to make him an honorary Irishman in the eyes of many. He's the only man to have won three Best Lead Actor Academy Awards and will likely go down in history as one of the best actors of his generation; Ireland is lucky to have (half) of him.
13. Chris O'Dowd, 36
Chris O'Dowd is a very funny Irishman who's made a name for himself in British comedies like The IT Crowd and Moone Boy but is probably best known stateside for his roles in movies like Dinner for Schmucks, Bridesmaids, and This is 40 and we'll likely continue to see even more of him in the coming years.
So before you don your green and say Sláinte this Thursday, be sure to thank Ireland for all it has given to the world, including these wonderful people.
