The Irish Stars Shining Brightly In 2020

With St. Patrick’s Day on the way, we’re feeling all sorts of patriotic – and nothing makes us prouder to be Irish than seeing one of our own tearing it up on screen! Whether it’s Irish stars making Tinseltown their own, or homegrown hits proving that Irish film and TV can mix it with the best in the world, there’s no shortage of success to celebrate on our shores.

 

And with that, we thought it was a good time to salute some of our shining lights in 2020; watching this lot strut their stuff leaves us tickled, er, green!

 

IAN-LLOYD ANDERSON

 

His turn in Dublin Oldschool – both the stage version and the film, available to rent now on Virgin Movies from €2.99 – made him a firm favourite for everyone who’d come across his work before, but it’s a blistering performance as Paul in the new season of Blood that’s launched the Dub to new heights. If you’ve missed it, catch up on Virgin Media Player right now; you won’t be disappointed!

 

JESSIE BUCKLEY

 

Last year was something of a coming out party for the Killarney-born actress; this is the year that she solidifies her place as one of Ireland’s finest exports! Beginning with a role on the star-studded Fargo (this month on Channel 4, Virgin TV 111), there’s a massive year ahead – including a starring role in Charlie Kaufman’s eagerly anticipated Netflix movie I’m Thinking Of Ending Things. In a way, that title is ironic – because Jessie’s only getting started!

 

BARRY KEOGHAN

 

A man as comfortable on the Sunset Strip as he is at home in Summerhill, this year is the perfect example of the range of Keoghan’s talents. Attendees of the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival will already be raving about the outstanding Irish flick Calm With Horses, which arrives in cinemas soon – but it won’t be long until the entire world is queued up to see him strut his stuff in Green Knight! His global domination continues apace…

 

GABRIEL BYRNE

 

OK, so this one’s not exactly out-of-left-field – but when you’re part of the TV sensation of the spring, you just can’t be denied! As the survivor-in-chief in the new War Of The Worlds series (Wednesdays, 9pm, FOX, Virgin TV 126), the veteran has reminded viewers that you simply can’t keep a good man down – and reminded some of the other young stars on this list of what it takes to carve out a decades-long career at Tinseltown’s top table!

 

RICHARD FLOOD

 

It’s not so long since he was on the beat as James McKay on Virgin Media Television’s Red Rock, but the actor has now in residence across the Atlantic – and how! As Dr. Cormac Hayes in Grey’s Anatomy, he’s got hearts racing for entirely different reasons; whether it’s the accent, the smouldering looks, or something else entirely, we reckon there’s millions of viewers who suddenly feel the need to see a doctor!

 

Bag yourself a top class television package from Virgin Media – click here to find out more!