Best Movies and Games to Inspire the Welsh to Reaffirm their Historic Irish Connections

Being so close geographically, many people know that Ireland and Wales share quite a history between their respective civilisations, particularly when it comes to trade. There are also the ancient Celtic ties, with parts of Wales and Ireland seeing their Celtic tribes live long beyond those in England once the Romans came to Britannia.

Still, there’s also a lesser-known and perhaps more confrontational history. During the Dark Ages, a powerful group of people from Ireland known as the Déisi came across the sea to conquer and settle in the closest regions of western Wales, as well as a bit in southwest England. The influential Irish class remained present in southwest Wales for dynasties, even naming the settlements of Dyfed and Brecon, but seemingly integrated into Welsh by the 7th Century.

Wales and Ireland enjoy a rich history of interactions, and it’s well worth exploring that history in the modern day. For inspiration to do so, we’ve got a collection of movies and games that inspire anyone in Wales to embark on a journey to Ireland.

Great entertainment for the Irish and Welsh

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One of the best places to start for its distinct calling to the connection is the movie Moon Dogs. Created by Ffilm Cymru, the Irish Film Board, and Creative Scotland, it’s a quirky comedy that goes all-in on its Celtic inspirations and is carried by its enthusiastic lead trio. For more distinctly Irish stories, check out The Wind that Shakes the Barley with Cillian Murphy, The Guard with Brendan Gleeson, and the Oscar-nominated The Secret of Kells.

If it’s more of a hands-on experience that you’re after, it’s best to turn to modern digital gaming. Easily the most Irish-loving medium of digital gaming is that of the online casino, with The Clubhouse Casino featuring a huge range of slots that link to its Irish heritage. Double Lucky Mushrooms with its sióga, Wild Wild Riches: The Luck of the Irish, and Charms & Clovers are among the top picks, as well as Bloodthirst if you consider the original vampire myths to be the Abhartach from old Irish legend.

Console gaming also has a couple of clearly Irish-inspired creations that you could sink several hours into and come out feeling inspired to go across the Irish Sea. The best, unfortunately, isn’t accessible to many, with 2007’s Folklore being generation-locked to the PlayStation 3. Still, if you can get the game and console, the Irish myth-driven game is a real treat. For a more recent creation, get the ancient Celtic vibes from the natives in GreedFall – a fantastical tale in which the local language is drawn from Gaelic, Breton, Irish, and

Flemish.

How to capitalise on your Irish inspiration

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Perhaps the easiest way to now explore and enjoy a bit of Ireland is to celebrate St Patrick’s Day as the Irish do on 17 March. Best of all, many believe that St Patrick was actually born in Wales, even if he’s celebrated on such a large scale across Ireland. After that, it’s time to dig into the Celtic culture that continues to connect the Welsh and Irish. Closer to home, head to Llansteffan to learn how to forage for shrimp, scarlet elf cap mushrooms, and cockles as the ancient Celts once would.

If you’re ready to go all in, a road trip is a perfect way to go. As has been expertly laid out by National Geographic, in one week, you can visit all of the Celtic heritage hotspots from Carreg Cennen in Wales to Copper Coast in Ireland. The trip takes you through forests, to hillforts, and to the lands that the Celtic tribes would see as ‘thin places,’ which were the places where heaven and earth were at their closest.

Ireland and Wales have long been very closely connected, so celebrate these ties with some great entertainment to inspire a trip across the two countries