IRELAND and the concept of ‘Irishness’ is now, it seems, firmly established in the cultural mainstream beyond our shores.

If I had to pinpoint when this started, I’d probably take you back to 2018, which is when Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls reached a new audience after being released on Netflix. Then came the Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) mania which started after the release of the onscreen adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People in 2020. And in 2023 Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy The Banshees of Inisherin was nominated for nine Academy Awards after its global success on the big screen.

However, the success of Irish talent in 2024 was on a completely different level. The 1960s saw the formation of the Rat Pack, the 1980s brought about the Brat Pack, and now the 2020s have seen the creation of the Pat Pack.

Cillian Murphy took home the Best Actor Oscar for his mesmerising performance in Oppenheimer and an unrecognisable Colin Farrell gave a masterful performance in his titular role as The Penguin in the HBO series.