Facing down Paddy’s weekend, the Friday Panel on The Right Hook is talking a load of blarney about Irish accents, after a video posted on the internet imploring Hollywood to get its tongue around the diverse brogues on the island of Ireland.
Since debuting on YouTube Wednesday, the video has garnered more than 120,000 views, outlining the different sorts of sounds the voices arounf the four provinces of Ireland are like to produce.
You can watch the video below:
We’re often quick to point out the really bad Irish accents mangled by the likes of Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and Sean Connery, but which actors and actresses did a grand job at sounding like a local, to be sure, to be sure?
Here is Newstalk’s ‘Top Six Irish Accents on Screen’, and to hear the Right Hook panel’s pick, tune in live at 5.45pm: www.newstalk.com/player/
- Kate Hudson in About Adam
A slight romantic comedy that best encapsulates South Dublin Celtic Tiger notions, the American actress made a very decent stab at easygoing Dart speak.
- Cate Blanchet in Veronica Guerin
The two-time Oscar-winning Australian actress is well known for her ability to change her voice to portray a character, and the only thing that really lets her down in the biopic of the slain Irish journalist is some dodgy renderings of Irish names.
- Paddy Considine in In America
The British actor’s late father was an Irishman, which might explain why he was able to perfectly recreate the sounds of the Dublin father who emigrates with his young family in Jim Sheridan’s drama.
- Meryl Streep in Dancing at Lughnasa
The world’s most respected actress added considerable star power to the 1998 film version of Brian Friel’s Tony-award winning play. Well known for her vocal dexterity, Streep’s stab at Donegal was well received.
- Daniel Day Lewis in In the Name of the Father
While many of us might consider him an honorary Irishman anyway, Day Lewis doesn’t sound like he comes from Louth. But when playing Belfast man Gerry Conlan, one of the ‘Guildford Four’, the actor perfectly recreated the accent.
- Maggie Smith in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
The Dowager Countess herself won a BAFTA for the title role in this not-too-well remembered film from 1987. Although originally based in Belfast in Brian Moore’s novel, the film relocated the action to Dublin, and Maggie Smith played an Irishwoman struggling with her faith.
- Ben Schnetzer in Pride
Relatively unknown to audiences before appearing the drama about an LGBT group supporting Welsh minors during Thatcher’s government, New York-native Schnetzer so perfectly pulls off the Belfast accent that you’d be surprised to learn he wasn’t Northern Irish after all.
Any we missed? Let us know in the comments below, or email info@newstalk.com, text 53106 (each message costs 30c), or tweet @NewstalkFM or @ghook.
