Irish roots bloom in entertainment world
Ireland has definitely made its mark in the entertainment world. Can you imagine how Hollywood and the music industry would fare without Irish entertainers? For instance, there’s Celtic Woman, “Riverdance” and Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance.” Irish blood runs quite deep in several well-known performers. With St. Patrick’s Day today, we take a look at a few of entertainment’s Irish eyes:
Enya
Many fans have sailed away to the sounds of Enya’s hauntingly beautiful voice filled with Irish charm. She wowed fans with her hit “Orinoco Flow.” Since then, her music has been featured in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Birthplace: Donegal, Ireland. Claim to fame: “Orinoco Flow.”
ColinFarrell
Farrell has been featured in films such as 2002’s “Minority Report” and 2003’s “Daredevil.” His career began as a small-time Irish soap opera star, then he went to Hollywood. Since then, he’s been voted one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in 2003 and was at one time the arm-candy of Britney Spears. He’s been known to attract his fair share of women, as some Irish men do. After a stint in rehab in 2005, the once hard-drinking Farrell cleaned up his act. This year, he won the Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical for his portrayal of a hitman in “In Bruges.”
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland. Claim to fame: “In Bruges,” “Minority Report.”
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
The handsome actor is featured as Henry VIII in Showtime’s highly watched drama “The Tudors.” Known for his bad-boy roles, Rhys-Meyers has wooed fans worldwide with films such as 2003’s “Bend It Like Beckham,” “August Rush” and “Vanity Fair.”
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland.
Claim to fame: “Bend It Like Beckham.”
John Lennon
Lennon, a member of the legendary Beatles, penned a number of tunes that are still poignant today. They include, “Imagine” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” based on the 1972 massacre of Irish protesters by British troops. Lennon was murdered in 1980.
Birthplace: Liverpool, England.
Claim to fame: The Beatles.
Speaking of The Beatles, George Harrison and Paul McCartney are also of Irish decent.
Bruce Springsteen
The Boss is synonymous with classic American rock, but did you know he has Irish roots in his family tree? His father is of Irish and Dutch descent.
Birthplace: New Jersey. Claim to fame: the 1984 hit “Born in the U. S. A.”
Liam Neeson
As far as actors are concerned, this list would not be complete without Liam Neeson. Neeson has been in dozens of films. They include “Star Wars: Episode I,” “Love Actually,” “Batman Begins” and “The Chronicles of Narnia.”
Birthplace: Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
Claim to fame: The 1993 Steven Spielberg film “Schindler’s List.”
U2
One of the top-selling music acts of the era, U2 — comprised of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. — has helped shape the music industry with their cutting-edge tunes. The Grammy Awardwinning band was named one of the 100 greatest artists of all time and the “Band of the 80s” by Rolling Stone.
The group is also known for its campaign for social causes. Musically, they are best remembered for “New Year’s Day,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “Mysterious Ways” and “Walk On.”
U2’s newest album “No Line on the Horizon,” was released earlier this month.
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland.
Claim to fame: U2’s album “The Joshua Tree.”
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