Maria Doyle Kennedy has spent decades moving fluidly between music and screen, building a career that refuses to stay in one lane. Born in 1964, she grew up across Dublin, Enniscorthy, and Bray, eventually channeling her artistic energy into both song and performance. After cutting her teeth in several bands, she took control of her musical destiny in 2000 by founding a record label with her husband, Kieran Kennedy. Since then, she’s released eleven solo albums, with her most recent, Fire on the Roof of Eden, arriving in 2021 to showcase her enduring voice and songwriting craft.
But Kennedy’s reach extends far beyond the recording studio. Her acting career spans over fifty films and television series, and she’s become a recognizable presence on screen for audiences around the world. She made an early mark in THE COMMITMENTS, the beloved 1991 film that captured Dublin’s soul music scene, and later delivered memorable performances in period dramas like THE TUDORS, where she portrayed Catherine of Aragon with quiet strength. More recently, she’s appeared in KIN, the Irish crime drama that brought her talents back to home soil, proving that whether she’s working in historical epics or contemporary thrillers, Kennedy brings an authenticity that grounds every project she touches. It’s this dual commitment to music and acting, maintained across decades, that makes her one of Ireland’s most versatile and enduring artists.
In a brand new interview with The Irish Examiner, Maria outlines the artists and art that formed her creative palette. Read the full “Culture That Made Me” list HERE.
🎭 From Shakespeare to a Beatle: Paul Mescal is doing the impossible!
Oscar-nominated Irish actor Paul Mescal is taking on TWO iconic roles that prove he`s one of the most fearless actors working today.
Watch Paul`s latest interview at irishfilmtv.com.
Kerry Condon`s brief but powerful performance in TRAIN DREAMS is pitch perfect.
She inhabits her character with quiet competence, moving through a male-dominated world with both caution and grace.
Watch now on @netflix!
🎬 HAMNET stars to receive Vanguard Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards!
A stunning meditation on love`s fragility and art`s power to transform suffering into transcendence. This is Irish talent at its absolute finest on the world stage.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Netflix just quietly dropped a crime thriller you`ve been sleeping on, and Brendan Gleeson`s performance alone makes it mandatory viewing.
MR MERCEDES, Stephen King`s dark detective series that somehow flew under the radar, is finally streaming – and it`s everything fans of slow-burn psychological thrillers have been craving.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Andrew Scott is about to steal another movie and we`re absolutely here for it! 🔍
The trailer for WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY has dropped, and our beloved Irish actor is joining Daniel Craig`s Benoit Blanc for what looks like the most deliciously twisted instalment yet.
Scott plays bestselling author Lee Ross, one of several suspects in a seemingly impossible murder that rocks a small town`s religious community.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
From GLADIATOR II`s arena to the quiet forests of Maine collecting folk songs on wax cylinders—Paul Mescal`s latest role in THE HISTORY OF SOUND might be his most vulnerable yet.
Now on @amazonprime, the film follows Lionel, a shy musician from a Kentucky farm in the 1910s, who meets David White (Josh O`Connor) at the New England Conservatory.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
For more than two decades, Domhnall Gleeson has carved out one of the most diverse and compelling careers in contemporary cinema.
Watch Domhnall break down his career in his latest @esquire interview!
Link in bio ❤️
Adapted from Louise Kennedy`s bestselling novel, TRESPASSES stars Gillian Anderson as executive producer and cast member.
Kennedy praises the "ear-perfect, sexy script" and "gorgeously melancholic aesthetic vision" that brings her Women`s Prize-shortlisted novel to life.
Premieres Sunday 9pm on Channel 4, more at irishfilmtv.com.
THE IRIS AFFAIR is a high-stakes chase thriller that turns Italy into a deadly playground where genius meets danger.
Created by LUTHER mastermind Neil Cross, this Sky Original delivers cinematic tension where trust is fatal and every move could be your last. Two minds. One secret. No escape.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
** NEW TRAILER ALERT **
Roadside Attractions has unveiled the first trailer for H IS FOR HAWK, and it`s breathtaking. Brendan Gleeson appears as the father whose absence shapes everything, bringing his signature depth to a role that haunts the entire film.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 HAMNET has officially overtaken Paul Thomas Anderson`s ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER as the Oscar frontrunner!
Chloé Zhao`s Shakespeare-inspired drama now leads with a 96.8% chance of nomination, fueled by its Telluride buzz and Toronto People`s Choice win.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
The DERRY GIRLS creator is back with HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST — and it`s the show Lisa McGee says she`s always wanted to make. 🍀
Three childhood friends. One mysterious death. A wake that goes sideways. Eight episodes of chaos, secrets, and arguments about eyelash extensions.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Pierce Brosnan trades his 007 tuxedo for raw, devastating drama in CURTAIN CALL—arriving on digital November 10.
Starring opposite Jessica Lange, Brosnan continues his brilliant pivot from action hero to serious character actor, exploring the heartbreaking reality of dementia in the theatre world.
Watch trailer on irishfilmtv.com.
Colin Farrell`s latest is dividing audiences, but everyone agrees on one thing: his performance is absolutely magnetic ✨
The Oscar-nominated Irish actor stars as Lord Doyle, a spiraling gambler in neon-soaked Macao searching for redemption.
Don`t miss Farrell at his destructive best, now on @netflix!
Daniel Day-Lewis is BACK and we`re not ready for how devastating ANEMONE is 😭
After 7 years away from the screen, Day-Lewis returns in this quiet Irish masterpiece directed by his son Ronan. It`s not a flashy comeback—it`s something far more powerful. A meditation on isolation, guilt, and the human connections we can`t outrun, no matter how far we go.
ANEMONE is now on Prime!
