Imdb Ranking 6.5
Set in 1970's County Clare, the movie is about a traditional Irish music band that is getting prepared for the All Ireland Celi Band Competition. One of the bands, the Liverpool Shamrock Ceilidh Band, is led by Jimmy (Colm Meaney) who left home for Liverpool twenty years ago. Another band, the defending champions fron Clare, is led by his brother, John Joe, who like his brother Jimmy is a fiddle player.
Both bothers have adventures trying to get to the competition's registration, but they make it, and get there at the same time. They both say: "What the hell are you doing here?" They then blame each other for the trouble they had getting there. As it turns out some of Jimmy's boys did steal the tires off of John Joe's van, but Jimmy didn't know. Twenty four years an not one word and Jimmy says John Joe is jealous.
One of the Liverpool boys, Teddy a flute player in Jimmy's band falls for the girl, Anne, a fiddler in John Joe's band and the feeling is mutual. John Joe's band then plays and they are really good but Jimmy things his band can beat them, When it comes time for Jimmy to play, his fiddle is missing. One of john Joe's boys swiped it without John Joe knowing about it. Jimmy borrows one and they are really good too.
Jimmy comes to the bar to confront John Joe, but the guilty party apologizes. We now find out the root of the proble. There was a girl, Maisie, Anne's mother, who was at the bottom of all the troubles. Anne then find out that Jimmy is her father.
The two brothers sit down at the bar and talk. John Joe is still mad he was left alone to work the farm. But the real root of the problem is Maisie, who John Joe was in love with. Jimmy says that he is sorry. Then they start talking about the players in their bands and they finally start laughing together. Jimmy has been married four times.
Maisie finally tells Anne what happened. John Joe promised to marry her, but he was already engaged to someone else. She pretended that she was a widow after Anne was born. John Joe thinks Jimmy should apologize to Maisie. Maisie then tells Jimmy that she has told Anne what happened and she wants to keep that boy away from Anne. She doesn't want her making the same mistakes she did.
The results are announced and in the Celi Band competition the winner is the third brother, Padjo, a missionary priest from Africa. Padjo plays the fiddle too. Jimmy gives John Joe back the fiddle he took long ago. Padjo then comes and sets the trophy up on the bar and greets his brother. The three brothers then play their fiddles together.
Anne stayed out the night with Teddy, and now she is going back to Liverpool with him. Maisie tells her that he will break her heart. Anne tells John Joe he will have to find another fiddle player. He tells her to help her father with his tempo. Anne asks him: "Is that all You ever think about, Music?" John Joe says: "Well when you've got the music, you've got friends for life, thats why I'm never lonely. Remember that." When the van gets blocked by sheep, Anne gets off the van and goes back to her mother.
Then the two brothers get back to their bands and begin practicing for the next year. Who walks through the Clare doorway, but Teddy, who sits in with the band. John Joe tells Maisie: "It's better to gain a musician than lose a daughter, I always say."
Good story, good acting, great music. A very good movie.
