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One of the best Irish movies ever is airing on TV tonight

Published 15:19 16 Dec 2025 GMT

Updated 15:45 16 Dec 2025 GMT

Stephen Porzio
One of the best Irish movies ever is airing on TV tonight

Homemovies & tv

The film made history upon its release and is truly a must-see.

Our TV movie pick for tonight (Tuesday, 16 December) is An Cailín Ciúin (also known as The Quiet Girl), the brilliant 2022 Oscar-nominated Irish drama.

Based on the story 'Foster' by Claire Keegan, the Irish-language film is set in rural Ireland in 1981.

It revolves around a nine-year-old girl named Cait (an incredible Catherine Clinch) who is sent away from her overcrowded, dysfunctional family to live with foster parents (Andrew Bennett and Carrie Crowley, both also incredible) for the summer.

"Quietly struggling at school and at home, she has learned to hide in plain sight from those around her," the plot synopsis reads.

"She blossoms in her foster parents' care, but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one painful truth."

Written and directed by Colm Bairéad, An Cailín Ciúin does stunning work evoking the period in which it is set.

This is as it weaves a simple yet incredibly powerful coming-of-age story that should turn even the most typically stone-faced movie watcher into a weeping mess.

Holding a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, the film went on to make history by becoming the first Irish film ever to secure a nomination in the Oscars' Best International Feature Film Category.

An Cailín Ciúin is airing on TV tonight on Film4 at 11.10pm.

Here are the other movies on TV this evening:

Bridget Jones's Diary - BBC One - 10.40pm

The legendary classic that is Bridget Jones's Diary is on tonight!

Fisherman's Friends - Film Four - 6.45pm

Ten fishermen from Cornwall are signed by Universal Records and achieve a top ten hit with their debut album of Sea Shanties. Remarkably the whole thing is based on a true story. 

Mercenary for Justice - Great Action - 9pm

John Seeger is one of the best mercenaries in the world. Fighting to rescue the French Ambassador, John and his crew find themselves up against the soldiers of Galmoral Island in Southern Africa.

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One of the best Irish movies ever is airing on TV tonight