The Banshees of Inisherin: Unveiling the Hidden Meaning

Unraveling the Mystery

Martin McDonagh’s Golden Globe winner The Banshees of Inisherin captivated viewers when it was released in 2022, but the secret meaning behind its title is not necessarily clear on first viewing. So, what are the banshees of Inisherin?

Siobhan and Padraic talk in a small house in the kitchen in The Banshees of Inisherin

The movie reunites In Bruges co-stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson with the screenwriter and director of that cult hit, Martin McDonagh. Like In Bruges, the movie is a dark comedy that ends up taking a violent turn in its closing stretch.

Barry Keoghan looks on in Banshees of Inisherin

The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of an escalating feud between Farrell’s sweet Pádraic and his former friend, Gleeson’s Colm when the latter suddenly decides he doesn’t want to talk to the former. Saltburn star Barry Keoghan plays Dominic, a local boy who helps Pádraic attempt to work out why Colm isn’t his friend anymore, while Kerry Condon plays Pádraic’s exasperated sister Siobhán.

Siobhán in the The Banshees of Inisherin.

Despite the title of dark comedy-drama The Banshees of Inisherin, there are no literal banshees on Inisherin in McDonagh’s movie. However, Colm does compose a song by that name, and a local old woman, Mrs. McCormack, acts as a harbinger of death.

Brendan Gleeson as Colm in The Banshees of Inisherin

While the movie never directly explains what are the banshees of Inisherin, the meaning behind The Banshees of Inisherin title has a surprising amount of depth.

Colin Farrell as Padraic in The Banshees of Inisherin

The Banshees of Inisherin’s Title Explained

In The Banshees of Inisherin, Pádraic briefly reconciles with Colm when he asks his former friend, an accomplished musician, about the new song he is working on. Colm tells him the song is called “The Banshees of Inisherin” and muses that banshees (whose unbearable howl warned of impending death) might be real. However, Colm says that if banshees are real, they may not even bother howling to warn of deaths anymore, and might simply stand by to watch people pass away. Pádraic doesn’t grasp what Colm is talking about, but it is the reason that the song 'The Banshees of Inisherin' isn’t played in the Martin McDonagh movie in its entirety.

Kerry Condon standing by the water in The Banshees of Inisherin

The Location In The Banshees Of Inisherin Title Is Fictional. The Banshees of Inisherin meaning might be too fitting to believe, and that's because Inisherin isn't actually a real place. Inisherin is a fictional Ireland created by McDonagh, who explained, “I didn’t want it to be specifically one place. I wanted it to be more mythical. So, we explored each of the Aran Islands. Inishmore ticked most of the boxes.' A mixture of some ideal islands just off Ireland created the perfect amalgamation that McDonagh was looking for (via The Walt Disney Company).

Collage of Brendan Gleeson as Colm Doherty and Colin Farrell as Pádraic Súilleabháin in The Banshees of Inisherin

The fact that Inisherin is a fictional island also meant that the movie could be shot in multiple locations so that McDonagh could create the exact location he had imagined. The movie was shot on a couple of different Aran Islands. Inishmore was used for most of the movie, and Achill Island was used for the pub scenes in The Banshees of Inisherin. McDonagh noted that he wanted to 'capture the beauty of Ireland in the film and lean into that. The story is dark enough anyway, but we wanted the visuals and the locations to be as cinematic as possible.'

Mrs McCormack smokes a pipe in The Banshees of Inisherin

The Symbolism Behind the Title

Despite Colm ostensibly wanting distance from Pádraic so that he can work on his music and cement his legacy as a fiddle player, viewers never hear The Banshees of Inisherin in its entirety during the movie. This allows The Banshees of Inisherin’s story to refute Colm’s belief that isolation, leaning into despair, and navel-gazing are the root of meaningful art and self-expression. Early on in their feud, Colin Farrell’s character points out to Colm that acting less friendly and more aloof isn’t a conduit to making better, or more impactful, music. The Banshees of Inisherin proves Pádraic right by not showcasing Colm’s song.

Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan drink beer in a pub in The Banshees of Inisherin

Instead, The Banshees of Inisherin focuses on Colm’s gruesome acts of self-mutilation, with the character cutting off a finger every time Pádraic tries to talk to him. This unhinged act ironically means that possible Brendan Gleeson's Colm is left unable to play his instrument by the end of the comedy-drama movie, while Pádraic is committed to continuing their feud until his former friend is dead. In The Banshees of Inisherin, Colm’s music has no staying power, but his decision to end a friendship has a dramatic, eventually fatal knock-on effect.

Colm drinks Guiness in the banshees of inisherin

Mrs. McCormack is depicted as a nosy old woman in The Banshees of Inisherin opening. However, her character becomes more sinister. She warns Pádraic that there will be a death or two on the island before the month is out, sadistically implying that Pádraic or Siobhán (or both) might die. While Pádraic and Siobhán survive, the fact that Dominic and Pádraic’s pet pony Jenny die means Mrs. McCormack was ultimately right. However, this doesn’t make the old woman the eponymous banshee of Inisherin - nor does the creepy sight of her summoning Siobhán from across the lake.

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes

While the answer to what are the banshees of Inisherin may remain elusive, many are curious whether the film is based on a true story. As it happens, the Golden Globe winner is a complete work of fiction. However, Martin McDonagh did draw from a lot of real-life history to craft its setting. The Banshees of Inisherin is set during the backdrop of the Irish civil war, and explosions can often be heard from the island and are even commented on by characters on occasion.

The 1923 setting shows that the conflict had been going on for about a year at that point. The war itself is cleverly reflected in the war between Pádraic and Colm, who were once as close as brothers and turned into violent foes. It's a telling thing that The Banshees of Inisherin is set during a real-life civil war, as the events that unfold between the two friends mirror that setting on a much smaller scale.

Reception and Legacy

The Banshees of Inisherin quickly became a critical hit, and like McDonagh's previous movies, the 2022 release became a huge awards contender too. With eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor, The Banshees of Inisherin gave Everything Everywhere All at Once a run for its money. However, while the movie won three awards and The Golden Globes, Everything Everywhere All at Once swept up at the Oscars, and The Banshees of Inisherin went home empty-handed. However, awards aren't everything, and The Banshees of Inisherin is destined to become a classic drama similar to In Bruges.