The Boys & Girl from County Clare

SYNOPSIS

If you're not into ceilidh music, then John Irvin's tale of 1960s sibling rivalry may seem as insubstantial as a soap bubble. But levity and geniality are key to this Local Hero-like drama, which sees Colm Meaney head west for the first time since he fled to Liverpool having stolen Charlotte Bradley from brother Bernard Hill and left her to raise their daughter alone. Returning to face the music simply to compete in an annual band contest is a whopping contrivance, but the evocative photography and a willing cast (that includes a debuting Andrea Corr of Irish band The Corrs) make it easy to forgive the narrative flaws.