The Banshees of Inisherin depicts a universally painful experience: The ending of a friendship. The film is written and directed by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh (known for his award winning films like In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). In this film, Colin Farrell is reunited with Brendan Gleeson — the two co-starred under McDonagh’s direction in In Bruges — as his character, Pádraic, is left reeling by the decision of Gleeson’s character, Colm, to no longer be friends with him.
McDonagh’s dark comedy The Banshees of Inisherin, won three Golden Globes in 2023, including one for Best Picture in the musical/comedy category, and garnered nine Oscar nominations. Still, for all the film’s deserved acclaim, its twisty ending can be confusing at first viewing. McDonagh’s movies and plays are typically filled with allusions to classic literature, as well as subtle gags and motifs that are not easily apparent, in addition to complex imagery. Upon close inspection, The Banshees of Inisherin’s ending demonstrates that the 2022 hit is no exception to this rule.
The Setting of ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’
The film takes place in 1923 in Ireland. In one scene, Pádraic checks his calendar and realizes Colm ended their friendship on April 1, 1923, so we know the story took place in April 1923. Despite Pádraic’s hope, this is not an April Fool’s joke. The film takes place during the Irish Civil War, which occurred after Ireland won its independence from British rule in the Irish War of Independence. From June 28, 1922, to May 24, 1923, was the period of the Irish Civil War.
The Plot of ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’
The Banshees of Inisherin’s plot revolves around an Irishman named Colm (Brendan Gleeson) who suddenly breaks up with another Irishman named Pádraic (Colin Farrell). When Pádraic demands to know why, Colm calmly responds that Pádraic did not do anything wrong. The only reason Colm does not want to be friends with Pádraic anymore is that he no longer likes him. Pádraic has visited with Colm in a pub daily for years, but Colm finally requests that he stop talking to him and leave him alone. In spite of this, Pádraic refuses to give up. Since Colm and his (ex-) friend live as neighbors on a small island off the coast of Ireland, finding him to pursue further contact is easy. When Pádraic gets a little help from his sister Siobhán (Kerry Condon), he learns that Colm has decided not to be friends anymore because he finds him dull, and does not want to waste his time at the pub talking about nothing. A fiddle player by trade, Colm is planning to become a great musician in the future. He tells Pádraic that since they stopped chatting, he has been able to finish the song, also called “The Banshees of Inisherin,” that he considers his masterpiece much more quickly.
After Pádraic repeatedly bothers Colm, however, Colm threatens his former friend that he’ll cut off one of his own left fingers if Pádraic does not leave him alone. Pádraic’s new drinking buddy, Dominic (Barry Keoghan), encourages Pádraic to call Colm’s bluff when he threatens to cut off his finger.
Despite what some people think, however, Colm was not bluffing. In response to a drunken, impassioned rant by Pádraic one night in the local pub in which he accuses Colm of not “being nice” anymore, Colm counters that a great musician will be remembered for their work, not for being nice. Pádraic then wonders aloud whether Colm was ever nice. Pádraic’s speculation is respected by Colm, and he even tells Dominic that he likes him more now. But upon being further pressed when a sober Pádraic apologizes and suggests they be friends again the following day, Colm takes the drastic step of cutting off his index finger and throwing it at Pádraic’s front door.
With only four fingers, Colm learns to play the fiddle. Pádraic decides to try a “tough love” approach after Dominic tells him that Colm seemed to like him when he was drunkenly screaming at him. Colm is forced to speak with Pádraic after he barges into his house. During their visit, Colm informs Pádraig he has finished his big song, “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Pádraic congratulates him, and the two seem almost friends again, until Pádraic reveals that he tricked Colm’s musician friend into leaving by telling him his father had passed away. Colm throws his fingers at Pádraic’s door that night after cutting off his four remaining fingers. Jenny, Pádraic’s beloved donkey, whom he allows into the house when he is sad, then dies from choking on one of the fingers.
The Ending of ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’
As a result of his anger and grief, Pádraic threatens to burn down Colm’s house at 2 p.m. on the following day, at the time when the two friends would customarily go to the pub together. Because Pádraic loves animals, he asks Colm to leave his dog outside. Additionally, Pádraic lets Colm know that he will not make sure that Colm is inside before lighting the match, but he hopes he is. Pádraig receives a letter from his sister inviting him to move to the mainland with her to live a better life. However, he declines, deciding instead to burn down Colm’s house as promised. Upon lighting the fire, he finds Colm sitting inside the burning house, simply watching it burn. Then Pádraic leaves and takes Colm’s dog home with him.
Pádraic is arrested by the policeman, but he is intercepted by an older adult named Mrs. McCormick (Sheila Flitton). Mrs. McCormick clearly represents Death in her long, black cloak and a stick with a sharp hook at the end that looks like a scythe. She then tells the policeman that his son Dominic has drowned in a lake, and his body has been found. It is implied that Dominic committed suicide, based on what we heard earlier in the film about someone killing themselves in the lake. In the morning, Pádraic finds Colm on the beach, alive. Having accidentally killed Jenny, Colm apologizes to Pádraic and thinks they are even now since Pádraic burned his house down. In response, Pádraic says that they would only have been on even footing if Colm had been burned with the house. The Civil War is about to end, Colm says. It is inevitable that they will fight again soon, Pádraic assures Colm. As Pádraic says, “There are some things you can never move on from.” He then adds, “I think that is a good thing.” Then Padraic turns and walks away. As soon as Colm calls out to thank Pádraic for looking after his dog, Pádraic replies, “Anytime.” Colm, unable to play the fiddle, starts humming his song. That brings the movie to a close.
Similarly to the ending of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Martin McDonagh’s previous movie, The Banshees of Inisherin leaves the audience in the dark at the end. A historical and cultural context is essential to understanding The Banshees of Inisherin‘s ending. This film takes place on a fictional island — “Inisherin” translates to “Island of Ireland” — in 1923, at the height of the Irish Civil War. Although the triumphant defeat of English colonial rule in Ireland was rightfully celebrated and immortalized in Irish literature, poetry, and music some years earlier, little was written about the civil war that followed. This war that split families and pitted friends against each other was anything but beautiful, uplifting, or awe-inspiring, which is also how we pinpoint the time period of The Banshees of Inisherin.
There is an implied metaphor here about the Irish Civil War in the fight between Colm and Pádraic. They destroyed themselves due to their infighting. Due to the damage to his fingers, Colm was unable to play music the way he loved to, which was the one thing he most enjoyed. The grief and need for revenge that Pádraic felt prevented him from accepting his sister’s offer to move to the mainland, so he lost his chance at a better life. Despite a momentary ceasefire, the two men are likely to resume fighting shortly, as Pádraic suggests. Yet, the two men still maintain some sense of civility, and Pádraic, deep down, still cares for the dog of his neighbor.
Director’s Take on ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’
Director Martin McDonagh explains that The Banshees of Inisherin’s ending also emphasizes the importance of telling a human story authentically. It is true that McDonagh’s use of Irish archetypes in depicting the residents of the island has received criticism. Still, they also serve as symbolic tools for the true story he wishes to convey. According to McDonagh, the aim was to capture the sadness of a breakup, regardless of whether it was a friendship or a love breakup. It is equally horrible to be on both sides of that situation. Colm and Pádraic’s feud can never be finally resolved, because it is meant to evoke the inherent trauma in every meaningful relationship by treating it honestly. This further explains why Colm and Pádraic’s feud is never resolved. He certainly achieved what he set out to do in The Banshees of Inisherin, as the movie won a Golden Globe and was nominated for nine Oscars.