Reviewer Rating: 4/5.0
4
Hallmark’s countdown to Christmas is in full swing as Season of Ireland takes viewers to Ireland.
Icons fans of vacation and destination movies will love this movie because of the beautiful scenery and the inclusion of opposites that attract romance and many other satisfying relationships.
Fiona Gubelmann (“Murphy”) and Irving Marken (“La Brea”) star in this holiday movie. Gubelmann hasn’t appeared in a Hallmark movie in several years due to filming schedules, and this is Marken’s first Hallmark movie.
What makes Ireland’s season so special is that McCann is from Ireland. He looks right at home and speaks Irish, including inside jokes. It’s the ideal movie for his Hallmark debut.
McCann plays Sean, a local Irish real estate agent, while Gubelmann plays Ross, a house flipper interested in his Irish cottage.
Upon arriving in Ireland, Ross was shocked to discover that the cabin needed more work than expected, with local conservationist Sean having to oversee every renovation.
Even when Gubelmann and McCann clashed, they had chemistry
From the moment I saw Ross (Gubelmann) and Sean (Marken) on screen, I wanted more.
Hallmark is known for his enemies-to-lovers and opposites-attract tropes, and the two cracked up as they joked back and forth.
If you’re a fan of HGTV, you know that there are a lot of rules that come with renovating and flipping houses, especially if you don’t read the fine print.
That’s what happened to Rose, who bought an Irish cottage without doing any research.
Sean happily rubbed it in her face and said she couldn’t renovate something without his approval as a historic preservationist.
While I understand Rose was disappointed with the state of the cabin, it allowed her to put her own stamp on it, within reason. Of course, you want to maintain that Irish charm that attracts others.
Despite their initial issues, their chemistry is intense, their banter is funny, and as their interactions grow, they discover they’re not all that different after all.
They all wanted to respect the heritage of the lodge. Rose initially travels to Ireland because her mother visited there before she died years ago, while Sean cares about and respects his hometown and doesn’t understand flipping houses for profit.
Despite meeting as rivals, they’re unlikely to become friends, as it’s hard to be mad at someone when Irish magic and holiday traditions are in the air.
Watch this film to learn about the Irish landscape and Christmas traditions
I love Hallmark destination movies, gazing at beautiful landscapes and learning new traditions.
Irish Seasons takes viewers to the Irish countryside with its historic cottages, Irish pubs and Christmas markets.
It was magical to hear the bagpipes playing in the background as Sean and Rose explored the hills, fairy trees and nearby lake.
Many Irish Christmas traditions include desserts such as plum pudding or mince pies. But the atmosphere was lively, with locals and tourists gathering at the bar for 12 drinks to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas.
I would love to join in the fun at that Irish pub and toast with them.
We experienced other traditions such as the mistletoe harvest, making crafts for Wren Day, or the Christmas swim where they jumped into the icy lake.
The Irish community treats visitors like family. Soon, many people, including Sean’s mother and a rogue sheep named Lambchop, take Rose under their wing and attempt to play matchmaker.
Ross learns about herself from new friends
Over the past few years, Hallmark movies have become less cheesy, featuring friendship or family in addition to the love interest of the protagonists.
“Season of Being Irish” includes two supporting characters who Rose becomes friends with in a hotel. I won’t spoil too much, except that they are all at a crossroads in their lives, so this new friendship heals all three.
Rose learned the importance of relying on others and that she did not have to be alone.
As she learns more about letting new people join in, will she open up to Sean, too?
Irish writer and director’s season as iconic film professional
While having a talented cast is crucial, having a talented crew is equally important.
Joie Botkin and Samantha Herman have previously created destination Hallmark movies, in which they wrote about places and their customs like romances Just as magical.
Boytkin created “Taste of Paris” in 2024 and “Love Is Greek to Me” in 2023. Both writers specialize in Irish holiday romance.
Lesley Demetriades, who has also directed several Hallmark films, directed the film. Her last holiday movie was for Guangzhou Automobile Group, involving real estate, so that experience also helped with this one.
Interestingly, most of the crew are women. Maybe that’s why Rose’s perspective is stronger throughout the film.
Gubelmann shines in her multi-layered emotional delivery. McCann also has some great scenes. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen him in a romantic comedy, and his comedic timing is impeccable.
‘Tis the season to be Irish, which means letting go and trusting in new possibilities. After watching it, leave a comment here or on social media with your thoughts on the film.
The Irish premiere season airs on Sunday 10 November at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel.
