The animation company Cartoon Saloon began in Kilkenny in 1999, and was founded by Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey, and Paul Young. The company’s Irish Folklore Trilogy began in 2009 and has brought Irish folklore to life in beautifully animated films. The trilogy consists of 2009’s The Secret of Kells, directed by Moore and Twomey; 2014’s Song of the Sea, directed by Moore; and 2020’s Wolfwalkers, directed by Moore and Ross Stewart. Rather than a continuous trilogy, the movies are a thematic and conceptual trilogy, with common themes and ideas.

With their basis in Irish myth, the movies may seem too particular to appeal to audiences; however, like many movies with mythological roots, this is far from the case. Each movie feels timeless, bringing history to life in a way that still makes sense to modern viewers. The movies also feature hand-drawn animation that gives each scene an intimate, personal feel that many modern animated films might be lacking. The trilogy is a sheer delight that brings the past and present together in a stunningly beautiful way, thanks to its animation, myth, and themes.

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2D Animation

A scene from Song of the Sea
StudioCanal

In a world of digital animation, these movies are unique for their hand-drawn, 2D animation style. This type of animation has given way to digital 3D animation in recent years, with animation giant Disney saying 3D is preferable because it’s less expensive and takes less time. This makes the hand-drawn style in the trilogy even more special, as we can physically see the detail and work in each scene. Each image is breathtaking, bursting with life and color. The Secret of Kells and Wolfwalkers, for example, both feature vivid forest settings of lush leaves with individual veins. Song of the Sea has brilliant ocean waves and a memorable scene of locked-up emotions running free, represented by rainbows and storm clouds. Each scene is a work of art, like a book of myths brought to life.

Moore, in an interview with the New Yorker, says the hand-drawn style will always remain beautiful and current, since it’s based on the “language of painting and illustration, rather than the language of the latest technology.” This is true in the trilogy; the animation is classic yet still modern, with a simple beauty that can’t be made obsolete the way digital animation can. The traditional style also fits perfectly with the historical basis of the films, highlighting traditional Celtic art methods and designs.

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Irish Mythology

A scene from Wolfwalkers
Wildcard/AppleTV+

The basis of each film’s plot comes from classic Irish mythology. Just as the animation gives the trilogy a distinct Irish look, so does the mythology give it a distinct Irish feel. In The Secret of Kells, a young boy named Brendan lives in an abbey during the 9th-century Viking expansion and works with a fairy to finish the legendary Book of Kells, which turns darkness into light. Set in 1987, Song of the Sea features Ben, a boy angry with his sister, Saoirse, because he blames her for their mother’s death. Their mother was a selkie – a classic aquatic creature of Irish myth – and passed the trait onto Saoirse, who must use the ability to save trapped fairies. Finally, Wolfwalkers focuses on a girl named Robyn who becomes friends with another girl who can turn into a wolf, set in Cromwellian Ireland, when wolf transformation is thought to be a curse on those who won’t become Christians.

Each of these is based on an Irish legend or myth that has been told for generations. The films effectively adapt these legends and show why they’ve been passed down for so long and earned so many retellings. Each myth is a vivid story that entertains and teaches no matter when it is shared, and the movies bring that message to life. The movies succeed in keeping stories alive and honoring Irish history while connecting them to the present and showing why they still matter, especially in our modern times when many legends have been forgotten.

Timeless Themes

A scene from The Secret of Kells
Buena Vista International

Despite their historical and mythological basis, the themes and conflicts of the movies are timeless and relatable, and they apply to adults just as much as kids. At their core, each movie is about a child learning new things about their world and shaping their own identities -- the basis of any coming-of-age movie. In Wolfwalkers, Robyn must question everything she knows when she meets a kind girl who transforms into a wolf. In Song of the Sea, Ben must reconcile with his sister and accept his mother’s death. In The Secret of Kells, Brendan must continue to work on the book and do what he believes is right, even when his uncle wants to lock him away.

The mythology adds depth and complexity beyond what’s seen in a typical kids’ movie. The characters’ choices aren’t clear and easy; they have major consequences, and are made harder due to tumultuous times. Yet even with these added layers, themes like feeling lost, making tough decisions, and growing along the way remain relevant to any time. The characters are real and developed, and the audience can easily connect to them and their conflicts, no matter what fantasy elements are involved. Like the myths, which can apply to anyone at any time, these movies also embrace the timeless aspects of life that anyone can understand, and they do it in a distinctly beautiful way.