Another Irish feature film cast with the help of Fishpond is now available to enjoy from home. Directed by Dave Byrne with superb casting by Gillian Reynolds, Sunphlowers can now be watched on RTÉ Player.
The film stars Anne McCrudden, Patrick Bergin, Abigail O’Regan and Jerry Fish. Produced by Liz Kenny, Sunphlowers was supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Fingal Arts, and filmed in Dublin.
A Story of Grief, Resilience and Starting Again
At the centre of Sunphlowers is Catherine, played by Anne McCrudden, a mother of three whose life changes suddenly following the death of her husband.
As Catherine begins to deal with the practical realities of his death, she discovers that he has left behind much more than grief. Hidden debts, secrets and betrayal place her family home and livelihood at risk, while she also tries to support her three adult children through their own loss.
Faced with rural isolation and the possibility of financial ruin, Catherine is forced to find a strength she did not know she had. What follows is a story about resilience, rediscovery and the possibility of building a new life when the one you knew disappears.
From Galway to the Big Screen
Sunphlowers had its world premiere at the 37th Galway Film Fleadh in July 2025, before receiving a nationwide cinema release later that year. The film was subsequently included in the Irish Film & Television Academy’s For Your Consideration selection for the 2026 IFTA Awards.
The film was also warmly received by critics. The Irish Times awarded Sunphlowers four stars, describing Anne McCrudden’s central performance as one of “subtlety and strength”, while Film Ireland praised the film as a tender story of family and community in the face of crisis.
We are delighted to see another homegrown feature reaching an even wider audience and would like to congratulate the entire cast and creative team behind Sunphlowers on the film’s journey so far.
Support Irish Film from Your Own Home
The arrival of Sunphlowers on RTÉ Player is also a good reminder of what a valuable resource the platform can be for anyone interested in Irish film.
With RTÉ Player free to access, it offers audiences an easy way to discover and support Irish productions they may have missed during their original cinema or television run. For actors in particular, watching Irish work is also a simple way to stay connected to what is being made here: the stories being told, the performances being celebrated and the filmmakers and creatives working across the industry.
So, if Sunphlowers passed you by when it arrived in cinemas last year, now is your chance to catch up.
Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing the film to the screen. Make some time for an Irish film and watch Sunphlowers now on RTÉ Player.