The Irish Folklore Trilogy (also referred to as The Celtic Triptych by Tomm Moore) is a trilogy of Irish 2D animated films created by Cartoon Saloon and directed by Tomm Moore.
Being heavily inspired by the 2D works of the Disney Animated Canon and Studio Ghibli, this unique trilogy of animated films set out to recapture the spirit and magic of the mostly lost art of traditional hand-drawn animation, all while having a unique Irish twist by integrating aspects of Celtic Mythology (it's in the title after all).
Although the films are standalone, they are officially regarded to be a Thematic Series, as beyond their shared Irish setting and usage of Celtic folklore, they are tied together by various themes, such as the beauty of nature, the co-existence between humans and magical creatures, the complicated relationship between spirited kids and their troubled parental figures, and the rebellion against and decline of old traditions and beliefs.
The trilogy consists of the following films:
- The Secret of Kells (2009)
- Song of the Sea (2014)
- Wolfwalkers (2020)
A box set compiling all three films was released in 2021 by GKIDS (in North America) and StudioCanal (in the UK and Ireland). A board game based on the trilogy was announced by Asmodee in 2023.
The Irish Folklore Trilogy provides examples of:
- Creator Thumbprint: All three of Tomm Moore's Irish Folklore movies have a flawed father figure driven by a human emotion, be it pride (Abbot Cellach), grief (Conor), or fear (Bill Goodfellowe). Each film also has a pet whose names essentially mean what animal they are.
- P.O.V. Boy, Poster Girl: 2/3 of the "Irish Folklore Trilogy" have a duo of protagonists consisted of a normal young boy, and a supernatural girl who introduces him to the mystical side of Ireland's culture and is the one featured in their movies' official art cover.
- The Secret of Kells has Brendan, a young monk and Aisling, the forest fairy.
- Song of the Sea has Ben and his half-selkie sister Saoirse.
- Wolfwalkers subverts the trend by having two girls as protagonists and the normal one actually becomes part of the supernatural side. Though Robyn was
originally going to be a boy.
- Thematic Series: While each of the films' stories and characters are different and are set during different time periods, they all take place in Ireland and focus on aspects of Irish folklore, the beauty of nature outside of civilization, and the decline of older Irish traditions and beliefs. It's implied that they take place in the same universe as well, with Aisling from The Secret of Kells making a brief cameo in Song of the Sea.
