The Daily O’Collegian

With St. Patrick’s Day lurking around the corner, it’s only natural that we recognize the achievements of the Irish.

This list compiles the greatest Irish characters who have graced the silver screen.

So stop searching for four leaf clovers, put on a green shirt and find out if your favorite character made the list.

1.    Aliens from “Alien”

Choosing the aliens from Ridley Scott’s science fiction epic might seem like an odd pick because they rarely visit the planet Earth, they lack any trace of an Irish accent and it is nearly impossible to trace their roots back to Ireland.

However, if you recall any scene where the aliens lose blood, then you know that they bleed green.

In my opinion, it does not get any more Irish than that.

I could only dream of bleeding pure Irish pride.

It is the inside that is truly important, and these aliens definitely have it where it counts.

2.    Rudy from “Rudy,” who is a tenacious character.

The unofficial king of the underdogs, actor Sean Astin, portrays Rudy. Astin has also played Samwise Gamgee from “Lord of the Rings” and Mikey from “The Goonies.”

Like a cat hanging loosely from a laundry line, Rudy hangs onto his dream of playing football for Notre Dame even though he is the size of a fifth grader.

Short stature aside, Rudy’s persistence pays off and he manages to blind sight a practically defenseless quarterback in the last play of his final game, which cements his name into the Notre Dame record books.

I salute Rudy for his persistent annoyance.

3.    The O’Doyle family from “Billy Madison”

The reason the O’Doyle family made this list of great Irish film characters is perfectly simple: because they rule.

4.    Aslan the lion from “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”

Voiced by Irish born actor Liam Neeson, Aslan the lion is a force to be reckoned with.

He is noble, fierce and has a long list of amazing accomplishments.

Not only did he consume the White Witch’s evil face, but he actually came back from the dead.

Trust me, coming back from the dead is not an easy task to accomplish.

If you don’t believe me, just ask Joan Rivers.

Also, let’s not forget that Aslan is a talking lion.

5.    Leprechaun from “Leprechaun in the Hood”

The fifth installment of the Leprechaun horror movie series features the little green monster roaming the dirty streets of Compton, Cali.

Although the setting has changed, he is still up to his old tricks.

During the credits, he puts down his pot of gold and picks up a microphone to perform a rap.

My favorite verses are: “I come from the land of the Irish Spring/Dublin’s the place where I learned my thing/From the Emerald Isle to your place in the hood/I’m the man of green come to do no good.”

His rhymes are so good they make Coolio jealous.

By the way, Coolio makes a cameo appearance.