Tony Kelly, Writer/Director of 'The Hurler (A Campion's Tale)'

In this Film Ireland podcast, Lynn Larkin talks to Tony Kelly, Writer/Director of The Hurler (A Campion’s Tale).

The Hurler: A Campion’s Tale tells the story of Ireland’s most notorious Hurler, Gar Campion (Tony Kelly) . Gar is one of Ireland’s most successful, decorated and best hurlers but, his public persona and strong personality has made him almost bigger than the game. He’s a fashionista who dates Ireland’s top Instagram model, Keeva McGinley (Sophie Vavasseur). He’s the GAA’s answer to David Beckham.

However when he becomes the first hurler in the history of the proud amateur sport to fail a drug test for performance enhancing drugs and becomes public enemy number one. While also finding himself in debt to a nefarious local businessman, Gar agrees to a plan concocted by his coach and father figure, Billy Byrne (Jon Kenny) to kill two birds with one stone. A plan that will hopefully rebuild his shattered reputation in the hurling community and get him out of town for a while: go to Waterford and coach Ireland’s worst hurling team to the first victory in the club’s history. They’ve never even won a game. While there Gar rekindles a relationship with his teenage girlfriend, an American girl named Ruby Vercetti( Elva Trill ). Gar, a visibly changed man from the Beckham-Light man we first meet, inevitably finds himself with a choice of ego vs heart as he juggles his quest for a comeback vs his commitment to his new role as coach and a complicated will they/won’t they situation with Ruby.

The Hurler (A Campion’s Tale) is in cinemas from 6th October 2023.