Could this new film be the ‘The Young Offenders’ of hurling?

THIS week, a comedy set in the hurling world hits the big screen.

The Hurler: A Champion’s Tale follows the misadventures of Gar Campion, a hurling legend with a penchant for getting into trouble.

When he fails a drug test, Gar’s reputation takes a nosedive. He is given a chance to redeem himself by coaching the worst hurling team in the history of the GAA.

The film is written and directed by Tony Kelly, who also stars as Gar and has lived with the character for more than a decade, as he explains.

“I came up with Gar over ten years ago. I was doing stand-up comedy at the time and trying to find the right showcase for him,” explains Tony.

“I went to film school in New York, and web series were big in the States but weren’t as big here. I worked in film and comedy in the States for a few years, and when I came home, I borrowed a camera to make a pilot and then filmed some episodes of Gar’s story as a web series.”

The web series was a hit, and Kelly’s next move was to make a film, but despite his best efforts, it didn’t get off the ground.

“I had the film’s script, but I couldn’t get it made, so I turned it into a one-man stage show. Then Covid hit, and the show couldn’t continue.

I used the lockdown to re-work the script, and as soon as Covid started to settle down, I finally got some backers for the film.

Kelly worked with Kilkenny-based Diceman Productions on The Tale Of Billy O’C, a film that has yet to be released but is a festival favourite.

“I had such a good time working with Diceman and knew they would be a great fit.

“Kilkenny is well known for its hurling, and we could have shot the film there, but I wanted to shoot it in my home town, Waterford.

“Part of the romance of the project was to showcase Waterford. It doesn’t get much attention on film, but it comes across beautifully.”

The director points out that Dublin gets so much attention from the film industry, but loved seeing the attention shift to Cork through the success of The Young Offenders and hopes Waterford might now get a similar focus.

I love how the Young Offenders shifted the focus to Cork, and I would love it if The Hurler could do that for Waterford.

“I am a huge fan of what Peter Foott did with the Offenders and love the comedy and heart in the show.

“Cormac Fox, one of the producers, is a good friend of mine and has mentored me. I’d love to follow the model of The Young Offenders, making a film and developing it into a television series. There is a lot more to Gar’s story.”

The Hurler has some big names in the cast, including Jon Kenny, who plays Gar’s mentor, Billy. Kelly says working with Kenny was a dream come true.

“The Hurler had a few false starts. I had development deals in the past, and the script changed over time, but the one constant was that I wanted to cast Jon Kenny. He is my hero, he had to be in the film.

“He is Ireland’s Bill Murray; he is such an icon, but he doesn’t have an agent. If you can him and he likes the project, he will come on board, and, luckily for me, he liked the script.”

Legendary sports pundit Marty Morrissey was also on Kelly’s wish list, and thankfully, Kenny could reel him in.

Marty was in the script, but I couldn’t him. I was talking with Jon one day, who pulled out his phone and rang Marty. I could hear him outside the door telling Marty what he thought of the script and why Marty should say yes.

“Fortunately, Marty listened to Jon and agreed to a cameo.”

The cast also includes comedians Mario Rosenstock, David McSavage, and actor Elva Trill, who starred in the most recent Jurassic Park film.

Kelly says that it was partially luck but also a determination that netted his film such an impressive cast.

“It was a mixture of me calling in favours of everyone I’ve ever met in my 15 years of trying to walk this road, and just going for it. It was a case of asking them to be part of it, and thankfully, they liked the script.”

Although much of the film is shot in Waterford, we never hear where Gar is from or which county he played for. Kelly says that was a conscious decision.

“I didn’t want Gar to be from anywhere; I want him to be every county’s player. I want it to be the Springfield effect, just like The Simpsons; Gar could be from Cork, he could be from Tipp, he is the big player from your local county.”

Although it is a sports film, it is also about love and friendship. Kelly hopes people come for the sport but fall in love with the characters.

“People will see it d as a hurling film, but it’s about a flawed character who must learn a serious lesson.

“Does he want to follow his heart? Or does he want to follow his ego?

“Hopefully, people will have a laugh at the situations Gar ends up in, but hopefully, they will feel something as well.

The Hurler: A Champion’s Tale is in cinemas from October 6, Cert: 15a. See review on P4.