Hurling’s bad boy to hit cinemas

A film telling the story of Ireland’s most notorious fictional Hurler is set to throw in at cinemas next month.

‘The Hurler’ marks a first feature role for rising Irish stand-up and film star Tony Kelly as he embodies Gar Campion, the GAA’s answer to David Beckham, only a little rougher around the edges.

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 got the world at the end of his hurley.

However, when he becomes the first hurler in the history of the proud amateur sport to fail a drug test for performance enhancing drugs, he quickly 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: rebuild his shattered reputation in the hurling community, and get him out of town for a while.

The plan? Go to Waterford and coach Ireland’s worst hurling team to the first victory in the club’s history. They’ve quite literally 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 versus heart as he juggles his quest for a comeback and his commitment to his new role as coach and a complicated will they/won’t they situation with Ruby.

The all-star cast also includes Mario Rosenstock, Marty Morrissey, Karl Spain, and David McSavage.

‘The Hurler’ is released on 6 October in selected cinemas across Ireland.