A month ago the eagerly anticipated short Irish film 'A Nation Holds Its Breath' was released and was a huge hit with sports fans as it contrasted the anticipation of Ireland's Italia 90 game against Romania with the miracle of childbirth.
Now another Irish film 'An Mallacht' is picking up awards left right and centre, and like 'A Nation Holds Its Breath' it involves a moral decision and a sporting cliffhanger.
Written by Antoin Beag O Colla, directed by Cóilín Ó Scolaí and produced by James Ryan of StationHouse Media the Irish-language film (with English subtitles) premiered at this year's Dingle Film Festival where it won the Físín Award for an Irish Language Script and has since picked up Best Film Award at Oddalenia Film Festival in Dublin.
The film is based around one of Irish Sport's biggest superstitions - Mayo's All-Ireland curse, and the story revolving around a huge Mayo-supporting doctor and the discovery that one of his patients is the last a member of that 1951 team.
With a cast that includes TV and Film actors Seamus Hughes, Peadar O’Treasaigh, Peadar Cox, Marcus Lamb and Yvonne Ní Laife; this dark comedy-drama revolves around two brothers and the Mayo GAA Curse of 1951 that affects their daily lives – pushing them to the point where they go against all they believe to be true.
Speaking about the idea James Ryan said that Antoin came up with the story about five years ago and had been developing the plotline since.
The Mayo Curse story is one that grabs you once you hear it - and it's really hard to forget about it when Mayo fight so hard every year to get to the final... yet it always seems to just be out of their grasp. Antoin heard about it from a friend in passing - the friend was thinking of watching the Mayo match on TV, but thought he wouldn't bother "because sure, they'll lose anyway with the curse". ...And so it began!
While the story in An Mhallacht uses the Mayo Curse as it's backbone, it's not a parochial story or one just for an Irish audience: Really it's a story with universal themes such as superstition, family and community - and how far you'd go when the pressure of all three weighs down upon you.
Ryan revealed that the pub in the picture, Blakes Pub in Kilcony, is owned by a relation of one of the remaining Mayo players from that 51 side and was completely found by chance, he went on to add that neither Padraig Carney or Paddy Prendergast have been in touch but he's hoping they will soon.
We haven't had a chance to get feedback from the two remaining members, but I am hopeful that at least one of them will get to see it soon.
Call it serendipity, but while I was out location scouting, one of the pubs I came across was Blakes Pub in Kilconly, just outside Tuam. The pub had closed down on New Years Day back in 2015, New Year Eve decorations were still hanging above the mantlepiece.
It looked great, it was closed but still had power, so no disrupting normal trade or incurring any generator expenses - but to add a bit more shine, the wife of the owner turned out to be the niece of one of the remaining players. The search for a pub stopped when I heard that!
For this reason, I am hopeful that the remaining players will get to see it at some stage. I think they'll appreciate it and get a laugh out of it - I hope most people will! It's a film that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a clever story, with dark enough subject matter but it's often very funny and suitable for all ages.
The film will be screening at The Galway Film Fleadh on 12th July and you can find out everything else you need to know on their Facebook page here.
