Each year, wherever green is worn, Irish people gather on the third Sunday in September for a real celebration of sport. Kitchen radios and sitting room televisions across the world tune into events in Croke Park regardless of county allegiance. It’s not only a day for the two finalists, it’s a day for all to savour.
All-Ireland Day goes behind the scenes with some of the key protagonists as they prepare for and experience the biggest day of their sporting lives. Brought to you by Loosehorse, one of Ireland’s leading indies, the documentary captures the essence of the football final by following a select group of characters all with their vested interests in the big day.
On a day of huge pressure, few people receive greater attention than the man calling the shots in the middle of the field. Meath referee David Coldrick was charged with this difficult task and our cameras were granted access to his inner sanctum both before and during the game.
No surname is more synonymous with Dublin GAA than ‘Rock’. A family steeped in on-field glory plays just as important a role behind the scenes. 89-year-old Joe Rock Senior has been working in Croker nearly all his life and now lives in the stadium’s shadow. His son Joe Rock Junior holds the keys to the stadium on match day. Their cousin Barney Rock thrilled the Hill in the ‘80s and now watches his son Dean achieve similar feats. They tell us how their family DNA intertwines with the blood of Dublin football and the stone of Ireland’s most famous stadium.
Kerry’s tradition nearly demands a final appearance. It’s almost a God-given right in the Kingdom but more than tradition has been at play during Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s reign. Selector Cian O’Neill was the Lilywhite outsider with a seat at the sacred table. He brought a new level of preparation and sports science to enhance the natural stream of talent central to Kerry’s success. We caught up with him in Cork I.T. as he prepared for another big day in his burgeoning career.
The All-Ireland experience is central to the day and we spoke to the men with the microphones, Dublin’s Darragh Maloney and Kerry’s Weeshie Fogarty, as they spread the gospel to the masses at home and abroad for RTÉ Radio and Radio Kerry respectively. In the seats once occupied by those famous voices of broadcasting, this duo are now carving their places in our sporting psyches.
Of course, there’s more than the match to the day’s pageantry. Every year, the GAA recognises past success as the Jubilee team parades in front of a full house. 2015 saw the 1990 Cork footballers, one half of the historic double, take to the field. But this parade is tinged with sadness with the passing of the Cork goalkeeper John Kerins in 2001. We caught up with the Kerins family as they prepared for an emotional day at HQ.
And no day out in Croke Park is complete without the Artane Band. Young Michael Joyce also had a big day ahead of him; it was his first All-Ireland football final in that famous red and blue uniform. For him and his band, how they performed on the day was just as important as the players on show.
For more information, please contact Cormac Hargaden, Executive Producer – cormac@loosehorse.ie 01-6136052.