Episode 1: Birth of Hurling
From the mists of time and borne out of myths and legends, Episode 1 of THE GAME brings us the birth of hurling and of the hurler. What does hurling mean to those who play it, those who watch it, those who live and breathe it. And not just for players and fans, what does hurling mean to the Irish nation as a whole – to our history and our sense of identity. Charting the beginnings of the GAA alongside the turbulent times of the Land War and mass emigration, this first episode lays the groundwork on which a treasured national sport was founded. Whether it’s the ultimate dream of representing your county in Croke Park or the tribal pride of playing for club and parish, it’s clear that with picking up a sliotar and hurl comes a true sense of belonging and of being a part of something bigger than you.
Series Overview:
Sport is one of the most important cultural sinews of a nation and hurling forms a vital part of life across Ireland. In this landmark series, legendary players, expert commentators, passionate fans, captivating archive and thrilling visuals bring hurling’s remarkable story to life. Through 1000s of years of bitter rivalries, triumphs and upsets, The Game reveals the unique warmth, colour and camaraderie that hurling fosters both within and across communities throughout the island.
The ambition was to produce the definitive series on hurling over three cinematic episodes. State of the art cameras, techniques and technologies were used alongside rare and unseen archive to bring hurling to Irish viewers as they’ve never seen it before. Some of the earliest moving footage of hurling was rescued from the vaults to be seen onscreen for the first time. Film reels of games from the 1920s, 1930s and 40s were rescanned to full HD resolution which will allow viewers to see unique and priceless material in unprecedented new detail.
60 major interviews were carried out for the series and just about every living legend of the game contributed – from Henry Shefflin, Joe Canning, Lee Chin, DJ Carey, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Austin Gleeson, Anna Geary to Eddie Keher, Jimmy Barry Murphy, Anthony Daly, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Angela Downey, Ger Loughnane, Brian Cody and many more. These will all be housed in full with the GAA creating a remarkable resource on the game for decades to come.
4k high speed cameras more commonly used on projects like the BBC’s Planet Earth were used to slow down the incredible skills of the game which are so often invisible in the blizzard of action. IFTA winning Director Gerry Nelson spent almost every day of the past 18 months combing for unseen archive and touching stories to bring the series to life. He and series editor Gretta Ohle spent over six months in the edit room weaving together a truly memorable piece of Irish documentary television. Gerry’s guiding principle “At the end of the day, this is a series about people – people who play and love a remarkable game that is a genuine treasure of Irish life and culture.”
Filmed in cinema quality 4K over two years, THE GAME celebrates hurling, exploring its origins from the mists of prehistory through to its tremendous growth over the last century and how it can justifiably claim to be the fastest/most exciting field sport in the world.
Made is association with RTÉ and with the support of GAA and BAI
Produced with the support of incentives for the Irish Film Industry provided by the Government of Ireland
Episode 2 Agents of Change
In episode 2 we meet some of the past superstars of the game. Those who were agents of change leaving an indelible mark on the sport in their wake; Mick Mackey of Limerick, Nicky Rackard of Wexford and the legend that was Christy Ring. These were the men that fans travelled cross country to see – by any means necessary. Charting Cork’s four in a row victory through to Wexford’s toppling of the blue bloods in the 1950’s and onto the indomitable Tipperary backline – Hell’s Kitchen – in the 1960’s, The Game explores eras of great change and not just for hurling but for the country as a whole. Newspapers gave way to radio and in the 1960s television broadcasting began. Hurling had a new medium and new audience. But the two pillars of an Irish Sunday – the mass and the match – were no longer the only distractions and Ireland of the late 1960’s was now looking forward.
Episode 3 The Quest for Perfection
Episode 3 of THE GAME explores the chase for perfection. We see teams learning to win as Galway’s breakthrough in the 1980’s gave way to Ger Loughnane’s winning Clare side in the 1990’s and Kilkenny’s fine tuning of the pressure game in the 2000’s – a team that seemed impossible to beat. Tactics and fitness took on entirely new dimensions and the rise of sports science elevated the standards expected of hurlers even further. Episode 3 also looks at the women’s game and the battles camogie has had to fight to be recognised in its own right. And as hurling has made its way through the Celtic Tiger era and the dawn of social media, what has that meant for the sport and the men and women who play it. For all the modern advancements in science and training perhaps what lies at the heart of the game hasn’t changed at all – it’s still the magic of pure skill and the aura surrounding the heroes of this stick and ball game that is uniquely ours.