***Please note – TX times are provisional until the final schedules are issued on Tuesday 3 December***
In this heart-warming documentary, Liverpool fan Daire Gorman who made headlines last Christmas after a visit to Anfield takes us into his extraordinary world during a whirlwind six months. Over the duration of the documentary Daire says goodbye to primary school, competes in an international powerchair football tournament in Paris, gets fitted with a state-of-the-art robotic arm, undergoes challenging surgery and becomes a teenager – all while coming to terms with the news that his hero Jürgen Klopp is stepping down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.
Daire Gorman is no ordinary 12-year-old. He is one of seven people in the world with Crommelin Syndrome, an extremely rare condition which affects the growth of his upper limbs and the femur bones in both legs. Daire is a full-time wheelchair user and has spent much of his life undergoing painful surgeries and medical procedures.
Daire lives near Ballybay, County Monaghan with his mum, dad and younger sister – and he is football mad. In summer 2023 he and his dad went to Anfield to watch their beloved Liverpool play, and a video of Daire’s emotional reaction to the crowd singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ went viral on social media. It came to the attention of manager Jürgen Klopp, who was blown away by Daire’s passion for football and the emotions evoked by hearing the iconic song that holds such a special place in fans’ hearts.
Klopp invited Daire and his family to Anfield last December – they met the players and went behind the scenes at the ground, for a day they will never forget. Liverpool FC released a video of Daire’s visit on Christmas Day – it went viral and catapulted him into the public eye. Clocking up over 120 million views, Daire’s resilience, humour, and unrivalled passion for Liverpool, resonated with people all around the world.
Daire made a huge impression on Jürgen too – Klopp mentioned him by name in his bombshell departure speech in January.
Filmed across six months, this documentary captures many significant events in Daire’s home and school life.
We see him at home and at school with family and friends. Daire plays powerchair football and his team Belfast Trailblazers qualified for an international tournament in France. Daire was selected for the squad, and we see him training in Belfast and competing in Paris where he scores his first international club goal.
Hospital is a big part of Daire’s life, and we join him for an appointment with consultant Noelle Cassidy before he undergoes surgery to shave the bone in his upper arm which is growing through the skin and causing great pain.
We film Daire as he’s fitted for a brand new robotic arm by the team at Ottobock Ireland. He hopes the prosthesis will give him more independence – and enable him to help out around the house.
Daire talks about his love for Liverpool FC and shows us the memorabilia on display in his bedroom. He explains how being surrounded by these precious mementoes is of great comfort when he is in pain and feeling down.
There are moving scenes as we film Daire’s last day at primary school when he prepares to say goodbye to the classmates who have been by his side for the last eight years.
As Klopp’s time in charge of Liverpool draws near, Daire makes plans to watch the final match on TV but there’s an emotional surprise as Daire learns that he’s travelling to Liverpool to be there for this momentous occasion.
We finish the film at a celebration for Daire’s 13th birthday in September – a milestone for any young person and a chance for him to reflect on the past few months and look forward to the next chapter.
ENDS
For preview copies please contact: sarah.neville@rte.ie
