The Mighty Celt (2005)

Donal is a 14-year old who develops a passion for greyhound racing. He works in a kennel, which is owned by Good Joe. Good Joe promises Donal ownership of Donal's favorite greyhound, The ... See full summary »

Director:

Pearse Elliott

Writer:

Pearse Elliott

Stars:

Ken Stott, Tyrone McKenna, Gillian Anderson

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ken Stott	...	Good Joe
Tyrone McKenna	...	Donal
Gillian Anderson	...	Kate
Richard Dormer	...	Ronan
Sean McGinley	...	I'm A Cripple
Robert Carlyle	...	O
Bernard Manning	...	Kid Joyrider
Mark McCavanagh	...	Dissident Republican 1
John Travers	...	Spacer
Alison Finnegan	...	Teenage Girl
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bronagh Taggart	...	Girl Next Door (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Donal is a 14-year old who develops a passion for greyhound racing. He works in a kennel, which is owned by Good Joe. Good Joe promises Donal ownership of Donal's favorite greyhound, The Mighty Celt, if the animal wins three races in a row. Meanwhile, Donal's mother, Kate, must adjust her life when O, a man from her past, returns. The political climate of Ireland serves as the backdrop of this story.

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Plot Keywords:

ireland | greyhound racing | 

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Taglines:

Life begins out of the traps.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

NIFC

Country:

Ireland UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 2005 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Waleczny Celt

Filming Locations:

Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

€2,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films,Bórd Scannán na hÉireann,Green Park Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tyrone McKenna who plays 'Donal' is now a professional boxer.

User Reviews

Solid enough low budget movie

Gillian Anderson as a single mother from Northern Ireland. Never in my days of salivating over her in the X-Files (though not in a 'Tooms'-like fashion) did I think that I'd see her playing such a role in such a movie as this. It's basically a down to earth, straightforward story of a boy growing up in a nation that itself is only beginning to grow after 30 years of 'the Troubles' (a local war with Nationalist and Unionist terrorists along the lines of modern day Iraq but not half as brutal and deadly). The boy in question has an interest in and love for greyhounds which race for money, much as in horse racing. His relationships with the greyhound trainer that he's known for years and a new male influence in his life, who returns to Northern Ireland after being on the run for years, inevitably leads to conflict which ultimately leads to a simple resolution which is just a bit too clean and rushed in the final reels. There are no alarms and no surprises and everyone acts well enough. Despite the lack of deep thought, complicated plots, astounding cinematography, explosive special effects, etc. it's not bad though and neither is Anderson's accent. A time filler for an 84 minute gap in your life that you have little else to do with.