The Mighty Celt (2005)

In this tender coming-of-age story, a young boy from a broken home learns the harsh realities of life after adopting an awkward greyhound and befriending a mysterious figure from his mother's past.

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
Kevin Elliott	...	Turlough O'Neill
Bernard Manning	...	Kid Joyrider
Simon Delaney	...	Big Man
Mark McCavanagh	...	Dissident Republican 1
Sean Clinton	...	Dissident Republican 2
John Travers	...	Spacer
Alison Finnegan	...	Teenage Girl
Aaron Farrell	...	Brendy Morrison
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:

reference to the easter rising | irish politics | ferret | rabbits | squeaky toy | 

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Taglines:

Life begins out of the traps.

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

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

User Reviews

Kes becomes Celt!!

After waiting a year for this movie (everyone on GAGC was waiting from pre-production onwards!), I must say that it was indeed worth the wait. The acting was superb (wee Tyrone McKenna was some discovery! Hope to see him in other productions!) and the accents virtually flawless considering that the main actors aren't even Northern Irish. I found this film to be engrossing and had to prevent myself from almost chanting "Go Celt!" during the greyhound-racing sequences! It's not often that you find a film you can't take your eyes off, but I'd definitely count this as one of them! This is a wee gem of a film and if you get a chance to see it on the big screen, GO FOR IT!!!

Details

Official Sites:

NIFC

Country:

Ireland UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 2005 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

The Mighty Celt

Filming Locations:

Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

EUR2,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Bórd Scannán na hÉireann, Green Park Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Color:

Color