Kilkenny production company release The Hurler film this weekend

A feature length comedy film by a Kilkenny production company and featuring some well known local actors will be released in cinemas this Friday.

The Hurler: A Campion’s Tale is a production by Lovely Hurling Productions and Dicemen Productions and stars a host of well-known names including Tony Kelly, Elva Trill, Jon Kenny, David McSavage, Sophie Vavasseur, Mario Rosenstock, Karl Spain,  Marty Morrissey and Kilkenny's John Morton, Shane O'Keeffe and Brendan Corcoran.

The film tells the story of when Ireland's most notorious hurling star, Gar Campion becomes the first player in history to fail a test for performance enhancing drugs he agrees to some charity work in order to rebuild his shattered reputation, coaching Ireland's worst team.

A talk on 'Irishness' comes to Co Kilkenny this Friday

While in his new surroundings of Waterford and realising the mammoth task he’s undertaken, Gar runs into his teenage flame, Ruby Vercetti, and a new life seems a real prospect for him.

The film features Tony Kelly in a breakthrough performance in the lead role of Gar Campion and Elva Trill (Jurassic World, Northern Lights) opposite him as Ruby Vercetti.

The supporting cast is a powerhouse mix of a host of Irish film, TV and comedy legends such as Jon Kenny (D’Unbelievables, The Banshees of Inisherin) as Gar’s coach and mentor, Billy Byrne as well as David McSavage (The Savage Eye, Calvary, Catch 22), Mario Rosenstock (Gift Grub, The Mario Rosenstock Show), Karl Spain (Karl Spain Wants a Woman), Sophie Vavasseur (Evelyn, Resident Evil, Flora and Son) and even Marty Morrissey himself.

The Hurler is an adaptation of the award winning web series and one man show of the same name which was created by first time writer/director Tony Kelly (who also plays the character of Gar Campion).

Tony said that the film has been the culmination of over ten years of blood, sweat, tears, laughs, rejections and near misses.

"To have a cast and crew as talented as this come together with me to finally make it is more than a dream come true,” he added.

Legendary Irish actor and comedian Jon Kenny described the script as 'lived in, it’s lived through, it’s known about'.

"It’s about Waterford, it’s about the lads, it’s about the family, it’s about people, it’s about community, it’s funny, it’s mad, it’s quirky, it’s racing with hormones," he said.

"And Gar is a feckin eejit but he’s beautiful! He’s flawed and sure look that’s the beauty in him and there’s so much magic in that. (Tony’s) work is brilliant, he’s a talented genius, the script is beautiful."

The Hurler: A Campion’s Tale will be shown at the IMC at Barrack Street, Kilkenny from October 6 and in selected cinemas nationwide.