27-05-2025
New series celebrating Gaelic Football to air on RTÉ
Hell for Leather - The Story of Gaelic Football, a new five-part documentary series, will air on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player this June.
The series was made by the makers of The Game, which celebrated the sport of hurling, and will delve into the role of Gaelic Football in the sporting, cultural and social history of modern Ireland.
Over five years in the making, "the series is the first major television history of the game exploring the evolution of Gaelic football from its inception to the modern day, and the incalculable contribution which the sport has made to Irish life".
Starting on 9 June, Hell for Leather - The Story of Gaelic Football will also feature the final television interviews conducted with GAA icons Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Kerry's Seán Murphy and Mick O'Dwyer, Dublin's Jimmy Gray and Mayo's John O'Mahony.
The series consists of over 80 interviews conducted with, among others, Michael Murphy, David Clifford, Jack McCaffery, Juliet Murphy, Shane Walsh, Brian Fenton, Mick O'Connell, Cora Staunton, Joe Brolly, Tony Hanahoe, Colm Cooper and Briege Corkery. It also features contributions from managers past and present - Jim McGuinness, Padraic Joyce, Seán Boylan and Kevin McStay.
The synopsis for the series says, "Chronicling how the game has changed through more than a century of rebellion and revolution, bitter rivalries, triumphs, upsets and comebacks, the series is both a celebration and exploration of a unique arm of Irish life. Its powerful story is told through the testimonies of players, managers and expert commentators, captivating archive and stunning visuals.
" Hell for Leather – The Story of Gaelic Football tells the story of a game born out of necessity, dreamt up by a nation in search of a social identity and an indigenous sport that could challenge the pre-eminence of foreign games.
"The game later took root in the northern counties and became a truly all-island proposition - a game of and for the Irish people. A sport with a presence in just about every village in Ireland, Gaelic football has a hugely important legacy - this is the story of that legacy".
