A swing and a hit for Cork
A gritty crime thriller filmed beneath the stands of Páirc Uí Chaoimh is set for release in selected cinemas next month.
Starring and produced by Cork native Sinéad O’Riordan, highly acclaimed independent film ‘Swing Bout’ traces young boxer Toni Gale (Ciara Berkeley) on a tumultuous journey from the dressing room to her ring walk in a night of deceit, betrayal, and life-altering decisions.
Toni, like most boxers at the beginning of their fight career, has dreams of being a world champion, but as the chance to box in front of a huge TV audience looms, she finds herself low on confidence and even lower on cash.
She soon finds herself entangled in a web of corruption spun by her promoters, the Casey Brothers who, along with her conniving coach, tempt her into taking a dive against a hot prospect with connections to the underworld in exchange for a lucrative payoff.
As tensions continue to mount in the dressing room, Toni wrestles with her conscience; a betting scandal brews within the underworld; illicit affairs are exposed involving her coach; the Casey Brothers face a potential murder inquiry; and Toni’s only real friend fights for her life due to inadequate medical attention after collapsing post-fight.
The film was written and directed by Maurice O'Carroll, known for ‘Dead Along the Way’, ‘Sucking Diesel’, and ‘Conversations with My Dead Father’. It was produced by Cork-born Sinéad O’Riordan who also plays Toni’s coach Emma in the film.
“As soon as Maurice pitched the idea, I was hooked,” said O’Riordan. “I loved the concept of a female-driven boxing film, which felt timely given the recent popularity of female boxing and our very own Katie Taylor.
“The project was unique, bold, and ambitious, and I was immediately drawn to it both as a producer and an actor. Maurice wrote a compelling role for me, making it hard to refuse the part of the scheming coach Emma.”
The film stars an ensemble of emerging and well-known Irish talent including the likes of John Connors ('Love/Hate', 'Cardboard Gangsters'), Ben Condron ('Haunted Harmony', 'Date For Mad Mary') and Baz Black ('Kin', 'Dublin Crust').
“The cast collaborated effortlessly from the start, which was a relief after weeks spent on the casting process,” said O’Riordan.
“We aimed to cultivate a set that encouraged pushing boundaries, fostering creative freedom, and inspiring everyone to give their best. By asking the team to trust us, we created an atmosphere where everyone felt empowered to contribute fully, resulting in remarkable camaraderie.”
Overall, the film took 21 days to film, all within the changing rooms and corridors beneath the iconic stands of Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork city.
“We were fortunate in that it was a quiet time for the stadium, but we were limited in the sense that we needed to get everything shot in this timeframe because the GAA season was about to kick off very soon which meant we had to be militant in the pre-production process,” explained O’Riordan.
“As a proud Cork woman, I was so touched by the incredible support we received. SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh went above and beyond for us, and local businesses were equally supportive. The people of Cork always rally around their own and I particularly can't wait to bring this to Cork cinemas especially considering half the cast are from there,” she added.
A huge amount of preparation and research went into making the film which, paired with an ambition to create a final product with the highest production values possible, proved to be the toughest challenge O’Riordan has faced in her career yet.
She said: “I first looked up ‘swing bout’ to understand it. In boxing, quick knockouts can create gaps in the TV schedule, filled by swing bouts with boxers ready to step in. I watched YouTube videos to start understanding the world of boxing.
“As an actor, I trained with top boxing coaches in Ireland alongside the other ‘Swing Bout’ actors. Since my character is a boxing coach, I had to learn techniques like warming up fighters and calling the right shots. I needed to stay ahead of the boxer, anticipating the next shot to call which was challenging, and sometimes I mistakenly called one shot while thinking of another, resulting in a punch to the face!”
In February of this year, ‘Swing Bout’ premiered at the Dublin International Film Festival where it was very well received after seeing all tickets sell out in just seven minutes. “The atmosphere was electrifying, and the energy was through the roof particularly when we got a standing ovation,” said O’Riordan.
With ‘Swing Bout’ set to release in selected cinemas on 20 September, O’Riordan is already planning her next project which is still top secret!
“I'm hoping to be filming a new project in a couple of weeks which is very exciting. Just waiting on that green light! It's a fantastic role and opportunity and really, that's all I can say about that! Maurice is currently developing a six-part TV series which we hope to start pitching shortly and I have a few other projects for which I'm hoping to get funded.”