The Glanmire actor plays Mayfield sporting hero Keano in the upcoming film
Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan) and Roy Keane (Eanna Hardwicke) in Saipan
Cork actor Éanna Hardwicke will chat all things Saipan and stepping into the role of Roy Keane as he features on RTÉ’s Late Late Show tomorrow night.
The Glanmire native will sit down with host Patrick Kielty to discuss his most recent role portraying Keano in the upcoming film based on the infamous fight between him and Ireland manager Mick McCarthy.
Éanna will be joined on the RTÉ Late Late sofa tomorrow night by co-star Steve Coogan, who plays McCarthy, as the pair open up on how they prepared for their starring roles.
Éanna Hardicke as Roy Keane in Saipan(Image: Vertigo Releasing)
They are the leading men of the highly anticipated Saipan film, which will land in Irish cinemas on New Year’s Day. The movie had its international debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, where it was widely praised as a fun but gripping sports comedy-drama. Some lucky fans will be watching the film for the first time tonight (Thursday) as part of the Cork International Film Festival’s (CIFF) Opening Gala at The Everyman.
The Saipan incident has gone down in history as one of the most memorable moments in Irish soccer history. As the nation’s dreams rested on Keano’s shoulder’s, just 14 days before the 2002 World Cup, an infamous (and very public) quarrel between the Republic of Ireland football captain and the team manager captured the attention of football fans and media outlets worldwide. All eyes were on the little Northern Mariana Island as Mayfield superstar Roy was ousted from the squad. Ireland went on to lose against Spain.
Rising Irish actor Éanna Hardwicke plays the Cork sporting hero – his latest role after featuring in shows including Normal People, The Winx Saga and The Sixth Commandment. He previously won an Irish Film and Television Academy award for his lead role as Ben Field in BBC drama The Sixth Commandment.
The Cork actor won an IFTA for his leading role as Ben Field in The Sixth Commandment on BBC(Image: BBC/Wild Mercury/Amanda Searle)
Also featuring on tomorrow night’s Late Late Show is Holly Cairns, leader of the Social Democrats. She will join Patrick in studio to discuss the current political landscape, the challenges facing the left opposition and her vision for Ireland’s future.
Kieran Cuddihy will talk to Patrick ahead of his debut as the new host of RTÉ Radio 1’s Liveline next Monday. The show is preparing to celebrate 40 years on air. Its new presenter Kieran will reflect on growing up in Kilkenny, his career to date and what it means to him to take over from Joe Duffy on one of Ireland’s most iconic radio shows.
Singer-songwriter Nell Mescal will take to the Late Late Show stage with a live performance of her brand-new single before sitting down with Patrick to talk about her upcoming headline tour. Comedian and all-round gasman Jarlath Regan will also be in studio to chat about ‘Irishisms’ and how they inspire his jokes. If you’re a fan of the Late Late Toy Show, it may be one to watch. One lucky child will have their dream come true live on air, as they discover they’ll be performing in this year’s Toy Show as well as more big announcements ahead of the big show.
