Unique G.A.A. Dream-team formed for cameo roles in the first movie on the Easter Rising
From April 24th- 30th 1916, an act of rebellion changed the course of Irish history and marked the beginning of the decline of the British Empire. When the Easter Rising ended, the execution of its brave leaders handed the baton to Michael Collins and others to fight for Irish freedom in the War of Independence.
At the script reading in the London Embassy with Ambassador Dan Mulhall and actors Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) and Colin Morgan(Merlin)
– Publicity image for The Rising
Meeting BAFTA winner Fiona Shaw in London who will play Countess Markievicz
‘The Rising’ will be the first movie to tell the full story of 1916 and how Ireland rose up from famine to freedom. It has been in development since 2012 backed by Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and a loyal global following. Among the actors attached in the leading roles are Colin Morgan, Fiona Shaw, Brendan Coyle and David O’Hara. Micheál Neeson will follow in the footsteps of his father Liam Neeson and portray the young Michael Collins, who was not a leading figure in the rebellion itself.
Photo from the 2019 Script Reading showcase in Los Angeles (sold out) – featuring Sonya Macari-Devlin, Damian McGinty and Tim Murphy on-stage.
GAA DREAM-TEAM JOIN TOGETHER AND SIGN UP FOR MOVIE. Along with a star-studded cast, the producer Kevin McCann has announced that 15 GAA All-Ireland winners( the ultimate dream-team) have officially signed up to appear in the movie in small cameo roles and walk-on parts.
In LA, with John Shepherd ( Mpower Pictures, US partners for ’The Rising’) with Michael Neeson who will play Michael Collins.
The All-Ireland winners from Gaelic Football, Camogie, Ladies Football and Hurling include Barney Rock, Brian Mullins, Colm O’Rourke, Jack O’Shea, Colm Cooper, Larry Tompkins, Dinny Allen, Oisín McConville, Martin McHugh and his son Mark McHugh, Seán Cavanagh, Valerie Mulcahy, Ursula Jacob, Joe Connolly and John Kiely.
QUOTES FROM PRODUCER KEVIN MCCANN:
“These GAA heroes are people with a strong connection to the spirit of Ireland and that is what the movie is all about – the triumph of the Irish spirit, sacrifice and conviction. It is fitting to announce this as we mark the centenary year of Bloody Sunday at Croke Park.”
“Imagine a movie scene where Patrick Pearse or Tom Clarke address a secret meeting of leaders played by Jack O’Shea, John Kiely, Valerie Mulcahy and Oisín McConville. The Irish around the world will grip the seats of the cinema with pride!!
“‘The Rising’ will complete the trilogy of great films on Irish History. It tells what happened before the movies Michael Collins and The Wind that shakes the Barley. Those movies were about the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. They did not examine Ireland’s first strike, the rebellion at Easter 1916 or celebrate Ireland’s resurrection from the darkness of the famine years. Our film views the Easter Rising as a heroic stand against the British Empire that changed Ireland forever. Their sacrifice and effort must be honoured in a new motion picture”
“Last year, we held a sold-out public showcase of ‘The Rising’ screenplay in Los Angeles and we have a major finance and producing partner in America who sees strong commercial potential in this true story of Ireland. Currently, movie investors tend to favour animation and horror films. In order to get our $10million movie across the line, we require keen investors connected to Ireland who see value in telling the Irish hero story to a global audience. Our powerful screenplay will continue to attract talented stars, but we still face this gap in the budget. We want to encourage any interested parties to step forward and contact us about investment through our website www.therising.ie. Their involvement is the key to making this movie happen.”
“The presence of these GAA legends in ‘The Rising’ will honour the memory of Patrick Pearse, Countess Markievicz, Seán MacDiarmada and the other heroes who resurrected the Irish spirit. We are all on the same side in respecting the memory of the men and women of 1916.”
