'Keane was one of the defining figures of my childhood': Éanna Hardwicke on Saipan film

The Cork actor spoke about Saipan at the launch of Screen Ireland's impressive roster of films for 2025, writes Esther McCarthy

Scheduled to be released in cinemas later this year, Saipan will explore the intense and complex rivalry between Roy Keane (Éanna Hardwicke) and Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan).

The story of how a Cork footballing legend and an Ireland manager clashed on the eve of the World Cup is among the new projects being backed by Screen Ireland for 2025.

Scheduled to be released in cinemas later this year, Saipan will explore the intense and complex rivalry between Roy Keane (Éanna Hardwicke) and Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan). It exploded onto the global stage just before the 2002 World Cup, leading to Keane’s departure from Ireland’s training camp in Saipan and becoming the nation’s biggest talking point.