Saipan: The battle of Roy and Mick, revisited on the silver screen

As Saipan opens the 70th Cork International Film Festival, Paul Whitington meets the movie’s directors to discuss their part Greek tragedy, part fable about modern Ireland

Marking the 70th anniversary of Ireland’s oldest film festival, this year’s CIFF’s opening gala will see the Irish launch of Saipan, directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, starring Steve Coogan and Cork man, Éanna Hardwicke. Picture: Aidan Monaghan.

For a week or so in 2002, the nation lost its reason. 

Following a very public spat between Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy and star player Roy Keane on the eve of the World Cup, Roy departed a shambolic Saipan training camp in high dudgeon, and a baying mob (us, that is) rushed to take sides.