On the back of Ireland’s disappointing result against Denmark, now is the perfect time to reflect on happier times courtesy of the Roddy Doyle classic The Van.
The final instalment in the writer’s famed Barrytown Trilogy, the movie first hit the big screen in 1996 and is set for a welcome return at the Irish Film Institute later this month.
Set against the backdrop of Ireland’s memorable 1990 World Cup campaign, The Van tells the story of Larry (Colm Meaney) and Bimbo (Donal O’Kelly), a couple of unemployed Dubliners who transform a broken down van into a fast-food business while at the same time Jack Charlton and the lads are making a name for themselves over in Italy.
Capitalising on the feel-good factor around the capital, Larry and Bimbo are met with instant success but it isn’t long before strains start to appear in their friendship.
Like its older siblings The Commitments and The Snapper, The Van is pretty much a riot from start to finish, and the scenes in the pub when Packie Bonner makes his famous save are something everyone sports fan will relate to.
The screening of The Van is part of the Dublin International Film Festival and takes place on Thursday November 28 at 6.30pm. There will be a host of special guests on the night and there will be archive clips celebrating Ireland’s soccer history before the screening.
More information can be found here.
