The inspiration for making this film came from having spent over 30 years in the Irish pub business as a bartender, musician and pub owner. I met many a colorful character in that time and always felt that the personalities and the stories behind some of these often hilarious individuals could be the perfect framework for a story of friendship, loyalty and even sadness. 

I first wrote the story Charlie Gorman’s Wake as a play. I had a particular actor, Peter Lynch, in mind for the part of Charlie Gorman. He subsequently introduced me to an Irish theater group based in New Haven, CT, from which we cast the play. In January 2013, we staged the play under the direction of Gaelic Players alum Geoff Herpok. After the success of the play, I felt the need to expand and develop the story and the characters further as a film. 

In 2014 we converted the Old Dublin – my own pub of many years - into a movie set. With the help of many good friends and partners we undertook the arduous process of making an independent film. For the following three years over many weekends and holidays, we shot for a total of 37 days in Connecticut and Ireland. For authenticity, it was essential for me to shoot all our outdoor locations back home in Ireland where we shot in both Counties Kildare and Leitrim.

This project has been my baptism into acting and directing. The most enjoyable part of the production was working with the actors and my co-director Katie Santacroce in bringing to life the characters I had written. Together with my partners, Director of Photography, Simon O’Reilly and Producer Adrian Nieves, we were able to present a more nuanced version of these characters on film than we could in a play. As a result, I feel that we succeeded in bringing the audience closer to these living characters. 

The patrons of Gorman’s pub are a close knit group of friends as you would find in any good Irish pub. I wanted to capture the close bond that exists between these people in their “home away from home”. Irish pub humor is inherently irreverent, and the constant ribbing – or “slagging” as it is called in Ireland - that friends give each other, is actually a true sign of affection. There is a very unique and familial relationship among friends at a pub and it is this deep sense of caring and friendship I wanted to portray through the characters in the film. 

The main character is actually the owner of the pub, Ossie Gorman. Ossie returned to Ireland with his American girlfriend Rose, to run the pub after his father died. He is a typical Irish pub owner - the dispenser of advice and also admonition when necessary. He is highly respected by his friends and customers. Unfortunately, as is common among some pub owners, he has a “fondness for the drink” which causes some friction between him and his family. It was important to me to portray Ossie as a character with  good attributes as well as flaws.

In the supporting characters – the patrons of Gorman’s pub, I wanted to show the Irish wit and camaraderie they enjoy as great friends and how they comically revel in mocking each other’s misfortunes. 

Charlie Gorman (no relation to Ossie Gorman) arrives at the pub every morning when it opens and considers it to be an extension of his living room. His character is a combination of the many barflies that I have met over the years.  Although he can be a “pain in the arse”, he is much beloved around town and by the regulars at Gorman’s Pub. He is a permanent fixture at the end of the bar, and though he is seemingly “simple and harmless”, he sees everything and “never misses a trick”. Like me, he loves nothing more than his “pint of stout” in the company of his friends. 

Looking back on all we have achieved with minimal resources and the absolute dedication of everyone involved, I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to have worked with so many talented people. Working many long hours over many years on the editing process with Simon in Montreal and seeing all our hard work eventually become a film was truly cathartic for me. 

Ultimately my goal as writer and director was to show a true to life portrayal of a snippet of the lives of these ordinary yet hilarious and entertaining everyday people. As tragedy unfolds in their lives, they come together as friends to honor one of their own in the best way friends know how. In my experience, this is not just a fantasy tale but instead one that could absolutely be true.