The summer of 2002 conjures many memories, but in Ireland it will always be remembered as the moment Roy Keane pulled out of the FIFA World Cup in Saipan. The country was left deeply divided following Keane’s fallout with Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy in the build-up to the tournament. A new film starring Éanna Hardwicke as Keane and Steve Coogan as McCarthy explores the intense and complex rivalry between captain and manager. Hardwicke, 29, a Cork native, says he feels a special connection to playing Keane, having grown up just “down the road” from him. Steve Coogan as Mick McCarthy and Éanna Hardwicke as Roy Keane in Saipan.

Source: Irish Examiner December 30, 2025 15:34 UTC