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Director
Seán Ó Cualáin
Credits
Writer:David Burke
Category
Documentary
For a fleeting moment in the early 1980s Tommy Byrne was the world’s greatest Formula 1 driver, a man who looked set to rival Senna and Schumacher with his fearless style and his record-breaking speeds. Coming from humble Dundalk roots and starting out as stock-car driver in rural Ireland, he quickly rose to win a host of championships and set new records in time trials in the UK. Never at home or fully welcome in the privileged world of Formula 1 drivers, Byrne’s wild behaviour – including a series of drink and drug-fuelled escapades and an altercation with Ayrton Senna – ultimately led to his exclusion from the club. Director, Seán Ó Cualáin (Men at Lunch) finds Byrne in Florida, now a driving coach, content with his lot, but bitter about a career that was doomed before it even began. Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn
81 minutes, Ireland, 2016, Colour
AKIRA (4K RESTORATION) 20.40
AMÉLIE (25th ANNIVERSARY) 13.00
ARCHIVE AT LUNCHTIME: MISSIONS IMPOSSIBLE (PROGRAMME 1) 13.00
FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER 15.50, 18.20
FROM THE VAULTS: GARAGE 18.30
REBUILDING 13.30, 20.50
THE BLUE TRAIL 13.50, 18.10
THE DRAMA 16.00
THE STRANGER 15.40
THE WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN 20.15
The IFI is supported by The Arts Council