Irish Film Institute -International Film Directory – Film Listing

Crash and Burn

    • 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

IFI CINEMAS TODAY


The IFI is supported
by The Arts Council

Arts Council of Ireland