In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Maurice O’Carroll, Writer/Director of Swing Bout.
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Swing Bout is an intense crime/thriller set backstage at a major boxing event, tracing Tony Gale's (Ciara Berkeley, The Deceived, Normal People) tumultuous journey from the dressing room to her ring walk in a night of deceit, betrayal, and life-altering decisions.
Toni, like most boxers at the beginning of their fight career, has dreams of being a world champion ,but, here on fight night, amid the bright lights and the chance to box in front of a huge TV audience on a major fight card, reality strikes hard and Toni finds herself low on confidence and even lower on cash.
She becomes entangled in a web of corruption spun by her promoters, The Casey Brothers. They and her conniving coach tempt her into taking a dive against a hot prospect with connections to the underworld in exchange for a lucrative payoff.
As tensions mount in the dressing room, Toni wrestles with her conscience; a betting scandal brews within the underworld; illicit affairs are exposed involving her coach; The Casey Brothers face a potential murder inquiry; and Toni’s only real friend fights for her life due to inadequate medical attention after collapsing post-fight.
Pushed to her physical and emotional limits, Toni confronts the brutal truths of the underworld and the sacrifices demanded by her dreams. With its gripping narrative and bold characters, Swing Bout is an independent Irish made film that keeps the audience on edge.
Originally published when Swing Bout was released in 2024.
Swing Bout was broadcast on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player on Friday, 4th September 2026.
Maurice O'Carroll
Maurice is a writer, director, editor, and producer from Tralee, County Kerry, and an alumnus of Screen Ireland’s Advanced Producing programme. He has created several award-winning films, the cult web series Sucking Diesel, and the indie feature Dead Along The Way. His most recent feature, Swing Bout, premiered at the Dublin International Film Festival before a four-week cinema run in Ireland and a subsequent streaming release. Made on a low budget and outside the traditional funding system, the film employed a resource-driven production model with minimal unit moves and 360-degree lighting setups. Maurice is currently developing two new television drama projects alongside his film work.
Gemma
Gemma
