Dora Matijević looks at the bloodlines and bitter legacies of Horseshoe at the Galway Film Fleadh.
It’s a tale as old as humankind: when family and money collide, what’s truly valuable isn’t always what’s written in the will.
In the rugged west of Ireland, the death of Colm Canavan (Lalor Roddy) brings his four estranged children back home. Cass (Carolyn Bracken) arrives from afar, while her brothers Jer (Jed Murray) and Evan (Eric O'Brien) have never left. The moment Niall (Neill Fleming), the third brother, joins them for their father’s will reading, tension simmers between him and Jer, who have never seen eye to eye. When the solicitor reveals the estate is the sole inheritance and they have 24 hours to unanimously decide its fate or risk losing it to the state, their uneasy reunion turns combative. While Jer and Evan struggle with the idea of leaving their childhood home, Cass and Niall are keeping secrets about their own financial troubles. Cass, labelled “the rich bitch”, is on the brink of losing her house, while Niall is battling for custody of his son. Just as the deadline looms, the rules of the game change, and Evan, the brother desperate to reunite the family, holds the key to their future.
Horseshoe is a dramedy set in North Sligo’s Gleniff Horseshoe, with additional scenes shot in Roscommon and Donegal. The film’s core location, Bundrowes House on the Leitrim-Donegal border, shapes the narrative from the ground up. This remote, time-warped character serves as a vessel for grief. The house is a fifth sibling: cold in places, and steeped in memory.
In this script from Adam O'Keeffe, what makes the characters compelling is how they carry their regrets, clash in silence, and reconnect in unexpected moments. The pacing shifts from tense altrications, like the brothers’ physical confrontation, to quieter ones, where Cass curls up under the table in tears. The cast’s chemistry is no accident: the roles were written with these actors in mind, many of whom the directors had worked with before. “No one else could play Cass, or Evan, or Niall or Jer,” comments Adam's co-director Edwin Mullane in our interview with them both about the film.
While Azazel Jacobs’s His Three Daughters (2023) dwells in sisterly silence, Horseshoe (2025) broadens the range, blending sibling rivalry with hallucinogenic honesty. It’s not just an examination of this broken bond; the film captures affection the only way some families know how: through insults, eye rolls, plenty of tea, and an unexpected acid trip.
Composer Anna Mullarkey brings a decade of musical experience, shaped by her folk-electronica roots, to her first feature film score. She blends traditional Irish forms, jigs, and modal melodies, with cinematic orchestration, creating a soundscape that connects to the West's cultural heritage. Mullarkey’s score evolves with the story, enhancing the action without overwhelming.
Premiering at the Galway Film Fleadh with Screen Ireland’s support, Horseshoe marks a confident feature debut for Edwin Mullane and Adam O’Keeffe. Known for their intimate shorts like Cleaner (2021) or Where Still Waters Lie (2020) respectively, which touched on loss and connection, this is a natural next step. Shot in just three weeks, on a tight budget, the film turns limitations into fuel.
Balancing oddball charm with psychological insight, Horseshoe stands as a tribute to rural Ireland and a promising introduction to these two emerging voices in Irish cinema.
The world premiere of Horseshoe took place on Saturday 12th July in the Town Hall Theatre at the Galway Film Fleadh.
