Neil Cadieux considers the power of football as a symbol of identity in Réalt na Mara – An Pheil, Na Trioblóidí agus An Iarmhairt, which screened as part of Dinard British and Irish Film festival.
Star of the Sea – The Football, The Troubles, and the Aftermath provides a necessary and worryingly timely discussion on the role historical context plays within a post-conflict society. This documentary details the impact of the Troubles by chronicling the lives of former members of a long-dormant youth football club based in Rathcoole, Newtownabbey. Powerful talking-head interviews and archival footage combine to provide a challenging reminder of the fresh legacy left by the Troubles, and the ever-contemporary presence of its effects.
The film begins by detailing the origins of the mixed Catholic and Protestant estate of Rathcoole, labelled as an ‘experiment’ by the work’s narrator. It explains that the estate was established to create a non-sectarian area of North Belfast, exemplified by the cross-community Star of the Sea football club. Former player, and key subject of the work, Raymond McCord, reflects on his time in the club with bittersweet reminiscence. He describes pre-1969 Rathcoole as an area relatively free of division, noting that discussion of religion and politics was strictly forbidden within his former team. This nostalgia morphs into a lamentation when discussing the area during, and after, 1969.
It’s within these discussions on post-1969 Rathcoole, and the gradual dissolution of Star of the Sea, that the film begins to reveal its starkly delivered analysis. It quickly becomes evident that Rathcoole and its history make for a particularly effective microcosm of the Troubles as a whole. What ensues is a remarkable balancing act from director James Wynne. Here, personal stories and geographically specific histories shape a tragic internal narrative, while providing wider commentary on the societal wounds left over from conflict.
This approach remains commendable and engaging throughout the runtime. The story of the club itself, and the paramilitary entanglements that affected multiple former players, is shocking to witness. Raymond McCord details to the camera how Michael Acheson and Terry Nicholl joined the UVF, and later served jail time. He also notes his personal relationship with Bobby Sands, who joined the IRA and died on hunger strike in 1981. When describing Sands, he states, ‘I don’t blame him, I blame the Troubles’. Here, McCord taps into the banality of sectarianism. The film is filled with moments that harness this attitude, all of which are undeniably powerful.
Throughout the work, Wynne cuts between testimonials from Raymond and other former players, alongside reconstructions of the club at its prime. Shot on film, with convincing costumes and staging, these reconstructions provide immersion and insight into an undisturbed Rathcoole. At other key moments, historians and journalism provide further context. Delivered in a pseudo-academic register, these testimonials often inform, even when some of the contributions feel occasionally superfluous. This makes for an unfortunate contrast against McCord’s skills as a storyteller and focaliser of history.
McCord takes centre stage in the film’s final quarter, which details his status as a victims’ rights campaigner after his son, Raymond McCord Jr, was killed by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997. The relative recency of this event, and its effects on Raymond, make for uncomfortable, important viewing. Begrudgingly, McCord expresses how little sectarian division has changed, with this needless murder serving as proof. He even mentions that he preferred pre-1969 Rathcoole to its contemporary state, due to the unending, inevitable presence of paramilitaries in the area.
In an era where attempts at reconciliation in the North appear implausible at best, and futile at worst, James Wynne’s film is refreshing in its bluntness. This finely shot, excellently paced documentary gives a palpable understanding of the Troubles and their impact. Perhaps more important, however, are the film's reminders of contemporary division, and the intergenerational wounds that time has yet to heal.
Réalt na Mara – An Pheil, Na Trioblóidí agus An Iarmhairt (Star of the Sea – The Football, the Troubles and the Aftermath) screened at the 37th Dinard Festival of British and Irish Film, which ran from 7th to 11th October 2026.
It was broadcast on Tuesday, 20th October 2026 on TG4.
