Local links with new Shane MacGowan profile film

Lower Ormond lads cast in music star’s formative years

By Simon O'Duffy

SEVERAL local scenes and two young actors feature in the new Shane MacGowan film, ‘Crock of Gold’, which went on cinema release last Friday.

The film explores MacGowan’s early years in Tipperary before moving to the UK and his formative time in the late ‘70s punk circuit. Directed by Julien Temple and co-produced by Johnny Depp, the film has heavy input from MacGowan's sister Siobhan and father Maurice, among many other contributions.

It also features two local lads playing the role of Shane growing up - DJ Fitzgerald from Carney and David Hogan of Kevinstown, Coolbawn.

For DJ (Daniel Joseph), the appearance happened quite by chance. The nine-year-old loves to wear a cap and his mother, Amanda posted a photograph of him with it on Facebook. Amanda said the photo attracted the MacGowan filmmakers to seek out DJ as their ideal candidate to play the protagonist in his early years.

While he still has no interest in performing arts, DJ was delighted in getting a week off school to shoot a series of boyhood scenes for the film last year. These included skimming stones on the lake near Coolbawn and a scene at Cloughprior cemetery, as well as at MacGowan's old house at Carney. DJ's sister Emma is also credited with playing banjo in the film.

David Hogan (14) plays the part of MacGowan when he was around 10 or 11-years-old. While he was involved with the local drama group in Kilbarron, David had no previous acting experience and also found his way into the role somewhat by chance, meeting the directors and film crew after his cousin declined the opportunity.

David was filmed around the cottage in Carney, out the fields and in the locality where Shane enjoyed spending time.

These scenes included reading catechism within the house, and David also visited Cloughprior graveyard and was filmed skimming stones by Luska Quay. He furthermore visited a nearby wooded area where David played MacGowan as an imagined Vietnamese soldier. Other scenes included one near the cottage having a quiet smoke and a bottle of ale while sitting on a wall.

David was involved in four days of filming, about 20 hours in total, in September last year. His costume was provided and included tweed jumper, shirt, short pants, cap and brown leather shoes.

‘Crock Of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan’, is in cinemas now.