Philip Catherwood
Sports-mad local boy Robbie has spent his entire life in Sydenham, practicing football every day on his favourite pitch alongside his younger sister, Melissa. Across the city, Deren – a lifelong East Belfast resident and passionate GAA player – has never had a pitch to truly call his own. Everything changes when plans are announced to transform Robbie’s beloved pitch into a Gaelic football ground.
For Robbie, it feels like an invasion of identity. For Deren, it’s a long-awaited opportunity. For Melissa, it’s a chance to discover a sport she’s never given much thought to.
As a United Ireland referendum looms, the trio find themselves repeatedly crossing paths on this contested, ever-changing ground – clashing over everything from Tayto loyalties and Irish street signs to the age-old question: Is it football or soccer? Can Deren open Robbie’s mind to something new – and what might that mean for a changing Northern Ireland? Or is it all too much, too soon for someone so deeply rooted in home?
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