Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan will launch a new DVD about the legendary Con Houlihan in Dublin on December 4th next. The IFTA-nominated documentary ‘Waiting for Houlihan’ has been re-mastered into a special extended version which features more screen time with the great Kerry legend Con Houlihan.
Houlihan, a sports writer who gained a number of fans over his 60-year career, is the subject of Maurice Healy’s documentary, in which his words, wisdom, wit and writing skills are celebrated.
The Castleisland native passed away at the age of 86 in August of this year.
The documentary originally aired on RTÉ in 2004, reaching the highest audience figures for the broadcaster. It was recently rebroadcast on RTÉ One to mark Houlihan’s passing.
Produced by Paul Howard, the DVD includes a number of additional sequences which didn’t make the original cut, including a performance by Johnny O’Leary and his daughter Ellen, new contributions from friends and colleagues of Houlihan’s, as well as places dear to his heart, will all feature in the new extended version.
‘Waiting for Houlihan’ will be launched by Minister Deenihan in Dublin on Tuesday, December 4, at the IFI in Temple Bar, Dublin at 6.30 pm, and will be launched in Kerry the following week.
The Minister said: “Having worked on this project with Con Houlihan over 10 years ago, I am delighted to see this superbly produced and directed documentary by Maurice and Paul being released on DVD with all the extra footage. This is a very important tribute to Con, a man who is regarded as one of the greatest sports journalists that this country has ever known”.
All proceeds from the DVD sales will be donated to the Kerry Literary & Cultural Centre.
It will be available directly from the Seanchaí Literary Centre, Listowel and other local outlets, and can also be purchased online at, www.kerrywritersmuseum.com.