So Strike Films didn't manage to win an IFTA with Road To Rio or Children of the Revolution, but we lost out to two worthy winners in Hidden Impact by Wildfire Films and I Am Immigrant by Motive Television. Congrats to both productions, which I hate to say, were made by extremely good programme makers. Darn it. 
Since the last post, TMI hit the airwaves. Part funded by DRG, the format was launched at MIPCOM 2016, so wherever you are in the world you may soon be seeing a Strike Films production. The reaction in Ireland was very positive and a big shout out to @stephenbyrne Al Doyle and @MasterHolland for helping to make the show- and all our wonderful crew. But biggest cheer to our amazing performers @chizmund @alisonringrang @iamCiaraKing & @AlisonSpittle - here's hoping we get to make a full series. 
Tomorrow- Wednesday 16th November 2016- sees the transmission of Playing Straight- @stephenbyrne 's exploration of homophobia is soccer. It has been a long and difficult road, full of obstacles thrown up by the world of football- but Stephen's commitment to the question meant we got to the end, and made a great show, with a hat tip to our talented cameramen Matthew Kirrane and Daniel "Doc" O'Connor. But it would have been impossible without our wonderful editor Iseult Howlett- who gave up evenings and weekends with her family, to bring the her brilliance to the project- you are a genius. 
That is all for now, but hope you all have great Christmases and New Year's and see you in 2017! 

​Apologies for the lack of blog posts- I can only hope that the wait hasn’t scarred you irrevocably.
In the five months since the last update Strike Films have been filming in; (deep breath…) Tallinn, Porto, Kazan, Bath, Aachen, Beijing, Berlin, the Swiss Alps, Doha and Dublin.  
Among the many highlights was completing filming of “Children of the Revolution”, Joe Duffy’s (@talktojoe1850) exploration of the children who died during the Easter Rising. The weather on the final day was very different to the sunny summer shoots of June and July. But a cold, wet and windy Dublin provided the perfect backdrop as Joe brought the story of the children who were killed during that momentous week, to a close. Thanks go to Ger and the staff at The Oval Bar, Abbey Street (@ChawkePubGroup1) and John, John and Anne at Deansgrange Cemetery.
Special thanks also to Sinéad and Eoin Tracy, whose great aunt Bridget McKane was accidentally shot during the rebel retreat from the GPO.  Sinéad gave Joe some wonderful insights into the life of their deceased relative on camera (Eoin was his sister’s PA!).
The Road To Rio has taken us to the more exotic locations- but for many of our athletes these events proved that the road to the Olympics is often rocky. July saw the team split, with Darragh Bambrick (@darraghbambrick) following Sarah Lavin (@sarahlavin_) in Tallinn for the European Under 23 Championships. Sarah didn’t have the greatest of meets, but as always she was great on camera, and we look forward to her bouncing back next year.  
Meanwhile Dan “Doc” O’Connor had the rare joy of travelling with me to film Matthew McGovern and Ryan Seaton (@Irish49er) competing in the 49er European Championships in Porto. It was a great location, and the boys did well, but were hoping for more, but funding problems didn’t help. With a place already booked for the Olympics, they face a challenging year getting the finances on an even keel, while trying to fulfil their undoubted medal potential.
Having returned from the Baltic, Darragh was soon back on a plane heading even further east, to Kazan to film Fiona Doyle (@Fionamdoyle) at the World Swimming Championships. It was a tough meet for Fiona- but having broken multiple Irish records and the Olympic qualification time in 2015, she is able to look back on an extremely successful season in the pool.
August is the height of the season for most Olympic sports and as a result we found ourselves travelling for much of the month. First stop was Aachen, with Cian O’Connor (@Cian_O_Connor) and the Irish showjumping team as they rode in the FEI European Championships, hoping to secure one of the three remaining qualifying spots for the Olympics. Everything was going to plan- and Cian was riding well with a clear round 3. But as he approached the 11 fence of the fourth and final round… a steward ran out in front of Cian’s horse, Good Luck, who the knocked over the next fence. Cian went clear for the rest of the round, but that fault was the difference as Ireland finished one place, and less than one fence shy of Olympic qualification. The global audience saw the clear injustice and social media exploded. In an empty venue, only Irish Field journalist Brendan McArdle (@BrendanMcArdle) and the Road To Rio crew were around when the results of the appeal were announced at 2am. Unfortunately it was rejected and Cian’s hopes of Olympic glory were seemingly over. But… later this month we will be travelling to Lausanne with the Irish delegation to see if an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport will right this wrong.
While we were disappointed for Cian, Darragh mood was not improved by having to drive four hours through the night to make sure we made our connection to the UK and the European Pentathlon Championships. He has lead an adventurous life, but I don’t think he will ever drive on the autobahn again. We made our flight safely, just, and headed to Bath to follow Natalya Coyle in her attempt to make the plane for Rio. Having watched Irish teammate Arthur Lanigan- O’Keefe destroy the field to become European Champion, Natalya was spurred on to an excellent 11th place in the strongest continental championship in the sport and is well placed to make it to Rio. But to cap off an excellent month- she found out she had graduated with a 2:1 in Business Management, leaving her now free to focus 100% on making the Olympics.
August also saw the team undertake the furthest journey of the series to date- over 8,000kms to China for the IAAF Championships, to see Rob Heffernan defend his 50km world title. Rob was the star of the previous series, London Calling, and he didn’t disappoint with a fighting performance, finishing 5th in the stifling Beijing heat. As he works his way back to full fitness we should all be backing the old warrior to make a strong tilt at a medal in Rio.   
Dr Paul Pollock’s (@ppmarathon) journey has been littered with bad luck and an injury of the eve of the key Berlin marathon meant that he entered the fray at less than 100%. His challenge, while running with a 12cm tear in his thigh, was to reach the qualifying standard and finish in the top three Irish athletes. He ran great race, with the Strike team looking on at one point from a makeshift cycle rickshaw ‘gantry’, and almost pulled off the miraculous. Paul made the time… but was fourth Irish athlete home by a matter of 10 metres. So thoughts are now turning to a marathon in the New Year, where Paul can push his best time even lower and give the Irish selectors no choice but to take him to the Olympics. 
In October, Darragh got to experience that privilege of watching a supreme athlete at the very top of their sport. Having flown to Doha in the UAE, he was rolling as Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) destroyed all rivals in his division to become World Champion. As reigning Commonwealth, European and World Champion, all that remains is the Olympic gold to complete the set. A great performer both in and out of the ring, it was a pleasure to be able to capture this journey with Ireland’s most decorated amateur boxer.
With Darragh in Doha, Jack Britton joined the team for our next shoot. As you can see form the photo below he was keen to send his mammy a snap of himself at work. For all the glamour of these trips, there is one sport which keeps taking us to places that shut down after 7pm, and that sport is track cycling. There must be a reason Velodromes are built in such quiet corners of the globe- but no one has been able to explain it to us yet. Least of all Martyn Irvine (@Martyn_Irvine), who was competing at the European Track Cycling Championships in Grenchen… look it up, but don’t go! As always Martyn was his insightful and charismatic self, despite having a tough time at a Championships where he had previously won bronze.
If you are still reading at this point- and lord only knows why, all that remains is to wish you and all those who have worked with Strike Films in 2015 a great Festive season. Rest assured we will be on the Road to Rio across Christmas and into the New Year, catching up with our athletes as they reflect on 2015, and look ahead to the Olympics. Strike Out.

Another busy month- which saw the Road To Rio team head to Belfast for our first day of filming with Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11)- an Olympic bronze medallist who is looking to go two better in Rio. Watching him going through his paces in the gym and in the ring at SINI was awe inspiring and we are really glad that we don’t ever have to face his energy and power for real.

June and early July also saw 8 days of shooting on Strike Films’ 1916 documentary ‘Children of the Revolution’, Joe Duffy’s exploration of the stories of the children who were killed during the Easter Rising.

The shoot went really smoothly- so thanks to a fantastic crew- Gerry Hoban, Richard Kendrick, Stephen McDowell and Thomas Reynolds- with honourable mentions to our drama unit- Lisa Kelly (AD), Denise Watson (Make- up), Saileóg O’Halloran (Wardrobe), Mark Holland (Jack of all trades and a master of a fair few) and last but not least our wonderful actors Dermot Ward, Shane Casey and the children at Take 2 Casting.

The shoot took us all across central Dublin and highlights included filming on a Dublin Bus- including going through a bus wash!- and filming from the bell tower of St Mary’s Church Haddington Road.

But all our locations and the wider team have been fantastic and it would be remiss not to mention them;  
Nicola Morris at Timeline Research and Hugh Comerford; Carole Donohue and Dublin Bus; Colin Hession and L Mulligans the Grocer, Stoneybatter; Mark Keane and Fr Mathew Hall; Garvan and Sinéad at Auntie Nellies Sweet Shoppe, Temple Bar; Fr Fachtna McCarthy and Alexis at St Mary’s Church Haddington Road; Karen Forester and Kiki’s Booteekie at 103 Haddington Road; Ailbhe Roche and all the staff at the Irish Whiskey Museum; Gerry Donoghue and the OPW at St Stephen’s Green; PJ Murphy at Sweny’s Pharmacy; Dennis Prior, Louise Nugent and Tommy at St Patrick Dun’s Hospital; Selwyn Hess at Fumbally Square; Paul O'Brien; Conor Dodd and Glasnevin Cemetery; Charles Duggan and Dublin City Council’s Henrietta Street Tenement; Genevieve at The Casting Couch.

We were also incredibly privileged that relatives of two of the children who died agreed to appear onscreen- so thank you Richard Veale & Terence O’Neill.

However this production wouldn’t exist but for the dogged determination of Joe Duffy (@talktojoe1850) that the nation remember these long forgotten children- and the patience of his wife June who has supported him as he took on this research almost single handed- and as we took over her kitchen for a weekend. There is still a day’s filming left on the project, so watch this space.

One half of the Road To Rio team had a momentous month as Darragh Bambrick finally did the decent thing and wed his long time and long suffering girlfriend Erin Thomas- it was a lovely day- and also meant that he took a break from working for at least two days…

Some sad news now though, Road To Rio team (@RTERoadToRio) is splitting up… but only because there are two events happening at the same time. Darragh Bambrick headed to Estonia today hoping to capture Sarah Lavin (@sarahlavin_) winning a medal at the European U23 Athletics Championships. While tomorrow a new member of the team- Dan O’Connor is travelling with yours truly to film Matthew McGovern and Ryan Seaton (@Irish49er) competing in the 49er European Championships in Porto. In other news congratulations to Fiona Doyle (@Fionamdoyle) who booked her place at the 2016 Rio Games as well as breaking the Irish national record for the 100m breaststroke… again. Well- deserved success from one of the toughest athletes we have filmed with.

Another person to watch out for this weekend is Martyn Irvine (@Martyn_Irvine) competing at the National Track Cycling Championships at the Sundrive Velodrome, Dublin 12. That is all for now- but check back in next month when China, Germany and the UK will all be on the horizon.

A damp, but great first day filming Children of the Revolution. Wonderful to be working with Joe Duffy again- a great professional with a burning passion to ensuring the stories of the children killed during the Easter Rising are remembered for the first time. Thanks to Anna McHugh and George of An Post at the GPO for making filming go so smoothly. We then moved on to St Patrick's Church Ringsend for a Memorial Service, featuring a wonderful speech by President Higgins imploring us to remember the lives cut short too soon. Great to meet the living relatives of those who died.