Ciotóg, an Ghaeilge for 'Southpaw' shows the reality of the life of an elite level boxer. The long, hard hours of training, the pressure of representing your family and community and of course, the life of the man wearing the gloves.
Step in to the ring with Seán 'The Public Nuisance' McComb, a boxer from Belfast City on a 3-year journey as he deals with the highs and lows of a professional boxing career all the while balancing dealing the pressure of the pandemic putting a temporary halt to his career and the joy of starting family a family with his Fiancée Dearbhlá. A life-long competitor and fighter, Seán has been a pro-boxer for 2018 after a highly successful amateur career. Has been working his way up the ranks at home and abroad with the main goal always being a world title chance.
Tá TG4 tar éis aitheantas ollmhór a bhailiú thar na blianta lena gcuid oibre chun spórt na hÉireann a chur chun cinn agus níl aon difir leis an gclár faisnéise seo déanta ag DoubleBand Films do TG4 agus BBC Gaeilge. Gheobhaidh an lucht féachana súil eile ar shaol an dornálaí agus gach rud a thagann leis. Dornálaí ó bhí sé ina pháiste, deir Seán nach raibh suim aige rud ar bith a dhéanamh seachas an dornálaíocht mar ghairm.
'Ba é an dornálaíocht an t-aon rud a bhí mé ag smaoineamh faoi tar éis na scoile, bhí sé agus tá sé fós iontach tábhachtach dom'.
Tagann an paisean agus an ghrá sin don spórt trasna go láidir sa chlár.
Belfast has grown a reputation for producing elite boxing talent over the years, Paddy Barnes, Michael Conlon, Carl Frampton and of course Seán McComb to name but a few. The city’s history speaks for itself, years of violence and division which, as is the same for anyone who grew up in the city at that time, had huge impact Seán’s life growing up. Now he says ‘both sides of the community can come together and support each other, especially on the boxing scene. It’s something that sets boxing apart from other sports, everyone gets behind each other.’
Seán had no problem letting the camera crew in on both his public and private life. He has nothing put praise for the production team ‘they never got in the way or made anything difficult. They worked away in the background and helped us show what our real life is like. There was never a worry for McComb in terms opening up about his family life either, even with the arrival of his first child ‘the team were fantastic and I’ve had lots of people who’ve seen the show congratulating me on the show and how well myself, my partner and our family came across’. Behind the fighter in the ring, there is a strong family bond filled with love and support from his Fiancée Dearbhlá and their parents as well as a whole community in Belfast.
Ceann dos na buaicphointí a mbeidh le feiceáil sa chlár ná Seán agus a fhoireann is iad ag ullmhú don troid ollmhór a raibh aige ar Bhóthar na bhFál i gcoinne Craig Woodruff ag Féile an Phobail i 2019. Dar leis an trodaí bhí an lá sin ríthábhachtach do mhuintir Béal Feirste:
'Rinne sé maitheas don phobal agus léirigh sé an ceangal atá acu leis an spórt. Bhí sé tábhachtach chomh maith, sampla a thabhairt do dhaoine óga an phobail agus chun taispeáint dóibh gur féidir leo aon rud a bhaint amach sa todhchaí'
Is léir go bhfuil McComb chomh paiseanta faoina chathair dúchais is a bhfuil sé faoin dornálaíocht agus a theaghlach.
Ciotóg is a gripping documentary that will appeal to boxing fans and those who’ve never seen the sport. At the heart of it all, it’s a human story about a man and his young family working hard to achieve a lifelong goal. It will of course also give the viewer a chance to get in touch with an Ghaeilge in a different way as the language is used in a sport and family setting, an insight not often seen on our screens. The documentary will have the viewer behind Seán all the way and hopefully that support will follow him to his next fight on May 6th against Kaisee Benjamin in Birmingham.
Ciotóg airs at 9:30 on TG4, Wednesday 26th April
