Normal People premiered on BBC One last night, and will get its first airing on Irish TV this evening. After two episodes, its clear the programme (which is based on the Sally Rooney novel of the same name) is one of the most realistic and relatable accounts of Irish adolescence ever captured on television.
The breakout star of the programme is Paul Mescal, who plays Connell, a sensitive, GAA-playing, wannabe writer from Sligo.
While the novel features Connell playing soccer, the TV show has him as the star of the school gaelic football team. One wonders if this tweak was made with Mescal in mind. The Maynooth man was a brilliant underage gaelic footballer for Kildare, representing the county at U21 and minor level before pursuing a career in acting.
Good to see Connell carrying the ball out of the tackle with the head up... #NormalPeople pic.twitter.com/jsikO0ze1f
— Eamonn McGurk (@McGurkEamonn) April 26, 2020
He described balancing acting with GAA to Maggie Armstrong in the Indo back in January:
"I grew up very much involved in sport, GAA, that was the main focus for me through my youth and teens and early twenties. The week of doing that show, your identity shifts because you fall in love with doing something else and you fall in love with it quickly. That induces slight panic but a very euphoric, addictive panic. That's a feeling that you chase a bit."
Mescall was involved with Kildare underage teams throughout his teenage years. Here he is winning a Man of the Match award for the Lilywhites back in 2014.
Congratulations @mescal_paul on your @ElectricIreland #PoweringMinors award! @KildareGAA @MaynoothGAA pic.twitter.com/whgEpNOiJO
— Electric Ireland (@ElectricIreland) July 28, 2014
He played in Kildare's half back line and captained Kildare throughout that minor campaign. Here he is going up for a ball against Cormac Costello in 2015 at U21 level.
Unfortunately for Kildare, the only GAA that he is playing these days in on TV, though for female viewers on Normal People, that is not a problem.
Have binged 9 episodes of #NormalPeople and it's the most delicious piece of TV right now - the cinematography, the direction, the acting but mainly Paul Mescal's dedication to Connell wearing incredibly short GAA shorts throughout - bravo fine Sir. pic.twitter.com/q2j2ZTGLiy
— Lisa McLoughlin (@itslisamc) April 28, 2020
