Westmeath captain to feature in RTE documentary

October 27, 2011

Brian Smyth in action for the Westmeath hurlers against Galway
Westmeath hurling captain Brian Smyth will feature in a new television documentary entitled 'The Commute', which will be screened on RTE1 next Monday at 9.30pm.

A son of former Westmeath and The Downs football star Donie Smyth, Brian has been commuting from London, where he works as a teacher, on an almost weekly basis over the past year to captain his county and to also represent his clubs Raharney (hurling) and Killucan (football). On hearing of his remarkable dedication to the GAA, the documentary makers selected him as one of five long-distance commuters who will feature on the hour-long show.

"The cameras were with me constantly for four days," Smyth says in this week's Westmeath Topic.

"They followed me around to see what my average weekly schedule is like. They came to my rented accommodation in South London and talked to my flat-mates, who also happen to be Irish. They then came with me to school on Friday and followed my commute, which every week starts on a Friday at 3.15pm as soon as the school bell goes.

"I grab a train to the airport, fly to Dublin and travel home to go straight to training usually, and on that Friday, the crew came with me on the flight and accompanied me to St. Loman's grounds, and from there they followed me home to my family home in Killucan."

The cameras continued to roll until 6am the following Monday - just a matter of hours after Brian played a starring role for Westmeath in their Leinster SHC first round victory over Carlow in Dr Cullen Park.

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