Can Gaelic football finally have its video game hit?

It was 20 years ago that video-gaming Irish sports fans had their prayers answered.

Fifa, Pro Evolution Soccer, Madden NFL – back in 2005, these were the sports games dominating living rooms. Indeed, some still are today, helping to make the sports video game industry a £17bn-per-year behemoth.

But while most sports, from snooker to bizarre basketball superstar kung-fu tie-ins, had a title to offer, fans of Ireland's national sports - Gaelic football and hurling - had never seen their heroes in pixelated glory.

That is until Gaelic Games: Football dropped in November 2005.

The highly anticipated release, which saw eager gamers queued outside one store in Belfast, became one of Sony's biggest selling games in Ireland.

And, as was the pre-peak online gaming style at the time, those who wanted to beat their mates had to invite them over and gather around a defiantly non-flat screen TV.

One of those was Peadar McMahon, then a student in Belfast, who re "big sessions playing the game, having a laugh with friends".

The game was not well-received.

"Seriously flawed" declared the Sunday Times in a dismayed 3/10 review. "Devastatingly awful" condemned Irish culture website Joe.ie in a 2018 lookback piece.

Peadar is a little more diplomatic – "not a great game" he recalled – but he has reason for diplomacy since, poor or not, Gaelic Games: Football gave him an idea: What more could a game like this do?

"I took the game as impetus to go and do something about it because I'm doing computer science, loved games from no age - and maybe I could do something"Stephen McIlwaine with short brown hair and black circular glasses on. He is wearing a blue apron with 'DOCK' written on it and a cream t-shirt. He is standing in front of a glass window, smiling at the camera. " class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/>