‘I, Keano’ was sure to be a hit as soon as the curtains opened. Why? Because it had the greatest characters in Irish sport in it. That is Mick McCarthy aka Macartacus, Roy Keane aka Keano, Packie Bonner aka Packie Bonnerus, Niall Quinn aka Quinness, Eamonn Dunphy aka Dunphia and numerous other characters from the World Cup team of that year. It centres around the great argument between McCarthy and Roy Keane that led to Keane going home.

The play was written by Arthur Matthews, Michael Nugent and Paul Woodfull. They do a remarkable job as the play twists and turns around the characters who are based in ancient Rome with war being the reason for valiant Keano to lead them as a great warrior, until he argues with Macartacus and decides to go home. Caroline Morahan outdoes herself as Quinness’s wife.

I would recommend the play to anyone in the doldrums. There are laughs galore, in fact every time Keano, played by Jamie Beamish, opens his mouth I found myself in guffaws of laughter as I did when Macartacus (Dessie Gallagher) opens his. It’s an adult play so expect bad language and plenty of sexual innuendo. The character of Dunphia is played by the great ‘Apres Match’ star, Gary Cooke, but new from the wee man is his interpretation of Sir Alex Ferguson, he being Keano’s only love. He captures Ferguson to perfection and as he speaks in an impenetrable Scottish accent, which adds even more to the humour. The actors, even though they have played the play many times, approach each night as if it was their first and the acting is first-rate. There are characters here to make everyone laugh, whatever part of Irish sport interests you.

The end of the play leaves the audience with the message, not to take life too seriously and ‘Its only a game’ is sung out throughout the hall and the question hangs: why don’t McCarthy and Keane make up? Keano will always be the greatest Irish warrior and McCarthy will always wonder what happened on that fateful night when they argued.