West Mayo film producer awarded Mayo County Council film bursary
Croía McDermott, a Mayo-based film producer, has been awarded the €15,000 Mayo County Council Film Bursary to support the production of the short film Jumpers for Goalposts.
Murrisk native and Mayo-based film producer Croía McDermott has been announced as the recipient of the 2026 Mayo County Council Film Bursary, receiving €15,000 to support the production of the short film Jumpers for Goalposts.
Written and directed by Westport filmmaker Barry McNamara, Jumpers for Goalposts is produced by McDermott through her production company, Western Front Studios. Set within a rural Mayo community and centred around football, the film explores themes of grief, young men’s mental health and the challenges young people can face in expressing what they are going through.
The film will be shot in and around Westport, drawing on Mayo’s distinctive landscapes and the wealth of filmmaking talent within the county.
Croía is a Mayo-based film producer working across independent film and television. Her debut short film as producer, MACHA, premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2026 and recently won Best Irish Short Film at the Clare Island Film Festival.
She has also worked across Screen Ireland-supported productions, RTÉ Storyland and independent feature films. She is currently developing and producing a number of projects in the West of Ireland, with a particular interest in championing Irish stories, emerging filmmakers and filmmaking in the West.
The Mayo County Council Film Bursary Award is a €15,000 award offered by Mayo County Council and Film Mayo to commission an original film by a Mayo-based filmmaker or filmmaking team. The award was launched alongside the new Film Mayo website, www.filmmayo.ie, in June and reflects Mayo County Council’s commitment to supporting the county’s screen culture, its filmmaking talent and its growing profile as a film location.
Speaking following the announcement, Chief Executive of Mayo County Council Kevin Kelly said the award highlights the wealth of talent within Mayo’s film sector.
“It is wonderful to see the wealth of talent in the Mayo film sector. The volume of high-quality applications received demonstrates the bright future of the film sector in Mayo, which Mayo County Council is delighted to support through Film Mayo and the Mayo County Council Film Bursary,” he said.
The Mayo County Council Film Bursary and Film Mayo are strategically funded by Mayo County Council and the Arts Council.