Our journey starts in the NDG (Notre-Dame-De-Grace) neighbourhood of Montreal, where Jay is from. Eoin has flown in from Dublin to meet Jay in person for the first time, after being Twitter buddies for 2 years.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
Jay and Eoin cross over the Victoria Bridge, built by Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 1850s, and arrive at the Montreal Canadiens' practice facility in Brossard, Quebec. The boys meet retried player Chris "Knuckles" Nilan, the Habs all-time leader in penalty minutes. Nilan - a Montreal folk hero - chats about life and culture in the city while suiting up for an Alumni game against other enforcers like Georges Laraque.
Eoin and Jay drive to Pointe-Ste-Charles aka Balconville aka Little Ireland aka “The Point” in the Southwest of Montreal to try one of the city's best casse-croutes, Paul Patates. Eoin is introduced to two of Montreal's favourite dishes - Poutine and "Steamies". Steamies are steamed hot dogs served with coleslaw, raw onions, mustard, and relish (ketchup is extra).
The Bell Centre: the Vatican of Hockey and home to the most storied franchise in the sport. Jay and Eoin are treated to a private tour of the centre after hours. Built in 1996, the building hosts many other sporting and cultural events (Fun fact: Celine Dion has her own dressing room on site). In the dressing room, Habs players PK Subban, Brendan Gallagher and Brendan Weisse talk about the importance of the team to the community.
In the middle of a blizzard, Eoin and Jay visit Montreal’s Black Rock, a monument to the Irish who immigrated during the famine, many of whom died on ships before arriving. Located in the former Irish ghetto of Griffintown at the foot of the Victory Bridge, the Black Rock is one of the most important markers of Montreal’s deep Irish roots. These same immigrants were instrumental in building the Victoria Bridge, Montreal's first bridge to link the Island of Montreal and the South Shore, traversing the St. Lawrence river. Irish and Scottish children as young as 8-years-old were said to have worked on the bridge in brutal conditions.
At 5am on a chilly Saturday, Jay and Eoin drive out to the Western suburb of Lachine to Restaurant Bar Le Cordon to watch a match with the Joe Kennaway Celtic Supporters Club. Over eggs, bacon and creton, they meet other supporters from near and far, each with their own special connection to Celtic. The supporters club is named after Joe Kennaway, an Irish Montrealer from Pointe-Ste-Charles who played goal for Celtic from 1920-1930, winning 5 championships along the way.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
In Dublin, Jay and Eoin visit the Brendan Behan statue. Behan is a famous poet with revolutionary ties, who inspired many writers, poets and musicians.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
At a local inner city Handball alley near Green street, Jay and Eoin chat with sports historian Paul Rouse about the mythic origins of Irish national sports, including hurling, and it's role in the development of hockey in Canada.
In Drumcondra, Jay and Eoin visit Croke Park, one of the biggest sports stadiums in all of Europe, and the cradle of the Gaelic Athletics Association, which run the amateur sports of gaelic football, hurling, camogie, and handball. The boys try their hand at hurling and are interviewed by journalist Niall Kelly about their upcoming trip and the documentary.
In beautiful Galway Bay, Jay and Eoin have an intimate Valentine's Day breakfast before heading to Jay's first live hurling match. Galway’s local club is taking on Eoin's hometown of Cork at Pearse Stadium.
Clifden, Ireland - home to a famous airplane crash landing site from 1919. Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown, two Englishmen, made the first non-stop transatlantic flight, which originated in St. John's, Newfoundland. Jay and Eoin attempt to visit a memorial to the crash on their way out of town.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
Croagh Patrick - where St. Patrick himself is said to have fasted for 40 days at the top of the mountain. In the years since, the site is a place of importance for Catholic pilgrims, many of whom climb the 800 meter rocky climb in their barefeet. Jay and Eoin do their best...
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
Matt Malloy's Pub is named after a member of the popular Irish band The Chieftains. And in Westport, it's also known for it's impromptu traditional music nights. Jay and Eoin take it all in.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
At the Clew Bay Heritage Centre, Jay learns about his ancestors from Westport and tracks down their own old homestead. He and Eoin visit the statue of Ireland's most famous woman - Grace O'Malley - a pirate and a chieftain.
Jay and Eoin take the ferry from Larne Harbour, Northern Ireland, to Cairnryan, Scotland on their way to Glasgow.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
Jay and Eoin visit the Braehead Clan, Glasgow's hockey team in the UK Scottish Elite League. The team is comprised largely of Canadians - many of whom are fans of Jay's film, Goon. The players talk about the growing popularity of hockey in Scotland and the UK. Eoin and Jay are interviewed about their trip by the team’s media rep.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
The Gorbals are Glasgow's traditional Irish, Jewish and Italian ghetto. Jay and Eoin get a tour from local personality, Tony Donnelly, finishing up at one of the world’s the best known Celtic-themed pub - The Brazen Head.
Inside the pub, the boys sit down with David Potter, one of Celtic's foremost historians, to chat about the Canadian connections to the team, including the famed Montreal-born goalkeeper, Joe Kennaway.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
Eoin and Jay continue their tour of Glasgow’s East end with a visit to St. Mary's Parish, where Celtic was founded in 1887 by Brother Walfrid to help alleviate local youth from the plight of poverty. Current pastor Father White walks Jay and Eoin through the history before giving them a special gift.
At Lennoxtown, Eoin and Jay visit Celtic's remote training facility, not open to the public. Eoin meets his childhood idol, John Collins, and a handful of current players. The boys compete against Celtic snipers in a nail-biting crossbar challenge.
Celtic Soul Extra: Jay Baruchel and Eoin O'Callaghan joke around on the road during their #CelticRoadtrip through Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
Celtic Park: Paradise. Eoin and Jay finally arrive at Paradise for the experience of a lifetime. Jay is interviewed by Celtic TV.