I first met Jerry in Glasgow about a year ago, we explored the city and rested up in our room ready for the Irish Poker Tour’s first event in Scotland. From our window, we could see the venue, nestled alongside the River Clyde was the Alea Casino. That weekend marked not only my first event working for livepokerupdates, but also the beginning of a lasting friendship and professional partnership with Jerry. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of learning from him and collaborating closely as part of the LPU team.

For this week’s Rising Star we take a look at the man who helped turn a love for poker into what you view today.

Jerry hails from Tralee, Co. Kerry, and, much like myself, grew up with a love for film and television. As a child, he fondly recalls watching spaghetti westerns with his father. As he matured, so did his tastes, embracing 1990s action films and blockbusters like Casino, Scarface, and Pulp Fiction. One day, walking past a theatre with a friend, a poster for a stage adaptation of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992) caught his eye. He auditioned and landed the part of Mr. Pink.

Following college, where he studied Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Galway, Jerry left not only with his degree but also his future wife. They now live in Galway with their two children.

Jerry’s earlier years were marked by dedication to martial arts. Competing in both mixed martial arts and taekwondo, he won the Amateur European Championship as a coloured belt in 2006 and again in 2016, along with several national taekwondo titles. Today, he continues to train, balancing fitness with the demands of a young family.

Before fully committing to acting, Jerry held early jobs such as helping the milkman and building furniture. Since his debut in the play Reservoir Dogs, he has worked in several productions, including An Klondike, Smother, Jack Taylor, and North Sea Connection. A highlight was serving as Colin Farrell’s body double in The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), working alongside director Martin McDonagh, a long-time favourite of his. Another milestone was securing a recurring role in Dir Irland Krimi (2019), a gritty German crime drama filmed in Galway and popular on Germany’s equivalent of RTE.

Jerry’s introduction to poker was akin to a Tarantino scene. While visiting his brother Paul in Erlangen, Germany, he ended up in the basement of Murphy’s Law, a small Irish bar, his brother worked in, long after closing time. There he was introduced to and played poker late into the night with characters like One Eye Tom and Horse. That night sparked a passion for the game.

Briefly trying online micro-stakes at one stage, he notably turned €0.55 into €280 in 2015, beating a field of over 1,300 players to come second in the Hot55 daily turbo tournament run by Pokerstars. In 2023, he placed third in a live Irish Poker Tour event.

It was from that first experience with IPT events that an idea began to take shape, merging his love of media with poker. Jerry had long been a fan of the game watching the likes of Fintan Gavin securing a Million Dollar deal at the European Poker Tour, Barcelona in 2008. Jerry had been working as a wedding videographer and went to Fintan the IPT founder, with an idea, to capture, like a wedding, the atmosphere and character of poker events. 

Along with Fintan’s deep knowledge of the game, and Jerry’s passion they began to plan and implement ways to showcase the poker room floor. LPU developed a uniquely Irish approach to poker coverage. Offering insights and snapshots of the action, for players and fans alike with a personable and fun approach.

Over the years, Jerry has built strong connections with the players he once observed from afar. Early interviews included legends like Dara O’Kearney and Paul Carr, while a chance second interview was with a young Simon “You gotta pump it up” Wilson, who went on to win the 2025 Irish Poker Open and pocketed €600,000 in the process.

As LPU continues to grow, fuelled by the dedication and passion of Jerry, the future looks brighter than ever.

Next stop for Jerry is the Irish Poker Tour’s event in Carrick-On-Shannon at The €25K In A Day on Saturday, March 7th, 2026.

With his talent for capturing both the drama and excitement of poker, it’s safe to say the coverage will be as unforgettable as the man himself.