The Toughest Trade Documentary Series

AIB’s brand platform centred around the premise that the GAA is the toughest sport of them all. In order to prove this theory, we created The Toughest Trade - a 3 season TV series devised to find out could superstar professional sportsmen from around the world hack it in the muck and nettles of the amateur life of Irish GAA. The series’ ran from 2015-2017 and aired on Ireland’s national television station RTÉ. The trades took our GAA stars to the Premier League, the NFL, MLB, NHL and more.

Season 1:

Jackie Tyrell never heard of Giancarlo Stanton, baseball’s $325 million man, until he met him, face-to-face, at the spring training camp of the Miami Marlins. Aaron Kernan impressed at Premier League CXlub, Sunderland while David Bentley felt right at home with Crossmaglen Rangers .

Season 2:

Tipperary hurler Brendan Maher left his club Borris-Ileigh for the Adelaide Strikers and the professional sport of cricket, while former England cricketer Steve Harmison trying his hand at hurling. Gaelic footballer Aidan O'Shea traded countries and sports with ex-Miami Dolphin Roberto Wallace as he tried American Football while Wallace travelling to Breaffy GAA Club in Mayo.

Season 3:

Donegal footballer Michael Murphy left his club Glenswilly for France and Clermont Auvergne to try rugby with the Top 14 team, while former Welsh Rugby international Shane Williams tried his hand at Gaelic football. Lee Chin flew to Canada to join the Vancouver Canucks – an ice hockey team in the National Hockey League while retired goaltender Alex Auld, who spent 12 years as a professional in the NHL aimed to transfer those skills when he swapped the ice for the ash as at Chin’s club the Faythe Harriers.

Season 1 Trailer: David Bentley

Season 2 Trailer:

Season 3: Episode 1 Trailer

Season 3: Episode 2 Trailer