David (11) over the moon to play lead in O'Dowd comedy

HE ONCE played Bashful in a local production of Snow Whitebut 11-year-old Leitrim schoolboy David Rawle seemed anything but yesterday, when he shared the limelight with Chris O'Dowd star of the Hollywood hit comedy Bridesmaids.

David, a fifth-class pupil in Carrigallen National School, seemed unfazed as the cameras rolled, the director shouted “action” and he took the central role in a new Sky six-part series which has started shooting in Boyle, Co Roscommon.

Inspired by O'Dowd's childhood in his native Boyle, Moone Boydetails the adventures of 11-year-old Martin Moone and his imaginary 30-something friend. O'Dowd plays the friend.

The series, set in 1989/90 also stars Steve Coogan, creator of Alan Partridge (famous for many non-PC clangers such as describing the Irish as “bucktoothed simpletons with eyebrows on their cheeks”) and British comedian Johnny Vegas.

Locals are very proud of O'Dowd who made his name in shows like The Clinicand The IT Crowdand while the atmosphere was low-key when the cameras started to roll at local beauty spot, the Wooden Bridge, passers-by could not resist the temptation to stop and shake his hand. This could make for a lengthy shoot but the crew seemed happy with how things went. Rawle described the experience as "a dream come true" and his father Felim insisted as he watched the action that: "He is taking it in his stride. He is absolutely delighted to have got the part but he is not a child who will get carried away – he is very modest." Perhaps a day on set was a break for Felim, a farmer and native of Carrigallen who revealed that David, the youngest of his three children, got a drum kit from Santa. The young actor, who was chosen from hundreds, also plays underage football with Carrigallen GAA club and is a regular with the local Corn Mill Theatre Group which has won a number of All-Ireland amateur drama awards.

Moone Boycontinues shooting in Boyle until Friday at a number of locations including the Crescent, Boyle Abbey and at Lough Key Forest Park, before the action moves to Ardmore Studios.