David Merriman

David Merriman (born 4 September 1975) is a musician and filmmaker from Dublin, Ireland. He is known for his films The State of Being Human (2015) and Re-Creation (2024).

Early life
Merriman was born 4 September 1975. As a child, he lived in Alabama for five years. At age 16, Merriman focused on developing his skill as a singer under the guidance of his uncle, Frank Merriman.

Career
Merriman began his career as a musician in the band Exit with his brothers. They moved to Los Angeles but were unable to secure a record deal as a band, though Merriman was offered deals as a solo musician, which he declined. After the band split, Merriman and his brother Judah formed another band and toured the United States for 15 years.

After returning to Ireland in 2012, Merriman competed on The Voice of Ireland series 2.

in 2015, Merriman released The State of Being Human, a film that explores the nature of homophobia. For the film, he interviewed approximately 16 people, including Irish drag queen Panti Bliss and Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

Following The State of Being Human, Merriman began working on the short film Popsy based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King. The 10-minute film was released in 2016.

In 2021, Merriman directed the film Rock Against Homelessness, a filmed concert that streamed on "Virgin Media Player for 90 days in an effort to boost donations to homelessness charity Focus Ireland".

While working on Rock Against Homelessness, Merriman met and befriended Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan, and the two began collaborating. Together, they wrote and directed the feature Re-Creation, which focuses on the unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in December 1996. The film stars Vicky Krieps (as Sophie), Colm Meaney, Aidan Gilles and John Connors.

Sheridan and Merriman continued their collaboration by writing the feature Kerry Babies, which is schedule for release in 2025. The film is based on the real-life events of Kerry woman Joanne Hayes, who was falsely accused of murder in 1985.

Personal life
After living in the United States, Merriman returned to Ireland circa 2012, settling in Portmarnock with his wife and four children. His wife is from northern Alabama.