Dublin story tale of two classes

Press, 20 October 1980, Page 19

Dublin story tale of two classes

Network Two's new drama series screening on Wecine■say evening. “Strumpet City.” is the story of Dublin during the years 1907 to 1914. It is based on the novel by James Plunkett. The ei,ty was still under, British rule. There were two, classes: the wealthy, for whom the Victorian age still lingered, who attended the; horse show and the theatre,: enjoyed musical evenings; and the pleasures of leisure:and the poor — Dublin had; a higher infant mortality rate than Calcutta. Among the privileged: classes are the Bradshaws;'he a slum landlord, she’ childless and lonely; and Yearling, a well-to-do, unconventional figure who comes to realise that his, fortunes and sympathies: cannot live on opposite sides’ of the same fence. Linking this world with! the other is Father Vincent; O’Connor, a young priest who volunteers to work iri! slums, a vocation for which! his narrowness of mindj makes him unfit. His superi-l or. Father Giffley, is a’ drunkard; his sense of futil-l ity’in’ the fate of extreme! poverty of his parishioners] has driven him to despair. On. the corner of this parish i| Chandler’s Court, a slum not unlike a thousand others. Here 'live Fitz and Mary:' he is a stoker in a city foundry;. the Mulhalls; Bernie Mulhall,, a violent man; the Hennesseys: she brutalised by her life in the slums, he a work-shy survivor of it all; and Rashers Tierney — destitute, lame, a scavenger; Pat Bannister, warm-hearted, impulsive, and his girlfriend, Lily, a street 'girl. ' '■ '

Occasionally seen, but touching all these lives ,-is the promethean figure pt Jim Larkin, the union organiser. who led and masterminded a series of strikes culminating in the great "lock-out” of 1913. The first episode .of "Strumpet City” opens in 1907. Mary, a country girl. !is working as' a housemaid for the Bradshaws. Mary has met and fallen i,n love with-Fitz. When the Bradshaws find out that Mary and Fitz have been meeting illicitly. Ralph Bradshaw decides that-she is to be sent homp to her family, Angela Harding and Bryan Murray play the couple Marv and Fit?. Cyril Cusack is Father Giffley.' Frank Grimes is Father O'Connqr, David Kelly is Rashers, Donal McCann' is Mulhall, Denvs Hawthorne is • Mr Yearling. Edward . Byrne is ,Mr Bradshaw arid Daphne Carroll is' his wife, Mrs Bradshaw. * :' ' ' “Strumpet City,” produced and directed hy Tony' Barry, is a Radib Telefis Eireaiin production.