The Emergency - Episode 2

Episode 2

As part of our Decade of Centenaries programme, we commissioned local writer/historian Kevin McGeough, author of Unsung Heroes: The War of Independence in&nbsp;Monaghan to write, direct and produce part two of radio play series ‘The Emergency’ &nbsp;Set during the Emergency/WWI it meanders back and forth to key events during the 1919-23 period, with back stories to the characters, which involve some being active in the old IRA in 1919-21 and still looking&nbsp;for a pension, to women in Cumann na mBan who are getting no recognition from the state.&nbsp;One character's&nbsp;father was killed in the War of Independence&nbsp;while other characters&nbsp;had an adventurous&nbsp;time in New York that produced all sorts of rumours about gangsters and invasions. On that subject, there’s a link with the famous Hollywood director Orson Wells, who before going to Hollywood, produced, starred, and directed a radio play about an invasion of sorts that was mistaken for reality by a lot of New Yorkers in 1938. Towards the end of the play the gang mistakenly kidnap a home Guard member on the border, and this is a small tribute to the programme that partly inspired the plays i.e., Dads Army. Adding humour and intrigue, this play deals with key historical events in a local yet international context but respectively dealing with this sensitive time in our history. Engaging with a host of local actors in County Monaghan who beautifully narrate the piece.&nbsp;

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The Emergency

The Emergency - Episode 2