1
I say there'll be a crowd at the
house tonight for you, Jimmy, huh?
When did they let you out, Mossie?
Just a month ago, after the
new government came in, like.
How long did you serve?
Three years.
Awful tough on Angela.
We had to send our eldest one, Kate,
off to her auntie in Scotland.
- Is she back yet?
- Nah, I have to find some work first.
Sorry old state now, Jimmy, huh?
Meself and Tommy keep an eye on
the roof as best we can like, but...
Some ghosts in there, eh?
I still miss it.
Go on, Dixie.
Go on, Dixie. Walk on.
Well, now.
Whoa, Dixie. Stand there now.
Stand.
Mam!
James!
- You're back.
- How are you?
Too long. Too long.
I know. Sorry I didn't make
it back for Charlie's funeral.
Just been to the grave.
Oh, he was a good son, but this
farm is a mess without him.
Ah, you bastard.
God bless you, Jimmy.
Hey-hey!
Where's this bloody rogue?
I could smell you were back.
Great to see you. I can't
believe they let you out.
About bloody time. Did you get lost?
You were sorely missed, Jimmy.
Great to have you back.
Thank you, Finn.
- I believe you got married recently.
- I did.
There's some fierce desperate
women in Leitrim...
Well, Jimmy. Jimmy.
You must have been around the
world twenty times by now.
Well, thanks be to God you're
back here now with your mother
because, you know,
it was lonely here for her.
Very, very lonely.
I missed you so much.
Well, I'm home now to look after you.
It's great to see you all.
Lovely to see you, Jimmy.
What will you do with
yourself, Jimmy?
Well, I'll settle back down with Mam,
and I've missed the land.
- I want a quiet life now.
- Oh, I'll take bets on that.
- Eh? A quiet life.
- You're on! Ten to one.
I'll have some of your Yankee
dollars off you, boy, huh?
I'm gonna hold you to that.
Oonagh. Oonagh!
- For your children.
- Oh, thank you.
For you.
OK.
You look well, Oonagh.
A bit grey around the edges.
Still like a hungry whippet, though.
Why did you stop writing, Jimmy?
You know why.
How are the children?
Healthy. Full of spirit, thank God.
- And Fintan?
- A good, steady man. Loving father.
- You?
- Ah. Same as ever.
Nobody's the same
after ten years, Jimmy.
I have to get back. Thanks for these.
Hey, Jimmy.
He's very quiet.
Ah, give him time.
He's not the same man that went away.
- Ah, he'll settle.
- Will he?
He might. He might.
Far cry from New York, eh, Jimmy?
You don't get this down on Broadway.
And here you are back down the
same feckin' bog in Leitrim, huh?
- Wet feet.
- And a wet arse.
Aye, but nobody yelling orders
at ya. Can't beat that.
Well, word... word travels fast.
Must be a great relief
to see your son again.
It is.
- Is he well?
- He's very well, Father.
Thank you.
A lot of water under the bridge.
But, you know,
New York is a tough place.
It'll be quite a shock from city
life to our humble country ways.
Do you think he's matured?
Well, we all change, Father.
Wouldn't you agree?
Well, God willing, we all
change for the better.
Do you think he'll, er...
do you think he'll stay?
He was born in this house, Father.
The decision will be his.
I will leave that up to him.
You know, we've suffered great
violence in this country, Alice.
Yeah.
Brother against brother,
and neighbour against neighbour.
Scars on the heart,
they take a long time to heal.
But I... I sense a new atmosphere,
you know, of... of change.
Of forgiveness.
Would you agree?
Oh, I would agree, Father,
but there must be mutual respect.
Well, let's pray there'll be no
slipping back to the old ways.
Oh, by the way, tell your son
if the quietness of the country
gets too much for a man of action,
I have some excellent contacts in London
who could find him a very good job,
which, of course, would be a great
relief to a mother in these hard times.
Where would you be now
without a nice cup of tea, huh?
Absolutely lost, Father.
- Come on. Come on.
- Come on, boy.
Sorry to stop your fun.
Are you who I think you are?
Are you, J... Jimmy Gralton?
And who wants to know?
My name's Marie O'Keefe.
Daughter of Dennis O'Keefe?
He hates you with a passion.
Nearly had a fit when the
priest said you were back.
Did he now? Come on.
Dance away now.
Have you seen O'Keefe?
He left the Free State Army a few years
back there after his first wife died.
He was on his own
with Marie for a while,
and then he struck gold
and married into land.
He's mad as hell about the
change of government,
calling de Valera a communist.
Big shot now in the Army Comrades
Association. You know them?
Yeah, afraid they won't be
able to export to England.
Ah, bunch of fascists.
Stay well clear of him.
Nasty as ever.
And with a long memory.
- Jimmy!
- Jimmy!
- Jimmy.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
- Stop, stop, stop.
- What's all this, the Wild West?
Can we have a word?
- Well, are we under arrest?
- Not yet, anyway.
- Go ahead, ask him.
- I won't ask him. You ask him.
The hall, Jimmy. We've all
heard stories, lots of them.
My brother's been telling me the stories
of when he used to box in the gym.
Tommy, if the hall was fixed up,
you could do the woodwork lessons.
My uncle did the woodwork lessons. He's
one of the best carpenters in the town.
Tess could use the hall
for her art classes.
The paintings and
drawings are wonderful.
I met Sean yesterday,
and he still has all his poetry and
books from the foreign countries.
He said he'd do the lessons
again if there was a hall there.
He really wants to do it.
Please, Jimmy.
And the music by Molly and
the singing by Oonagh.
There's nothing round here for us.
There's no work.
There's nowhere for us to go.
We can't go to America
the same as yourself.
The rules of immigration
has changed. We're stuck here.
Stop going around in circles. Just
ask the man what we came here for.
We want to dance, Jimmy. Somewhere
where we won't be getting a guard...
or a priest poking
at us with a stick.
Somewhere warm. Please, Jimmy,
will you open up the hall again?
Aye.
It's falling to pieces.
It's not even safe any more.
You don't understand.
Come on, boy. Come on, boy.
Come on, boy.
Come on, boy. Come on. Come on.
At least think about it, will you?
Think about it, yeah?
So much for the legend
of Jimmy Gralton.
You better change the
name of the hall.
James Connolly will be
turning in his grave.
Right. Come on, up.
So, how long have you
been working at this?
Oh, for the past few months,
whenever the lads get a bit of free time,
in the evenings, at the weekends.
We're planning on opening in two or
three weeks, and we're on schedule.
Ah, Dessie, for Jesus' sake! Hello?
- Can I have one of these?
- Dessie! Come on!
I'm after milking six cows this morning.
I'm starved of the hunger.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
give me patience!
Look at him with the
sandwich in his mouth.
Up we go. How's that?
- Jesus!
- Shite! Shite!
The Tans burnt the church hall
down in Gowell about a year ago,
- so we decided to build our own.
- With, er, what money?
I had some savings from the States,
and a few friends, too.
So, if it's your money and your land,
does that mean that it's your hall?
No. It's built by the voluntary
labour of the community,
and it's run by an elected committee.
I'll teach art, and Molly and
Oonagh will teach the music.
And Mossie the boxing, gymnastics,
woodwork. Literature.
And every penny'll go back
into the hall to buy materials.
Musical instruments, books...
And we'll have the best damned
dances in the whole country.
I just spoke to your parish priest.
Not best pleased.
Even said that all the horses
that dragged the sand here
will die within a year.
Is he a priest or a witch doctor?
Our opposition is still the same,
the masters and the pastors.
Come in, Father. You're welcome.
Gralton, you come out.
It's Mr Gralton to you, Sheridan.
Who in the hell do you think you are,
running classes in my parish
without my permission?
No permission required.
That's the point, we built it ourselves.
Education is the exclusive
reserve of Holy Mother Church,
not semi-illiterates.
- Don't patronise me.
- No, Jimmy, don't...
I will not have a communist
on my turf defy the Church.
Now, days of tugging
the forelock are gone.
Oh, bare arms.
Hardly becomes you.
Does your father know you're
here, Oonagh Dempsey?
If you'd like to enroll in our dance class,
Father, you're more than welcome.
It doesn't cost a penny,
and we're all volunteers.
I'm here to represent my
neighbour, Rory McManus,
who is the rightful tenant.
That land has been in their
family for over thirty years,
but, due to ill health,
he fell behind on the rent.
That landlord wouldn't give
him the time to catch up,
and he threw him off his land.
My name is Seamus Clarke.
I am the new tenant.
I rented this land in good faith and
for a fair price from the landlord.
Shame on you, Clarke.
You've had your beady eye on
that land next door for years.
Silence in the court.
This court has reached
a unanimous decision.
The tenant, Rory McManus, is entitled
to the recovery of the land in dispute.
And the cattle belonging
to Seamus Clarke
will be removed immediately.
Jimmy. Jimmy.
It's O'Keefe. He's up
there with his army.
Doherty's there with his thugs, too.
And the priest is just after arriving.
- You're not gonna get by.
- Good work, son. Good man.
- The Holy Trinity.
- Bastards.
Take it easy. It's not the
Tans we're fighting now.
It's feckin' worse.
Open up, Clarke.
Here's your cattle back.
Keep them off your neighbour's land.
Gralton, you pay attention to me.
You sow nothing but conflict
in a peaceful community.
Go and join the commies
in Siberia. Leave us alone.
You join the British.
I'll tell you whose land it is.
Where's Rory? Come here, Rory.
McManus, you took advantage
of a tenant in trouble.
This is a statement from the
acting OC of the IRA in this area.
Now, listen up if you
know what's good for you.
We fought the British too, Doherty.
Look at him having
to read for Doherty.
Let him have his word. Read away.
"Whereas certain evilly disposed
and unauthorised persons
"in certain districts within
the area of South Leitrim
"have commandeered and taken
forcible possession of lands
"to which they are not entitled..."
- Yeah, back in 1690.
- Silence, silence, silence!
"We do hereby order that
anyone found commandeering
"or interfering with lands to
which such a person has no claim
"shall be severely dealt with."
Are you threatening us?
We intend to implement the
decision of the Republican court.
- Yes!
- Now stand aside!
Any man goes through that gate
gets a bullet in the head.
- Put those guns away!
- You'll be the first to hit the ground.
Put those guns down immediately!
Put it down! Put them down!
I don't want any
innocent blood spilt.
Bide your time.
There's a time and a place.
Do as I say now. Now!
- Open that gate.
- Sean. Mossie.
Put your guns away.
- Guns away?
- Yes.
- Bring the cows in.
- Bring them through.
Stand aside. Stand aside.
Go on, stand over.
Stand aside.
Dessie. Dessie, usher them in.
Stand by them, stand by them.
Let them through.
Siil, siil, siil a rin
Siil go socair agus siil go ciin
Siil go doras agus alaigh lim
Is go dt t mo mhirnn sln
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
I wish I had my heart again
And vainly think I'd not complain
Is go dt t mo mhirnn sln
Siil, siil, siil a rin
Siil go socair agus siil go ciin
Siil go...
- I want Gralton! He's under arrest!
- What for?
There'll be no more anarchy in Leitrim.
No more of your kangaroo courts.
Show us the warrant!
You've got to get out! Get out!
Go! Go!
Get out! Get out!
Get out of here!
Get away with you!
- What are you gonna do?
- I'll head to the States.
Oh, that looks a sore one. I'm sorry.
It's nothing.
It was worth it to see the
expression on his face, the bastard.
Will you say goodbye to Mam for me?
They're watching the farm.
How long are you gone for, Jimmy?
Till things calm down.
There's a few pistol boys keen
to make a name for themselves.
I've a few good comrades over in
New York who'll help me find work.
Mossie's waiting for me.
What if I asked you to
come with me, Oonagh?
What if my mother wasn't fading?
What if I wasn't the only daughter?
What if my dad wouldn't fall apart?
What if I wasn't so trapped, Jimmy?
What if, Oonagh?
And follow you around?
From one battle to the next?
Can I take that?
Are these the only clothes you have?
I hear they sell clothes in New York.
I suppose so.
Jimmy...
You'll be in my heart, girl.
No matter what.
Till the day I die.
Well, Jimmy... I think
you lost your bet.
Couldn't stay away.
Like a moth to a flame.
More like a dog to a post.
That feckin' gable's
never been right anyway.
- I wonder who built that, Tommy.
- Dessie did.
Are you ready for this again, Jimmy?
Jeez. Life's too short.
- We've no choice, do we?
- No.
- Come on, there's work to be done.
- Aye.
It's a beaut, eh?
Is that what you had in that trunk
that near broke my back, is it?
It'll be well worth it, Mossie.
- What the hell is it, Jimmy?
- His pet.
Looks grand, but I don't know
what we're gonna feed it on.
We'll have music while we work now.
It's a beautiful sound, isn't it?
Nice, Jimmy.
Jimmy, did you ever go to a jazz
club when you were in Harlem?
I did, aye. The Savoy Ballroom.
Aye, grand musicians.
The only place in the United States
where black and white
dance together in peace.
- Really?
- Aye, marvellous.
Did you ever dance with
a black woman, Jimmy?
You know what the most
amazing thing about it was?
They've two legs like everyone else.
Go on there, Jimmy.
Show us a few steps.
- Go on!
- Honestly...
- Please, go on.
- Please, Jimmy, come on.
All right, all right, all right!
All right.
- If I can only remember them.
- Ah, go on, Jimmy, son.
Go on, Jimmy.
I've a chicken at home that can
do exactly the same dance.
Come on.
Stop leading, Oonagh.
Now, come on. Shim-sham time!
And shim-sham.
Right foot first.
And right again.
All right! Same again.
Left foot again. Good.
Oh, show us the beginning. Show us
the beginning. That's very hard.
Let's go back to the start.
Right foot first.
And right.
And a right again.
Left foot now. All right.
Right again.
Good work!
"I went out to the Hazel Wood,
"Because a fire was in my head.
"And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
"And hooked a berry to a thread.
"And when white moths
were on the wing,
"And moth-like stars
were flickering out,
"I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
"When I had laid it on the floor,
I went to blow the fire a-flame.
"But something rustled on the floor
And someone called me by my name.
"It had become a glimmering girl,
"With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran,
"And faded through
the brightening air.
"Though I am old with wandering,
"Through hollow lands
and hilly lands,
"I will find out where she has gone
"And kiss her lips
and take her hands,
"And walk among long dappled grass,
"And pluck till time
and times are done,
"The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun."
- Beautiful, Roisin.
- That was beautiful.
- It was beautiful, darling.
- Thank you.
You made it sound so real.
Next week, we'll talk about
what influenced Yeats.
Irish folklore, Greek myth,
and even Maud Gonne's
continuous refusal of him. Erm...
But for now, let's just talk about how
it felt as the words swept over you.
Ah, but sure, you know,
does all that longing,
does it break your heart or
does it fill you up with hope?
You know, the way she's always,
er, just out of reach,
or changing shape or
whatever, you know.
But I suppose, er,
in fairness to him,
he tried till his dying
breath to find her.
Here we are, how are you getting on?
I was just trying to get
the overall shape here...
Loosen everything up and just see
what happens, but great work.
That's lovely.
- How are you getting on, Ruari?
- Good, yeah.
Great, I'd say...
One, two. Cross. Cross, go on.
Keep that head beneath
the chin. Good man.
Keep that guard up.
Jab. Cross now, cross. And guard up.
Alright, Shane, Shane,
take a wee break there now.
- Good man.
- Go on then, tiger.
One, two. One, two.
Don't forget your guard. Good man.
- That was below the belt, was it?
- Come on, jab.
- Come on, wake up. One, two.
- Good man.
That's the one that's gonna
give him a pain in the belly.
Hold on. Hold on, hold on.
You're all over the place here now.
Come on. Straight shots, right?
Stand back a little bit. Go on, now.
- Go on, good man.
- Is that the best you got?
- Straight, straight.
- Come on! I can't feel it.
- Ow! Jesus!
- Well, that's what you get...
Feckin' gobshite!
"The Pearse-Connolly
Hall opens again."
I see they've a dance this weekend.
Maybe we should pop along, huh?
Hmm. Advertised in a communist
newspaper. Look at that.
"Classes of every sort."
Defiance, that's what that is.
Well, with respect,
it's probably best to just ignore it.
Repression breeds belligerence,
isn't that what they say?
Yeah, "From each according to his
ability, to each according to his need."
The Communist Manifesto.
Quasi religious. It's like "Love
thy neighbour as thyself."
The language of brotherhood.
It spreads like wildfire in
a world of rampant greed.
Do you realise how attractive
that is in the slums?
To the poor, to the unemployed?
The landless?
This Depression has destroyed
lives around the world.
Misery breeds desperation,
and it only takes a handful of
communists to set the fuse...
Don't get carried away now.
There can only be 150 or 200
communists in the entire country.
One man, one book,
changed the world. Karl Marx.
Jimmy Gralton isn't Karl Marx.
He's just a worker, now.
Listen, his mother ran a mobile library.
Never patronise the self-taught man,
especially someone who
worked down the mines.
He's a maverick, all right, but he's
a lightweight maverick, so...
Fire in his soul and
a plan in his head.
You can't buy him off. No.
He's not greedy, he's not selfish.
You know... They remind
me of the first martyrs.
D'you ever read about those union
organisers in the States? The Wobblies.
Entering towns and factories.
Thrown into prisons,
lynched, murdered.
If every priest had their grit...
Well, there's nothing as
dramatic as that here.
It's just a tiny little hall,
in a country bog.
- Yeah, with a gramophone.
- With a gramophone.
First it's the dancing,
then the books.
He'll start at the
bottom with their feet
and work up to their
brains, if they have any.
That bloody book. Das Kapital.
I'm going to get one, too.
Going to get the book, are you?
A feckin' gramophone,
you bloody eejit.
Is there any marmalade in this house?
There is. Especially for you.
- Thank you.
- Go easy, go easy.
See you in a little while.
Jimmy!
- Hi!
- Hello.
This is Colm and Clodagh.
Colm, young man. Lovely to meet you.
This is Jimmy who brought you
the presents from America.
Lovely to meet you.
Jimmy. Time flies.
Some things haven't changed.
- You're looking well, Fintan.
- Thanks, Jimmy.
Now, will you two, will you dance?
A little. Maybe a little.
- Just a little bit?
- And thanks for the presents.
- Oh, did you like it?
- Yep.
Lovely. And you played with them?
That's the main thing.
- We know these two men.
- Who are these two?
Yeah, that's Michael
Fitzpatrick there.
Er, Fiona Gallagher.
- There's Fiona.
- Yes, I know you.
- Amy Gilligan.
- Amy Gilligan, right. Just a moment.
- Where have you come from?
- Up the road, Father.
- Up the road where?
- Up the road and round the bend.
- What bend would that be, young man?
- It's a fierce bendy road, Father.
- What bend was it, lads?
- Up at O'Hara's white horse.
Marie O'Keefe,
what are you doing here?
I came here to dance, Father.
Is the proper parish dance not
good enough for you, huh?
Yes, Father.
Does your father know you're
in a car with outsiders? Huh?
Put her name down. Marie O'Keefe,
And what's that driver's name?
Think we're doing
more harm than good.
- Look at the wee child.
- This poor child, will you look at her?
That child should be home in bed.
You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
And who is this behind them?
- Who's that, the fella smoking?
- That's Brian McMahon.
And Tommy Doyle.
What is this craze for pleasure?
This fascination with
the materialist?
The pagan, the Anglo Saxon?
And most recently, the Los
Angelisation of our culture?
What is wrong with
being true to ourselves,
to our deepest roots,
to our own true Irish values?
Did not Cromwell himself try to
burn all the harps in the land,
murder our priests,
exile our musicians?
They tried to crush our
language, our song, our dance,
but our forefathers resisted
them in their hedge schools,
risking their very lives.
Oh, how they must
turn in their graves
to see our youths debase themselves
in Jimmy Gralton's hall.
Jazz music.
Rhythms from darkest Africa
that inflame the passions.
Pelvic thrusts and
salacious body grappling,
instead of the elegance and
beauty of our own Irish dances.
And then, of course, we have company
keeping under the stars at night.
Joy-riding until dawn...
with unsuitables on the prowl from
distant parts in their motor cars.
Occasions of sin multiplied
beyond our imagination.
But there is something even
more evil hatching in that hall.
Gralton and his crew...
are communists.
They are atheists.
They deny the existence
of God, the Trinity
and the Virgin birth.
So, our community faces a choice.
Is it Christ... or is it Gralton?
Now, the Church has a right,
and even a duty,
to protect the vulnerable.
So what I do now, I do in
the spirit of God's love.
I will now read out the
names of those people
who attended Gralton's
Hall last night.
And other priests in other
parishes will be doing the same.
And here are the names.
Amy Gilligan.
Deirdre Kearns.
Johng Conlon.
Mrs Oonagh Mulvey.
Niamh Kearns.
Emma Duggan.
Mrs Teresa Hanrahan.
Margaret Carty.
David O'Reilly.
Paul O'Brian.
Marie O'Keefe,
joy-riding with unsuitables.
Kieran Brennan.
Eoghan O'Neill.
Sarah Conlon.
Rory O'Dowd.
Eoin O'Neill.
Christian Pindar.
Darragh O'Malley.
- Get the girls inside.
- Calm down.
Take the girls inside.
Get out, you.
- Don't you hurt her.
- Take them inside.
Smirking at the priest.
Humiliating the family name. Come on.
- Don't you hurt her.
- Take them inside!
Get in there.
Take off your jacket.
Take off your jacket.
Take off your jacket!
Stay away from Gralton's Hall!
You hear me?
Do you hear me?
Stay away from Gralton's Hall!
Stay away from it! Hear?
You want some more? Do ya?
Do you want some more? Do ya?
Promise me! Stay away from it!
Promise me that! Stay away from it!
Do you want some more? Do ya?
You had time to think long
and hard in prison, Mossie.
You don't want to end up on the
wrong side of history again, no?
An embittered old man with
not a penny to your name.
You've so much to live for.
You've got a lovely spouse.
Isn't that right, Angela?
And I could get you a job
for life in the Council.
Watch your children grow
up in security. Educated.
You're at a crossroads, Mossie.
Listen to me. You could even get
little Katie back from Scotland. Hmm?
- Would you like a scone, Father?
- Thank you. Thank you, Angela.
Here's a picture of our little Katie.
Oh, isn't she a dote?
- Beautiful little girl.
- Just like her mammy.
- Thank you, Father.
- You must miss her terribly.
Very, very much.
Oh, we have the Redemptorist Fathers
coming to the parish for a mission.
What if I was to bring around a
doctor of divinity into your house,
to explain to you where
Gralton is leading you astray?
What if I was to bring a doctor of
economics round to your house, Father,
and explain to you where
you're going astray?
Loyalty is a noble thing,
but misplaced loyalty, for a man
with children, is a tragedy.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
Shim, sham.
Hop over, and shim, sham.
And hop over and shim, sham.
And hop over and... hop over and...
Hop stop. And one, two, three...
Marie!
I'm sorry I'm late. I...
I couldn't get on my bike.
- What's wrong?
- I'm sorry.
- It's OK.
- Marie, what's the matter?
- I couldn't get on my bike.
- What's wrong? What's wrong?
I didn't want to miss the class.
- Marie...
- There's no worries.
Jimmy, get her a chair. Marie,
what happened to your back?
Come on, have a seat.
What's the matter?
"Lay the lash upon their backs."
That's what the Bishop of Galway said.
They make the blood boil, these
hooligans with a cross in their hand.
Closing in like hounds. There's talks
of bringing in the Redemptorists
to preach fire and
thunder for a week.
Father Sheridan came to the shop.
He said... he said he'd
organise a boycott.
- What?
- It's your livelihood.
- He could ruin us.
- What did Brendan say?
He doesn't want me
coming here anymore.
I'm so sorry, but I can't
teach the classes any more.
I'm sorry.
He's after being in the houses
of most of the lads we know.
It's starting to happen
in other parishes.
They're all doing the same thing.
Father Sheridan came
up to see my father,
with the Knights of Saint Columbanus.
They were scheming away.
And they'll have your da and
the fascists on one side,
and the bloody Dohertys
of this world on the other.
At a safe, deniable
distance, you know.
At each other's throats, but only
united by a mutual hatred of us.
We've still got lots
of support out there.
People are stopping me all the time.
And, listen, half those lads in
Fianna Fil, they think he's a fanatic.
Spit licks who will genuflect
when the time comes.
They're good lads, Sean. And some
of 'em were at the dance here.
My old brigade, most of them.
And the unemployed
movement, they're with us.
Lots of the parents,
they're still solid...
For how long, Tommy?
He called us antichrists!
Look, we need to see it from
his point of view. Right?
We're in his parish,
so he must confront us.
And his fellow priests, bishops
and the entire Catholic community
are all watching him,
so there's pressure on him too.
So we have to get him off our backs,
without him losing face
before his supporters.
What if... What if we ask the Reverend
Father to be on our board of trustees?
Jesus.
We can't be antichrists then.
We've always said everyone's welcome.
If it continues like this, you know,
we'll have an empty hall.
I feel for the lads. There's nothing
for them after all this work.
I'm becoming fed up of being a
pragmatist in church, you know.
Here's this young girl beside me,
she's been beaten because of them,
and she shows up here the next day.
We have to be very careful.
Those people don't just join.
They come to take over.
Holy Moses.
- No, it's only me.
- What do you want?
I've come to get me devil's horns
put on. Is Father Sheridan in?
He is. Come in.
Well, I'll be damned.
Don't lose hope, Father.
There's still time to repent.
Oh, is that so? Well, as you're here,
you might as well come in.
We want to invite you to join our
board of trustees who run the hall.
I'm hopeful that once you come along and
see what we're doing with your own eyes,
we can put all this behind us.
So, I am to be the odd man out among
your, er, hand-picked comrades.
And no doubt when it comes
to choosing reading material,
- there'll be... There'll be a vote?
- Can you not at least...
No, it's a gracious
offering, Mr Gralton.
At a time when a
quarter of the country
is planning to travel to Dublin
for the Eucharistic Congress,
and the other 75 percent will be
tuning into the radio from Athlone,
a country supremely united
in faith, in love and respect,
for Christ's representative on earth.
Have a look at that painting.
Democratic Irish State,
true to its traditions.
In harmony with its people
and under the guidance of the one
true universal Apostolic Church.
That is the natural way.
Now, sit down.
You know my family are
believers. My sister is a nun.
I said the rosary in solidarity with
fighters during the War of Independence.
"Love thy neighbour"
is revered in my book too.
In our hall, we respect freedom
of religion and conscience.
Tell that to the Soviets who have
murdered Christians in their thousands.
And don't get me started on
Joseph Stalin's secret prisons,
and that famine
that's on the horizon.
Don't get me started either, Father.
That is a long debate to be had.
But today, can we talk about the hall
and just listen to what we have to say?
I am not a politician.
No deals in dingy corners.
No half measures.
No compromise. There's no...
A question, please, Reverend Father.
When was the last time you
really listened to someone else?
Actually, it was last
night at confessions.
I listen to the innermost secrets
and fears of our community.
People open their hearts to me.
Not the man, but the priest,
in a way unknown
to your... imagination.
Look at these hands, Father.
Dirt under the fingernails.
I'm no scholar.
I've been a soldier, a sailor,
a docker, a miner,
on the seas and underground.
I've seen much and
made many a mistake,
but despite all our flaws,
I believe in my neighbour,
my fellow man, my class.
Meeting up and struggling to
understand our lives as best we can.
On our own, in isolation, we perish.
The hall is a safe space
where we can think, talk, learn,
listen and laugh and dance.
It's a good place.
If I were a believer like you,
I'd call it a holy place.
It brings out the best in us.
Don't be frightened.
Come along, meet us.
Talk to us, question us,
but work with us.
There is enough misery
in the world already.
Oh, you are a believer, Jimmy.
Yes, you are.
And part of me holds you
in very high esteem.
So, yes, I will come along and
listen to you and your trustees,
once you have brought me
the title deeds to the hall,
and have them transferred
over to Holy Mother Church.
I take it back, Father. You do listen,
but only when we're on our knees.
A flight of Free State aeroplanes
flying in the form of a cross
escorted the special boat.
And then Cardinal
Lauri stepped ashore,
the first Papal Legate to land in
Ireland for over two centuries.
Accompanied by Mr de Valera
and his ministers...
he inspected the Guard of Honour,
followed by his retinue of Vatican
officials in Elizabethan dress.
The streets along the route
had been thronged for hours
before the Papal Legate was due,
and he received a
tumultuous reception.
Sweeney...
There's Gralton!
Mossie Maguire.
Tommy Gilroy. You rats!
Move on, you fascists.
- You shouldn't be here.
- Sweeney, get out and let us watch...
I said get out and let
us watch the film.
- Antichrist!
- Atherton.
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword
Sing, boys!
Don't encourage them.
Watch the film, ignore 'em.
Get out, Sweeney. We've watched
your propaganda, now go home.
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
- We will be true to thee till death
- Thank you.
We will be true to thee till death
Yeah, go on. Go on home.
Get back to your Yankee
friends, you Red bastards!
Whoa there, Dixie. Whoa, whoa.
- Good man, Mossie.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Mossie, I've left my bike at the hall,
so I'll make my own way home.
Youse mind yourselves, then.
They'll be looking for us.
The witch hunt has started.
You two, be careful.
Likewise. Good luck.
Look after yourselves.
Get on, Dixie.
Lock the door.
- Keep your back turned.
- What?
- I hope you're not looking.
- I wouldn't dare.
You can look now.
Fits perfectly.
Why wouldn't it?
You take my breath away.
I think my heart is going to break.
Firstly, I just wanted
to thank you all
for agreeing to meet with us today.
It's about a fella called Milmoe.
Molly, that's the wife, there outside.
Erm, he's in a dire situation.
He's looking for the
Roscommon IRA to help him.
He's been forcibly evicted out of
his cottage on the Kingston estate.
We had an angry meeting
last night, a big split.
A third of us want to
reinstate him by force.
A third want nothing to do with it.
And there's a third sitting on the fence.
And he has the best of connections.
He has the guards. He has the army.
He has the ranchers
and the politicians.
Not just the local ones,
but the bigwigs.
There's some tough
boys on this estate.
His agent's a vicious bastard.
A bad egg.
That's a feckin' handful,
all right. Bejaysus, yeah.
But there's five children out
there on the side of the road,
and a woman outside this
hall bawling her eyes out,
unless any of you want
to go out and see her.
Now... things aren't too
great with ourselves.
We're not as strong as
what we used to be.
Truth be told,
there's very few of us.
Even our OC doesn't even
know we're here today.
But you know what we know,
what's going on out there.
There's a queer fear out
there amongst the people,
and something's going to
have to be done about it.
So, what do you want from us?
We need your help to reinstate them.
There'll be a big turnout
if we can spread the word
that Jimmy Gralton and his
supporters from Leitrim are coming.
It isn't just about the reinstatement.
It's much more important than that.
It's about the message we send
out there to the wider community.
Think about what could be done.
That's why it's important.
And that's why it's important,
Jimmy, that you speak to the crowd.
- Can someone else not speak?
- No, it has to be Jimmy.
He's got the words,
he's got the spake.
He's got the confidence and
trust of the people out there,
and with all due respect
to the rest of you here,
you wouldn't pull a quarter of
the support of what Jimmy would.
It has to be Jimmy that speaks.
What do you think?
Well, I think that every journalist
from the local press will be there.
I think they'll note your words,
which will spread like wildfire,
and be seen as a direct challenge to
landed estates throughout the country.
That's why we must win this one.
Yeah, and why...
and why they need to.
You know what'll happen, Jimmy.
It's hard to judge, but...
they could come after
you again, Jimmy.
No, there's no "could"
about it, Dessie.
They will. Of course they will.
And they'll close down
the hall. It's suicide.
Well, we don't know
that for certain, Mossie.
I mean, you know, it's not
the time for pessimism.
I-I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist.
I know the way these bastards are.
I'm on a, still, on a blacklist, Sean,
for ten years. Ten feckin' years!
No, I know that and, look,
it's an opportunity.
Here are five children
out on the street
from a lord who has thousands of
acres inherited from foreign invasion.
I mean, who has
the right to the land?
We know who has the right
to the land. We know that.
Is it... Is it the
rich man on his own,
or is it the families that
live and work that land?
What is the burning issue
up and down this country?
The breakup of large estates
to landless labourers.
- D'you know?
- I do.
I don't think we're gonna
get a better chance.
- And we shouldn't let it pass.
- That's right.
This is critical. People are angry.
They're desperate.
There's no money coming from family
in America because of the Depression.
We should strike now, James.
Think before we leap.
- We forget the bishops at our peril.
- Exactly.
They've never been stronger
after the Eucharistic Congress.
You saw the crowds in Dublin.
They've the Government in their pocket.
They'll go for the kill.
We have supporters.
There are thousands of landless
labourers outside these estates.
The rich are nervous. Fearful.
We have to keep pushing.
Ruari's right.
And let me ask you this.
What is the feckin' point of this hall
if we do not support these people?
We built this hall
with our own hands.
We put our lives into it.
Heart and soul. Everything we had.
It's not just a building,
it's... it's what we are.
It's everything.
And we have to protect it.
Not just for ourselves, but for
the youngsters coming after.
And I know from bitter experience that
if you bite off more than you can chew,
you'll feckin' choke.
Exactly.
I'm sorry, lads,
but that's my fear too.
It's time for caution.
My heart goes out to
that woman in the cart.
They're too strong at the moment.
They're too wild.
We have to bide our time.
I agree.
I don't think Jimmy should talk.
He shouldn't speak this time.
For Christ's sake, though,
they're coming after us anyway.
I mean, there's no denying that.
- I say we support this family.
- Stand together.
Oonagh. You've hardly said a word.
- Mam.
- Hello, Jimmy.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jimmy, can you
thread this needle for me, please?
My eyesight is getting so bad,
and I need to mend your shirt.
- Here.
- Thank you.
If they drive me out again, Mam,
I want you to come with me.
I mean it, Mam. I'll find
a place for us both.
Maybe somewhere easier
to manage. Not so isolated.
Well?
What do you think?
You need a new pair of boots.
Your other ones are very worn.
I cleaned them last night.
Now, there's His Lordship, hmm?
- He's shaking in his breeches.
- Yeah.
Fine day for it!
Come on!
Come on then, lads. Get in
there and open the doors.
Get them all off. Quick as you can.
What's going on here?
This is private property!
Get off before we call the guards!
Shush your trap and get
you back to the big house!
This is my home, my family's home.
I heard there was loads of room up
in Gralton Hall. Go up there for you.
No more evictions without just cause.
All these people are going
to jail, I promise you that!
Go back!
Down on your knees!
Get on your knees!
If you... If you or your earl or
anyone lays a hand on this family,
you'll get what's coming to you.
Do you hear me?
You're to leave these people
in peace in their own home!
- You won't get away with this.
- I will get away with it.
There's to be no more
evictions on this estate!
Come on, put the rest of the stuff
back into this house. Come on.
A chairde!
I want to introduce to you
a man whom all of us know,
whom all of us trust and
have confidence in.
Jimmy Gralton, come up
here and say a few words.
Go on, Jimmy.
Friends, comrades.
Who could not appreciate the
magnificence of the mansion we passed?
Fertile land as far
as the eye can see.
And the simplicity of this cottage.
The Earl snaps his fingers,
and our brother and sister
here and their five children
are thrown onto the street.
This is the greatest lie they
try to stuff down our throats,
that Ireland is one,
that our nation is one,
and that we are all one people,
united in our beliefs
with one common interest.
But do you think the interests
of a child in the slum
are the same as the
rack-renting landlord?
Do you think the interests of a
labourer are the same as the Earl's?
No.
The interests of a miner
or a factory worker
the same as the owner's, his bankers',
his lawyers', his investors'
and the prostitute journalists'
hired to write their lies?
Some here today.
Do you think they give
a damn about our old,
the sick, the unemployed,
the hungry, the homeless,
and those forced to leave our
shores desperate for work?
I saw the '20s in New York,
with my own eyes,
and the wild speculation and
greed that infected everyone.
And then I saw the bubble burst.
The crash of '29 and misery
in a land of plenty.
Let's not forget how it
spread round the world,
from a system steeped in illusion,
exploitation and avarice.
They tried to pretend that it
was destiny or an act of God,
but it was all man-made.
We need to take control
of our lives again.
Work for need, not for greed.
And not just to survive like a dog,
but to live and to celebrate.
Yes!
And to dance, to sing,
as free human beings.
Now, on you go into your home.
Everybody down! Everybody down!
Everybody down! Get down!
- Stay down!
- Everybody down!
Stay down everyone.
Keep your heads down.
Everybody's fine.
Anyone hurt?
Stay where you are,
stay where you are.
Keep your heads down!
Stay down, stay down, stay down.
Is everyone all right?
Now you're gonna have
to watch your back.
Now it's started, Jimmy.
Cowardly bastards.
Is that a truck driving off,
you hear that?
I see no lights, but I'm sure that was a
truck driving off there. D'you hear it?
- I can't be sure.
- Bastards!
Cowards, huh?
The hall's full of
women and children.
Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
It is over 25 years since
my last confession.
I would like your advice on what
to do with the Pharisees who,
from the safe distance of
the pulpit, have told lies,
incited hatred and
encouraged the rifle squad
to attack and endanger the
lives of innocent people.
What are you talking about?
I would like your advice
on the sin of pride,
on those who assume they are
the fount of all knowledge,
and yet do nothing but promote
ignorance and superstition.
Do you want confession?
And those who try to destroy
what is best in us,
our imagination, our sense of fun,
by threats of damnation.
But worst of all, those who try to kill
our spirit by their miserable drabness,
who have such venom in their hearts
for everything they cannot control.
Gralton, this is a sacrilege.
No, I'll tell you what the
sacrilege is, Reverend Father.
Having more hate in
your heart than love.
Goodnight, Mary.
Can I ask you something,
Father Seamus?
You can, of course.
Do you think Father
Sheridan is his usual self?
It's Gralton.
He's obsessed with the man.
Oh, don't worry about it,
Mary. Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Come in.
Have a wee drop.
There you are.
Slinte.
Slinte.
What's wrong with that, huh?
You know, that's the
voice of a black woman.
Yeah.
Quite remarkable, huh?
Oh, Gralton came today.
He had the nerve to leave these
records outside in the porch.
And he had the guts to
face me in the confessional.
D'you know what he said? Hmm?
He said, "You have more hate
in your heart than love."
What do you make of that?
Will it be you next, son?
I'm so worried for you.
Listen, what you've learned is in your
heads forever. They can't destroy that.
Thank you.
These are the tactics of the
Ku Klux Klan. No, thank you.
Cowardice, sneaking around
in the middle of the night.
Strikes me they were
keen to avoid loss of life.
Thank you.
- Slinte.
- Slinte.
To the business ahead.
So, have they found the culprits yet?
As you know, Father, Gralton had
quite a few enemies in the locality.
He had a lot of friends, too,
despite our best efforts.
It's disgusting behaviour.
What are we gonna do next?
Are we gonna burn down the
cottage with the old woman inside?
Make no mistake, it's a
disaster for the community.
And we'll all be the
losers because of it.
It would be a tragedy if we
turned him into a martyr.
That would be a huge mistake.
It'd be a tragedy for a decent man
to get shot in the back and
lose his life, Mr O'Keefe!
"Is it Christ or Gralton?"
I think those were the words
of several parish priests...
I suspect if Christ was here today,
there'd be several
members of this parish
who would have Him crucified again.
That's what I suspect!
Cut out the nonsense. I expect
he'll scamper away sooner or later.
He's a bloody communist.
They don't scamper like you lot.
They might make a tactical retreat,
but they'll fight till their last breath.
Look what they're doing
in Belfast. This is incredible.
Read that. "The Falls
and Shankill Unite."
Stirring up fraternity between poor
Catholics and unemployed Protestants.
I'm not clear. Is that a good
thing now or a bad thing?
20,000 strikers.
They even fought against
police issued with 800 rifles.
Two killed, Father, and 70 injured.
Over 100,000 on the streets.
Protestants and Catholics
united at the funerals.
Workers challenging the leaders of
their own trade unions as sell-outs.
- That's the Reds for you.
- No, that's poverty!
- Don't be so goddamn naive!
- Calm down, gentlemen.
I apologise for raising my voice.
Speaking of Belfast. Tom Mann.
And what's he got to do
with us and our problem?
Mr Gralton. You're under arrest.
What for?
I've an order here signed
personally by a member of Cabinet.
You are to be deported from the country,
forthwith, as an illegal alien.
Illegal alien? Have you
been drinking, officer?
- Watch your mouth.
- An alien?
Sorry, Mrs Gralton.
He was born in this house.
He's my son.
He also holds an American
passport, Mrs Gralton.
Let me see that.
This is terrible.
- All the way from Dublin?
- It is.
Minister of Justice.
What date is the hearing?
There'll be no hearing for you,
Mr Gralton. It's a deportation order.
- He's not a criminal.
- Come on.
No, you can't take my son.
I'm sorry, Mrs Gralton,
we're under strict instructions.
Sorry, we're under strict
instructions to take him in.
Well, let him change his jacket.
And let me say goodbye to my son.
You have two minutes.
Get up those stairs
and watch that door.
Yes, sir.
I've made some tea.
You're welcome to a tea.
Thanks, Mrs Gralton.
Mrs Gralton, I remember
when I was a young fella,
you used to bring books
round our school.
- What school was that?
- Sacred Heart.
It was the best part of the month.
We all looked forward to that.
Treasure Island, now,
was my favourite.
Robert Louis Stevenson.
It was always very popular.
I always liked White Fang meself.
What's going on, son?
What's going on here?
We were told that the British deported
a fella in Belfast called Tom Mann,
some English trade union
activist over to agitate,
start a general strike after
those workers were shot.
No trial? That's some "fair play".
So somebody can be taken away
from their own home without a trial
or being allowed to have a say?
Mr Gralton!
Mr Gralton. Are you ready yet?
Get up there.
What's going on?
- Door's jammed.
- Then break it down.
It's stuck. He's got something...
Put your back into it,
it's only a small door.
He's gone through the feckin' thatch!
What do you mean he's gone?
There he is! He's off
across the fields!
Jesus' sake!
Shower of useless bastards!
I'm gonna get youse
all fired, I swear.
Where's the key, Mrs Gralton?
I don't know.
Don't know where I put it.
Oh, shite! Smash it through!
Feckin' door!
- Please, Mrs Gralton.
- I don't know where I put it.
- They'll have our guts for garters!
- I can't help that.
Come on! Get yourself through.
- What's going on here?
- Breathe in.
- What's going on here?
- The feckin' door is locked!
- Where's the key?
- Down her drawers!
He's out the back,
he went through the roof.
You get after him, you gobshite!
He's round the back!
Get after him, would you?
Get up, you eejit, and get
after him, for God's sake.
Will I pull you out, sir?
What are you coming back to me for?
You should be going after him!
Sean Maguire! Come out, Sean Maguire!
Get out of my fucking house!
What the hell are you doing?
- Get out! Get out!
- Out you come.
Jesus Christ! Bastards!
- Where's Jimmy? Where's Jimmy Gralton?
- Get off me!
- Get off me!
- Put your hands up!
- God, you fuckers!
- Get the cuffs on him.
- House empty.
- Fuck.
- Where's Jimmy, Sean?
- I don't fucking know!
- Where is he?
- I don't know!
Get off me! You're hurting me!
Get out! Stay away from my children!
You stay away from my children!
Come out, Mossie!
- Get out!
- Where is he?
- Where's who?
- Where's Gralton?
What's going on?
Leave him alone. Leave him alone!
He's away in Dublin
having a pint with de Valera!
- Whoa.
- Ah, Tommy Gilroy.
Whoa, Dixie. Whoa.
Stop there now. We're gonna
have a look around, OK?
That's fine.
What are you looking for?
- What is it you're looking for?
- What's in the hay, Tommy?
- How are you, Tommy?
- Doherty.
- Where's Gralton, Tommy?
- I don't know where Gralton is.
Leave my hay alone. You won't find
him in there, whatever you do.
- Sweeney, let me away up the road.
- What's your rush?
I have no rush. I'm just trying to do a
man's job and just take me hay home.
I don't have James Gralton.
Let me away up the road, Sweeney!
Gentlemen. Sean, great to see you.
- You all right?
- Aye. Hanging in there.
I'm freezing.
There's some eggs there.
Bread and milk.
Good man.
- You're still in one piece anyway.
- Still breathing.
We're here now.
The town hall was packed for
the meeting. Two to a seat.
We presented the letters of support
from around the country first.
But what really infuriated them
were the petitions from America.
The Mayor was there all puffed up,
and one eejit talked about a communist
plot to nationalise women and children.
They didn't want to let
your mother speak,
but the gallery started chanting
"fair play", so they gave in.
Her hands were shaking
holding her notes.
But her voice was steady.
You should have seen
the look in her eye.
"What can a mother say
when about to lose a son?
"Part of me wants to scream
again as in childbirth,
"and part of me wants to
ask 'What is his crime? '.
"Why is an old tin hall so dangerous?
"Am I to blame for giving him books,
"teaching the boy to
think and ask questions?
"He brought back the world which
he had seen to the hall he built.
"Is that the crime?
"If we can take a man from
his home without a trial,
"send him off because
of what is in his head.
"I may lose my child,
but Ireland loses much, much more."
The gallery cheered.
The Council ignored her.
They took the letters of support
and they burned them outside.
All those meetings up
and down the country.
The truth is, your support is confined
to the trade unions and usual friends.
The IRA are even on the fence.
They don't want to upset the Church.
And the deportation stands.
Father Seamus came to see me.
He fears it'll turn the
youth against the Church.
I prefer the Sheridans.
At least he has the courage
of his convictions.
He said he'd go over Sheridan's
head to talk to the bishop.
He'd even go to Dublin
to try and make peace.
If?
If you promised not to
build the hall again.
And lived a quiet, private life.
A quiet, private life.
With you, Oonagh.
I wish with all my heart
we had another life to live.
Jimmy, they've drafted in
more soldiers. By the dozen.
It's only a matter of time.
God, this hurts so much.
These are our last
moments, I know it.
I'm never gonna see you again.
Gardai! Gardai!
Don't move, Jimmy,
don't move! Don't move!
We have you now, you dirty bastard, ya!
We have you now, boy!
We have you now, Jimmy!
There'll be no getting away this time!
Let him stand up.
Come on now. Out.
What's going on here?
Get out of my house!
We're nearly done here. Thanks.
Three pounds, nine shillings and
thrupence ha'penny, Sergeant.
- Is that all you have?
- Aye.
And the good news is
we don't confiscate it.
The bad news is it'll be going
towards paying your fare.
So, how did you find me?
Can I visit my mother to say goodbye?
Not a hope in hell.
She's frail. My last
chance to see her.
I've strict orders to get you out of
here and before the riff-raff come.
- Where are you taking me?
- You're going straight to Cork,
and then to Cobh where we
have a ship waiting for you.
Should have kept your big
mouth shut, Gralton.
You always had to be cock of the walk.
You had this coming to you.
Can I have a sheet of paper
to write her a note?
Save your tears for the crossing.
There's a fine postal
service from New York.
There he is.
- There's the bollocks!
- You antichrist!
You won't set foot in our land again!
Good riddance to you
Gralton, you Red bastard.
You're like Charlie
Chaplin with a jacket on.
This'll cheer you up. The ship waiting
for you is called the Britannic.
Please. Please!
Show the man some respect!
He has more courage and decency
than all of you put together.
- Jimmy!
- Jimmy!
- Marie.
- Jimmy!
- Jimmy!
- Marie! Stay where you are!
- Jimmy!
- Jimmy!
- Jimmy!
- Jimmy!
- Get back, you little fecker!
- Get back!
Go on, clear off!
- Clear off, the lot of you!
- Jimmy!
Clear off!
You're under arrest for kidnap!
Get off the road or
we'll run you over.
Go home!
Get off the road. Get off the road!
Get away from him.
- Don't let the bastards get you!
- We won't stop dancing.
- Don't forget to send us more records.
- We'll keep dancing and dreaming.
I'm gonna teach my daughter
the shim sham. We'll miss you.
- You'll write to us?
- I'll send you back money for a party.
Get this truck going.
- You're a good man, Jimmy!
- Don't forget us, Jimmy.
- You won't forget us, Jimmy, will you?
- Drive over 'em!
Get off the road!
Get off the road! Get off the road!
Get off!
You don't deserve this, Jimmy!
Go on, Jimmy.