First published 2018
A Nationalist teacher faces a moral crisis when his students are recruited to beat game at a pheasant shoot honoring the British Ambassador. His decision to intervene and protect his pupils from participating in this display of colonial privilege triggers a brutal confrontation that exposes the raw tensions of a divided Ireland. The television play "The Rockingham Shoot" anchors this collection of McGahern's dramatic works, joined by four other produced scripts including "Sinclair," "The Sisters," "Swallows," and "The Power of Darkness." These radio and television dramas capture McGahern's unflinching examination of Irish society, where personal choices collide with political realities and ordinary people navigate the dangerous currents of national identity and class conflict.
Genres: drama, irish-literature, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-dilemma, social-commentary
Setting: Ireland
Period: 20th-century
352 pages · Kindle Edition · Faber & Faber
Content warnings: colonialism