John P. Rooney Radio Plays
RADIO WORK, most recent at the top
13.11.06 Return To Killroe
25.02.05 Immigrants
15.08.03 Dungannon, ad
03.03.03 The Fleadh
29.08.02 Reprise
03.08.02 Ruby, ad.
30.11.96 The Sons of Molly, 3: The Hanging Day
13.11.96 The Sons of Molly, 2: The Organisation Man
06.11.96 The Sons of Molly, 1: The Detective
10.02.96 The World Will Thank Me
23.09.87 Summit Of Desire (TMT)
04.06.87 John Higgins Galway McGuigan Smith
30.04.85 Born Again
29.05.84 Hitler's The Boy
24.05.81 The Dead Image
31.07.80 The Summer Madness
Dates nk:
The Colony
NOTES
13 Nov 06 Afternoon Play: Return to Killroe
Exiled in London for more than 50 years, Paddo is persuaded to make one final trip to his native Ireland, only to find the country changed and his one remaining relative unwilling to accept him.
Paddo: Tp McKenna,
Ann: Eleanor Methven,
Rory: John Hewitt,
Mary: Lizzy McLnnerny,
Dumper: Kevin Flood,
Sean: Neal McWilliams,
Roisin: Sarah Gordon.
Producer: Eoin O'Callaghan.
28 Feb 05 Afternoon Play: Immigrants
By J.P.Rooney. It's a cold, wet day in Belfast in the 1960s when three unemployed lads view their future with dismay. With job prospects looking bleak, the offer of a £10 passage to Australia looks tempting - so they decide to go and seek their fortunes. Rpt. 15 Jan 07.
Fergie: Andy Moore,
Jonty: Gerard Jordan,
Tony: Joseph Rea,
Clancy: Peter Ballance,
Bridget: Sarah Kants,
Martha: Susie Kelly,
Ken: Alan McKee,
Clerk: Julia Dearden.
Producer - Pam Brighton.
15 Aug 03 The Friday Play - Dungannon
By Chris Neil, adapted by John P Rooney. A powerful drama based on real events in 1963, when a young mother organised a squat in council houses scheduled for demolition. Rpt. 5 Aug 05.
Angela .... Susan Lynch,
Patricia .... Stella McCusker,
Conn .... Gerard McSorley,
Susie .... Nikki Doherty,
FrCarron .... James Ellis,
Eamonn .... Kieran Lagan,
Jim .... Conor Grimes,
McGuinness .... Gordon Fulton,
Mrs McCrystal .... Sheelagh O'Kane,
Tommy .... James Doran.
Producer: Stephen Wright.
3 Mar 03 Afternoon Play: The Fleadh
A young man who grew up among the narrow-minded views of a small village arrives at university in Belfast where he's confronted by a mixed community, full of life and hope. Will he be able to move forward into a new life?
Bob: Chris Simpson,
Tom: Duncan Keegan,
John: Tony Devlin,
Katie: Deirdre McAllskey,
Ma: Stella McCusker,
Da: George Shane,
Producer: Pam Brighton.
29 Aug 02 Afternoon Play: Reprise
By John P Rooney. Rory is a teacher who knows
WB Yeats's love poetry by rote, but the poems mean nothing until he meets the mysterious Veronique.
Rory: James Doran,
Greta: Cathy Belton,
Mark: Garrett Keogh,
Veronique: Seannin Brennan,
Victoria: Margaret D'Arcy,
Drunk: Richard Dormer.
Producer: Pam Brighton.
3 Aug 02 The Saturday Play: Ruby
By John P Rooney, adapted from the stage play by Marie Jones. Belfast-born Ruby Murray was a well-loved international singing star of the 1950s whose career continued up until near her death in 1996. At the height of her fame she had four singles in the Top 20, appeared in her own television show at the London Palladium and toured the world. This is a love story about Ruby and Bernie Burgess, her first husband, also a singer, with the group the Jones Boys.
Ruby: Julia Dearden,
Bernie: John Lioyd Fillingham,
Ma: Frances Tomelty,
Marie: Abigail McGibbon,
Eileen: Olivia Nash,
Producer: Tanya Nash.
6 Nov 96 Afternoon Play - The Sons of Molly
A three-part drama set in the Pennsylvania coal mines in the 1870s when the Irish miners, having fled the Irish Famine, find the living and working conditions impossibly harsh. They resist by forming the "Molly Maguires".
Ep.1: The Detective. McPartlan: Des McAleer, Kehoe: Andrew Connolly, Priest: Ian McElhinney, Gowen: Luke Griffin, Linden: Sean Campion, with Pat Laffan, Garrett Keogh. Ger Ryan, Phelim Drew, Noel McGee, B J Hogg, John Keegan and Robert Donovan. Music Gerry O'Connor and Cathal Hayden. Producer: Pam Brighton.
13 Nov 96 Part 2: The Organisation Man.
McPartlan: Des McAleer,
Kehoe: Andrew Connolly,
Priest: Ian McElhinney,
Gowen: Luke Griffin,
Linden: Sean Campion,
Pinkerton: Pat Laffan,
Dormer: Garrett Keogh,
Rose: Ger Ryan,
Lawler: Phelim Drew,
Mary: Nora Mullan,
Kerrigan: Sean Rocks.
Music: Gerry O'Connor and Cathal Hayden. Producer: Pam Brighton.
20 Nov 96 Part 3: The Hanging Day.
McPartlan: Des McAleer,
Kehoe: Andrew Connolly,
Priest: Ian McElhinney,
Gowen: Luke Griffin,
Linden: Sean Campion,
Pinkerton: Pat Laffan,
Dormer: Garrett Keogh,
Rose: Ger Ryan,
Lawler: Phelim Drew,
Mary: Nora Mullan,
Kerrigan: Sean Rocks,
Judge: Anthony Finigan,
Defence Barrister: Patrick Fitzsymons.
Music: Gerry O'Connor and Cathal Hayden. Producer: Pam Brighton.
23 Sep 87 Thirty Minute Theatre - Summit Of Desire
Broadcast 9pm, radio 4. There's an important summit between the Russians and the West. The Russian interpreter and the English interpreter fall in love, and the summit somehow takes a lot longer than it should ... can't remember the casting details, and they're not on Genome; will add them next time I listen. An excellent comedy.
4 Jun 87 The Afternoon Play - John Higgins Galway McGuigan Smith
'I saw your advertisement for an Irish pen-pal in the paper last night. So here I am: I'll start by telling you all about myself and my family.' Unfortunately John tells Betty everything but the truth, with disastrous results.
John Smith: John Lynch,
Dan: Peter Quigley,
Ma: Stella McCusker,
Deirdre: Tracey Lynch,
Betty: Sue Broomfield.
Produced by JEREMY HOWE.
BBC Northern Ireland.
30 Apr 85 The Afternoon Play - Born Again
Mabel and Joan have lived in isolation for over 40 years. They hide a terrifying secret. Harry,a young enthusiastic evangelist, invades their privacy in the determination to save their souls. To be born again, the sisters must confess and then they must repent. But do they want to be forgiven?
Mabel: Catherine Gibson,
Joan: Doreen Hepburn,
Harry: Dan Gordon,
Young Mabel: Aingeal Grehan,
Young Joan: Brenda Winter.
Produced by Susan Hogg.
29 May 84 Afternoon Theatre - Hitler's the Boy
A Northern Irish family seeks a brief respite from the troubles in a package holiday to Germany. Unfortunately, the experience only serves to resurrect the father's memories of pro-German activities he undertook as a boy in war-time Belfast. And to his horror he now sees the collusion of Ireland and Germany revive.
Frank: Joe McPartland,
Kate: Frances Quinn,
Hans: Wolf Kahler,
Mary: Trudy Kelly,
Mrs Muller: Hilda Schroder,
Young Frank: Michael McKnight,
Pries/Commandant: Harry Towb
First soldier: Mark Straker,
Second soldier: Michael Jenner,
Newsreel commentator: Arnold Diamond.
Produced by PETER KAVANAGH.
24 Mar 81 Thirty-Minute Theatre - The Dead Image
It seems that Sam and Billy's striking resemblance to their grandfathers is purely superficial; Sam and Billy spend their unemployed time stealing lead, whereas their grandfathers died as loyal heroes on the Somme. But in Belfast, history has a way of repeating itself, especially when you steal
Catholic lead instead of Protestant lead.
Billy: Michael Mc**** (illegible on Genome - sorry);
William: Joe McPartland,
Samuel: Allan McClelland,
The man: 'Derek Halligan.
Directed by ROBERT COOPER. BBC Northern Ireland; long wave only. Giles Cooper Award 1981.
31 Jul 80 Afternoon Theatre - The Summer Madness
On 2 November 1920 at Dagshai prison in India, a British soldier was shot for mutiny. His name was James Daly and, like all the men of the Connaught Rangers, he was an Irishman.
The play is the story of how a peaceful demonstration against the infamous activities of the Black and Tans in Ireland became a mutiny in India.
Colonel Deacon: Ronald Baddiley,
Lt Leader: Steve Hodson,
Father Baker: Basil Moss,
James Daly: Jim Norton,
Joe Hawes: Sean Barrett,
Sergeant: Michael Duffy,
Pat Gogarty: Barry McGovern,
The singer: Tony McAuley.
Poems read by Alan Devlin.
Directed by ROBERT COOPER. BBC Northern Ireland.
Compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
