Give My Head Peace
Encyclopedia
Give My Head Peace was a satirical
television
comedy
series on BBC Northern Ireland
that pokes fun at political parties, paramilitary
groups and the sectarian
divide in Northern Ireland
. The programme is written by Tim McGarry, Damon Quinn and Michael McDowell, also known as "Hole in the wall gang", who also perform as the characters.
programme Across The Line, in the late 1980s, as a five-minute slot. The radio version used many of the characters and plot ideas used in the later TV series.
in 1995, poking fun at the cliché
d "love across the barricades" plot that features in many dramas about Northern Ireland. In this case the lovers were Emer, the daughter of a "prominent" Sinn Féin
activist, and Billy, an RUC
constable. Their wedding is opposed by their respective families, and ends in farce
, although Billy and Emer were happily married.
The 50th episode, entitled "Secondary Colours" aired on 27 December 2002.
The series continued to run on BBC One NI until 2005, taking a hiatus as the Hole in the Wall Gang began work on a new series called Dry Your Eyes
. Give My Head Peace usually screened in a prime-time
Friday night slot, opting out from network BBC One
. In mid-2004, a selection of episodes were shown across the UK on BBC Two
in a late-night slot during weekends.
In 1999 a video & book was brought out. The only DVD released to date is of series 6, in November 2009, and is available at Give My Head Peace
Other occasional characters are:
There have been other characters that have made one-off special appearances over the series to great effect. One such example was a Christmas
special entitled "The King and I" where Elvis Presley
(played by impersonator Martin Fox) saved Andy from a very dangerous situation.
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
series on BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
that pokes fun at political parties, paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
groups and the sectarian
Sectarianism
Sectarianism, according to one definition, is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.The ideological...
divide in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The programme is written by Tim McGarry, Damon Quinn and Michael McDowell, also known as "Hole in the wall gang", who also perform as the characters.
Background
The concept originated on the BBC Radio UlsterBBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
programme Across The Line, in the late 1980s, as a five-minute slot. The radio version used many of the characters and plot ideas used in the later TV series.
Pilot: Two Ceasefires and a Wedding
Its first television appearance was in a made for TV film called Two Ceasefires and a Wedding, shown on BBC Northern IrelandBBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
in 1995, poking fun at the cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
d "love across the barricades" plot that features in many dramas about Northern Ireland. In this case the lovers were Emer, the daughter of a "prominent" Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
activist, and Billy, an RUC
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
constable. Their wedding is opposed by their respective families, and ends in farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
, although Billy and Emer were happily married.
Series
A full series was then commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland. Some changes were made to the format prior to the series going ahead - with the character of Cal (Emer's brother) changing substantially, and the introduction of other recurring characters such as Big Mervyn and Red Hand Luke. A few years into the series, Nuala McKeever (Emer) left the series to pursue other interests, and a new love interest for Billy was introduced in the form of Emer's previously unseen sister, Dympna.The 50th episode, entitled "Secondary Colours" aired on 27 December 2002.
The series continued to run on BBC One NI until 2005, taking a hiatus as the Hole in the Wall Gang began work on a new series called Dry Your Eyes
Dry Your Eyes (TV series)
Dry Your Eyes was a Northern Irish sketch show on BBC One NI, created by the Hole in the Wall Gang, the makers of one of Northern Ireland's most successful shows Give My Head Peace...
. Give My Head Peace usually screened in a prime-time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
Friday night slot, opting out from network BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. In mid-2004, a selection of episodes were shown across the UK on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
in a late-night slot during weekends.
Cancellation
The final Give My Head Peace episode was transmitted on BBC One Northern Ireland on December 28, 2007. This is supposed to be the last ever episode but during the final few seconds, some writing appears quoting "That All Folks?" suggesting that the show may return in the future. According to Tim McGarry, the reason for the shows cancelling was due to a mis-sent email, received by a BBC executive in charge of the show's production. Allegedly, McGarry had hit reply rather than forward to the intended recipient.Live
In recent years, they have performed live shows at a selection of venues across Northern Ireland. The 2004 show was chiefly made up of scripts from the 2004-2005 series. In 2007 a new live show entitled Dry Your Eyes it's Give My Head Peace was held in Derry's Millennium Forum and the Grand Opera House to celebrate ten years of the show. This production showed material from GMHP and Dry Your Eyes and was very well received. The next live show in 2008 followed on from the final television episode, called Give My Head Peace: Back From The Grave, and also featured the Dry Your Eyes characters. In 2009, the gang went on their last tour called "Give My Head Peace: The Final Farewell Tour". However, the show returned in both 2010 and 2011 with "Give My Head Peace: The Annual Review" in Belfast's Grand Opera House. The performance features the show's regulars, with the notable exceptions of Mervyn and Red Hand Luke, and also features a stand-up set from Tim McGarry who plays Da.In 1999 a video & book was brought out. The only DVD released to date is of series 6, in November 2009, and is available at Give My Head Peace
Characters
The principal characters are:- Da (Tim McGarryTim McGarryTim McGarry is an Irish actor and comedian from North Belfast in Northern Ireland.He is a member of the comedy group Hole In The Wall Gang, and played "Da", a fictional Sinn Féin spokesman, in the comedy series Give My Head Peace....
) - He is the head of the CatholicIrish CatholicIrish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
family and represents a stereotypical nationalistIrish nationalismIrish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
who believes very much in Irish culture, despite the fact he admits he cannot speak a word of IrishIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
. He is a Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
spokesman (later an assemblymanMember of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)Member of the Legislative Assembly is a representative elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland.- About :...
) and prides himself on his 'friendship' with Gerry AdamsGerry AdamsGerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
, trying to copy his outward appearance by wearing a beard and glasses. Da is shot and killed by Ma and Dympna in the last episode after it is revealed he prevented Liam NeesonLiam NeesonLiam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
from proposing to Dympna and was suspected by Ma of having an affair with a woman named Siobhan, who also tries to kill Da, but misses. Da lives in the Divis Tower on the Falls Road.
- Cal (Damon Quinn) - Although he is a grown up man, he still lives at home and often behaves like a child. He supports his father in the struggle against the British imperialism and does whatever Da tells him, no matter how daft. In the pilot "Two Ceasefires and a Wedding" he is portrayed as a sinister IRAIrish Republican ArmyThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
activist. In the series however, his character is dumbed down and he is the "thick one" of the family. At the end of the series he falls in love with Siobhan, a Protestant woman who had previously posed as a Republican to get closer to Da, who she was madly attracted to.
- Uncle Andy (Martin Reid) - An old-fashioned traditional loyalistUlster loyalismUlster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
whose twin loves are British Ulster and Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. He is very argumentative, and determined to take offence at even the mildest suggestion that anyone in authority is trying to oppress him. He often devises elaborate political or moneymaking schemes with the aid of Big Mervyn, but owing to their shared lack of intelligence or foresight, these inevitably fail. Andy is shot and killed by Billy in the last episode after it is revealed that Andy and Mervyn had been taking out huge loans in Billy's name, eventually leaving him penniless.
- Billy (Michael McDowell) - Andy's nephew and an RUCRoyal Ulster ConstabularyThe Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(later PSNIPolice Service of Northern IrelandThe Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
) officer. He fell in love with and married Emer (and later Dympna). Throughout the series' life, there have been occasional hints that Andy may be more than just his uncle. In the 2003-2004 series, however, the writers knowing that they couldn't keep up that pretence for too much longer, the story was finally "wrapped up". In the final episode he murders both Uncle Andy and Mervyn, but receives a pardon from Martin McGuinnessMartin McGuinnessJames Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland....
and Ian PaisleyIan PaisleyIan Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
. He then commits himself to clearing Dympna's name, despite being shacked up with two other women.
- Emer (Nuala McKeeverNuala McKeeverNuala McKeever is a comic actress from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She grew up in the west of the city and graduated from Queen's University with a degree in languages.-Career:...
) - She is like her mother not interested in politics, but unlike her mother more intelligent. Emer is more interested in fashion and in men. She is married to Billy but later leaves after the second series and runs off with a Spaniard.
- Ma Olivia NashOlivia NashOlivia Nash MBE is a Northern Irish actress and performer on the Northern Ireland scene for over 40 years. Olivia performs on stage, TV and radio where she has performed with James Young for 11 years and Northern Ireland comedienne Nuala McKeever...
- Da's cynical, sharp-tongued wife. She is neither very intelligent nor very interested in politics and tries to be a warm-hearted Irish mother. However, as she has very little but contempt for her family and everyone else, she is convincing nobody. With her non-sectarian attitudes, she accepts her Protestant son in law Billy, and also has a mild crush on Uncle Andy.
- Dympna (Alexandra Ford) - replaced Emer as Billy's girlfriend when she ran off with a Spaniard. She is Ma and Da's other daughter, and is just as shallow as Emer, but is a great deal more pretentious. Often lectures Billy and Andy on intellectual matters, despite her limited knowledge. Dympna eventually married Billy in a chaotic ceremony in Rome at the end of the 2002 series. It is possible that she is in fact the daughter of Ma and Italian Cardinal Vincenzo. In the last episode she is jailed for 20 years for murdering Da.
- Big Mervyn (BJ Hogg) - A burly, leather-wearing loyalist, and Uncle Andy's best mate. Not the brightest. Mervyn is shot and killed by Billy in the last episode.
Other occasional characters are:
- Red Hand Luke (Dan GordonDan Gordon (actor)Dan Gordon is a Northern Irish actor, director and playwright.Gordon was born in Belfast and is best known in Northern Ireland for his portrayal of Red Hand Luke in the BBC Northern Ireland sitcom Give My Head Peace. He starred in the Marie Jones monodrama A Night in November in the tricycle...
) - born-again Christian and violent loyalist psychopath. Also a "Shugo" DuncanHugo DuncanHugo Duncan is a singer and BBC broadcaster born in Strabane, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland on 26 March 1950. His nickname is "The wee man from Strabane"....
fan. He acts like a big child, and when he doesn't get his way, savagely beats everyone up, usually Andy and Mervyn, who often live in fear of the next time he (literally) bursts through Andy's front door. At the end of the series he converts to IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in order to get arrested (as he longs to return to prison), after which he is placed in a specially constructed prison in the middle of Belfast LoughBelfast LoughBelfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons. The outer lough is restricted to mainly rocky shores with some small sandy bays...
. Andy and Mervyn attempt to break Luke out, but he falls into the lough, protesting that he cannot swim. His fate is left ambiguous. - Sammy (Gordon Fulton) - The landlord of the "Loyalist Kneebreakers", Andy and Mervyn's favourite haunt, a rowdy loyalist drinking den. Makes matchstick models of StormontParliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)The Parliament Buildings, known as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont area of Belfast is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive...
in his spare time. - Pastor Begbie (Paddy Jenkins) - A recently introduced character. Like Red Hand Luke, a born-again Christian and feared loyalist, now a 'Presbyterian minister'. He and Luke met whilst they were in jail. He often gets Andy and Mervyn to perform painful and/or humiliating tasks for him, and threatens them with a visit from his 'henchmen' if they refuse. By the end of the series he is running an estate agency called Pastors New.
There have been other characters that have made one-off special appearances over the series to great effect. One such example was a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
special entitled "The King and I" where Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
(played by impersonator Martin Fox) saved Andy from a very dangerous situation.
Trivia
- The phrase "give my head peace" is a common Northern Irish idiom meaning "leave me alone" or "stop bothering me".
- The theme song of the series is "She Says" performed by The Saw DoctorsThe Saw DoctorsThe Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in Ireland, including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990, and still holds the record for the...
. It was released as a single in Ireland in the late 1990s.