M. J. Molloy
Encyclopedia
Michael Joseph Molloy was an Irish
playwright
. He was born and died in Miltown, County Galway
.
Molloy originally intended to become a priest, but contracted tuberculosis
as a young man. He began writing plays during his long hospital stays. His first play, Old Road, was produced at the Abbey Theatre
in 1943. His plays were popular in the 1940s and 1950s, but only one of his later plays, Petticoat Loose (1979) was staged at the Abbey.
Old Road by M.J.Molloy; is set in rural Galway in the spring and summer of 1939. The spectre of the Second World War looms large over a group of young people who are desperate to escape to a better life in England. Land ownership, poverty, lack of opportunity and old-fashioned marriage customs threaten to drive the younger generation away from their native Connaught.
The action takes place in the household of the choleric, cantankerous and tyrannical old farmer Lordeen; who, desperate for a wife, engages the services of the mercenary matchmaker William Duffy. In the meanwhile, love blossom between the Lord’s servants, the cool and happy-go-lucky Myles Cosgrave and the damsel-in-distress Bridgeen McDonagh who do their best to deny their passion for each other. Bodhagh Merrigan, a conniving land-grabber manipulates the Lordeen’s situation to lay hold of his 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) farm, whilst Merrigan’s own son Paak must go to England, denied the chance of a small holding and marriage to his first love Mary. Lordeen’s other labourer, the cobbler and self-styled intellectual Luke Sweeney, is the target for the affections of the caustic, ‘black’ widow, Mrs Callaghan.
Merrigan and Mrs Callaghan collude to ensure that Lordeen finds out that Myles has been trading agricultural goods to make up the shortfall in his pay. Lordeen, in a fit of Rage calls for the Sergeant who decides not to press charges, torn between his duty to the law and what he feels to be his own Christian moral code. Myles proposes to Brigid who readily accepts and in hope of staying in Ireland asks Merrigan to allow them to rent small holding on his land. Believing that this is part of a scheme to dupe the Sergeant, Merrigan agrees. WHen the Sergeant leaves, Merrigan denies Myles the opportunity to rent and tells him to let Brigid go to England by herself. Merrigan pursues the Patrick Walsh to sell him his farm, but the Lordeen clutching to the hope of finding a wife refuses to sell and is set to drink himself into oblivion. The others arrive and dissuade Brigid from marrying Myles and they leave set for an uncertain future in England.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. He was born and died in Miltown, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
.
Molloy originally intended to become a priest, but contracted tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
as a young man. He began writing plays during his long hospital stays. His first play, Old Road, was produced at the Abbey Theatre
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
in 1943. His plays were popular in the 1940s and 1950s, but only one of his later plays, Petticoat Loose (1979) was staged at the Abbey.
Old Road by M.J.Molloy; is set in rural Galway in the spring and summer of 1939. The spectre of the Second World War looms large over a group of young people who are desperate to escape to a better life in England. Land ownership, poverty, lack of opportunity and old-fashioned marriage customs threaten to drive the younger generation away from their native Connaught.
The action takes place in the household of the choleric, cantankerous and tyrannical old farmer Lordeen; who, desperate for a wife, engages the services of the mercenary matchmaker William Duffy. In the meanwhile, love blossom between the Lord’s servants, the cool and happy-go-lucky Myles Cosgrave and the damsel-in-distress Bridgeen McDonagh who do their best to deny their passion for each other. Bodhagh Merrigan, a conniving land-grabber manipulates the Lordeen’s situation to lay hold of his 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) farm, whilst Merrigan’s own son Paak must go to England, denied the chance of a small holding and marriage to his first love Mary. Lordeen’s other labourer, the cobbler and self-styled intellectual Luke Sweeney, is the target for the affections of the caustic, ‘black’ widow, Mrs Callaghan.
Merrigan and Mrs Callaghan collude to ensure that Lordeen finds out that Myles has been trading agricultural goods to make up the shortfall in his pay. Lordeen, in a fit of Rage calls for the Sergeant who decides not to press charges, torn between his duty to the law and what he feels to be his own Christian moral code. Myles proposes to Brigid who readily accepts and in hope of staying in Ireland asks Merrigan to allow them to rent small holding on his land. Believing that this is part of a scheme to dupe the Sergeant, Merrigan agrees. WHen the Sergeant leaves, Merrigan denies Myles the opportunity to rent and tells him to let Brigid go to England by herself. Merrigan pursues the Patrick Walsh to sell him his farm, but the Lordeen clutching to the hope of finding a wife refuses to sell and is set to drink himself into oblivion. The others arrive and dissuade Brigid from marrying Myles and they leave set for an uncertain future in England.
Plays
- Old Road (1943)
- The Visiting House (1946)
- The King of Friday's Men (1948)
- The Wood of the Whispering (1953)
- The Paddy Pedlar (1953)
- The Will And The Way (1955)
- Daughter from Over the Water (1958)
- A Right Rose Tree (1958)
- The Wooing of Duvessa (1964)
- The Bride of Fontebranda (1975)
- Petticoat Loose (1979)
- The Bachelor's Daughter (1985)
- The Runaways (1987)