Glenroe


Glenroe is an Irish television soap opera broadcast on RTÉ One for 18 years between September 1983 and May 2001. Glenroe was centred on the lives of the people living in the fictional rural village of the same name in County Wicklow. The real-life village of Kilcoole was used to film the series. The series was also filmed in studio at RTÉ and in various other locations when directors saw fit.
The show was a spin-off from Bracken — an RTÉ drama that was broadcast from 1980 to 1982, which was itself spun off from The Riordans — another RTÉ drama that was broadcast from 1965 to 1979. Glenroe was broadcast, generally from September to May, each Sunday at 8:30 pm. It was created, and written for much of its run, by Wesley Burrowes, and later by various other directors and producers including Paul Cusack, Alan Robinson and Tommy McCardle. Glenroe was the first show to be subtitled by RTÉ, with a broadcast in 1991 starting the station's subtitling policy.
The main protagonists were the Byrne and McDermott/Moran families, related by the marriage of Miley Byrne to Biddy McDermott. Other important characters included Teasy McDaid, the proprietor of the local pub; Tim Devereux and George Black ; Fidelma Kelly, a cousin of Biddy; Blackie Connors; George Manning; and Stephen Brennan.

Title sequence

Imagery

Glenroe was noted for its original title sequence, which featured the words "Gleann Rua" in Gaelic script morphing into "Glenroe" over a series of rural images. The original title sequence was used from the 1983/84 series to the end of the 1992/93 series, and was replaced with a more up-to-date title sequence at the start of the 1993/94 series.
Jarlath Hayes, master Irish typographer and designer, "who gave his best years as a man of letters working within Irish publishing…drew his own type, Tuam Uncial…it became familiar to a generation of Glenroe viewers on RTÉ television where it featured in the credits".

Theme tune

Glenroes theme tune was that of a traditional Irish song called "Cuaichín Ghleann Néifinn" and was arranged by Jim Lockhart of Horslips. The original version was used from the 1983/84 series to the end of the 1992/93 series. A newly recorded version, at the start of the 1993/94 series, along with changes to the title sequence was requested by TV, film, theatre producer and director, the late Art Ó Briain and was arranged and performed by Máire Breatnach featuring Cormac Breatnach on Whistle.

Setting and characters

The central focus of Glenroe is the fictional rural area of the programme's title, located in County Wicklow. The setting is an area consisting of a collection of farms, small village, period house and other rural locations. The programme focuses on a cast of characters living near the village. The main characters are Miley Byrne and Biddy McDermott, whose courtship and marriage form the centerpiece of the action during the early years. Their parents also feature heavily in the storylines. Miley's father Dinny Byrne is a chancer and Biddy's mother, who has been widowed early in the series, conducts a long-running relationship with Dick Moran, the local solicitor. Dick occasionally has other affairs, such as that with Terry Kileen. A number of themes are explored throughout the series from relationships, facing tragedy and other life challenges. While the main theme is drama, there are elements of comedy evident, e.g. the interactions between two central characters of Miley Byrne and his father Dinny Byrne.
CharacterActorDuration
Dinny ByrneJoe Lynch1983–2000
Miley ByrneMick Lally1983–2001
Biddy ByrneMary McEvoy1983–2000
Dick MoranEmmet Bergin1983–2001
Mary McDermott-MoranGeraldine Plunkett1983–2001
Stephen BrennanRobert Carrickford1983–2001
Father Tim DevereuxDonal Farmer1987–2001
Teasy McDaidMaureen Toal1987–2001
Mary-Ann ByrneGrace Barry1990–2001
George ManningAlan Stanford1984-1992
Michelle HaugheyIsobel Mahon
Fr. TraceyPhilip O'Sullivan1999
Blackie ConnorsLiam Heffernan1992–2001
Nellie ConnorsMoira Deady
Sergeant Jim RochePaul Bennett
Fidelma KellyEunice MacMenamin1995
Aileen SynnotLaura Ellen Howard1998–2000
Ann SynnotNoelle Brown2000
Nuala Brennan née MaherCarmel Callan
Kevin HaugheyLiam Carney
Sylvie DolanDavid Kelly
Uncle PeterCyril Cusack
Dr. David HanlonMario Rosenstock
Terry KileenKate Thompson
Rev. George BlackEnda Oates
Paudie DoyleDavid Boyd1999
Dan ReillyJoe McKinney1998–2001
Catherine DalyLouise Kerr
Conor SheehyTimothy Murphy
Fiona March BlackLucy Vigne-Welch
Bernadette TimlinBarbara Griffin
Mynah TimlinEileen Colgan
Joseph TimlinJohn-Paul McGarry
Jennifer CrosbyRachel Pilkington
Hoppy CrosbyGlenn Mulhern/Lochlann Ó Mearáin1999–2000
Venetia CrosbyMaria McDermottroe1995–2000
Regina CrosbyEva Birthistle1995–1998
Albert CrosbyPeter Caffrey1995–2000
Deirdre CooneySinéad Flynn1999
Nessa McIntyreSíle Nic Chonaonaigh1999
Conor SheehyTimothy V. Murphy1995
Madge O'ReganRonnie Masterson1983
Tommy MurphyJohn Finnegan1997–1998
Lizzie O'DriscollMaire Hastings1999–2000
Maurice NolanFrank Kelly1999–2001
Lucy ReillyCathy Belton1999
Collette DalyHonor Heffernan1999
Johnny ConnorsMichael Collins1995–1999
Peggy ConnorsLinda McDonnell1999
Julia ConnorsMiriam Brady
Francie DonnellyFrank O'Sullivan1999
Mike O'SheaBryan Murray1999

Origins

Glenroe, as a story, had origins in two previous shows, The Riordans and Bracken. The three productions were the brainchildren of Wesley Burrowes.

Narratives

Affairs of the heart

Michael Judge, Irish playwright who wrote scripts for Glenroe, published Glenroe: Stories from the RTÉ series created by Wesley Burrowes through Gill & MacMillan in 1990. The book relays the intricate relational beginnings of what would become the soap's linear storyline which would span 18 years. In the beginning two contrasting storylines of the amorous kind were present: that of the wholesome Biddy and Miley, contrasted with the Mary and Dick.
The blow-ins, as they are referred to by the book, are the Byrnes, who arrive in Glenroe from the mountains. The character of Biddy is central to the story. Her parents, Mary and Michael MacDermott, are married and dissimilar in age bracket. Biddy becomes interested in one of the blow-ins. Biddy's first comment on Miley is "he looked a bit of a gom".
The relationship between Dick and Mary emerges as they have a secret love affair, Mary being frustrated in her relationship with Michael MacDermott whom she married out of obligation. The love affair would blossom through secret getaways, with the couple once trying to arrange to be together under the guise of getting away to a Bridge Congress. In the book, when Michael discovers his wife is having an affair, he strikes her.
Widower Dinny Byrne found love after Teasy McDaid's arrival in Glenroe in 1987, with her having been left the local pub by her recently deceased uncle. They were married on 11 September 1994, with Teasy moving into Dinny's thatched farm cottage. Shortly after, Teasy's previous husband, Sylvie Dolan, turned up. Sylvie had disappeared years before and had faked his own death in Australia, sending a fake death certificate to Teasy. He demanded a share of the life insurance payment Teasy had received in exchange for his disappearing again. Teasy responded that she would return the money to the insurance company. Dinny and Teasy stayed together until Dinny's death in 2000.

Religion

The subject of religion featured in the programme throughout the series. One storyline showed how Miley, a devout Roman Catholic, believed his daughter, who had been critically ill with meningitis, was saved by prayer and divine intervention, while Biddy, who rarely went to Mass, credited the doctor with her recovery. The parish priest, Father Tim Devereaux, was upset that nobody was listening to his pastoral advice, and retired to embark on a round-the-world cruise with Shirley Manning, a widow of Protestant and Jewish ancestry.
Another storyline evoked the question: How much money should be spent on a First Communion dress?