Adam-Richter.com

The story of Ireland is, among other things, the story of struggle.

Those struggles are part of the reason the Irish diaspora is spread out throughout the world — and indeed why I’m writing this in Pennsylvania instead of Sligo or Kilkenny or, I don’t know, not existing at all.

I have always been interested, if not that knowledgeable, about Irish history. That’s partly why I set “Banshee” in the 18th century in Kinsale, a lovely town near the southern coast. 

(Also there’s a sea wall there that makes a perfect setting for a gruesome death. That may or may not be a spoiler.)

Kinsale is where, in 1601, a Spanish fleet came to aid the Irish forces in the Nine Year’s War, ultimately suffering defeat at the hands of the English and cementing British rule over the island. 

Rule that would last for centuries. 

When I visited Ireland in 2022, I was struck by the rich and deep history of a country that has only known independence for a century. 

You could argue that Ireland has yet to be fully free, a debate I don’t want to have here.

Over the centuries, Ireland has endured genocide, displacement, extreme poverty, religious, linguistic and political repression and, of course, famine. (One tour guide referred to it repeatedly as the “Alleged Famine,” pointing out that food was available; just not to the Irish.) 

Yet in the midst of all of that, people still lived their lives. What’s more, they created great art and traditions that outlived them. 

In “Banshee” I wanted to explore one of these periods, but not the Famine of the 1840s. The country’s history is so much more than that. There are stories and lessons from that period, but I was after a different narrative.

I wanted to examine what life was like under a repressive regime in the midst of upheaval, and imagine how the political environment shaped character’s views and actions. 

So I picked the 1798 Rebellion. Was Kinsale a hotbed of military activity back then? 

No. Not even a little bit. But the battles in Wexford and elsewhere had an effect on the whole country, much as the ICE atrocities in Minnesota do in the rest of the United States today. 

In the wake of the 1798 Rebellion, Britain passed the Act of Union in 1800, dissolving the Irish Parliament and bringing the Ireland fully under the thumb of Westminster. That union would not dissolve for another 122 years, and even then not fully.

In these times, I’m looking for answers to the question: How do you live your life when the outside world seems impossible to navigate? 

Then I throw a banhsee into the mix. 

I’m no expert on Irish history. I often said to the various tour guides I met that my knowledge of Ireland is in inverse proportion to my interest in it. 

My hope is that “Banshee” doesn’t require a deep knowledge of 18th-century Irish history; just a familiarity with the idea of struggle. 

Up next: Tonight I meet with the cast and director for one last table read before rehearsals begin. I’ll let you know how it goes next week.