Brian Friel -- Translations RTE

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Staged at the height of The Troubles in the north of Ireland - 1980. It's the summer of 1833. In a hedge-school in Donegal, the schoolmaster's prodigal son is about to return from Dublin. With him are two army officers. Their aim is to create a map of the area, and, in the process, replace the Irish place-names with English equivalents. It's an act with unexpected and violent consequences. =—————= Translations is set in a small Irish town in the summer of 1833. Hugh O'Donnell is the headmaster of a hedge school, a rural school that teaches basic education to farm families. Hugh's older son, Manus, teaches there with him. Hugh insists on teaching in Irish, even though he knows that the language will inevitably change to English. His younger son, Owen, comes to town with the Royal Engineers, who are mapping the Irish countryside. Owen helps the engineers anglicize the Irish town names. One of the engineers, the English Lieutenant Yolland, is captivated by Irish culture and believes the work they are doing is an act of destruction. A love triangle develops between Manus, Yolland, and Maire, a strong, young woman in the village. Yolland disappears mysteriously, and Manus leaves town, broken-hearted. Owen realizes he must remain true to his roots and decides to join the Irish resistance. The play ends ambiguously, with no resolution to the stories.  =——= Friel's play demonstrates the relationship between language and culture and the ways we choose to ignore or break down our cultural barriers. Brian Friel’s modern classic is a powerful account of nationhood, which sees the turbulent relationship between England and Ireland play out in one quiet community.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.