This Other Eden

In the opening prologue, Mick Devereaux and Commandant Jack Carberry meet a British officer to negotiate a cease-fire. As they walk a deserted road, Black and Tan soldiers ambush Carberry, and he dies in Devereaux's arms. Carberry's dying plea to 'see to everything' sets the town's future tensions in motion.

Several years pass as local politician McRoarty attends a Carberry Memorial Committee meeting. Maire returns home from England, and Crispin Brown expresses a wish to settle in Ballymorgan. Kilgarrig, a large house, is up for auction while preparations begin for a statue to memorialize Carberry.

At the Ballymorgan hotel, Maire introduces Crispin to the townspeople, drawing hostility from Clannery for being English. Conor receives an awkward welcome, leaving him puzzled by the town's suspicions. Devereaux privately tells Conor that he is Jack Carberry's illegitimate son.

The statue planned to commemorate Carberry is unveiled, but its abstract design is met with disgust from the crowd. Crispin voices his displeasure, underscoring the town's ambivalence about memory, identity, and who belongs.

Crispin asks Maire to live with him at Kilgarrig, but she declines, explaining she could never live in Ballymorgan. He hints at his plans for the future, revealing how their lives might intertwine. The moment highlights a rift between romance and place.

The abstract statue is blown up, and Crispin is initially blamed for the destruction. He then reveals that his father was the English officer Carberry had intended to meet, and that he resigned his post in sympathy with the IRA after Carberry's murder.

An angry crowd gathers at the hotel, and Crispin steps forward to praise Ireland and promise to fund a new statue. Conor enters and attempts to reveal that he is the true culprit, but Maire and Devereaux prevent him from speaking.

The Canon assures Conor that he will be able to fulfill his vocation even if he does not become a priest. McRoarty receives a phone call that journalist MacPherson is coming to Ballymorgan to investigate the riot, signaling heightened scrutiny of the town.

Crispin succeeds in purchasing Kilgarrig, securing a major stake in the town's future and shifting the balance of power among residents and outsiders. The acquisition intensifies the town's rivalries and loyalties.

Clannery blames the destruction on a faulty electrical cable he left near the statue, attempting to deflect responsibility. The incident deepens suspicions of sabotage and raises questions about who truly caused the turmoil.

McRoarty and Maire argue about her wish to return to England, highlighting a broader debate about staying to rebuild versus leaving for safer shores. The argument underscores the town’s divided loyalties and the personal costs of history.

Maire informs Crispin that if he truly wants to marry her, he should ask her father for a large dowry. The line between romance and social obligation becomes clear as financial demands shape their engagement prospects.

Crispin succeeds in procuring the dowry and Maire's hand in marriage, tying his future to Ballymorgan and its memory of Carberry. The union marks a convergence of personal reconciliation and community politics, for now.

With the marriage arranged and Kilgarrig in Crispin's hands, Ballymorgan faces a future that blends old wounds with new alliances. The community remains divided, yet the agreement between Maire and Crispin offers a path toward a tenuous peace.