Bailegangaire: The story of Bailegangaire and how it came by its appellation

by Thomas Murphy

A senile bedridden old woman rehearses over and over again an epic tale of a village laughing match. Meanwhile her two granddaughters struggle to release themselves from the prison of remembered unhappiness.

Genres: Plays, Irish Literature

76 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Kate Tinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little repetitive lol :)

[Nicole O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this. Between the three characters in this all female cast, each of them (Mary, Betty, Mommo) fight for your sympathy and attention.

Still I can see why some readers may be put off and confused by the incessant score of the play that is Mommo's turbulent story-telling. Indeed it's difficult to follow and I'm sure contains a ocean amount of metaphor (think 'Tales of the Black Freighter' in relation to 'Watchmen') but I myself didn't think too much into the literal tale she was telling, you could do that if you wish but I had a goal of actually finishing the thing!
Like the two other characters, beyond the dialogue you can see more into the big picture of this poor woman that is plagued with guilt.

Tom Murphy has an incredible skill in getting deep under your skin with characters and making you feel for them with nearly uncomfortable depth.

It won't be for everyone but with a certain reader it will be everything.

[gavroche · Rating 3 out of 5]

je pense faut le voir pour le comprendre

[Lenka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uf, tohle bylo hodne narocne na precteni. :) A cist pribeh o babicce, ktera vypravi porad dokolecka jeden a ten samy pribeh, kdyz jste na vikend u babicky, ktera ma pokrocileho Alzheimera, je docela zvlastni zazitek. Kazdopadne silna hra, ale ve vypraveci lince jsem se ztracela a zase nachazela.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This almost felt like "If On A Winter's Night A Traveler" except a play and more morose.

[Kateřina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an amazing play - it was difficult to read at times, as it made me think about other, real people's tales and habits - but that is what it is all about, I think. I also loved the ending, the sort of replacements that are going on there. It really makes one think about how history is constructed, fictionalized, about the (Irish?) urge to heal through retelling, to close memory by reenacting the past to its bitter end... Would recommend.