| Of course, Butterworth's story is universal and can be appreciated by anyone who is fascinated by the history of The Troubles in Ireland. However, I can recall (growing up in the 50's) my grandmother and her younger sister speaking Gaelic whenever they got together. My grandmother's uncle once told me that many decades earlier in the old country anyone caught speaking Gaelic in public were subject to immediate execution -- he was a fanatical supporter of the IRA. Today he would probably be considered a terrorist. Nevertheless, I think I have a better understanding of the roots of the horrific ethnic divide as depicted in The Ferryman as a result of what I gleaned as a child from memories of my long gone relatives. |
