Notes on Ballykissangel
by Julie Barrett

Our family got hooked on Ballykissangel sometime during its run on BBC America. Gosh, it must have been 1999 or perhaps 2000. When we visited Avoca in 2001, I was taken with the town, and especially SS. Mary and Patrick's Church, which was the stand-in For St. Joseph's. The interior is just like on the television program, right down to the statues in the niches.

The character of Father Peter Clifford fascinated me the most. I suppose his character brought a humanity that we seldom see in priests. In America, the clergy - with few exceptions - is shown in one stereotypical light or another, and rarely as fully-formed human beings. Peter seemed settled in his faith in God, but wrestled with other issues concerning the Church and his own personal life. As his tenure in BallyK wore on, even his faith was challenged. As he leaves town the viewer cannot help but feel that he's about to go on a spiritual as well as physical journey.

That sort of tension in a character fascinates me. Some tend to focus solely on his relationship with Assumpta Fitzgerald, and while that was ultimately what drove his character during the final weeks, one has to ask if he would have had more strength in that area had he not been under all of the other assaults to his personal and spiritual life. I think that's a valid question, and one that will probably never be answered.

Ultimately, this is what led me to start writing these stories. Of course, the story is more than just Peter Clifford; Ballykissangel is populated with a set of well-realized characters. And then there's the setting of the beautiful town of Avoca, near the Wicklow Mountains and not far from Thomas Moore's Meeting of the Waters. The tranquility is a perfect backdrop for these characters who all have very human foibles.

If you've never seen the program, I hope my stories are able to convey some small sense of place. And I also suggest that you pick up the DVDs. Series 1-3 are out, and series 4 is due in early 2006.

Enjoy your journey.

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