Cúirt an Mheán-Oíche, The Midnight Court

- Sex, scandal, and subsequent censorship fresh from 1780's Ireland.

A dramatic rendition of Brian Merriman's epic poem translated by Yam Cashen

The Midnight Court presents an epic battle of the sexes where a poet is summoned to the Fairy Court. One young woman bemoans the sexual impotence and unavailability of Irish men while an old man condemns the promiscuity of young women. The heated debate spans a satirical look at sexuality, illegitimate children, priestly celibacy, travellers and prostitution from a time when the penal laws were still in full force.

First written by poet Brian Merriman around 1780, Cúirt an Mheán-Oíche is renowned as a comic masterpiece of the Irish literary canon. Having survived censorship in its original form, its later English language translation suffered an outright ban until little more than fifty years ago for its frank and pornographic language. Yam Cashen’s translation of the Midnight Court gives an excellent, if explicit picture of rural Irish society.

Featuring the voices of: Bob Kelly, Éadaoin O’ Donoghue, Chris Schmidt-Martin, Cora Fenton and Seán T. Ó Meallaigh.

Directed by Hilary Bowen-Walsh.

Produced by Kieran Hurley and sound design by Kieran Hurley