Dublin

The capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, in addition to being the birthplace and home of Conor McPherson, is also where the playwright has set nearly all of his plays.

The characters of Port Authority—Kevin, Dermot and Joe—all reside in the near north suburbs of Dublin, and their stories play out over a backdrop of the city at its most prosperous point in history.

In 2001, when Port Authority premiered in the West End and then in Dublin, Ireland was in the middle of a socio-economic renaissance. This period of unprecedented growth from 1995-2007 was dubbed the Celtic Tiger by Irish and Western media. In 2002, the population of Ireland reached nearly 4 million, the highest recorded level since 1871, when Ireland’s population was decreasing dramatically due to high mortality rates and emigration in the wake of the potato famine. One quarter of the 2002 population lived within the Dublin metropolitan area. The Irish economy was also booming due, in part, to low corporate taxation rates, increased trade (as a result of having joined the European Union), and an educated, English-speaking workforce.

The Liffey River which runs through Dublin serves as a convenient dividing line between the north and south sides of the city, with Dublin Port occupying land on the north side of the river mouth, where it empties into the Irish Sea. Traditionally, the southern half of Dublin has consisted of the middle and upper class, as residents with means began moving into neighborhoods along the southern stretches of Dublin Bay in the late 19th century. Port Authority largely takes place in the northern, working class suburbs, which were built up during the boom years of the 20th century as the Irish middle class grew. Technically part of Dublin proper, these neighborhoods—such as Donnycarney and Sutton—were originally small, independent villages surrounded by rural open land until unprecedented urban development swept through, creating a sprawl of subdivisions.

Perhaps not surprisingly, alcohol consumption plays an important part in both the plot of Port Authority and the history of Ireland. Long known for its drinking, the country’s alcohol consumption only increased during the Celtic Tiger boom years. According to the World Health Organization, the average Irish adult consumes almost 20% more alcohol a year than the average European, 50% more than the average American, and over twice the worldwide average. Even more problematic, binge drinking occurs more frequently than in most other European countries.

“I really regret that image of Ireland,” laments McPherson. “It’s terrible that we trade on it. There’s something in the Irish psyche which is very self-destructive, full of self-doubt. We’re a young republic, a young democracy, and yet a very old culture. So it seems like we should know who we are — and yet there’s an awful lot of conflict and self-doubt and people trying to figure it out. And in the last 20 years we’ve been on a mad rollercoaster ride. That’s sort of who we are. A lot of Irish plays reflect that.”