THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD

SC/:NE '°'""')
P"l,l,c./,o, ;, ,,, ,h,bua,~ ~~,:; a"'1 w,J,dy Pq a, "'""I a, ,dA, ,s

\ Sire 1J· d,f'J::,l'd 111 the 1i:, 11a/ pra Janl drt'ts.
'--'--'-'
· - ' - - ~ PEGEEN . (?,'\ (:["I(,( C\... '/.. t,()..f Mt) /rr
Jlfl\< I) us sh~1rJ,- S1x y:ird_.. of ~1u~(f(Jr toITI:ilc: i }"fllow g,o:fn. A ;ia11 of bet bcaJ 111,;6
lcns thy httls on them rand brassy C) C:S. A hat 1~ ~uucd for a "'cdd1ng~ } A ftN ~corrb. To
be ~n1 \\1th three bJm:1~ orponcr in Jimmy Farrell '& creel C-'n on the c, en:ngof' tbc: ooc:cq:
Fair to M1 ~u:r Michael James Flahcr1y W1 the: be~ comph~ms of this i;nYJ:J. !1,l.a_g:;t:d
Fl ohcny. I\
1
~\(} {: 0:,(
SHAWN KEOG H.
n ) Oung man . COmi'J "' a:,· .rlu ) 1s ns. looks round u-,,.•h, ardl), •••hrn hr l U J shr u a.!Dtl< .-
Where 's himself'
PEGEEN .
rt how looking m h,m .- Hc:'s coming . (Siu• dirrcts 1he ln1tr.) To M1 Mer Shcamus Mulro) ,
1<

Wine :ind Spirit Dc:a!cr,Castlcbar.

SHAWN .
1mt'aJ"1/y.- l didn't s« him on the roJd .
PEGEEN
How would you see him and i1 dark night this halrhour gone by 1
SHAWN .
turning towards tlit door agwn .- 1 stood a while o utside wondenng would I ha,·e :i ng.h1 to jUil

DC
on or 10 walk in and see you, Pegeen Mike and I could hear the cows breathmg , and q~ 1n
1he stillness of the air.and not a step mov ing any place from this gatt to the bridge . (::_I \
::~~;Irr in t m·tlopr .~
S i~~i Jr'1/d!J1 1~.
couple more arc going along with him to Kate Cass1dy 's wake .
m«ting Phil!) Cu! k n. :md a

SHAWN .
fool.mg m hrr blankly.- And he' s going lh;n length in the dark nigh t?

hfr;•,1
PEGEEN . r?'f' -I (' I
1111paurn1ly .- He is surel y. and lea,·mg me lo ne ~omc o n lhe scruff of lhc hi ll long U'IC'
nights are now , Shawn Keogh, to be leavmg a poor !!Jr] \\ 1th he r 0 \\ 11 se lf cou ntmg lhe houn tO
1hedawn of day?
SHAWN . If'" ' (
1o11th aM.i."l<a rd humoi,r - lf u u . ~ rn:u ...,c ' rc "e<lde,I m n :,ho n 1,t11!r ) Ou' II h:l\ e no call to
compl;im. for 1·, r.l! •llt w11l t0 be 1,:il l mi;offt o \\ J ~ t• j or \\edJ1ng., 1n the ~ ne~ of 1he night

now.
sco~iful good /1111:,::: .... ft makmg m1 gh~ ccmu n. s\ia11..~n. 1h:11 I II .,,,eJ )-OU
~~~:~;,JJ~,~l~;,'1~w~oo~?.,:;J:~..~ fJ,;,, ~U
dtspm~hOfl from the bh l'lopl. ot thc
y",
1

~~ of Rome.

~:,~,~''"'~~,,1-s?. .~J"~t~l~ ~-~ ,~ ~oftbf hlcs

fOf 1f l 111," Jj him I \l,0Uldn '1bother With thi s plxe whc,t: )'OU' JI m«I flOflC but Red
o( )'OIi:
L l'Wlan, hu a squ,nt in his C)'C, and Pat(' htcn is lime In his hoc l, or thc nUd Mulnnll>CJ • ·ac

,1x Ho1,-F....,,.,.,,."""' ~"- \\)!nTo

drwm from C:&J,fomia and th(y 1ml in.,.~ ~~1s. Wc'rt •~
,
•~ • .• to tt>_troUb.hos
r1 111~1<h c Q"q ,r
SHAWN.
SOJ,-dcJlt:.rd.- lf .. ~an: . wc·rt ugood 1h"pl11ccuanothcr.nu.ybc, and
,., t ..·~ forc-,·c,,
~mau
( i\,,
CC..:°r'0,.1 f'
PEGEEN .
.,,,.Ii h riH \ir~ ~
sroni.- As Good , is 11'? Whcrt no"lLJ1 yt,6 "1~ iii ·c~neeWu111 van
,\,.( ,<'<> Ii«,
¥cd
d,c
c~ from a pcclcr. ot Mamas Quin . God rest h, m, got s1:a. th s fOfnu.iming cv•u. ;i.nd he a
put 11,•;unn110 ie.11 s1on cs of holy Irel and ull he 'd h:i,·c the old wome n ~he<ld1 ng do" n tean
about thelrfccc . \\'hcrt"1ll)·ou find1hc lik~ 1~ . l ~"\uying7 -1-- \_ \ ,. 11...
SHAWN . ('() 'c,, (l.f'(),. !)(Jo',.", IOOJC, , r 0(\1~
m,ud/y.- lr you don "11t"s a good job , may be: for (1rnh ,wc11l,ar rmp/wJison 1/ir 1<·ords) Father
Reilly }uj small concc11 10 h:o ·c that kind wall.mg around and lal king to the 1;1rl 'i ,

PEGEEN. . . /O'i ,L {'(\f\ o:i,1·+00" 11 ,-\

Stop IOm'l(nung me vmh F~ther Reilly (um, ~ ~ okt'1'Wt'Mn'fj m ls~1ng dnl y io.1111\..·ay I
1,;\n1()<,.J
t P-
lhew: 1wch c hours of dllrl: , and not take my dcath wi1h the fcar.

SIIAWN.
: : ; ;.Would I fetch you the widow Qu in, maybe?~,.~ \ (~
~ ll,
f\
' - ' ~I\\{),.
\
\.M'
1.,\()\\\ °" \. ;(~{
0
e l)N-
h 111hclil cofth:atmurdcrcr 7 You ' ll n01 . surc ly.
SHAWN. ®•Q"~I\~ 11..1 (Wl~1\(,.'(;0..t, of \_-;o(
going 1o hrr, soothmgly.-Then I'm rhml: ing himse lf will 11op along wi th you when he ~ s )'OU
tal:mg on, for it' ll be a long ni ght-time with great d:nkncss. ~nd I' m after feeling a kind of fell ow
11bo,·e 1n the- fu n:y d11<: h, groanmg wicked like I maddc ~i ng d{f~ c way it's good cause: )'OU
hl \~ . m1ybc. 1o bc fc.ari ng now. ~ } . . ~ \ . . .\ 0
;...' ; : ~ huri slwrpl)'.- What 's tha1? Is it Dman yo u seen~ i \\)\~
SHAWN .
trtrec11111g.-l eouldn ' I It\•• ,,
him a1 all; bu! I hc:irJ him i;,j~g ou1.an1',.l>f\al1ng his heart .
mould hl\'C been I you ng man from his words speaking ~

:!::::~rlum.- AOO )OU nc,·er wen t near to sec "' as he huncd or whl1\Wcd
SHAWN VJ°)ng t.;i;ke
(,"\\\or'tum.
IH/,(),\1,
~'"~?
~W; u1 v.1 CJ 'Ot i s . 0 \l)\.,L,, 4,ol'-(1

'()(l_
I did not, 1-'cgccn Mile. II wu I dzu1: , loneso me place to be ~ l
PEGEEN.
Wdl. you·rc 3 d:1t1ng fellow. and if rhey find his corpse stretched abo,·e ,n !he de w~ of dll\l1l.
"h~r"ll )OU sJ) !hen 10 the peelers. or the Jusuce of the Peace?
SHAWi\ .
,~imJn;m,cL - 1 " asn·1 thinking of !hat. Forthe lo,e of God . Pegeen Mike . don·1 lei on I "as
spul,ng of h1m Don ·1 tell your father and !he men 1s coming above ; for if !hey heud Iha! story.
the: 'd M\'C grc.11 blabbing !his night al !he wake.
PEGEEK
rll ma)be tell !hem , and J"ll maybe not.
SHAWN .
They :ire coming al the door. \\~ll you whisht. I'm saying?®"'- 6-Dl V
PEGEEN.
Whisht yourself.
[Sh, gou behind coumer. Michael Jamts , a jo,•ial publican , comes ,n followed by Philly Cullen
and Jimmy F1fj[t)l,d-,._ ()
MEN. l:.. Q_ (j (ftk~~~V-(-0:.,,
togtthtr.- God bless )OU. The blessing of God on this place.
PEGEEN .
God bless you kindly (5;'
~ ~-go to th, cft!}ii~i.'an~te your rest. C
Keogh? Are }OU coming over !he sands lo Kate Cass,dy 's wake?
h~ i~ )o: arc,\\t~
SHAWN .
I am nOl . Michael James. I'm going home !he short cul tom} bed .
PEGEEN.
Hes right 100. and have you no shame, Michael James , 10 be quilling off for !he whole nigh! , and

l/'· (~ ~(J-.:)'& ()-!-

leaving myself lonesome in !he shop?
MJCHAEL. r.J~ .,1\ .A. 'Q"\
good-humour ,d/_1 .- lsn·111 the same whether 1 go for ttie whole nignt or a part only? and l'm
think.10g 11' s a queer daughter >ou are if you 'd ha, c me crossing backward through !he Stook; of
!he Dead Women . " 1th a drop taken.
PEGEEN. {\) \ ( \( l"':,•,e,_ ~'- ,,....
If I am a queer daughter. it's a qu~fath~r ll be lea, mg me lonesome the, e 1\\~he hour.. of dark.
and I pihng !he turf\>, ilh !he dogs 1?-arking. and the calves mooing. and m} O\\ n teeth ran ling "1tn
the fear. 0 ! -;- !\" · r
JIMMY .
Jla11mngl1 - What 1s there lo hurl )OU. and you a fine . hard} girl \\Ouid k.nocl- !he he~d of an}
tv.o men ,n !he place?
PEGEEN r,...)
»orl.Jng l,r,s,lf up.- hn °1 there ti,i :.ar ei, bo); "1th th,•,_ tongue, m l for dnnl- . Jnd_ll\e ten
unl cn. ,. camped ,n the e:15t glen. nnd the 1housnnd mili11a - bad cess 10 them!- walling idle
through the land . The~·s lois , u~ ly 10 hun me. nnd I won't stop alone in 11 , lct hi mself do whal
111
hi' "
MICHAEL.
'I--_ D(l.. slt,Ll1 tj \ 1<e...
If i ou·~ thot ufeard . le1 Shawn Keogh stop along wilh you. h 's 1hc will of God . I'm thmkmg.
h1m<elf <hould be seei ng lo you now. [Thry (I I/ 111rn 0 11 Shawn.)
SHAWN.
,n h1>mfird confu, wn .- 1 would and welcome , Michael James , but I'm nfeard of Father Rei lly;
and "h:u a1all ,. ould the Holy Fa1her and the Cardinals of Rome be saying if they heard I did

:;~::':t'' f:>i I 0fu Mi>-'b lo\J e\ u \Au:. l\ C -tc~\t

w11h ronrrmpt .- God'iic';'p you)'Ei;{t )~ oil in by th~ heunh wi1h the light lit nnd herstlf
beyond m the room? You' ll do 1ha1 surel y, for I' ve henrd 1ell 1hcre's • queer fe llow abo ve, going

~ : ;;;:_ng his dcat~

SHAWN
y;\~~ h~~l ~ K~ \s, [ )~:C~ er tt i f
I _)
t;t ('(LJ.:_
w11h pla1n111•r drspair.- J'm afeard of Fa1her Reilly. I'm saying. Lei you not be tcmp11ng me ,
and "e near mamed it.<elf.
PHILLY .

MICHAEL.
contrmpt.- i
JJ
hstx~:,~roo\;\~Jt~ nnd t e; ;\ ; it ol:
j
'tc"~;\ (}
w SIWk n, ,:rmng bt'lh'rr,r lum and tli r door.- Go up n_
ow,
SHAWN {t) \.. \\ 0 )l'l> V(l..
ar rhrrop of lr u , mer Don't \lop me, 1'~1chacl fameo. u:1 me ou1of the door. I' m mg, for '"l
the lo, c of the Almighty God u:1 me ou1(try111g ta tlndgr pa.rt /11111) . Let me out of 11 , and may
God lf4111 )OU H,s md ulrcnce ,n 1he hour of need.
MICHAJ"L
lmidl\ ~top ) UUr no1J.1ni and it ll dtmn h\ tht: hearth I< ,11·n I, n , ,,nl, mu/ J.:f•r , '<' ~c·,unt)rr A.,... "'
rJ C,
111

/aug lung I .,, \ f • r . l.

SIIAWN l
Oh , f•Lh<r Re ill) ,nd 1he ., am11 of God, \\here 111 II I hull- 111)\t lf to-dJ) ' Oh , S1 Jos,ph 11ml 51
Palf1tl u.nd St Hnr1d, and St J.tmL·, , ha\c merq on mt• n~h\ • !Sho1111 tmm 101mtl, ltrs dc><.11
, J,,'"• und m.:Jlt i u ru,IJ/o r It J l \ 1 ,
J
MlCII ALI
, uu Im•~• h1111 /, ~ tl,r , t'IIIIUI I
r..., I -t
't n tr tJ I t" tow~, h
I
It'

SHAWi\
j( n uuung nw j'U, M11. hJc l J.ina~,. lcJ\r me fO , )t )U old P.1~•an , k J\ c mt g1.l , o r I' ll get
J JH
1he ,ur-< c,f 1hc on ) OU , nd of the s<Jdt t·t<>Jlt d b, , hop, of 1hr mu1h of Rom, [l\',rl,"
pm ·,I
jUddt" 111mrmn11 ht pu/11 lu nnr-lJ ma of ho ((l(J I m 11 / J,wpfkOI ,\ flll f oj tht dc'lf.1r, lr,1, 111~ ltH
,m"' •Hu luu,/'1 l,w,, /J I
) J J
4
MICH,\EL ~¾'\-rn ou..+ \~c.nti1l'., CCXC\ t, ,0)
n,rn,..r r.11,nJ, <tnd ho/J'"S 11p roar. '\ven. there'> the coal of • Chmu•~ man Oh. there¥
-...,n1eJ ~IOI) 1h1, d•) m 1hc lonc,ome \\e,1 . and by the will of God (',e gOI )OU a deccnl man .
P.,gttn. )oo'II h»e no call 10 be >P) mg aller if you ' ,e • score of young girls. ma) be. "••ding ,n
,our f~ld,
~EGEEN.. ® ()..((JD (J.O.l I 'f.... l,lL (O.Ol---
1,,l'"S up tht drfrncr <>/ l,rr proprrry.-Wh~I righl have you 10 be malcing game of • poor fello"'
for m,ndmg 1hc pne,1. \\hen il's your own the fauh is. nOI paying• penny pOl-boy 10 s1and olong
""h me and g"e me courage in 1hc doing of my won: ? [S/o, snaps the coot <NO) from h,m. and
.~ ''" IKhonJ roomtrr with it.)
MICHAEL
tolrn aback.- \Vhcre would I gel a po1-boy7 Would you have me send the bell-man screaming
,n 1he >trcc1' of Cas11ebnr7
SHAWN .
"f'<'nong tht door a chink 011d p11111ng in lo ls /o,od , i11 a sma// 1•01c,.- Michael James!
MICHAEL.
~::~: .h1m.- Wha1nilsyou? Qj'\\tf\li&cor,1' \:i\').1~ (S-\o \ I &c_
The queer dymg fellow 's beyond looki~ r lhe d11ch . Hc's come up, I'm 1hinking. sicoling
your hens. (Looks 01•,r his sloouldtr.) God help me, he' s following me now (ht runs onto room) ,
and 1fhe's hcnrd whal I said. he'll be havi ng my life, and I going home lonesome in the daskncss
of the night. (For a perctptible moment tlrey watch tire door with curiosity. Some one coughs
oumd,. Then Christy Mal~a >'°''"' man, comes J.n_•·~o,·tirtd and/rigluened and dirty.)
CHRISTY . QX\iif WL QJX>'f'
in a small ,·o,ct.-God SilVC all here !

~~~vcyoukindly. o-_\\ c;\°rot. rfJ ©

VI) 1-. Idt-0k CI
~;'~H,1,: +;"'jj,]
CHRISTY . '<.'-

~ : : ;~ you for a glass of po~ i ~~h:

s,mng him .- You're one oflh}tttl(crs, young felloJ, \s beyond campc~-fn the glen?

CHRJSTY .
I am n01 : bul I'm dcsiroyed \\alki~.
MICHAEL. c \\ ci,i&<L0"1u Qf ,(.Aocf
patroni:ingly.- Lcl you come up en-to 1hc £ re . You' re looking faml\hed \\ilh u,"\;' cold.
CHRJSTY .
God re"ard you Is II oflcn Ule police do he coming in10 1his olacc . mJ,ler ofll1c house?

MICHAEL \ ((,.,, "' - "i I

If iou'd come m be'ti?r' hour>. you'd ha,e see n "L 1rcn,c<l for 1he ,ale of Beer and Sprn1s.10 be
consumed on the prcmi\C~," \\rittcn 10 wlutc letters aho,·c th,:- door, .mJ v.h:•t \,ould tht pohs