Ballykissangel: Series 1

TRYING TO CONNECT YOU - Father Peter Clifford arrives in Ireland from England. Enchanted by his surroundings, he opts to leave the bus before his destination in order to enjoy a stroll through the glorious Wicklow countryside in the sunshine. Soon, however, forty shades of green have turned to forty shades of grey and he is soaked. He is rescued by a young woman as beautiful as the countryside, who offers him a lift into town. Her name is Assumpta Fitzgerald and she is the owner of the local bar. She seems to have a bad attitude towards the clergy.Already off to a poor start, he finds he also has to deal with the quirks of his congregation. Niamh Quigley, for instance, who wants to know whether her boyfriend will make a good husband – she thinks they should live together beforehand but does not want to commit a "mortal sin" – and her father Brian, who seems to think that a confessional complete with air-conditioning and fax machine is just what Ballykissangel needs.Then there’s Father Mac, who seems to put practical needs before spiritual.

THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE - Keen to fit into village life as quickly as possible, Father Clifford has a trial for the local Gaelic Football team and receives an injury. Siobhan confesses to Father Peter that she got so drunk the night before, she ended up sleeping in a field. He gives her an aspirin and in return she gives him a racing tip. Businessman Brian Quigley’s holiday home development seems stalled by a young couple living in a caravan near the site. Peter gets involved when he hears he is responsible for causing their baby's illness by ordering ‘organic fertiliser’ to be dumped alongside. He is deaf to Father Clifford’s appeals, but Edso (Anthony Brophy) and his family have nowhere else to go. When it turns out that the land they are on belongs to Assumpta, who wants to sell it but can’t afford to give them enough for a deposit on a house, Siobhan suggests they bet against their own side in the next Gaelic football match – a match in which Peter is the reserve goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Quigley is pressuring Niamh to marry Ambrose and there’s another stranger in Ballykissangel: – Jennie (Lena Heady), a young woman from Manchester, and Father Cliffford’s past...

LIVE IN MY HEART AND PAY NO RENT - Widower Quigley prepares to rekindle an old flame, but will Rosarie (Ruth McCabe), his old teenage sweetheart, still have a crush on him? Niamh is looking forward to marrying her beloved Ambrose. But having narrowly missed being crushed to death by a stone statue of St John, Ambrose has decided it was a call to the priesthood – and Catholic priests don’t marry. Deprived of a wedding, Niamh opts to hold the reception anyway – the least she can do is get drunk. Meanwhile, Eamonn is worried about his European Union farm subsidy.When Padraig tells him they use spy satellites to count sheep, Eamonn decides to manufacture some more to make up the numbers.

FALLEN ANGEL - It's Father Clifford's birthday, but he hasn't told any of his flock. So how does the DJ of the local pirate radio station, Angel FM, know about it? In fact, everyone knows and Assumpta has organised a surprise party for him. She also offers to give him driving lessons, as Father Mac has told him that, unless he passes his driving test, he will lose his job. However, the lessons prove to be a little more dangerous than she anticipated. While visiting the hospital, Father Clifford meets former judge, Mickey Bradley (Aidan Grennell), with whom he strikes up a friendship, though he is shocked when the old man confesses that he helped his wife to die.The young priest turns to Father Mac for advice, and during the conversation learns that he will pass his driving test whether he is competent or not, just because he is a priest. So for the test, Peter removes his dog collar and calls himself Mr Clifford. He passes and there is a big celebration in the pub, again organised by Assumpta. Sadly though, he learns that Mickey Bradley has died.When he returns to the hospital, he discovers he has been bequeathed his sleek vintage car.

THE POWER AND THE GLORY - Following the death of Bertie O'Doyle, the local representative at the Irish Parliament (The Dail), a by-election is being held in the village. Campaigning is vigorous between the chief candidates, the infamous Sean Dooley (Owen Roe) and Brian Quigley, who has the support of the church. As election day approaches, Quigley comes up with an ingenious scheme to get his message across. Unaware of his ulterior motive, Niamh is upset that her father will pay to restore the church bells, but won’t pay for her wedding. The solution appears in the unlikely form of a skeleton found on Quigley's building site by Liam and Donal. Father Peter steps in to suggest that if Brian pays for the wedding, Ambrose could drop the charges against him. Meanwhile, Assumpta's ex-boyfriend, TV reporter Leo McGarvey (James Nesbitt), is back to cover the election. The whole of Ballykissangel is trying to get the two of them back together, but though he is keen she isn’t interested. When he confides in Father Clifford, she is really angry. After the election, Leo gives Assumpta one last chance to leave with him, but she turns him down. Something is keeping her in Ballykissangel; she may not be sure what it is, but Leo thinks it has something to do with Father Clifford.

MISSING YOU ALREADY - Father Clifford is dismayed when he is told he is to be sent back to England. His congregation are not happy at losing their nice young priest either. Meanwhile, Ballykissangel is preparing for its very first Irish Festival, organised by Quigley, who as usual is out to make a quick buck. Assumpta is annoyed that Quigley’s Bar & Grill is selling half price drinks and is not convinced that he will stop once the festival is over. She rows with Niamh over it, two days before the wedding. Father Clifford is amazed to find her one day in tears, asking to enter the church. When he returns, a rock has been thrown through the church window and there is no sign of Assumpta. He storms into Fitzgerald's, only to find her injured, having nearly lost an eye to the flying brick. He feels guilty, and when he tends to her wound, the tension between them is palpable. Quigley agrees to a race between himself and Assumpta to decide which bar stays and Assumpta wins. Meanwhile Siobhan is against Quigley’s plan to put a live sheep (which he plans to crown in a ceremony) at the top of some scaffolding. She, Assumpta and a reluctant Peter decide to rescue it and place in its stead one of Eamonn's wooden sheep. Ambrose and Niamh finally make it down the aisle and Father Clifford is surprised and delighted when Assumpta shows him the petition that almost the entire town has signed.

The town's name was inspired by Ballykissanne in County Kerry, but the series was filmed in Avoca, about 40 miles south of Dublin.

" A sheer delight, very funny and richly charactered."-Daily Telegraph
“...the script has some bite.”- Guardian
“Highly recommended.”- Daily Mail
"The BBC wins all the Sunday night prizes." Daily Express
"I liked Ballykissangel. Like Kieran Prendiville’s other dramatic venture, Roughnecks, it is formulaic yet concentrates maximum attention on the individuals, creating good material for the actors – here beautifully cast."- The Times
“There’s an earthy and whimsical good humour to this promising new series.”- Sun
“The television show it most often brings to mind is Northern Exposure. The two share the fish-out-of-water premise... the feisty, intractable woman... the law-unto-himself town entrepreneur... the strong sense of ensemble acting and the frequent drift towards the comic. But most of all, they share a heart.They share a love for what makes us human, for our weaknesses as well as our strengths, for the little things we can do for each other to make life easier. BallyK, like Northern, deals with issues of everyday dignity and respect, with an understated sweetness and lightness of touch. Don’t miss it.”- The Guide, Australia
“Makes you want to give it all up and run a pub in Ireland.”- Sydney Morning Herald

Life is a challenge for any priest in a small mountain town, and Father Peter Clifford has just arrived from London with high expectations and no driver's license.

Includes the episodes:
Trying to Connect You: A local businessman has given the parish the world's most up-to-date confessional, but Father Peter is still helplessly behind the times in the transportation department. He finds himself at the mercy of beautiful bartender Assumpta Fitzgerald, who owns a car but loathes organized religion.

The Things We Do For Love: A mysterious woman from Peter's past appears in town and causes quite a stir, distracting him as he fights to keep a young family from losing their home.

Live in My Heart and Pay No Rent: Hit on the head by a falling bust of St. John, Officer Ambrose Egan finds himself called to the priesthood. While his beloved Niamh copes with her heartbreak, her father tries to rekindle an old flame.

Fallen Angel: Ballykissangel's first pirate radio station provides the soundtrack as Peter prepares for his driving test and copes with the discovery of a parishioner's long-ago crime.

The Power and the Gory: Following the death of a local representative to Parliament, Quigly campaigns vigorously against an equally unscrupulous opponent. An old boyfriend of Assumpta's returns to Ballykissangel to cover the election.

Missing You Already: Assumpta finds it hard to join in the fun of a local festival that threatens to put her out of business, especially when she learns that Father Clifford may be sent back to England.

Cast
Father Peter Clifford . . . . . .Stephen Tompkinson
Assumpta Fitzgerald . . . . . . .Dervla Kirwan
Brian Quigley . . . . . . . . . . . .Tony Doyle
Niamh Quigley . . . . . . . . . . .Tina Kellegher
Father Macanally . . . . . . . . .Niall Tobin
Ambrose Egan . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Hanly
Kathleen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Áine Ní Mhuirí
Siobhan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Deidre Donnelly
Donal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Frankie McCafferty
Liam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joe Savino
Padraig O'Kelly . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Caffrey
Eamonn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Birdy Sweeney
Brendan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Whelan
Michael Ryan . . . . . . . . . . . .Bosco Hogan
Production Credits
Series creator. . . . . . . . . . . . Kieran Prendiville
Written by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kieran Prendiville, John Forte
Directors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Standeven, Paul Harrison
Producer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joy Lale
Executive Producer. . . . . . . . . . . Robert Cooper, Tony Garnett

When Father Peter Clifford arrives from Manchester, he knows he will be facing some opposition. After all, what is a young, inexperienced English priest doing in Ireland, of all places? He soon finds out that the town of Ballykissangel poses many more challenges. Rural village life is very different from the big cities. For a start, he needs to be able to drive if he is to get around. And then there are the local gossip-mongers - here everyone knows everyone else's business and a secret doesn't stay secret for long. Has this former inner city priest has bitten off more than he can chew? Contending with the long-established ways of the villagers and their eccentricities and superstitions is a full-time job.