The Guide

Sara Keating: Looking anew at the Civil War through the fresh lens of modern performances

Martin McDonagh’s Banshees of Inisherin is a little glib in its approach to interpreting Civil War violence; far more interesting is RTÉ’s recent three-part documentary on the subject and the theatrical production Staging the Treaty

John Cronin as Eamon de Valera, alongside Ian Toner as George Gavan Duffy and Aonghus Og McNally as Erskine Childers in ANU’s production of Staging The Treaty. Picture: Ros Kavanagh

Martin McDonagh’s latest film, The Banshees of Inisherin, unfolds on a fictional west of Ireland island against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War. The sound of gunfire and explosions from the mainland can be heard by the islanders, but they have their own more immediate grievances.

In the case of Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), another war has broken out. The reason is random and inconsequential (a matter of “niceness” met with ...