Historical and Cultural Context of In the Name of the Father
Encyclopedia
Historical and Cultural Context: In the Name of the Father is an analysis of 1993
film directed by Jim Sheridan
based on the true life story of the Guildford Four
, four people falsely convicted
of the IRA's Guildford pub bombing
which killed 4 off duty British Soldiers and a civilian. The screenplay was adapted by Terry George
and Jim Sheridan
from the autobiography
Proved Innocent by Gerry Conlon. This article was made to shed some light on the historical and cultural aftermath of not only the Guildford Four Trials, but also the overall violence in Northern Ireland.
and more specifically Gerry Conlon. The Guildford Four were arrested and charged with bombing the Horse & Groom in Guildford, Surrey, England in 1974. The four went on to serve 15 years of their prison sentence until 1989 when the original court cases were overturned.
This event in British History is part of the greater struggle in Northern Ireland often referred to as The Troubles
.
As a result of the IRA bombings in the U.K. The Prevention of Terrorism Act
was passed in 1974.
--Gerry Conlon, Paul Hill
, Paddy Armstrong, and Carole Richardson--were acquitted on Oct. 5, 1989. They had been in prison four 15 years. ConIon and Hill spent a total of 6 of those years in solitary confinement.
Anglo-American press was quick to point out that Sheridan distorted the facts of the case. The notable (and only major) discrepancies which occur are Sheridan’s depiction of Gerry and Guisseppe Conlon sharing a cell; in fact, they were not in the same prison. Another change occurs in the scenes showing the Guildford Four
and Maguire Seven on trial together; their trials were undertaken separately in jury-less proceedings. Lastly, though Gareth Pierce (played by Emma Thompson
) did represent the Four, the documents revealing torture and coerced testimonies were found in the Surrey Police Headquarters during a special investigation in August, 1987.
, wrote extensively about the bloodshed in his home country. He published poems dealing with the sectarian violence
in Northern Ireland. In his poem, "Punishment," published in 1975 Heaney writes about the violence occurring.
Heaney also wrote a memorial poem for his cousin Colum McCartney who was killed at a mock roadblock in Northern Ireland. The poem is titled "The Strand at Lough Beg," but takes a more sentimental approach than "Punishment."
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
film directed by Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan is an Irish film director. A six-time Academy Award nominee, Sheridan is perhaps best known for his films My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Get Rich or Die Tryin and In America.-Life and career:...
based on the true life story of the Guildford Four
Guildford Four
The Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven were two sets of people whose convictions in English courts for the Guildford pub bombings in the 1970s were eventually quashed...
, four people falsely convicted
Miscarriage of justice
A miscarriage of justice primarily is the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. The term can also apply to errors in the other direction—"errors of impunity", and to civil cases. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a wrongful...
of the IRA's Guildford pub bombing
Guildford pub bombing
The Guildford pub bombings occurred on 5 October 1974. The Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated two 6-pound gelignite bombs at two pubs in Guildford, England. The pubs were targeted because they were popular with British Army personnel...
which killed 4 off duty British Soldiers and a civilian. The screenplay was adapted by Terry George
Terry George
Terry George is an Irish screenwriter and director. Born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland much of his film work involves the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
and Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan is an Irish film director. A six-time Academy Award nominee, Sheridan is perhaps best known for his films My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Get Rich or Die Tryin and In America.-Life and career:...
from the autobiography
Proved Innocent by Gerry Conlon. This article was made to shed some light on the historical and cultural aftermath of not only the Guildford Four Trials, but also the overall violence in Northern Ireland.
Historical context
In the Name of the Father deals with the Guildford FourGuildford Four
The Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven were two sets of people whose convictions in English courts for the Guildford pub bombings in the 1970s were eventually quashed...
and more specifically Gerry Conlon. The Guildford Four were arrested and charged with bombing the Horse & Groom in Guildford, Surrey, England in 1974. The four went on to serve 15 years of their prison sentence until 1989 when the original court cases were overturned.
This event in British History is part of the greater struggle in Northern Ireland often referred to as The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
.
As a result of the IRA bombings in the U.K. The Prevention of Terrorism Act
Prevention of Terrorism Act
Prevention of Terrorism Act could refer to four different sets of Acts of Parliament, in three different countries:* Prevention of Terrorism Acts, passed between 1974 and 1989 to deal with terrorism in Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom...
was passed in 1974.
Historical inaccuracies
The Guildford FourGuildford Four
The Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven were two sets of people whose convictions in English courts for the Guildford pub bombings in the 1970s were eventually quashed...
--Gerry Conlon, Paul Hill
Paul Hill
Paul Hill is the name of:*Paul Jennings Hill , American anti-abortion activist and murderer, executed*Paul Hill , one of the Guildford Four...
, Paddy Armstrong, and Carole Richardson--were acquitted on Oct. 5, 1989. They had been in prison four 15 years. ConIon and Hill spent a total of 6 of those years in solitary confinement.
Anglo-American press was quick to point out that Sheridan distorted the facts of the case. The notable (and only major) discrepancies which occur are Sheridan’s depiction of Gerry and Guisseppe Conlon sharing a cell; in fact, they were not in the same prison. Another change occurs in the scenes showing the Guildford Four
Guildford Four
The Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven were two sets of people whose convictions in English courts for the Guildford pub bombings in the 1970s were eventually quashed...
and Maguire Seven on trial together; their trials were undertaken separately in jury-less proceedings. Lastly, though Gareth Pierce (played by Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...
) did represent the Four, the documents revealing torture and coerced testimonies were found in the Surrey Police Headquarters during a special investigation in August, 1987.
Cultural context
Irish poet, Seamus HeaneySeamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
, wrote extensively about the bloodshed in his home country. He published poems dealing with the sectarian violence
Sectarian violence
Sectarian violence and/or sectarian strife is violence inspired by sectarianism, that is, between different sects of one particular mode of ideology or religion within a nation/community...
in Northern Ireland. In his poem, "Punishment," published in 1975 Heaney writes about the violence occurring.
Heaney also wrote a memorial poem for his cousin Colum McCartney who was killed at a mock roadblock in Northern Ireland. The poem is titled "The Strand at Lough Beg," but takes a more sentimental approach than "Punishment."
See also
- Guildford FourGuildford FourThe Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven were two sets of people whose convictions in English courts for the Guildford pub bombings in the 1970s were eventually quashed...
- Maguire Seven
- Birmingham SixBirmingham SixThe Birmingham Six were six men—Hugh Callaghan, Patrick Joseph Hill, Gerard Hunter, Richard McIlkenny, William Power and John Walker—sentenced to life imprisonment in 1975 in the United Kingdom for the Birmingham pub bombings. Their convictions were declared unsafe and quashed by the Court of...
- Prevention of Terrorism ActPrevention of Terrorism Act (Northern Ireland)The Prevention of Terrorism Acts were a series of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1974 to 1989 that conferred emergency powers upon police forces where they suspected terrorism....
- Gareth PeirceGareth PeirceGareth Peirce is an English solicitor, educated at the Cheltenham Ladies' College, the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics. She is known for her work in high profile cases representing people with Irish and Muslim backgrounds accused of terrorism.-Personal life:Born with the...
- In the Name of the Father (film)
Sources
- Bew, P. and Gillespie, G. "Northern Ireland: A Chronology of the Troubles. 1968-1999."
- CAIN:Conflict Archive on the Internet. University of Ulster. http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/
- Elliott, S. and Flackes, W.D. "Northern Ireland: A Political Directory."
- T.W. Moody & F.X. Martin. "The Course of Irish History."