EastEnders Episodes In Ireland

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In 1997, the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

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soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' broadcast three singular transmissions that were filmed on location in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, Ireland. The episodes involved the Fowler and Beale family travelling from London to Ireland to meet their long-lost relatives. The episodes were badly received by viewers and heavily criticised in the media. The BBC was inundated with complaints from angry viewers from Ireland for negative stereotyping, portraying Irish people as "dirty, rude, and drunk".Italy's Square deal; LAST NIGHT'S VIEW
, '' The Mirror''. URL last accessed on 18 July 2007. Complaints were made by the Irish Embassy and there were fears that the episodes would have a negative effect on the Irish tourist trade. The BBC was forced to issue an apology for causing offence.

Storyline development

In 1997, ''EastEnders'' aired a storyline in which the character

Pauline Fowler Pauline Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''. She was played by actress Wendy Richard between the first episode on 19 February 1985 and 25 December 2006. Pauline was created by scriptwriter Tony Holland an ...

(

Wendy Richard Wendy Richard (born Wendy Emerton; 20 July 1943 – 26 February 2009) was an English actress, known for her television roles as Miss Shirley Brahms on the BBC sitcom ''Are You Being Served?'' from 1972 to 1985, and Pauline Fowler on the soap ...

) discovers that she has a long-lost sister, Maggie Flaherty (Olivia Shanley). In the storyline, Pauline's now-deceased mother

Lou Beale Lou Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Anna Wing. Her first appearance is in the first episode, which was broadcast on 19 February 1985, and her last is in episode 362, first shown on 26 July 1988, ...

had given Maggie up for adoption shortly after her birth, as she was born out of wedlock. Maggie is first said to be the result of an illicit affair Lou had with an Irishman 60 years earlier, but although Maggie is initially thought to be Pauline's half-sister, it later transpires that they share the same father too; Maggie was only the result of pre-marital sex between Lou and her husband-to-be,

Albert Beale The following is a list of fictional characters that appeared in televised spin-offs of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', but have not appeared in ''EastEnders'' itself. '' CivvyStreet'' Albert Beale Albert Beale appeared in the 1988 ''Eas ...

. Pauline and various members of the Fowler and Beale family travel to Ireland to reunite with their long-lost relatives in a special week of episodes. The episodes were filmed on location in the countryside around

County Dublin "Action to match our speech" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg , map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...

, away from the soap's typical filming location in

Borehamwood Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 31,074, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly known ...

, England. They were filmed over a period of two weeks in July and August 1997, and were broadcast on 22, 23 and 25 September 1997. In the three episodes, Pauline is accompanied by her sons

Mark Fowler Mark Fowler is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Mark, an original regular character when the series started in February 1985, became a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro was written out of the ro ...

(

Todd Carty Todd Carty also known as Todd John Jennings (born Todd Robert Carty; 31 August 1963) is an English actor and director who has grown up on television screens in a variety of roles. His stage appearances have ranged from pantomime to serious dram ...

) and Martin Fowler (

James Alexandrou James Alekos Alexandrou (born 12 April 1985) is an English actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying the role of Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1996 to 2007. He was also the presenter of ''Bizarre Crime'' on B ...

), Mark's wife

Ruth Fowler Ruth Aitken (also Fowler) is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Caroline Paterson from 1994 to 1999. Ruth was Mark Fowler (Todd Carty)'s ex-wife and she is far more comfortable with his HIV ...

(

Caroline Paterson Caroline Paterson (born 1965) is a Scottish actress and director who has appeared in many Scottish television shows such as one-off STV drama, '' The Steamie'' and the BBC's '' Rab C. Nesbitt''. However, she is most recognised for her role in ' ...

), nephew

Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...

(

Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...

) and his daughter

Lucy Beale Lucy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The character was played by Eva Brittin-Snell (from 1993 to 1996), Casey Anne Rothery (from 1996 until 2004), Melissa Suffield (from 2004 to 2010), and Hetti Bywater ...

(

Casey Anne Rothery Lucy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. The character was played by Eva Brittin-Snell (from 1993 to 1996), Casey Anne Rothery (from 1996 until 2004), Melissa Suffield (from 2004 to 2010), and Hetti Bywater ( ...

). Speaking about their trip to Dublin, actress Wendy Richard who played Pauline said "It's nice to be in Dublin for a change. It's not like London at all, where they take you a little bit for granted", and Todd Carty, who played her screen son Mark, said "It's also really nice to get out of Albert Square for a while to do something different." A number of Irish actors were cast as Pauline's long-lost relatives, many of whom were starring in their first prominent television role. They included Maggie Flaherty, played by Olivia Shanley, son

Conor Conor is a male given name of Irish origin. The meaning of the name is "Lover of Wolves" or "Lover of Hounds". '' Conchobhar/Conchubhar'' or from the name ''Conaire'', found in Irish legend as the name of the high king Conaire Mór and other hero ...

( Sean Gleeson) and his headstrong daughter

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

(

Melanie Clark Pullen Melanie Clark Pullen (2 July 1975 – 29 March 2022) was an Irish actress, film producer and writer. Career Born and raised in Ireland, Clark Pullen attended Newpark Comprehensive School and then studied drama at Trinity College, Dublin. Shortl ...

).I felt so lonely and isolated when I went to work on EastEnders
, ''Sunday Mirror''. URL last accessed on 31 March 2007. For the latter two characters, Conor and Mary, the Ireland episodes were only the beginning of their stint in ''EastEnders''. Both characters remained in the serial as regulars, moving back to the soap's setting in

Albert Square Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...

to be with the new-found family. They remained on-screen for two years. At the time of filming the Ireland episodes, Gleeson, from

Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles (Roman Catholic parish), Thurles. The cathedral ch ...

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...

, said, "The ''EastEnders'' cast are all really nice people", and Shanley said, "I've always been a big fan of ''EastEnders'' and to tell the truth I was a bit star struck ..But they made us all feel very much at ease." Clark Pullen added, "I was expecting the cast to be luvvies but they were all brilliant – real grafters and totally down to earth. They were all very supportive as well and made me feel right at home. I was pretty starstruck ..Wendy Richard who plays Pauline Fowler was great – she is the most wonderful woman and she quietly gave me advice on how to cope with the sudden fame and attention." They were also joined by a host of other characters, including Maggie's husband Sean (

Pat Laffan Patrick Laffan (8 June 1939 – 14 March 2019) was an Irish actor. Laffan is best remembered for playing the lothario milkman Pat Mustard in the Channel Four sitcom ''Father Ted'' episode " Speed 3" (1998), and Mr Burgess in Roddy Doyle R ...

), second son Eamonn (

Maurice O'Donoghue Maurice Cornelius O'Donoghue (born 1950) is an Irish people, Irish actor best known for his role as Father Ted minor characters, Father Dick Byrne on ''Father Ted''. His character in ''Father Ted'' is well known for his long running feud with Fa ...

), Eamonn's wife Brenda ( Janet Behan) and daughter Colette ( Shiona Redmond).

Reception

The episodes were not well received by viewers or the media. The BBC and the programme makers were heavily criticised for the

stereotypical In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...

way they portrayed

Irish people The Irish ( ga, Muintir na hÉireann or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been c ...

. Viewers were angered by scenes that they felt portrayed Irish as resentful towards English, drunk, dirty, poor and rude – one scene showed a drunk man pouring beer over Pauline Fowler (later revealed to be her brother-in-law), and then demanding payment for the drink. Others were angered by the scriptwriters' decision to include various farm animals in a street scene on the outskirts of Dublin, with one viewer commenting to the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...

'': "It was nothing like life in the real Ireland of today. When did you last see a donkey walking along our streets? The EastEnders production team haven't got a clue about modern Irish society; they are living in the Dark Ages." The BBC and

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...

(the Public Service Broadcaster of Ireland) received complaints from angry Irish people all over Britain and Ireland, and it was reported that viewers "bombarded" local and national radio stations, claiming the episodes were an insult to Irish people everywhere. Callers to

Radio Ulster BBC Radio Ulster ( ga, BBC Raidió Uladh) is a Northern Irish radio station owned and operated by BBC Northern Ireland, a division of the BBC. It was established on New Year's Day 1975, replacing what had been an opt-out of BBC Radio 4. It is ...

Talkback Talkback or talk back may refer to: * ''Talkback'' (album), a 1983 album by the Canadian band the Spoons * ''Talk Back'' (Kembe X album), 2016 *Talkback, an alternate name for Marvel Comics superhero Chase Stein * Talkback (recording), an audio ...

programme and

Gerry Ryan Gerard Ryan (4 June 1956 – 30 April 2010) was an Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). He presented '' The Gerry Ryan Show'' on radio station RTÉ 2fm each weekday morning from 1988 until ...

's morning talk show on

RTÉ radio RTÉ Radio is a division of the Irish national broadcasting organisation Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Radio broadcasts four analogue channels and five digital channels nationwide. Founded in January 1926 as 2RN, the first broadcaster in t ...

, demanded that the scriptwriters be sacked. BBC contributor Mike Philpott described the show as "the worst case of stage 'Oirish' seen for a long time" and "one of the most shameful half-hour episodes in the history of British television". The angry reaction stretched from official channels, such as the Irish Embassy, to holiday chiefs, who feared that the episodes would have a negative effect on tourist trade. The Irish Embassy in London said, " 'EastEnders''has caused a great deal of upset and annoyance in the country

reland Adriaan Reland (also known as ''Adriaen Reeland/Reelant'', ''Hadrianus Relandus'') (17 July 1676, De Rijp, North Holland5 February 1718, UtrechtJohn Gorton, ''A General Biographical Dictionary'', 1838, Whittaker & Co.) was a noted Dutch Orientali ...

and with Irish people in Britain." Furthermore, they suggested that the episodes "presented a prejudiced and stereotyped view of Ireland that asutterly unrecognisable." Ted Barrington, Ireland's ambassador to the UK, described the portrayal of Ireland as an "unrepresentative caricature", stating he was worried by the negative stereotypes and the images of drunkenness, backwardness and isolation. He added, "EastEnders is a powerful and very concentrated medium … People are upset at the caricature and misrepresentation of Ireland. Irish people can laugh at themselves but, the point is, this is one of the most popular programmes on British television, and it decided to present an image of Ireland that conforms to old-fashioned negative stereotypes. It selected an unrepresentative range of stereotypes. Cultural and racial stereotyping tends to create barriers between people." Mark Mortell, the chairman of Ireland's national tourism development,

Bord Fáilte Cucerdea ( hu, Oláhkocsárd, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bord (''Bord''), Cucerdea, and Șeulia de Mureș (''Oláhsályi''). The commune is located in the sout ...

, said: "I am enormously concerned that the single biggest television audience in Britain was shown a negative image of Irish hospitality … It has the potential to be enormously damaging." His colleague, John Lahiffe, added: "I am dismayed by the mischievous nature of it. We go to great efforts to promote this country, but it was in no way representative of Ireland." Various Irish entertainers and sports personalities also went public with their opinions on the episodes. Broadcaster

Gerry Kelly Gerard Kelly (Irish: Gearard Ó Ceallaigh; born 5 April 1953) is an Irish republican politician and former Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) member who played a leading role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement on 1 ...

labelled the episodes racist, and an unmitigated disaster. The Irish actors, who were employed specifically for the storyline, were also criticised by Kelly for not speaking out against the scenes they were enacting. He accused them of selling out their heritage and denigrating their fellow-countrymen. Comic

Brendan O'Carroll Brendan O'Carroll (born 17 September 1955) is an Irish actor, comedian, director, producer and writer. He is best known for portraying foul-mouthed matriarch Agnes Brown on stage and in the BBC and RTÉ television sitcom ''Mrs. Brown's Boys''. ...

said, "Whoever wrote the script has obviously never been to Ireland. I'm very disappointed because ''EastEnders'' is a programme I have great respect for. It is outrageous and untrue to portray us like that. I'm disappointed the producers allowed it to be broadcast as it was." Former jockey and TV presenter Declan Murphy said, "It's wrong and disgraceful when writers portray everyone from Ireland as backward drunks. I am an Irishman and I'm proud of it, but I'm not a drunk and I'm certainly not backward and neither are my compatriots." Actor Garret Keogh, who played an "ignorant" Irish hotel owner in the ''EastEnders'' episodes, revealed: "The streets around Cabra, where I live, are hopping. I went down to get the paper and some bread and I was accosted. The script has stirred up a hell of a hornets' nest here. I'm only an actor, but I wouldn't want to do anything that would be demeaning to me, my people or my country." However, actor

Dermot Morgan Dermot John Morgan (31 March 1952 – 28 February 1998) was an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his role as Father Ted Crilly in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Father Ted''. Early life Morgan was born in Dublin, the son of Hilda "Holly" (née S ...

urged Irish people not to over-react: "I'm sure there's no great conspiracy against Irish people here. The BBC have a good track record and this would seem to be a dodgy storyline that has somehow crept through. As for being drunks, surely they must only mean on a Saturday night!" Complaints were upheld by the British

Broadcasting Standards Commission The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and mail, postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers ...

, who said "the intention was positive rather than negative but the result was clumsy and irritating". The BBC said, "EastEnders has a reputation for showing slices of life in many different ways and sometimes these are not flattering", but they admitted that the episodes were "ill-judged" and issued a public apology for causing offence and misrepresenting Irish people.

Jana Bennett Jana Eve Bennett (6 November 1955 – 11 January 2022) was an American-born British media consultant; member of the board of the British Library; member of the board of the Headlong Theatre Company; and Adviser to Ozy Media. Previously she was ...

, the BBC's then director of production, stated on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

's news bulletin: "It is clear that a significant number of viewers have been upset by the recent episodes of ''EastEnders'', and we are very sorry, because the production team and programme makers did not mean to cause any offence." A year later, in 1998, BBC chairman

Christopher Bland Sir Francis Christopher Buchan Bland (29 May 1938 – 28 January 2017) was a British businessman and politician. He was deputy chairman of the Independent Television Authority (1972), which was renamed the Independent Broadcasting Authority in th ...

admitted that as result of the Irish-set ''EastEnders'' episodes, the station failed in its pledge to represent all groups accurately and avoid reinforcing prejudice.

Characters introduced

Flaherty family

Maggie Flaherty

Margaret "Maggie" Flaherty is the illegitimate child of Lou (

Anna Wing Anna Eva Lydia Catherine Wing (30 October 1914 – 7 July 2013) was an English actress who had a long career in television and theatre, known for portraying the role of Beale family matriarch Lou Beale in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. ...

) and

(

Gary Olsen Gary Olsen (born Gary Kenneth Grant; 3 November 1957 – 12 September 2000) was an English actor. He played Ben in the BBC television sitcom ''2point4 Children''. Biography Olsen was born in London and lived with an aunt and uncle after b ...

), before they married. She was given up for adoption, as she was born out of wedlock, and was sent to live with a family in Ireland. She was adopted by the Medeemey family. In 1996, eight years after Lou's death in 1988, her youngest daughter Pauline (

) finds a letter from Lou to her best friend

Ethel Ethel (also '' æthel'') is an Old English word meaning "noble", today often used as a feminine given name. Etymology and historic usage The word means ''æthel'' "noble". It is frequently attested as the first element in Anglo-Saxon names, b ...

(

Gretchen Franklin Gretchen Franklin (7 July 1911 – 11 July 2005) was an English actress and dancer with a career in show business spanning over 70 years. She was born in Covent Garden, Central London. She played Ethel Skinner in the long-running BBC 1 soap ope ...

), revealing that she had a secret daughter. Pauline and her family try to find Maggie, and when they do, they visit her in Kilmoneen, Ireland. Whilst in Ireland, Maggie's lecherous husband

Sean Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...

(Pat Laffin) flirts with Pauline, and is abusive to his granddaughter,

(

). When Pauline and her family leave, taking Mary with them, she begs Maggie to leave Sean and return to

Walford Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...

with her, but Maggie decides to stay and look after her vast family. This is the last time she is seen. Her grown up family send a wreath to Pauline's funeral in 2006 and Maggie herself sends flowers and a condolence message to her nephew

(

), when his daughter

Lucy Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Lu ...

(

Hetti Bywater Harriet Jessica Phoebe “Hetti” Bywater (born 10 September 1994) is an English former actress. She is best known for portraying Lucy Beale in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', taking over the role from Melissa Suffield in January 2012 until ...

) dies in 2014. In April 2019, Martin Fowler ( James Bye) goes to Ireland to attend her funeral.

Sean Flaherty

Sean Flaherty, portrayed by Pat Laffin, is first seen as a

lecherous Lascivious behavior is sexual behavior or conduct that is considered crude and offensive, or contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. In this sense "lascivious" is similar in meaning to "lewd", "indecent", "lecherous", ...

drunk Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...

in a pub in the Irish village of Kilmoneen. Sean leers over

(

)'s

breasts The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and secret ...

and tries to buy her a drink, only to be told to leave her alone by

(

). He later goes over to Pauline and tries to touch her, spilling

stout Stout is a dark, top-fermented beer with a number of variations, including dry stout, oatmeal stout, milk stout, and imperial stout. The first known use of the word ''stout'' for beer, in a document dated 1677 found in the Egerton Manuscript ...

on her. He is then thrown out of the bar. Later, when Pauline is at Maggie's house, and her eldest son Eamonn brings his father home, Pauline is shocked to see that Maggie was married to Sean. Eamonn later tells Sean of his granddaughter

(

)'s affair with married man

Gerry McCrae In 1997, the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' broadcast three singular transmissions that were filmed on location in Dublin, Ireland. The episodes involved the Fowler and Beale family travelling from London to Ireland to meet their long-lost r ...

. Maggie races to Mary's school to collect her before violent Sean can get to her. She begs Pauline to take Mary back to

with her. Pauline gets Sean drunk until he falls asleep and then helps Maggie pack Mary's clothes. As Pauline, Mary and the family leave Kilmoneen, Sean staggers into the road to try to stop the car, and stop Mary from leaving.

Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...

(

) gets out of the car and punches Sean in the

groin In human anatomy, the groin (the adjective is ''inguinal'', as in inguinal canal) is the junctional area (also known as the inguinal region) between the abdomen and the thigh on either side of the pubic bone. This is also known as the medial comp ...

, and they speed off in the car, leaving Sean doubled over in pain.

Conor Flaherty

Conor Flaherty, played by

Seán Gleeson Seán Gleeson (born 18 February) is an English actor, director and producer, known for his roles as Conor Flaherty in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Ronnie Woodson in the BBC soap opera ''Doctors (2000 TV series), Doctors''. As ...

, is

(

)'s nephew – the son of her long-lost sister

Maggie Maggie is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret. Maggie may refer to: People Women * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), Aust ...

and her husband

. Conor also has a daughter, Mary Flaherty (

), from his first marriage but he doesn't get on with her. When Mary decides she wants to move to

with Pauline, Conor also follows her.

Mary Flaherty

Mary Flaherty, played by

, is the daughter of

Conor Flaherty Conor Flaherty is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by actor Seán Gleeson from 22 September 1997 to 22 February 1999. The character first appeared in a special week of episodes set in Ireland, the first broad ...

(

). Mary is having an affair with an older married man,

. She decides to move to Walford with the Fowlers to escape her alcoholic, violent grandfather,

, who finds out about her affair. Her father also follows her.

Eamonn Flaherty

Eamonn Flaherty, portrayed by

, is

(

)'s nephew – the eldest son of her long-lost sister

and her husband

. Eamonn is unwelcoming to his long-lost relatives, and extremely loyal to his drunken father. He defends his father's bullying to his long-lost cousin

(

), and they nearly come to blows because of this. According to the Kilmoneen hotelier, Patrick, Eamonn had been on the receiving end of his father's abuse as a child and was severely whipped with a belt for stealing chocolate. Patrick comments, "you don't break the commandments, not in Sean's house". Even though he is of aware of the potential repercussions, Eamonn informs his father that his niece

(

) has been having an affair with a married man, and Sean is furious. Maggie fears for her safety, so she sends her to London to live with Pauline.

Brenda Flaherty

Brenda Flaherty, portrayed by Janet Behan, is

's daughter-in-law, married to her son Eamonn, and mother to his children,

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...

, Eamonn and Kylie. She is sent to collect

(

) and her family and takes them to meet Maggie. She is lazy and smelly;

(

) says she needs a bath. She is too lazy to collect her son, Eamonn, from choir practice, and sends

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

(

) and

to get him.

Colette Flaherty

Colette Flaherty, portrayed by Shiona Redmond, is the eldest daughter of Eamonn and

Brenda Flaherty In 1997, the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' broadcast three singular transmissions that were filmed on location in Dublin, Ireland. The episodes involved the The Beale/Fowler family, Fowler and Beale family travelling from London to Ireland to ...

. Colette is the same age as her

first cousin once removed Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, ...

, Martin Fowler (

), and the pair hit it off. This is only a holiday romance however, as Martin leaves with his family the following week. Colette hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Eamonn Flaherty Jnr

Eamonn Flaherty, played by Seán Walsh, is the son of Eamonn (after whom he was named) and

. Eamonn is witness to the first kiss between his sister

and Martin Fowler (

), when they go to collect him from choir practice.

Other family members

Other characters

Gerry McCrae

Gerry McCrae is the shopkeeper in Kilmoneen, the Irish village where the Flaherty family live. Gerry is a married man, but is secretly having an affair with Mary Flaherty (

). He tells Mary he is leaving his wife to be with her, but Mary ends their relationship publicly, and the local bartender,

Patrick Patrick may refer to: * Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People * Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...

Garrett Keogh), hears their argument and tells Mary's uncle, Eamonn (

). Eamonn cannot wait to tell his violent, alcoholic father

(Pat Laffin), which leads to Mary's departure from the village, scared of what Sean will do to her.