Evelyn Page #5

-You didn't attack a nun, then?

-l did not.

l'm learning the rules of the game.

-What do we do now?

-We wait.

No. That's just what they want us to do.

They'll do nothing for months

and hope that we'll go away.

Nothing will happen

unless we force their hand.

l'll give my old friend Hugh Canning a ring.

Hugh Canning?

-But he's a sports commentator.

-Mostly, yes.

But he does a bit of everything.

May God grant you justice.

-Take this and run along, girl.

-Thank you, Sister.

What is it?

-Eileen, come here.

-What's going on?

''Desmond Doyle, a painter and decorator

from Fatima Mansions, Dublin...

''is a loving father who just wants

to spend time with his children...

''but the powers that be won't let him.

''Desmond's rosy-cheeked

little daughter, Evelyn....''

At least they've set a date for the hearing.

That's the first step.

A little bit of gentle pressure did the trick.

We had to give the Minister

a kick up his fat ass.

What do we do now?

You should smarten yourself up.

The press might want photos of you.

Try combing your hair, occasionally.

Shave.

Look as if you haven't just fallen out of bed.

Use me as a role model if you want to.

And buy a new pair of shoes

before we get to court.

-New shoes?

-Yes.

l've known judges who judge a man's

character by the state of his shoes.

-Here they come. Let's get a shot.

-Especially of the little girl.

-Come on.

-Get the three of them together, now.

-Daddy, l scored a goal in Gaelic!

-Daddy.

My loves! You look wonderful.

-Daddy, l like your new shoes.

-Thanks, Evelyn.

Ferris hasn't changed much since l knew

him. The torn-faced old poultice.

He's always looked like the Turin Shroud.

We used to call him ''Ferris the Ferret.''

Which is an insult to the rodent.

Mr. Barron, you're representing

the petitioner, Desmond Doyle?

Yes, my lord.

We contend the judge at the District Court

hearing of January 10 of this year...

misdirected the petitioner,

Mr. Desmond Doyle.

l refer you to the notes of that case

wherein the judge expressed his hope...

that Mr. Doyle would not have to leave

his children in care for too long.

Sadly, that has not been the case here.

The Children's Act of 1941 clearly states...

that unless the spouse is deceased,

which is not the case here...

then the consent

of both parents is required.

This is the basis of our case, Your Lordship.

Provision of the Children's Act...

must be understood in its literal,

grammatical meaning.

''Both parents'' means exactly that.

l therefore find against the petitioner,

Desmond Doyle.

Thank you, Judge Hall.

Judge McLaughlin?

With some reluctance,

l conclude that l, too, must find against...

the petitioner's application

and uphold the Minister's decision.

-We've lost.

-That's absolutely ridiculous!

-Order in court!

-You rotten louses. Let his babies go home.

Silence, or l shall have the court cleared.

-Silence in court!

-He's loving this. The rodent.

lt is incontrovertible...

that Section 10,

Subsection 1 of the Children's Act, 1941 ...

requires the consent of both parents.

ln the absence of such consent,

Evelyn Doyle and her brothers...

will remain in custody

until they are 16 years of age.

Daddy!

Furthermore, this court has decided...

that since the Children's Act

is capable of no other interpretation...

any appeal

would be a waste of the court's time.

Right of appeal is therefore denied.

-No, you flea-faced rat!

-Who said that?

Was that you, Connolly?

This is Hugh Canning,

the man who broke the Doyle story...

covering this sensational new development.

Leave them alone.

Get your hands off my kids!

-Leave me alone!

-Daddy!

Unbelievable scenes here at the High Court.

l've never seen anything like it.

Desmond Doyle struggles with the gardai

for possession of his children.

A pitiful scene to watch.

And who wouldn't sympathize with a father

in this situation?

Daddy!

Children!

Daddy, please!

ls Desmond Doyle here?

He's sitting over there, in the booth.

Sorry to interrupt you.

l'm Honest Joe O'Leary, racecourse bookie.

l owned the book

on the outcome of your court case.

-The punters backed you heavy.

-Great.

l didn't feel right in keeping this...

so l want you to have it.

Jesus.

My God.

lt's only 600, so l thought

it might go towards your court costs.

l don't know what to say, Mr. O'Leary.

You don't have to say anything, Mr. Doyle.

You see, l grew up in an orphanage.

l wish my dad had your guts.

Good luck to you. Good night, all.

Good night.

We're organizing a race next month.

-The Desmond Doyle Benefit Sweepstake.

-Great.

-Put your money on Slippery Sam.

-Slippery Sam.

Grand man. Good night, now. God bless.

This calls for a celebration.

Another round for the table.

Make mine a lemonade.

What? A lemonade? Are you all right, son?

No, l'm feeling terrible.

But maybe it's time l tried to feel better.

Jerry.

Keep your eye on the ball, son.

Dig it out.

-Dig it out.

-Thomas!

-Good reflexes, you'll need them.

-Back in the lrish strip, l see.

lt helps me to see things more clearly.

Did you play rugby yourself, Nick?

No, l understand it's kind of

a Neanderthal version of American football.

ls that what you think?

Hut, hut.

Hopeless.

So, anyway...

why have l invited you to this sacred turf?

-l was kind of wondering that.

-So was l.

Me, too. lt's not exactly

how l planned to spend my morning.

You know...

when my cartilage went

and they were taking me off on a stretcher...

l looked up and l saw this father...

holding his little child up on his shoulders.

They thought l was a hero,

but you know something?

l envied that man so much. He was my hero.

All Desmond wants

is to hold his kids up on his shoulders.

We can help you to that.

But how, Tom? There is no right of appeal.

Ferris made sure of that.

We don't need an appeal.

Not if we bring an entirely new case...

based on an entirely different

principle of law.

But we're automatically barred

from bringing the same facts...

before the same court

that's already heard them.

Be it the District Courts or High Courts,

we've nowhere else to go.

There is somewhere else to go.

The Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court?

We can't go there with this.

They won't hear a case like this.

They only deal with big stuff.

Yes.

Like laws that contravene

the lrish Constitution...

which l've been reading.

Wait a second. Hold on.

Has anyone ever successfully

challenged the law on these grounds?

No.

-What chance do you think we've got?

-Who knows?

But l've seen games won by teams

without any hope at all.

Bloody hopeless.

Good evening,

and welcome to the very first edition...

of Conversations With Canning...

on this marvelous new medium

of the television.

For those of you who listen to my show

on the wireless...

I hope I'm even better looking

than you thought.

Now, many of you...

will remember these sad headlines

of last month..

''Desmond's Despair. ''

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