Sheelin

SHEELIN:

By

David Leahy

TITLES:

INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS

1. EXT. CROVER, LAKE SHEELIN DR LEAHY’S FARM. DAY.

ELIZABETH (12) and her father DR JAMES LEAHY are milking the cows in the farm on the north side of Lough Sheelin, Cavan Ireland in the 1860s. Another young girl, her best friend JANE comes running down the hill towards them.

JANE:

Lizzy, Lizzy!

ELIZABETH:

Papa, Jane’s here can I go now?

DR JAMES:

Go on to school girl, I’ll finish the rest.

Elizabeth runs down to Jane grabs her hand and off they go, skipping down the road towards Ballymachugh school.

JANE:

Have you got your coal?

ELIZABETH:

I do.

Elizabeth reaches into her skirt pocket and brings out a piece of black coal to show her, then slips it back in the pocket. Wiping her now dirty hand on her dress. Further down the lane the spotted Jane’s brother John (1 year younger) with a girl named Julia Wilton, they were holding hands and skipping along towards the school.

JANE:

I see ya John with your new girlfriend, will you be bringin her home to Mammy?

The girls giggled. John blushed and ran off into the woods with Julia.

2. EXT. CORNER OF PATH TO BALLYMACHUGH SCHOOL. CONTINUOUS.

Jane and Elizabeth are holding hands and skipping down the path on their way to school when around the corner a boy (BILLY THE ROGUE) jumps out from a hedge in front of them to block their passage.

BILLY THE ROGUE:

Stop!

ELIZABETH:

Why?

BILLY THE ROGUE:

Path Toll

ELIZABETH:

What do you mean Path Toll?

BILLY THE ROGUE:

I’ve taken control of this section of the path and it’ll cost you a piece of coal for each of you to pass

ELIZABETH:

That’s not true Billy and you know it!

BILLY THE ROGUE:

Tis true the farmer Reilly there gave me the rights to this path yesterday and asked me to collect a toll

Elizabeth begins to cry; she doesn’t want to hand over the coal and be shamed by the teacher. Reluctantly she begins reaching into her skirt pocket for the coal then Jane pipes up.

JANE:

Do not Lizzy! Billy’s a liar, there’s no toll on this path, or maybe we should go to farmer Reilly’s house and ask him!

Billy looks troubled at this suggestion, scratches his chin in ‘contemplation’ and decides that a compromise might be in order.

BILLY THE ROGUE:

All right, there’s no need to go disturbin farmer Reilly, in fact, he’s not even there today. I’ll tell you what then because you’re girls and I know yous and it’s your first time I’ll let you both pass for one piece instead of two.

Jane throws all her weight into her arms, pushes Billy in the chest into the hedge, grabs Elizabeth’s hand and runs.

JANE:

Run Lizzy run!

Billy toppled backwards into the hedge. By the time he’d gotten to his feet again, the girls were at least twenty yards ahead of him. They arrive at the school and dutifully hand over their ‘coal’ to the teacher. Today it’s Billy the Rogue’s turn to stand in the corner with no coal to hand over. He looks over his shoulder to see Elizabeth and Jane sniggering at him, he murmurs to himself.

BILLY THE ROGUE:

(murmurs)

I’ll get my revenge!

DISSOLVE TO:

3. EXT. ELIZABETH, JANE AND HER YOUNGER SISTER LUCY PLAYING IN FIELDS AFTER SCHOOL

After school the girls set about having a game of ‘tig’ chasing after each other in the fields nearby the school and taking their time to get home (to avoid chores they knew would be waiting for them). Jane’s younger sister Lucy joined them. They chased after one another screaming and giggling as they were ‘caught’ by the ‘tigged’ person (once you’d been touched you were then the ‘tigged’ person and had to chase the others. They entered an open field, except for a small round tree on its own in the centre which they were mysteriously drawn towards. Elizabeth was the ‘tigged’ person and chased after Lucy as she screamed with delight at being chased. She ran whilst looking over her shoulder to see how far away Elizabeth was. Then, whilst looking behind her she fell into the sole tree in the middle of the field. She screamed. It wasn’t very big and she broke a few branches off it. Jane came running up

JANE:

Lucy are you okay?

LUCY:

I’m fine, just a few scratches.

ELIZABETH:

You know my father told me that’s a fairy tree, that’s why they wouldn’t clear it from the field.

JANE:

Ah that’s nonsense!

ELIZABETH (WINKING AT JANE)

No it’s true it’s a fairy tree, and now you’ve damaged it Lucy, you’ll bring bad luck on yourself and maybe us too!

Lucy begins to cry. Elizabeth puts her arm around he to comfort her.

ELIZABETH:

It’s okay Lucy fairies like shiny sparkly things, if you come back later and leave some shiny sparkly things at the bottom of the tree they’ll probably forgive you.

Elizabeth turned to Jane again and winked.

JANE:

Or if you help your older sisters with their chores they’ll probably forgive you too.

Jane turned to Elizabeth and winked. They carried on home to begin their chores and the incident wasn’t discussed again.

4. EXT. ELIZABETH AND HER FATHER MILKING THE COWS IN SAME PLACE 10 YEARS LATER. DAY.

Ten years later Elizabeth was a fully grown woman milking the cows with her father again. Jane comes running down the hill.

JANE:

Lizzie, Lizzy!

ELIZABETH:

Father, Jane’s here, she only has an hour off her shift at the pub, sure would you do the last three cows yourself?

DR JAMES:

Go ahead then Lizzy, I’ll make a farmer’s wife of you someday.

ELIZABETH:

Ah, sure I’ll not be that long.

ELIZABETH:

Well, what’s the craic Jane?

JANE:

Tom Conaty was in the Pub again and the craic was mighty!

ELIZABETH:

I think you’ve taken a fancy to him.

JANE:

He’s a wild man altogether. He can fair put away them Porters. He’s asked me to the dance next week in Sheridan’s barn.

ELIZABETH:

And are ya goin?

JANE:

Sure why not? Nothin much else happenin around here!

ELIZABETH:

Ain’t that the truth.

They continue to walk amongst the lush green fields and look out over Lough Sheelin at the swans and ducks feeding.

ELIZABETH:

Jane, remember when we were kids we used to sit down there at the pier on the lake. We’d see the boats tied up and cause we couldn’t see the other side of the lake we’d imagine we could jump in a boat, sail off and be somewhere on the other side of the world?

JANE:

Aye, we’d have drowned for sure. Still, I managed to get out on them with a few boys in my teens! (laughing).

ELIZABETH:

What hope for us is there around here, farmer’s wife and that’s about it, that’s your lot, I suppose we should be glad we’re not starving like a lot of folks, but I just feel I need something more. I want to travel, see all the Capitals of Europe, maybe even meet a few Princes or Kings, or at least some aristocrats!

JANE:

I don’t see many aristocrats in this vicinity.

ELIZABETH:

(laughs)

ELIZABETH:

Tom Conaty? Isn’t he a left-footer?

JANE:

Jaysuz Lizzy if I restrict myself to Protestants, I’ll end up marrying another bloody Leahy!

ELIZABETH:

You know what your father would say about you marrying a left-footer!

JANE:

He can say what he likes, he’s not the boss of me! Anyway Lucy (her sister) is doin a strong line with that guard (policeman) Mike Collins from CrossKeys and sure he’s as Catholic as they come.

They walked on in silence for a bit. Up ahead they see a man they recognize between thatched cottages ‘fishing’. However, he wasn’t fishing for fish, the line was going over his neighbour’s wall into his chicken coup, it was ‘Billy the Rogue’ up to his tricks again.

JANE:

It’s Billy, he’s fishing for Foster’s chicken’s ha ha! He’ll have one in the pot sure enough!

Within a few minutes, Jane’s prophesy came true, the chicken goes for the seed on the end of the hook and Billy whips it over the wall into a pot, ready for the cooking. Just then his neighbour JOSEPH FOSTER comes running out.

JOSEPH FOSTER:

Billy get away from my chickens ya fecker, I’ll be countin them and checkin if any are missing and I’ll have the Guards on yee.

Billy took no heed and rings the chicken’s neck; he’d be having chicken stew for a few days.

ELIZABETH:

That’s what I’m talking about, Billy and his tricks, and all the petty little feuds goin on around here, I’m sick of it, I want out of it.

JANE:

I hear you, I’m sick of it too, there’s no future in this place. Tom has relatives in America, now there would be a country to make a new life.

ELIZABETH:

Well you’re jumpin the gun a bit there aren’t you (laughing), he hasn’t even taken you to the dance and you're off to America with him (laughs more).

Jane slaps Elizabeth on the shoulder.

JANE:

Don’t be makin fun of me, sure I’m allowed to dream, like you and your Kings and Princes! I must go back, my shift break will be over, I’ll chat to you later.

Jane goes skipping off over Crover hill back to her father’s pub to go back to work. Elizabeth carries on walking thinking about the conversation and considering her options and trying to eliminate milking cows from those options.

5. EXT.PATH BESIDE THE LAKE. CONTINUED.

Three of Jane’s sisters, Lucy, Harriet and Ellen were nearby and joined them on their walk, they were chattering away talking mainly about boys and who they fancied. Further down the lane they came across an old woman trying unsuccessfully to get on her cart pulled by a donkey. They heard her cursing and swearing at the donkey and the men who built the cart and at her own body for letting her down in her old age, not be able to mount the step due to her stiff and unresponsive joints. She spotted the girls coming towards her and shouted at them.

OLD WOMAN:

Girls will ye give me a hand here I can’t get up on the cart!

The girls ran up to her and with group effort of appropriately positioned hands managed to lift the cranky old woman up onto the cart.

OLD WOMAN:

Ah that’s great girls, I only got down to clip a bit of heather.

JANE:

Where are you from Mam? Can we be of any further assistance?

OLD WOMAN:

Ah sure I’m from the other side of the lake there, I’m fine now ta. I’ll tell yous what for helpin an old woman I’ll read your palms, give them up to me there.

The girls looked at each other, Jane put her hand up first to the old woman, who took her hand in hers. The old woman studied her palm intently.

OLD WOMAN:

You’ll live a long life, but a troubled one and you’ll travel far across the sea.

The girls laughed. Elizabeth put her hand up next.

OLD WOMAN:

You’ll also live long, but you’ll have your own troubles with money.

Elizabeth frowned.

ELIZABETH:

Well at least I’ll live long!

Harriet put her hand up next.

OLD WOMAN:

You too will travel but I see ill health and little future.

Harriet pulled her hand away and screwed up her face at the old woman. Lucy put up her hand to the old woman.

OLD WOMAN:

You’ll go into the earth my dear, but not in the way you expect.

LUCY:

You’re full of cryptic puzzles Mam, why can’t you give us a straight answer?

The old woman then took Ellen’s hand, briefly looked at it, shook her head and put it down again. By now the mood had turned from jovial to a somber atmosphere. The old woman whipped the donkey and went off down the path.

OLD WOMAN:

Thanks again, girls, good luck to all of you.

JANE:

Ah sure she’s only tryin to scare us the old fool!

Harriet and Ellen weren’t convinced and ran off in tears. Jane and Elizabeth walked on.

6. INT. LEAHY’S PUB AT ‘THE CROSS’. DAY.

Jane started her shift in the pub, it was almost empty. Like every pub, it had its regulars, ‘Dilly’ was one of those. He was also a far-flung relation but a bit of a prankster too. A thin man who always wore a dark suit (and didn’t change it often!) and he always wore a hat and always tried to start a ‘tab’ at the bar, but was never allowed as his credit was worthless!

DILLY:

How are ya today Jane?

JANE:

I’m grand Dilly, I’m grand.

After a momentary silence Jane continued.

JANE:

We ran into an old woman at the lake with a donkey and cart, she read our palms to tease us.

Jane made a forced laugh. Dilly didn’t laugh, which was unusual, as he normally laughed at everything.

DILLY:

Did she say she’d stopped for heather and needed help getting back up into her cart?

Jane immediately gave him a shocked look.

JANE:

How did you know that….Ah Ellen or Harriet have been in and told you! You had me goin there Dilly!

DILLY:

No I’ve not seen Ellen or Harriet, that old woman died about 50 years ago, she lived on the other side of the lake, she appears occasionally down at the lake, usually in broad daylight, asks for help to get on her cart then reads the palms of whoever helps her (and curses those who don’t), I’ll bet she didn’t foresee a bright future for all of you.

JANE:

Agghh a way on with you Dilly you’re talking out of your ass as usual.

Dilly cocked his head and shrugged. Jane moved off to clean some tables, Dilly was a known prankster, but he appeared deadly serious on this one. She later quizzed her sisters Harriet and Ellen if they had talked to Dilly about the old woman and they vehemently denied it.

7. INT. SHERIDAN'S BARN DANCE. NIGHT.

The barn dance has been going on a while and the last few songs the band plays are ballads. THOMAS CONATY and Jane are having a slow dance and some slow kisses to one of the ballads.

THOMAS CONATY:

Well, do ya fancy doin somethin tomorrow?

JANE:

Could do I suppose, the Pub’s closed so I’ve a day off, what did ya have in mind?

THOMAS CONATY:

Sure it’s fine weather why don’t we go out on the lake?

JANE:

You never said you owned a boat Thomas Conaty!

THOMAS CONATY:

Well, I don’t exactly ‘own’ a boat, but I know where we can ‘borrow’ one for a few hours.

JANE:

Okay, I’ll meet you at midday then – where is this ‘boat to be borrowed’ located?

THOMAS CONATY:

Do you know Moat on the west side of the lake?

JANE:

I do surely, Okay I’ll see you there tomorrow then. I’ll grab a few ‘beverages’ from the Pub!

At that, they have one last kiss then make their way home from the dance.

8. EXT. MOAT PIER BY LOUGH SHEELIN.DAY

The day isn’t sunny, but overcast, but if it’s not raining then it’s a fine day in Ireland. Jane gets down to the pier at Moat and there Thomas is, waiting with a bag in his hand.

JANE:

Have you brought your overnight bag Thomas Conaty?

THOMAS:

(Laughs)

Thomas jostles his bag and there’s a clinking glass sound, he’s also come prepared with alcoholic beverages – Poteen! The two greeted with a kiss then step into a ‘borrowed’ rowing boat tied up at the pier and begin rowing out into the lake.

JANE:

So who’s boat is this?

THOMAS:

It’s old man’s Sheridan’s, he’ll never miss it he only uses it to go fishing on rainy days.

JANE:

I hope you’re right I wouldn’t want the Guards waitin for me when we get back.

They row out into the middle of the lake, pull up the oars they proceed to drink talk, laugh, and kiss and a lot of just lying down and looking at the sky. They play ‘name the shape’ of the clouds game, then get a bit more contemplative as the alcohol goes down.

JANE:

So Thomas where do you see your life going from here?

THOMAS:

Well, my first plan would be to row back to shore.

She slaps him.

JANE:

You know what I mean, be serious.

THOMAS:

Truth be known I haven’t a f***in clue. I’ve done labourin on the farms about, but it’s hard work. I’d like to try somethin else but I don’t know what. What about yourself.

JANE:

Me and Lizzy were chattin about it the other week. I know the lake is a lovely place on a day like this, but more often than not its horizontal rain drivin in your face and everyone here knows your business, I’m just fed up. I’m fed up workin at the Pub, I want to wave a magic wand and pow! Be somewhere else.

THOMAS:

With someone else?

JANE:

Ah, now Thomas don’t be twistin my words I never said that!

She pulls him over and gives him a long kiss. They both lie there getting drunk in the boat looking up at the fluffy clouds drifting overhead with birds chirping and flies and bees buzzing about their heads.

MUSIC CUE:
"Chasing Cars"

JANE:

If we could just lie here in a boat and drink our lives away looking at the sky, drifting in the boat that would be a nice future wouldn’t it?

THOMAS:

Aye, that it would, that it would, that it would.

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