The Parting Glass

A story of love, family, friendship, turbulent economic times… and Thierry Henry’s left hand.
Dermot Bolger’s acclaimed The Parting Glass is set on the infamous night when Thierry Henry caused Ireland’s World Cup exit with two illegal flicks of his wrist. Bolger uses Henry’s sleight of hand as a metaphor for the deceptions practised on Irish people during the Celtic Tiger. After emigrating to seek work in the 1980s – a journey charted in Bolger’s earlier classic play, In High Germany – Eoin made a new life in Germany.

In this standalone sequel, Eoin returns to Ireland with his wife and son at the height of the boom, and just in time for the bust. The Parting Glass reflects the recurrent pattern of emigration amongst Ireland’s present generation - a cycle considered banished forever.

Premiered by Axis, staring Ray Yeates as Eoin, The Parting Glass is a powerful, passionate and funny meditation on the state of Eoin mid-life and Ireland mid-bust; a searing interrogation of friendship, family and Anglo Irish Bank shares.

“A rare achievement” – Irish Times.