'Dead! And Never Called Me Mother!' - Meet the 95-year-old Wicklow man who brought melodrama to rural Ireland

"One of the Show People who travel the roads of Ireland bringing joy to people's lives, Kilmacanogue's Harry McFadden has tales to tell of his life on tour. At one point in our conversation, Harry begins quoting from the script of East Lynne, the famous melodrama which used to be popular throughout the English-speaking world. "Dead! And never called me mother!" he declaims cheerfully, recalling how audiences used to love the play when it was staged by the McFadden road show in towns around Ireland."

"He has not presented the old crowd pleaser, with its sentimental plot featuring the death of the luckless Little Willie, in more than half a century. Yet the words are delivered as clearly as they ever were by his female co-stars at venues such as The Murrough in Wicklow or the old coal yard in Bray."

Harry McFadden travels the roads of Ireland as one of the Show People, bringing joy through touring performances. He recalls quoting from East Lynne, a famous melodrama once popular throughout the English-speaking world, and delivers the line "Dead! And never called me mother!" with cheerful force. Audiences historically loved the sentimental plot, which included the death of Little Willie. McFadden has not staged East Lynne in over half a century, yet he still remembers and recites the dialogue as clearly as his former female co-stars did at venues such as The Murrough in Wicklow and the old coal yard in Bray.

Read at Independent