Aahana Swrup
Set in a small Irish town during 1974, ‘In the Land of Saints and Sinners’ offers a story fraught with a morally nuanced narrative that explores themes of redemption and reckoning. Liam Neeson helms the narrative as Finbar Murphy, a hitman teetering on the edge of retirement. However, the entrance of Doireann McCann and her group of IRA members, fleeing from a violent mission, hinders Murphy’s retirement plans. Consequently, after one of Doireann’s men makes trouble in town, it pitches the woman and the hitman on opposing ends of a battle that can only end in a brawl of bullets.
Even though the film maintains a safe distance from socio-political issues to retain its identity as a small-town action thriller, Doireann’s character remains defined by her standing as a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. For the same reason, one can’t help but grow intrigued by the potential of her connection to a real-life figure.
Doireann McCann: A Fictional Agent in a Fictional Story
Despite Doireann McCann’s on-screen connections to the IRA and her fervent political standing throughout the film, the character holds no real-life ties to any recorded member of the historical organization. Yet, the character’s relevance within the narrative remains reflective of the period-typical civil unreset that emerged in Ireland due to the decades-long conflict of “The Troubles.” Doireann’s introduction into the plot arrives with a tragic bombing carried out by her cell within the Provisional IRA, wherein a couple of civilians, including little kids, get caught in the crossfire.
Therefore, from the get-go, Doireann remains steeped in moral nuance as a part of a group that assigns violence as an essential tool toward freedom. Her character carries the same logic— if in a skewed fashion— as she’s confronted with the reality of her brother Curtis’ death. Consequently, she embarks on a vengeful rampage, trigger-happy to pass judgment on anyone who can be associated with Curtis’ murder. Nevertheless, even as she’s less compelled to hear justification regarding her brother’s demise, Doireann showcases moments of integrity as she spares the life of her victim’s mother.
As such, Doireann’s clear sense of justice— sporting an eye for an eye philosophy— informs a significant aspect of her character. Since the same philosophy is rooted in her position within the IRA as it existed in the 70s, the character holds clear ties to the organization. Furthermore, her involvement in a bombing remains reminiscent of the campaigns equipped by the IRA at the time, assigning historical authenticity to her political identity.
Nevertheless, the film focuses on Doireann’s arrival in County Donegal, bestowing all narrative significance to her feud with the local resident hitman, Murphy. As a result of the same, save for her initial involvement in a bombing, her character remains distant from any notable historical events. For the same reason, while the character remains a treasure chest of moral nuance for the audience to decipher, she holds little in a sense of historical relevance. Ultimately, although Doireann reflects a piece of Irish history, her character remains as fictitious as the film’s events.
Read More: When and Where Does In the Land of Saints and Sinners Take Place?
