Aahana Swrup
The FX historical drama show ‘Say Nothing’ delves into the striking and nuanced stories that unfold in Belfast, Northern Ireland, centered on the Troubles conflict and its after-effects. Dolours Price, a young Irish Republican, drives the narrative as she and her sister, Marian, join the Provincial Irish Republican Army (IRA) in their youth to fight for Ireland’s independence from the British. Under the leadership of military strategist and budding politician Gerry Adams and sharing the company of fellow IRA member Brendan Hughes, the two sisters become invaluable assets for the cause. However, as an uneasy peace settles over Northern Ireland in the aftermath of their youth, Dolours looks back on her past, struggling to reckon with some of her actions.
One of these insurmountable instances remains the elusive disappearance of Jean McConville, the widowed single mother of ten. Created by Joshua Zetumer, ‘Say Nothing’ presents an expansive account of Northern Ireland’s historical conflict and the nuanced role that the IRA played in it. It explores the inner dynamics and moralities of the IRA through its central characters—most of whom are members of the paramilitary group. Simultaneously, it also depicts the stories of the people who fell victim to this group’s tragic history. As a result, the show retains a profoundly authentic lens of the Irish struggle during the late 1900s.
Say Nothing is Based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s Nonfiction Book
As a historical show, overlapping with largely biographical elements, ‘Say Nothing’ presents the real story of IRA officers who strived for Irish reunification. It’s based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s historical true crime book, ‘Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland,’ which primarily follows the ethno-nationalist conflict that unraveled in Northern Ireland during the late 1900s. First published in 2018, the book chronicles an extensively researched account of real-life events as established through more than a hundred interviews and historical records. Even though the author sports a connection to Ireland through an Irish heritage from his father’s side, he retains an outsider’s perspective on the matter.
Nonetheless, Keefe’s critically acclaimed work remains highly researched and offers a commendable insight into Northern Ireland’s history. The author conducted personal interviews with numerous people who might have known the central subjects of his book and tracked down press accounts and other verifications to fact-check his research. Consequently, his book maintains strong connections to reality. On the FX show ‘Say Nothing,’ Joshua Zetumer worked closely with Keefe, who serves on the project as an executive producer. Therefore, the on-screen story inherits the same historical accuracy and authenticity, further expanding upon its source material.
Say Nothing Tackles Dolours Price, Gerry Adams, and the Belfast Project
‘Say Nothing’ shares its literary predecessor’s central focus on Dolours Price’s life, building its narrative around the historical figure. As such, viewers are taken on a journey through the multiple civil rights movements that unfolded in Belfast in the late 1900s. Thus, across its run, the show depicts various historical events from the IRA volunteer’s life, including the orally handed down stories of her bank robberies, the tragic 1973 bombings in London, Price’s subsequent imprisonment, and the aftermath of The Northern Irish Peace Process. Furthermore, a particular emphasis is shed on Price’s relationship with Gerry Adams, the well-known Irish politician and former President of Sinn Féin.
‘Say Nothing’ establishes Gerry Adams’ on-screen character as an IRA leader from the get-go. In the show, Josh Finan’s Gerry pulls all the strings from the shadows, organizing and facilitating the actions of the IRA’s Belfast Brigade through Dolours and Brendan’s characters. However, in real life, Adams has repeatedly denied ever being a part of the IRA or sporting involvement in any IRA-related actions. In turn, oral and recorded accounts from both Dolours Price and Brendan Hughes accuse the politician of the same. Particularly, through the duo’s involvement in the Belfast Project, they had alleged Adams to be the head of an IRA-related kidnapping ring.
The Belfast Project is a series of interviews conducted by experts such as historians, journalists, and academics. The interviews mostly include subjects who are former IRA members and other individuals with insightful accounts of The Troubles. These interviews are kept confidential until the death of the subjects, allowing them anonymity while also benefiting from the historical account of their experiences. In Price’s interview for this project, she shared her version of the truth behind the murder of Jean McConville. The IRA killed McConville, a widow and a mother to ten children, due to suspicions and claims of being an informant. Yet, these claims were never proven.
Although Price, who was the driver in McConville’s car ride to her demise — as per her admission — allegedly divulged the woman’s individual killer, the same remains a secret to this day. However, Keefe, and hence Zetumer’s show, presents a definitive version of how McConville’s death played out in their on-screen historical recreation. Thus, while ‘Say Nothing’ remains intrinsically rooted in reality, with several real-life accounts shaping the show’s narrative, the creators have also employed a certain amount of artistic liberty to streamline and round out the central storyline. For the most part, the same produces an account of specific events that remain authentic through a certain perspective but contested by others.
The Show Strives For Authenticity in Every Facet of the Story
While the bulk of the material in ‘Say Nothing’ maintains a notable thread to reality, a lot of it emerges from academic or historical relevance. As Americans, neither Author Patrick Radden Keefe nor Showrunner Joshua Zetumer grew up in the culture that bore the brunt of the after-effects of the Northern Ireland conflict. Nonetheless, the creators made up for this discrepancy by employing Irish screenwriters/directors —Kirsten Sheridan, Michael Lennox, and Anthony Byrne, alongside English screenwriters/directors — Joe Murtagh, Alice Seabright, and Mary Nighy.
Furthermore, the central cast also remains populated with English and Irish actors who have close understanding and connections to Northern Ireland’s history. In fact, both Lola Petticrew and Anthony Boyle — the on-screen Dolours and Brendan — grew up in West Belfast in the 90s. As such, through a collaborative effort on the set, the creative minds behind the show ensured a nuanced, empathetic, and, most importantly, authentic depiction of the socially harrowing time period in Irish history. As such, each morally challenged personality — from Dolours and Brendan to Marin and Gerry — comes to life on the screen as fleshed-out characters riddled with realism.
Read More: Say Nothing: Where is the FX Show Filmed?
