The Dawning of the Day

A sweeping epic of interweaving tales following the lives, loves, trials and tribulations of three families, set against the backdrop of a turbulent decade in Irish history and one of great upheaval the world over.

Faithful attention to historical detail only adds to the interest and allure. The 1913 Lockout, the Great War, the Irish War of Independence and subsequent Civil War all come within the scope of this narrative. However, it is impact of these events on the human level – the individual and interpersonal tales – that offer up a rich seam of storytelling.

The Brennans (John, Mary and their children) are a working-class family living in Dublin’s inner city. In 1915, John enlists in the British Army. Sent to fight on the western front, he witnesses, experiences and endures the horrors of war first hand.

In rural County Kildare (not a million miles from Dublin but, what may well seem like a different world) Brian Byrne, a farm labourer with a young family, works at ‘the big house’, owned by Major O’Kelly, a landowner of the Ascendancy class and veteran of the Boer War.

In 1912, Bill Byrne (Brian’s brother) joins the Dublin Metropolitan Police and moves to the city. Events that are about to unfold will change everything.