DCU Television Drama Lecture with Helena Sheehan
Written by Maggie Harpur
Photographed by Chelsea Prestia

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    Every culture is reflected in its art; everything from murals on city walls to street performers can show a country’s personality. Dr. Helena Sheehan from Dublin City University studies an art form that most people might not consider: soap operas. She gave a lecture to Point Park University students on May 12 about the stories told by Irish television dramas.
   To begin, Sheehan discussed the history of television in Ireland. Many traditional Catholics were worried about how the introduction of TV would affect the country’s culture, but they were unable to stop this popular media from coming to Ireland.
   After the media was brought into the country, many of the first dramas were based on literature, theater and radio. It wasn’t until the 1960s when made-for-TV dramas were introduced. Single plays became a series of shows and new writers were emerging to create these series.
   Sheehan took the time to discuss specific soap operas that caused controversy. "The Spike" and "The Riordans" were two shows that made many Catholic conservatives afraid that their views were being eroded.
   “The whole society was feeling threatened by the existence of these shows,” Sheehan said.
   In addition to these two shows, Sheehan talked about "Leave it to Mrs. O’Brien" and "Father Ted," two dramas about priests and housekeepers. They actually caused more controversy in the United States because of their mocking humor of Catholicism. Even though she had been a nun, Sheehan said she enjoyed Father Ted and could repeatedly watch it; she felt her Catholic background made the show even more humorous.
   Next she discussed the current drama "Fair City," which has been on air since 1989. She said the show has its up and downs, but it struggled to capture the Celtic tiger boom.
   “The show made an effort to reflect the changing nature of the Irish population. It just fell short,” she said.
   Sheehan also talked about the current issues facing Ireland’s soap opera industry. The economic crisis plays a large part, but she also feels that people have a “failure of vision” as well as a “failure of nerve.” In addition, it’s difficult to create Irish dramas because the country imports most of its shows from countries such as Britain, Australia and the United States.
   If she could have it her way, Sheehan would want more dramas about universities and journalism; she feels that hospital and police soap operas have become overdramatized and overrepresented. She would also like to see a more properly represented liberal point of view.
   Although soap operas may not be considered an art form by most, Dr. Sheehan believes in the power of these shows. When done properly, they can reflect a society’s culture, which is exactly what art is supposed to do.