Playwright Mary-Elaine Tynan on The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong

In the lead-up to our eight-performance run of Paddy: The Life & Times of Paddy Armstrong, which opens this week, we spoke with playwright, producer, and biographer Mary-Elaine Tynan to discuss all things related to the play. Here, Mary talks about her relationship with Paddy, the inspiration behind her passion for telling this story, and how the production came to life.

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At its heart, storytelling is one of the oldest and most powerful tools we have. It allows us to explore the deepest truths about ourselves and our world by inviting us in. There’s something quietly powerful about gathering in a theatre to hear a story. We don’t always come looking for answers, but somehow, in the space between the words and the silences, we find ourselves understanding more. They give shape to experience, voice to memory, and dignity to lives that might otherwise be overlooked. The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong is a story rooted in real events, not a history lesson. It’s a reminder of how lives can be turned inside out, of the strength it takes to keep going and that behind every headline and historical event is a human being, with hopes, humour, contradictions, and pain.

 

Paddy is not a man who shouted his story from the rooftops. When he left prison, he slipped quietly out the back door and tried to get on with his life. His is a story that could have easily been forgotten and an example of one that should not. He is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of forgiveness, reminding us that the privilege of freedom and love, family and everyday life can restore us and mend the scars of even the most savage injustice. I first met Paddy in 2014 through his wife Caroline, who was my music teacher in secondary school. Caroline and I later became colleagues when I became a teacher. Paddy was the subject of a radio documentary that I made about his life for RTÉ’s Documentary on One – “Small Lives and Great Reputations”. 

During this process, Paddy and I forged a friendship based on a mutual respect and a shared sense of humour. When he asked me to write his memoir, I refused as I didn’t consider myself to be qualified to write such an important story but he was quietly insistent. “I want my grandchildren to know who I was,” he said. And somehow, I knew I had to help him tell his story. Life After Life, A Guildford Four Memoir was published by Gill Books in 2017.

After the book was so well received an idea began to form my head. I wondered if this could be adapted into a play - a one-man show at Paddy’s life. I spoke to Laura and Andy who run the Viking Theatre, Clontarf and they agreed to host the play. In 2023 I worked with Niamh Gleeson an accomplished playwright and Fair City script writer. When we had a draft, I approached Don Wycherley. Having seen him perform in the Abbey Theatre, I knew he would be perfect for the role. Don and I worked on the script throughout 2024; he brought a wealth of acting and writing experience to the process. We spent months stripping away, paring back, and rebuilding until we had the play that you will see performed. Don’s performance has brought a rare and beautiful truth to the role: measured, compassionate, and full of quiet force. 

The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong began its life on stage at the Viking Theatre in Clontarf in November 2024. What started as a small, intimate production has since grown into a national tour and will soon reach international audiences. In truth, the seeds of this journey were planted many years ago.

As a teenager, I was haunted by In the Name of the Father. I watched it over and over, compelled by the injustice, by the rage, by the humanity at its core. With a Belfast-born mother and childhoods spent between the city and the Glens of Antrim, the Troubles weren’t distant history to me—they were close, lived, known. Paddy’s story felt both unique and familiar, personal and political. I have lived with this story for most of my life. Through the documentary, the memoir, and now the play, it has become part of me.

I’m not sure I’ll ever fully let it go because some stories won’t rest until they are fully heard. This is one of them. I am honoured to help tell it. I hope that through this play Paddy’s story will remembered not just with the mind, but with the heart.

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Paddy: The Life & Times of Paddy Armstrong, Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire:

Fri 20 - Sun 22 Jun, 8pm
Tue 24 - Fri 27 Jun, 8pm
Matinée: Sat 21 Jun, 2.30pm*

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