Novel
Title: THE RECTORY Synopsis: A country rectory in the heart of rural Ireland. The 1970s. The rector is coping with two problems: a wife, Jennifer, who is drinking too much and his own problems with belief. The last surviving member of the family of the ‘Big House’ has put pressure on the rector to hold a festival to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the church that his family built; a last ditch attempt at the affirmation of his family’s name in the community. The rector has no stomach for the festival. Jennifer’s drinking is getting steadily worse. The rector’s only confidant is a Roman Catholic friend, of Jennifer’s, Kate, whose husband has recently run away with one of the rector’s parishioners. One day a man turns up at the rectory and claims to be the rector’s son by a relationship he had with a woman he worked with in the bank before he was ordained. At the big event for the festival in the parish hall, the bishop, TD, County Councillors etc present, Jennifer causes a commotion when she turns up late, drunk. She makes a spectacle of herself by grabbing the microphone and speaking. After this event one night Jennifer does not come home from the pub. Six o’clock in the morning the rector goes to look for her and eventually finds her unconscious. She is brought to hospital and dies. The rector finally goes to see the bishop to tell him what he believes and doesn’t believe, and finds it a waste of time; the bishop pats him metaphorically on the head and tells him it will pass. He returns to the parish and goes to see Kate to tell her about the interview and they end up in bed. |
|
|
| |
Patrick Semple |
 |
