Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme

Speak. Speak loud and clear. Let them hear you in Belfast. Let the Fenians hear it everywhere. Let the Hun hear the sons of Ulster preaching war.

On 1 July 1916, the 36th (Ulster) Division took part in one of the bloodiest battles in human history, the Battle of the Somme. In the extraordinary circumstances of World War I, eight ordinary men are changed, changed utterly.

Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme premiered on the Peacock Stage at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1985.

‘There is a touch of genius in McGuinness’s sensitive, often bleakly comic exploration of the men’s situation.’ Daily Telegraph

‘An epic drama that demands recognition for the male human animal in all his complexity, across any boundaries of belief or belonging we care to construct.’ Scotsman

‘A work of audacity and ambition, written early in his career, McGuinness’s drama folds history, psyche and sexuality within a complex structure.’ Irish Times