The Snapper

Welcome to the helter-skelter Curley household. At the head of it is Dessie Curley, a plasterer who likes getting plastered. The root is actually ruled by his wife Kay who is also in her early forties. She is a bright, resourceful woman which is just as well because she has a lot to contend with – not least her six children. Craig, the eldest, is soon to return from a six month tour of duty in the Lebanon with the UN peace-keeping force. He fancies himself as a bit of a hard man. Sharon, a twenty-year-old supermarket assistant, has recently been behaving rather oddly. Sonny is a sixteen-year-old tearaway and lippy with it. Lisa, at 14, is very self-conscious but her almost permanent scowl hides a terrific sense of humour. Darren is a budding cyclist who wants a racing bike for his birthday and – last but not least – Kimberly, 11, the accident-prone baby of the family, is a dedicated drum majorette. And then there’s Famine the dog. Dessie is afraid of Famine. This typical, cheerful, noisy, close-knit Irish home is hit by a bombshell when Sharon announces that she pregnant. To make matters worse she refuses to name the father. She tells her mates down the pub that he is a Spanish sailor but is she telling the truth?