[1] The Big Chapel – part of the Liberties Revival series – centres around an infamous clerical scandal in Victorian Ireland.

Within this story comes the ideas of humanity and ideology, taking a detailed look at the community and depicting life in Ireland with a focus on history and folklore in the region.

The main character Father Lannigan struggles with his revolution while Master Scully is stuck with too many choices.

[1] The major themes in The Big Chapel centre around humanity, ideology, power and religion, depicted through tragic comedy.

[2] According to Brian Friel, in The Guardian, “…what will keep it permanently vital will be the response it evokes once more from its astonished and grateful readers.”[3] Tony Messenger describes the book as “a complex but rewarding work.” He adds that it is an: “extremely well researched novel about dogma, rigidly sticking to one’s views, character definition and the little complexities in life.” [4]