Sometimes, one of the greatest things about living in Europe is that I get to see and experience cultures different than my own. The USA can be very insulated, and with relation to today’s blog post, this means that we make our own Television programs and have our own “cult classics” which we then proceed to export around the world and introduce into the “collective consciousness” of society. There are very few great comedies (or other TV shows) that make it over to our collective memory from outside the USA. It’s just a fact of life that most of our broadcast into the home entertainment coming from “outside” the USA is few and far between. If you want to have something “international” you really have to go hunting for it. Today, I can think of a handful of shows – Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, Keeping up Appearances, Masterpiece Theater – that were on consistently as a child growing up – all of which were made by the BBC – and all of which only were shown only on PBS (not the main larger TV stations). This saddens me because there are so many great writers out there – both in the USA and abroad – which are in the “European” or individual country collective consciousness but which we as Americans simply miss out on.

One of these programs that never made it to the States is a show that aired in the 1990’s called Father Ted. When I first moved to Ireland, I was told that this was a “must watch” show in order to help fit in. Here in Ireland, it is one of the best comedies (reruns are still on TV) which almost everyone at any age can enjoy. It’s about a couple of Priests (Father Ted, Father Dougal, and Father Jack) who have been exiled to the fictional Craggy Island (off of Ireland’s west coast) because of some questionable incidents. The three priests live together and have a housekeeper named Mrs. Doyle. As the series progresses, “wise” Father Ted takes on the role as the “dad”, Father Dougal (sweet but really quite naieve) takes on the role of the son, Mrs. Doyle takes on the role of the bumbling mom (and excels at physical comedy) who serves Tea (aww go on, go on!) and cleans through it all, and Father Jack as the grumpy drunken relative. The whole thing is quite hilarious as they have adventures (in one episode, Father Ted is asked to host a beauty contest, in another, Father Dougal takes on a milkman who has been “serving” the entire community, and in a third, Father Ted & Father Doyle have to break Father Jack out of the retirement home – to name a couple) and everything goes wacky. The show tackles a certain loveable “Irish” standpoint and also has some questionable (scandalous!) themes that have caused me to laugh near to tears with each passing moment. All told, there were only 25 episodes made, but by far, the culture here loves their Father Ted.

Out of this TV show and the recession, enter an enterprising American lady. At the top, I posted the opening sequence of the Father Ted show, courtesy of Youtube. As we fly in over the coast of County Claire, you zoom across the fields and then are flown around the house where the entire show is supposed to take place. Well, this house has been owned by a ex Pat American lady and her Irish husband for the last 25 years. They bought the place when they first got married (before the TV show) and once the show became a big hit, began noticing that people would come from all over Ireland to drive by the house and have pictures made with it. One day in the last few years, the American lady was laid off. As the job search continued, she had a great idea – I have a house that people come from all over to see – let’s use it to my advantage. And thus, Tea at Father Ted’s house was born. This lovely lady, from New York state, by appointment (it’s a 3 hour drive from Dublin) invites people into her home (aka Father Ted’s home) and puts on a full spread of “tea” to about 10 – 14 people. There’s tea, homemade cakes and scones, and some fun conversation about all of the people that she gets to meet. While she’s not Mrs. Doyle, she is a lovely, enterprising lady, who has figured out that for 10 Euros a person, and selling some additions (postcards, Tea, scarves, etc that are “related” to the show) she can have a little extra cash in her pocket.

So, where am I going with this? Simple. For A’s birthday this year, the unmentionable #30, she decided she wanted to go to Father Ted’s for tea. And so it was, one fine Saturday last April, that we found ourselves (2 cars packed full of A’s friends) driving the 3 hours from Dublin, across on the motorway and into the rural county Claire Burren region to visit Father Ted’s house. It was neat to see the house, and to see the inside. The best part was getting to see the American running the place (I was quite amused to realize she was American – and she was rather amused that I could point out some of the items from various episodes and appreciate her efforts and entrepreneurial spirit) and her fine family.