Farrah Phelan

Last updated

Farrah Clayton
Fair City character
Portrayed by Fiona Glascott
Sinead Keenan
Denise McCormack
Caroline Harvey
Duration1998–2003, 2014–2019
First appearance1998
Last appearance3 January 2019
Classification Former; regular
Introduced byNiall Mathews
In-universe information
OccupationBartender (former), Shop assistant
ParentsChristy Phelan (father; deceased)
Renee Phelan (mother)
SpouseMax Clayton (separated)

Farrah Phelan (now Clayton) is a fictional character from the Irish television soap opera, Fair City . The character has been portrayed by four actresses in total. The character first appeared onscreen in 1998 played by Fiona Glascott; however, the character left the series to go to London. On her return in 2000, Sinead Keenan was cast in the role. The character left the series for a second time and when she returned for a third time, the role went to Denise McCormack. The character again left the series to take up a photography course in London. In 2014, Caroline Harvey was cast in the role when the character's father Christy Phelan has a stroke.

Contents

Storylines

Backstory

The Phelan family have been part of Fair City since the series began in 1989. Farrah's uncle, Hughie, is the first Phelan to appear in the series. [1] As that character leaves Carrigstown, his mother Eunice Dunstan is introduced to the series and – later – her older son Christy and his wife Renee.

As Hughie and his wife depart Carrigstown, the writers provided his brother and his sister-in-law as replacements. The Doyles – the other major family in Fair City – are growing up so it is thought the series needed a new family. This introduced teenage daughter Farrah to the series.

Farrah is the first of the two Phelan siblings to be introduced. Her brother Floyd is introduced soon after (he has also been played by two separate actors). She also has a half-sister, Heather, whom Floyd unknowingly dated. [2]

The Phelans would later take over Doyle's shop – now Phelan's Spar.

Return

After years living in New Zealand, Farrah returns to Carrigstown along with her husband Max Clayton when her father becomes unwell. [3]

Development

The character has had several different styles over the years. Each of the actresses who have played Farrah have brought their own vision to the role. Fiona Glascott played the role as a hippyish guitar playing teen. Later, Sinead Keenan would add a more comic approach to the character. Denise McCormack played a more grounded Farrah. The actress who plays Farrah currently, Caroline Harvey, stated in an interview for the Irish Independent in 2016: "At the start I made the decision to do my own thing, and because there was a long gap between when Denise played Farrah and when I played her, it allowed me some breathing space." [4]

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References

  1. ↑ Gallagher, Brian (3 October 2005). Inside Fair City. Rooney Media Graphics. ISBN   978-0955090202.
  2. ↑ Kelleher, Lynne (18 June 2003). "FAIR CITY INCEST SHOCKER; RTE soap turns up the heat for viewers". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "Farrah Phelan". RTÉ Television. Raidió Teilifís Éireann . Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  4. ↑ Rabbitt, Eimear (10 February 2016). "'I made the decision to do my own thing' – Caroline Harvey on being the fourth actress to play Fair City's Farrah". Irish Independent . Retrieved 13 January 2017.
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