William Ó Máille

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Liam O Mallie, inspiration for the character of Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World , fl. 1873.

The Playboy of the Western World is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge and first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on 26 January 1907. It is set in Michael James Flaherty's public house in County Mayo during the early 1900s. It tells the story of Christy Mahon, a young man running away from his farm, claiming he killed his father.

O Maille lived two miles west of the townland of Callow in Murvey, Connemara. In January 1873 he accidentally killed his father during a fight. He fled the scene, eventually making his way to Inishmore, staying with relatives in Cill Ronan. He was eventually able to escape to the United States, where he was later joined by his wife.

Connemara cultural region in County Galway, Ireland

Connemara is a cultural region in County Galway, Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains a major part of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, which is a key part of the identity of the region and is the largest Gaeltacht in the country.

Inishmore island on the west coast of Ireland

Inis Mór is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay in Ireland and has an area of 31 km2 (12 sq mi). Inis Mór has a population of about 840, making it the largest of the Aran Islands in terms of population and largest island off the Irish coast with no bridge or causeway to the mainland. The island is famous for its strong Irish culture, loyalty to the Irish language, and a wealth of Pre-Christian and Christian ancient sites including Dún Aonghasa, described as "the most magnificent barbaric monument in Europe" by George Petrie.

John Millington Synge used O Maille as the basis for this character, Christy Mahon.

John Millington Synge Irish playwright, poet, prose writer, and collector of folklore

Edmund John Millington Synge was an Irish playwright, poet, prose writer, travel writer and collector of folklore. He was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival and was one of the co-founders of the Abbey Theatre. He is best known for his play The Playboy of the Western World, which caused riots in Dublin during its opening run at the Abbey Theatre.

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References

Tim Robinson is a writer and cartographer. Born in Yorkshire, he studied mathematics at Cambridge University. After a career as a visual artist in Istanbul, Vienna and London he settled in the Aran Islands, off the coast of County Galway, and began a detailed study of the landscape of the west of Ireland. He has won two Irish Book Awards for his Connemara books.