A carpenter and builder by trade, Paddy Doherty was strongly active in the Civil Rights agitation of the late 1960s and early 1970s and was on occasion a victim of police brutality. A radical and trade unionist, this is his story as he gives an account of his life in the city of Derry.

In what appears to be a very English scene, Hilary and Bron are sitting peacefully on a verandah, when Hilary's sister and her husband show up. But this is more than just a family visit, and it is soon revealed that all is not as it appears. Bennett deftly uses the backdrop of a Cold War spy story to explore questions of loyalty, betrayal and national identity in this suspenseful and entertaining play. 'The Old Country' premiered at the Queen's Theatre, London, in September 1977.