As the old farmer Tony Reilly (played by Peter Maloney) puts it, in a line that is all too typical, “Sure, we're good with our fists, no surprise there.” But theatrically, it is set in a different time and place: the Abbey, some time between 1930 and 1959.

What year is outside Mullingar set in?

Four more years pass before we reach the final scene of the play, which is set in the year 2013. Anthony is now 47 and Rosemary is about 40—which is to say life is passing them by as they remain stuck in their solitude.

What is Outside Mullingar play about?

Outside Mullingar is about the romance of Anthony and Rosemary, neighbors in rural Ireland, who are nearing their middle years. It is by turns poetic, uplifting, dark and funny as hell. Anthony is an introverted farmer and Rosemary is the woman who vows to have him at all costs.