by dave agnew

"Is it height- in this country of otherwise low buildings- that got these Anglo-Irish houses their 'big' name? Or have they been called 'big' with a slight inflection- that of hostility, irony? One may call a man 'big' with just that inflection because he seems to think the hell of himself." – Elizabeth Bowen

It is the summer of 1919, and the Stokes family has gathered for their patriarch’s birthday, as they do every year. And, like every year, Stokes’ Court, their manor house, is awash with drama, gossip and family politics. This year, though, everyone is on a knife-edge, as Ireland is wracked by the chaos of war. In the face of violence, burnings, reprisals and counter-reprisals, the future is uncertain, and change is coming for everybody, no matter how hard you may try to ignore it.