IRELAND AND IRISH CULTURE

Top o' the to you! The (holographic) village of Fair Haven is located in Ireland on the planet Earth. Ireland is located immediately west of mainland Britain with ferry links to Ireland from, for instance, Holyhead (on the island of Anglesey) and Pembroke in Wales. In the period when the holoscenario is set, namely early 20th century, Ireland was divided into two areas:

• Northern Ireland in the north-east, which formed part of the British Isles. Britain is ruled by a parliamentary democracy in the form of a 'constitutional monarchy' as an hereditary monarch is the head of State.
• Southern Ireland known also as Eire. It is also known as the Irish Republic, and is ruled by a parliamentary democracy in the form of a republic with a president as head of State.

In the Irish Republic in the year 2005, the vast majority of people, approximately 3 million, are Roman Catholic; therefore the holographic population of Fair Haven is Catholic, as that would have been the case in the time period in which the holoprogram is set.

Several commonly attributed aspects of Irish culture are mentioned. For instance, the Doctor mentions St. Patrick's Day, this being 17th March when every year Ireland's patron saint is commemorated. This indicates that the time of year in which the holoscenario is set is not close to 17th March, since the Doctor retorts to a quip of Tom Paris': "Try it and you'll be saying Hail Mary's until St Patrick's Day."

In [Fair Haven], Paris mentions "the luck of the Irish", indicating that in the case of Fair Haven, the luck went missing due to the ravages caused by not being able to run the holodeck shut-down sequence (resulting from the neutronic wavefront that Voyager encountered).

In [Spirit Folk], Seamus tells Paris: "Tommy boy! I've been told there's a pot of gold somewhere in Glen Abbey. Would you be able to find it with one of those fancy machines of yours?" Paris replies: "Just follow the rainbow, Seamus." Seamus: "Rainbow, eh?"

Leprechauns are mentioned by Kim in [Fair Haven], who assumes an Irish accent to kid Paris: "Oh, Tommy boy, you forgot the leprechauns." In [Spirit Folk], Maggie O'Halloran tells the townsfolk in Sullivan's: "Well, what about that Neelix fellow who runs The Ox & Lamb? Well, if he doesn't look like a leprechaun, I don't know who does!" The page backgrounds for the Episode Guides [Fair Haven] and [Spirit Folk] and this article are from the set Shamrock (see detailed credits at the bottom of the page), and honour the Irish national emblem which is the shamrock.

Behind-the-scenes: [Fair Haven] and [Sprit Folk] includes how the [Star Trek Voyager] staff such as the wardrobe and hair-styling departments produced the authentic look for the village and the holocharacters. Alan Sims, the properties master, also talks about the rings game including the research for it and creation of the rings board.

Rings tournaments are played every Saturday in Fair Haven, although special competitions are scheduled by Neelix which include entertainment such as the Doctor singing "Danny Boy" and Mossie Donegan's talking pig. The second meeting of Katie O'Clare (Janeway) with Sullivan, depicted in [Fair Haven], ends up with them playing rings from some time after midnight until Sullivan's wife Frannie arrives in the bar in the morning. The game is played only in certain regions of Ireland.

the rings board, which is in the shape of a family crest, a shield, with some rings on the pegs

hologram Sullivan, about to play rings with Kathryn Janeway, [Spirit Folk]

Irish is the first language of the Irish Republic, at least according to the Republic's constitution, and in 2005 approximately 43% of the indigenous population could speak it. In the Gaeltacht (the collective name for Irish-speaking areas) around 76% of the population could speak it. English is the first language as regards everyday spoken and written use. In Northern Ireland, both in the period that the holoprogram is set and in 2005, around 10% of the population have knowledge of Irish. In the village of Fair Haven, certain signs are in English and Irish, e.g. the railway sign and the signpost.

Ireland has produced poets and other writers, but in real life apparently not Jane Eldon or Sean Gogarty (as ascertained from checking in literary reference books, online, and tentatively from my own knowledge as I studied poetry in depth in my teens and tweens and still do so a bit). Eldon and Gogarty are mentioned, in [Fair Haven], by Michael Sullivan to Janeway whose reaction shows that she has not read them. Shortly afterwards, Chakotay discovers that Janeway has replicated a book of Jane Eldon's called 'Hills Most Green, Hearts Unseen'. Ireland's most famous writer was James Joyce (1882-1941), who is not mentioned in either [Fair Haven] or [Spirit Folk].

TIME PERIOD

TOSTFF says that the holoprogram is set in the 19th century. I believe it is actually early 20th century, between late 1903 and about 1912 - reasons below.

I believe the holoprogram is set no earlier than 1903, because Tom Paris drives a Ford vehicle, Model A or T (the director David Livingston is not sure which) in [Spirit Folk], and the Ford Motor Company was founded on 16th June 1903, with the first Ford car, the Model A, being sold in Detroit, Michigan, a few months later. The Model T began production in October 1908. (Of course, Tom Paris may not have got everything authentic, since Janeway points out, in [Fair Haven], that he has the harp on the pub insignia backwards. But I do not think the show's producers would have allowed Paris to be that historically careless except for a reason as otherwise it is a distraction to any viewers wondering: "Why has he got a Model A or Model T Ford when it is supposed to be 19th century?"). The Model T, designed by Ford "for the multitude", originally sold for $950 each, but the price dipped over its 19 years of production to as low as $280. Nearly 15,500,000 Model Ts were sold in the United States alone. The Model T heralded the beginning of the Motor Age, although it would take decades for the car to evolve from a luxury item for the well-to-do to 2005's transportation affordable by almost all. This indicates that the most plausible term. ad quem (latest possible date) for the holoprogram period is about 1915, when the Ford vehicles were still not too affordable. For Seamus takes Paris' car as indicating wealth, and Paris plays along by inventing the death of an aristocratic relative, whereupon Seamus wheedles from him enough money to pay for at least two pints of beer to drink a toast to the deceased relative.

LOCATION OF FAIR HAVEN

The Fair Haven holographic village is in southern Ireland. It is not in County Clare because Janeway in her persona of Katie says: "She and my uncle had a place not far from here, in County Clare." Michael Sullivan therefore christens her "O'Clare". TOSTFF says that Katie "comes from" County Clare but that is not actually stated; what Janeway states is that her aunt and uncle (not her parents) have a farm there and she helps them from time to time, although she does not deny that she comes from that County (where she comes from is academic; it is a holoprogram). Sullivan would not call her O'Clare if Fair Haven was itself located in County Clare. However, Janeway does not object to being surnamed O'Clare, which implies that she does not mind if she is thought to come from that County. County Clare, known as "the singing county", is on the west coast.

Fair Haven is 3½ miles from Killaloe (spelled Killalow on the signpost in Fair Haven) and 5 miles from Taumgraney (spelled Tuamgraney on some maps). Michael Sullivan says that from the top of the battlement of Castle O'Dell, which is a steep climb from the village, one can see Dublin. Based on this information, I indicate the likely approximate location of Fair Haven on the map below, namely on the border of the neighbouring eastern county in the region of Tipperary and Limerick. Slieve Bernagh, height 1742 feet, would make a good candidate as being Castle O'Dell. Killaloe is actually on the left bank of a large body of water which leads to the sea and which could, with a stretch of the imagination, be considered to be the sea coast added by Tom Paris when he expands the holoprogram to holodeck 2 such that Fair Haven does have an area of water if not actually the coast. Fair Haven cannot be sited actually on the coast as the nearest is near Limerick and that would make a nonsense of the mileage distances on the signpost in Fair Haven. This is despite Torres referring to the holoprogram as a seaside town; she could have been speaking loosely. When Paris extended the program onto holodeck 2 in order to create the sea coast, it is possible to suppose that he added the area down to and including the coast at Limerick. However, I do not think the show's producers intended such a study of Ireland maps and so a good deal should be left to artistic licence, both for Tom Paris in creating the holoprogram, and for the show's producers in creating the stories.

MAP 1 : County Clare and suggested site of Fair Haven

click to enlarge

MAP 2 : part of Ireland to show Galway and Limerick

click to enlarge

Doolin (see the coast on the north-west part of Map 1) is mentioned by Seamus, in [Fair Haven], when he starts to regale Tom Paris with the tale of how he met his wife: "I was on my way to the fair in Doolin, or was it Kilkee?...." In [Spirit Folk], Katie O'Clare (Janeway) says to Michael Sullivan: "I hear they opened a nickelodeon in Doolin. I thought it might be nice to go to a show." Sullivan is disappointed and replies: "I've got to tend the bar. I wish you'd let me know you were coming. I would've made arrangements." She answers: "It's alright. We can go some other time." The principal Star Trek canon authorities used by this site do not mention Doolin, but ST DVD notes it as "Doolean". As there is no such place in Ireland called "Doolean" (at least, not on the atlases I have checked), I think ST DVD wrote it phonetically. Doolin, on the coast (i.e. the west coast) of Ireland, in County Clare, is not that far from Fair Haven, and it would be logical to think that Paris included the name of this real place in the holoprogram. Doolin (marked as Fisherstreet on some maps) is for many the focus of "the singing county" as County Clare is known, being a place where fans of traditional music head to from all over northern Europe. Ferries go from Doolin to the nearby Aran Islands. The [Voyager] production staff no doubt knew/know of Doolin, because Dan Curry visited The Burren, the area of County Clare in which Doolin is located. Whilst there, he took photographs, and some of the locations provided the inspiration for aspects of [Voyager] including the stone wall style and stone castles for [#123 Barge Of The Dead] and the site of the settlement-through-the-ages in [#132 Blink Of An Eye]. Since [#123 Barge Of The Dead] occurred before [#131 Fair Haven], Dan Curry knew about the area before the elements of the Fair Haven holoprogram were devised. Behind-the-scenes: [Barge Of The Dead] Behind-the-scenes: [Blink Of An Eye].

Kilmanin is a fictional place; at least, it is not on any of the atlases that I have checked. This would tie in with the fact that Kilmanin was a village that mysteriously disappeared in 1846, according to the superstitious Seamus and Milo who repeat the tale of Old Patsy of County Meath ("Meath" is pronounced "May"). Seamus concludes the horror story Like County Clare, County Meath is real, and is located north-east of County Clare, with Laois and Offaly between.

Glen Abbey, mentioned by Seamus to Tom Paris, might be a fictional place. I have not been able to find it on any of the atlases I have checked.

Limerick is a real place, and is the commonly accepted origin of the verse form known as the limerick. The place is not mentioned in [Fair Haven] or [Spirit Folk], but Sullivan mentions to Katie O'Clare (Janeway) that Seamus likes limericks. Comic limericks are the most usual kind, which fits Seamus' character. Limerick is shown in the southern part of Map 2 above.

All the places within Fair Haven are fictional, in that they were devised by Tom Paris for the Fair Haven holoprogram.

FAIR HAVEN VILLAGE AND ENVIRONS

Fair Haven village and its environs includes the following - click places with a link to see screenshots:

• main street
. This cobbled high street, onto which a number of the village shops face, includes Sullivan's pub (see below). Maggie O'Halloran sets up her flower cart in slightly different places along the street. European Square at Universal Studios provided the shooting location for [Fair Haven] and [Spirit Folk]. The same location had been used for [#86 and #87 The Killing Game] to represent a French village during World War II. It is nicely logical that USS Voyager's computer would use many of the same holographic elements for both. For the purposes of this article, by "main street", I mean the two or three streets seen in the main exterior shots.
 
• Sullivan's Pub. This popular establishment is run by Michael Sullivan and, to start with, his wife Frances ("Frannie"). However, after Janeway accesses the Michael Sullivan holoprogram and deletes the wife, Michael runs the place on his own. It seems to be open throughout the day and evening, and on two occasions in [Spirit Folk] a number of townsfolk there discuss the mysterious goings-on that have been occurring ever since Tom Paris, Harry Kim, Katie O'Clare and others (from Voyager) have been visiting Fair Haven.

 
• Railway station. Part of the railway station is seen. The sign gives the name of the village in English and Irish (or Gaelic, pronounced "GAL-lick"), and underneath says: "Welcome, weary traveller", both in English and Irish.

 
• St. Mary's Church. The exterior of the church is not seen on tv, although parts of the interior are. The Roman Catholic church is the domain of Father Mulligan, the village priest and the persona adopted by the Doctor. That it is a Roman Catholic place of worship is indicated by the following: its name, which honours St. Mary the Mother of Jesus; the Doctor hears confessions (confessions are mentioned three times in [Fair Haven]) which is an aspect of the Roman Catholic denomination; Mass is mentioned e.g. by the Doctor in [Fair Haven], as Mass is the Catholic service name; and the Doctor gives out penances, another aspect of Catholicism. In the Irish Republic in the year 2005, the vast majority of people, approximately 3 million, are Roman Catholic; therefore the holographic population of Fair Haven is Catholic. The church is the place where the Fair Haven villagers gather their resources to fight the spirit folk, as they believe Harry Kim, Tom Paris and others to be. The villagers bring prisoners Kim and Paris to St. Mary's, and tie them up there.

 
• The Ox & Lamb public house. This is not seen on tv. Its precise location within Fair Haven village is not known. Neelix shares some of the inn's recipes and eventually takes over the running of the place. TOSTFF thinks this place is Sullivan's pub, but I think they are separate establishments.

 
• Castle O'Dell. This ruined castle is not seen. It is located atop a steep hill, and from the battlement Michael Sullivan tells Katie O'Clare (Janeway) that one can see all the way to Dublin. (See also map above.) Both Sullivan and Seamus note the legend that anyone visiting Castle O'Dell after sunset is in danger from the spirits who reclaim the structure at night. Seamus, in [Spirit Folk], tells the townsfolk gathered in Sullivan's pub his fears about spirit folk Tom Paris, Harry Kim, Katie O'Clare, Neelix and the rest: "They're all probably up at Castle O'Dell conspiring against us!"

 
• Sea coast. Paris obtains permission from Janeway to expand Fair Haven onto holodeck 2, to enable him to add the sea coast. This is not seen on tv, and its precise location in relation to the rest of Fair Haven is unknown. No seagulls are heard in either [Fair Haven] or [Spirit Folk], so it could be some distance away or else Paris did not include them.

 
• Ballahick Farm (spelling from ST DVD). Edith Mulchaey tells townsfolk gathered in Sullivan's pub: "I was up at Ballahick Farm with Mary. She was playing near the well. Somehow she lost her footing and fell in. I was so frightened I didn't know what to do. So I ran to the Colby's to get some help. But when we returned, there was Mary in the meadow, talking with Katie O'Clare. There wasn't a scratch on her! Katie said I must've been mistaken when I saw her fall. It was no mistake."

 
• The Lily & The Rose. This is not seen on tv. Its location is not known - it could be within Fair Haven or somewhere in the environs. Seamus thinks it is well-enough known to mention its name to Seven, without thinking he needs to mention its locale.