Claire Coughlan's "Where They Lie"

Claire Coughlan has worked as a journalist for many years, most recently for publications such as BookBrunch and the Sunday Independent. She was a recipient of the Words Ireland National Mentoring program, funded by Kildare Arts Service and the Arts Council. Coughlan has an MFA in creative writing from University College Dublin, and she lives in County Kildare with her husband and daughter.

Here Coughlan dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Where They Lie:

Where They Lie, my debut novel, is set in Dublin in 1968, with some parts set in 1943. Ambitious and conflicted young reporter Nicoletta Sarto happens to answer the telephone just before Christmas to the information that human remains have been found in a seaside garden. These bones have already been confirmed as belonging to a missing actress Julia Bridges, who vanished twenty-five years earlier. Julia’s remains have been identified by an engraved wedding ring.

My novel has been described as “atmospheric” and the setting of Dublin is an important part of evoking this atmosphere. Although the 1960s was an exciting time of change across the Irish Sea in London, they weren’t quite swinging in Ireland, due to economic hardship, mass emigration and an ostensibly deeply conservative society. However, scratch beneath the surface, and people weren’t that conservative at all. Irish people have never liked being told what to do! To retain authenticity, I’d ideally cast an Irish actor in the main role of Nicoletta, the eager junior reporter who is trying to escape the confines of her old life. Saoirse Ronan would be fantastic in the lead. She is a chameleon as an actor, and I think has just the right mix of toughness and vulnerability to bring Nicoletta alive.

I would love to see Helena Bonham-Carter as the “infamous” Gloria Fitzpatrick, the backstreet abortionist of the novel. She would no doubt give a convincingly wild vitality to the part of Gloria and her idiosyncrasies.

Sarah Greene, who played Connell’s mother in Normal People, would bring a quiet precision to Nicoletta’s frustrated-by-her-lot-in-life mother, Daniela.

Aidan Turner, of the BBC’s Poldark fame, would make a dashing Barney King, Nicoletta’s colleague in the Irish Sentinel newsroom and on/off love interest.

I think Brendan Gleeson would make a wonderful O’Malley, the kindly, eccentric pathologist.

For Charles Creighton, the owner of Seaview House, where Julia Bridges’ remains are found, I’d love to go against type and cast Friends star David Schwimmer. He’s a brilliant dramatic actor, as he proved in American Crime Story and Band of Brothers; I think he would bring real depth and humanity to the part.

For the two policemen - or Gardaí as we say in Ireland - I see Matt Damon as Garda O’Connor, Nicoletta’s right-thinking, voice of reason within all this mess. Damon has spent time filming in Dublin in recent years shooting The Last Duel, so perhaps he wouldn’t be averse to a return trip! And I’d cast Scrubs star John C McGinley as Inspector Morris. He’d be perfect at playing just the right mix of cynical and misguided.

Follow Claire Coughlan on Instagram.

The Page 69 Test: Where They Lie.

Q&A with Claire Coughlan.

--Marshal Zeringue