| My mum always says that when you have | | | | them his love as a single father but is reported by |
| children, you want them to know how much you | | | | his wife's mother to the authorities. The Children's |
| love them, how important they are to you and | | | | Act of 1941 stated that a man is not able to care |
| that no matter what trouble they get themselves | | | | for his children without a mother and therefore his |
| into, you will come for them. | | | | children must be placed in state care. The power |
| I once lived in Thailand and during a trip to the | | | | of the Church and the Irish courts placed the 2 |
| beach one day, my parents spoke to an older | | | | Doyle boys, Dermot and Maurice, in an orphanage |
| man who said he was looking for his son. His son | | | | and the young Evelyn Doyle in a Convent. |
| had left for a trip in Asia with a friend and had | | | | The courts state that Desmond needs to find |
| not returned for a very long time. His friend had | | | | employment and improve his means to care for |
| returned home with serious drug-induced damage | | | | his children before he can get them back. |
| to his brain and was unable to tell anyone where | | | | Desmond stops drinking and with the help of his |
| the man's son was. The father had decided that | | | | father, Desmond earns some money singing in his |
| he would fly to India, and then to Thailand, and | | | | local pub and then finds work. The courts inform |
| look for his son, no matter how long it took, how | | | | him that he needs the mother's consent to |
| much it cost or where he would have to go. And | | | | release his children from care, which he cannot do, |
| he found him! | | | | as the mother is in Australia with her new lover. |
| One of the ways my parents have found to | | | | Meanwhile, the three young Doyle kids, and |
| show me they would come for me is by | | | | particularly Evelyn, are abused in their new |
| recommending movies that they think will portray | | | | "homes". Every time he hears about it, Desmond |
| what they feel. While the movies are not directly | | | | runs to the rescue, beating senseless anyone who |
| about our family, the feelings come across | | | | dares touch them. |
| perfectly and the movies make me think what | | | | With the help of a local waitress, 2 solicitors and a |
| they (and I) would do in a similar situation. | | | | retired barrister, he decides to take the case to |
| The movies that show parents' love for their | | | | the Supreme Court to challenge the Irish |
| children have been some of my all time favorites. | | | | Constitution and set a new precedent in Irish law. |
| One movie that I was particularly impressed with | | | | Doyle's fight to keep his family together becomes |
| was called "Evelyn". The movie is based on a true | | | | an inspiring testament to the strength of a |
| story, set in Ireland in1953. Desmond Doyle | | | | father's love and the power of the human spirit. |
| (played superbly by Pierce Brosnan) is deserted | | | | I do not have any children of my own yet, but I |
| by his wife for another man on the day after | | | | know I will go to the ends of the Earth to save |
| Christmas and is left unemployed with 3 children. | | | | them when they need me. |
| Desmond struggles to raise his kids and show | | | | |