Episode 156
Sunday 28th September
Annette and Barry’s relationship continues to head towards the rocks. Things aren’t helped when Barry announces he’s going to Galway overnight with work – unaware that the trip is part of McAleer’s plan to get him out of the way. Annette suggests going with him, but is humiliated when he refuses. She begs him to take her with him, but Barry tells her they need time apart. When Barry leaves Annette hits the vodka. Later when McAleer turns up at their house on a pretext Annette is sozzled. He invites himself in for a drink and propositions Annette. They dance and things get passionate.
Brendan advises Heather to forgive Renee and the two women meet and talk things out. They reconcile, much to Renee’s relief. Bob isn’t impressed and thinks it’s only a matter of time before Heather causes more trouble for the family. Heather asks Renee’s permission to write about everything that has happened in the last few years – including their happy ending.
Dermot tells Jo to stop carping about the community centre and she finally comes to her senses. Dermot and Jo make up and Jo gives her blessing to the idea. But now Jo’s on board she wants to be involved and on the committee – which wasn’t what Dermot had in mind. Jo starts by inviting Charlie onto the committee too. Things aren’t going as Dermot had planned.
The Doyles try to work out what’s best for Rita but Bela worries that his family is being torn apart as Yvonne and Suzanne are poles apart on whether or not Rita should go into a home.
Ursula causes havoc in the Bistro when Sarah takes her to dinner to thank her for her help with the piece on seniors. When Yvonne is rude to her she causes a huge scene and claims to have seen a rat in the restaurant. Dean manages to calm things down, but Sarah thinks she’s an OAP terrorist – and is impressed.
Episode 157
Tuesday 30th September
Annette wakes up with a hangover and full of remorse for her ill-judged night of passion with McAleer. Barry returns from his trip and wants to talk, but Annette fears the worst and puts him off. McAleer pressures Annette into meeting him and suggests they continue their affair. Annette is icy in response and tells him she wants nothing more to do with him. Undeterred, he suggests they meet once a week for no-strings fun. She dismisses the idea, calling him an arrogant, self-obsessed misogynist. But McAleer threatens to tell Barry what happened if she doesn’t. Annette is stunned.
Ray suggests moving in with Gina before the wedding so they can save for a special honeymoon. Gina would like nothing more but she’s worried about the reaction from Caitriona and Sean. Ray meets Sean on the mitch from school and he has a man-to-man chat with him, suggesting he comes clean with Gina. When Gina hears he hasn’t been in school for a month she’s furious with him and with Caitriona for forging notes for him. Caitriona tells Ray to stop butting in and Sean refuses to go back to school. Gina has further cause for worry when Caitriona gets back together with Duncan.
Paul returns with Rachel. He invites Niamh over for dinner – but as they settle down to a romantic meal, Paul’s mother Anne-Marie turns up uninvited. She stays for dinner and announces that she’ll be staying to look after Paul. Paul is not happy.
Orla wonders why Niamh is spending so much time looking after Paul. When Paul calls in to the office she’s catty about his heart attack and Niamh wonders how much of a friend she is. Orla spots Dean and is instantly smitten.
Renee is relieved that things are now good between her and Heather – but Bob thinks it’s only a matter of time before Heather does something to upset Renee. Heather gets news of a book deal with a small publisher.
Charlie fails to persuade Bob to allow them to run an antiques roadshow fundraiser in McCoy’s on Sunday in aid of the community centre. But he’s more successful in persuading Orla to organise the event.
Episode 158
Wednesday 1st October
Anne-Marie loses no time in butting in to Paul’s life and Niamh is first on her hit list as she warns her to stay away from Paul. As far as Anne-Marie’s concerned Niamh had her chance with her son and blew it. She also loses no time in undermining Paul in front of Rachel. When Paul refuses to be bullied she huffily accuses him of trying to come between her and her grandchild.
Orla persuades Bob to have the fundraiser in McCoy’s. She meets Niamh for lunch and uses it as an opportunity to flirt with Dean. She asks Charlie for pointers on antiques as she is about to pitch for an account with an antiques magazine, but when she doesn’t pay enough attention Charlie angrily cuts short their lesson. Later Dean and Orla flirt outrageously in McCoy’s.
Niamh suggests Gina give Sean an ultimatum to go back to school or get out but it backfires when Sean refuses to go to school and walks out. Ray spots Caitriona and Duncan snogging and tells Gina. Later Duncan turns up with a plant for Caitriona but when Gina comes back unexpectedly Caitriona gives it to her. Duncan is worried – the plant is marijuana.
Miranda suggests Heather write a memoir about everything that’s happened over the last few years – she’s convinced it’ll be a bestseller. Things are good between her and Renee now and they spend some time together as a family. When Heather tells Renee about the book idea Renee is upset again, but too tired to fight.
Annette admits to Anthony she’s been drinking and he persuades her to go to a meeting. Later Annette and Barry talk and he tells her he can’t go on like this. Annette is terrified he’s going to finish with her and she cuts the conversation short. Later Barry confides to Paul that he’s close to finishing with Annette. But when he comes home he finds Annette passed out with an empty vodka bottle beside her.
Episode 159
Thursday 2nd October
Annette wakes up with a pounding hangover and Barry insists she call her sponsor. Barry covers for Annette at work telling Anthony she’s ill. Barry confides to Paul that he can’t end it now that Annette is so vulnerable. McAleer calls around to the house and presses Annette to go away for a dirty weekend with him. He threatens to tell Barry about their night of passion if she doesn’t. But Annette isn’t going to be bullied – she threatens to tell Barry that McAleer raped her. A rattled McAleer leaves.
Later a tearful Annette tells Anthony the whole story. He takes Annette to a meeting and when they return they pour all the drink in the house down the sink. Annette asks Barry where they stand and he tells her they are together for the moment. Barry wants her to get better but he feels trapped.
Paul tries to make up with a huffy Anne-Marie and suggests they all go out to dinner. Anne-Marie doesn’t want Niamh included but Paul insists. Despite Orla’s best efforts to throw a spanner in the works Niamh joins the Brennans for dinner, but Anne-Marie uses it as an opportunity to drive her off. She accuses Niamh of wrecking her marriage and tells her she can’t turn back the clock. As Niamh angrily gets up to leave, she tells Anne-Marie that it was Paul’s infidelity with Nicola that wrecked her marriage. As she speaks she doesn’t see Rachel return to the table – and Rachel overhears everything.
As Gina frets about Sean Ray notices the plant Duncan gave her and realises it’s marijuana. Not wanting to worry her further he suggests she gets rid of it but doesn’t tell her what it is. She brings it into McCoy’s and puts it in the beer garden.
Sean and Mark talk and Sean realises that Mark’s life isn’t as carefree as he thinks it is. Mark talks Sean into going back to school. Gina is delighted when Sean returns home, but he overhears Gina admit to Niamh she’d love to have Ray move in and tells Caitriona.
Bob is furious when he hears about Heather’s plans for her new book. He’s sure she was planning it all along and is determined not to let Heather away with it. When he sees her later he confronts her about the hurt that she is prepared to inflict on Renee.