Series 1, Episode 4
MELITA
14 Year Old Melita lives with her Mum Louise in Jobstown. Until they were finally allocated a house 2 years ago Melita and her Mum were homeless – moving between Hotels and B&B’s for a deeply unsettling 4 years. Compounding a difficult childhood Melita’s Dad Anto died in 2013 when she was aged just 8. Over the past year Melita’s behaviour has spiralled out of control. In her first year in secondary school she was suspended 34 times for being abusive to her teachers. She’s been disappearing for days on end with a new gang of friends who, her Mum believes, have been leading her Into dangerous activities. In July she was caught stealing scented candles from a local shopping centre. Melita admits that her new friends encourage her to ‘go on the rob’. Melita’s Mum Louise is struggling to make a home for Melita – she has a full-time cleaning job and worries that she can’t be at home to police Melita’s movements. She’s reached out to the Village to help Melita realise the value of knuckling down in school and to reroute her away from her recent reckless behaviours. Louise also believes that her daughter’s problems stem from the trauma of losing her Dad and living in homeless accommodation throughout her childhood. She hoped the village would give Melita the time and space to process and deal with the issues that blighted her childhood.
Dunne Family
Mary & Tony Dunne run a mixed Beef and Tillage farm in the picturesque County Laois village of Clonaslee – Population 557. They are helped by their 3 teenagers Emer (13), Phillip (15) and Luke (16). The Dunne teens are heavily involved in the local GAA and are high achievers in school. Mary and Tony put a high price on education and family life at The Dunnes is tightly scheduled with the teens rostered to do pre school farm-chores including mucking out the family stables.
Jamie Lee
Jamie Lee is the eldest of 5 children living in a 2 bedroomed apartment in West Dublin. His Mum Valen is separated from his Dad. Jamie Lee lives in an area besieged by Drug Dealing, Joyriding and anti-social behaviour and many of his friends have already been in trouble with the police. His Mum is terrified that her son might be next. When he was younger Jamie Lee played junior football at a high level with St Francis. But he was dropped from the team when he started smoking. At nights Jamie Lee goes missing, hanging around his estate watching the joyriders and playing chicken with the police. He’s been mitching from school and when he does turn up he’s disruptive in class. Jamie Lee’s Mum hoped that the Village might wake Jamie Lee up to the fact that he’s not living up to his own potential. She hoped that time out in a healthier environment might inspire her son to aspire to a better life.
Keeley Family
The Keeleys are a ‘blended family’ – noeleen’s 2 teenagers Matthew (15) and Ellen (16) hail from her first marriage, while Mark and noeleen together have two daughters aged 4 and 5.
Mark works as an Army Ammunitions Engineer stationed at The Curragh and is a big believer in discipline, order and the value of a regimented life. Noeleen echoes her husbands’ belief in discipline and keeps a tight reign on her two teenagers. Although The Keeley’s are an Army family their home is attached to a farm owned by the extended family and teen son Mark is heavily involved in farming activities.