Caught in a Free State facts for kids

Caught in a Free State was an exciting TV show made by RTÉ in Ireland back in 1983. This four-part series told the story of German spies in Ireland during World War II. Ireland was neutral during the war, meaning it didn't pick sides. In Ireland, this time was known as "The Emergency".

About the TV Show

Making the Series

The show was written by Brian Lynch. The music was created by Seóirse Bodley. Peter Ormrod directed the series, and Pat Molloy designed it. Caught in a Free State won some cool awards! It won the best drama award at the Banff World Television Festival in Canada. It also won a Jacob's Award in Ireland.

Some parts of the show had German dialogue. These parts had English subtitles. This was partly because the creators hoped to sell the show to a German TV station.

Who's Who in the Show

The series featured many talented actors playing important roles:

• Goetz Burger played "Gunther Schultz". This character was based on a real German spy named Günther Schütz.
• Peter Jankowsky played Hermann Görtz. He was the main spy for a German intelligence group called Abwehr in Ireland.
• John Kavanagh played "Colonel Brian Dillon". This character was based on Colonel Dan Bryan. He was in charge of the G2 section of the Irish Army. The G2 section was like the intelligence part of the army.
• Barry McGovern played Éamon de Valera. He was the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland at the time.
• Niall Tóibín played Stephen Hayes. He was a member of the Irish Republican Army.
• O. Z. Whitehead played David Gray. He was the US Ambassador to Ireland.

The Story of the Spies

The spies in the show are often shown as not really understanding Irish life. They also seem pretty bad at being spies! Sometimes, their mistakes are even funny. For example, there's a funny scene when Henry Obed, an Indian man working for the German spies, gets arrested. It's also interesting that Germany's plans to invade Ireland, called Operation Green, had a lot of old information.

Even though Caught in a Free State is a TV drama, its stories are based on real events. The characters are also based on real people. For example, the character "Schultz" is based on Günther Schütz. The show uses the old name "Free State" on purpose. This is because the Irish Free State had changed to the new Constitution of Ireland in 1937. This change is an important part of the show's story. Günther Schütz and Dan Bryan were both still alive when the show was filmed in 1983. That's why their names were changed for the series.

Here's a quick look at what happens in each episode:

• Episode 1: Hermann Görtz parachutes into Ireland. He tries to leave Ireland by boat. But the Irish Navy stops him, and he is held in a camp.
• Episode 2: Ernst Weber-Drohl is a 60-year-old former circus strongman. He arrives in County Wexford by submarine.
• Episode 3: "Gunter Schultz" is caught. He is questioned and threatened with being executed for spying.
• Episode 4: This episode shows the end of World War II.

Where it Was Shown

After being shown in Ireland, the series was also broadcast in the United Kingdom. It was shown on Channel 4 in April 1984. It was then shown again in July 1986.

See also

• History of the Republic of Ireland
• Irish neutrality
• Irish neutrality during World War II
• IRA/Abwehr collaboration in World War II
• Plan Kathleen
• Operation Green
• Oskar Metzke