Juno and the Paycock (Plays)

In his early forties, while continuing to support himself as a laborer, we wrote, in quick succession three realistic plays about the slums of Dublin, known as the Dublin Trilogy. Juno and the Paycock, the second installment of the trilogy, was performed in the Abbey Theatre in 1924—the Abbey theatre produced the first installment of the trilogy, The Shadow of a Gunman (not included in this volume) in 1923. Juno and the Paycock deals with the unpleasantness of war and the misery of the victims during the the Irish struggle for indepenence. It was awarded the Hawthornden Prize.

As his career progressed, O'Casey experiemented with expressionism and symbolism, which resulted in Within the Gates;Red Roses for Me, a semiautobiographical work; and Cock-a-Doodle Dandy. Due to an increase of nationalism during the Civil War and Irish Independence movement, his plays were received well, although, at times, with protest and restriction.