The Tinker’s Wedding recounts the engagement of Michael Byrne and Sarah Casey, two tinkers (or travelers) in provincial Ireland around the turn of the century. Tagging along is Michael’s mother Mary, who despises Sarah. Camped outside a small parish in the Irish countryside, Michael and Sarah convince a priest to marry them in exchange for a small amount of gold and a tin can, made by Michael. Sarah hopes that she’ll be considered a lady after she is wed, Mary scorns her son for wanting to marry such a sinner, and Michael is generally apathetic about the whole affair. But when the priest is insulted, and threatens to turn in the group to the “peeler” (police), the trio band together to save themselves from harsh punishment. The Tinker’s Wedding is John Millington Synge’s first two-act play, told through provincial Irish dialect and mischievously vibrant characters.
The Tinker’s Wedding guide sections
