In Dublin, when Rory O’shea moves to the home of the disabled in Carrigmore Residential Home, he changes the lives of many people who are there. Although Rory O’shea had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, he is a high-spirited man who is willing to trying everything in life that can make him happy. In the home for people with disabilities, he meets Michale O’Connelly, a young man who has celebral palsy and nearly an intelligible speech. In Dublin, most of the workers providing care for the people with disabilities do not show compassion. In fact, they treat O’shea and O’Connelly as if they are supposed to stay isolated from the normal people and under strict supervision. For example, the woman providing medication to them (Eileen), is very strict about making sure that they follow the daily routine to the letter such making sure they take medicine tablets in the right dosage. O’Connelly does not approve of the function or the effectiveness of the drugs being given them but they have to take them or, they further face isolation and now under strict supervision from her. In addition, Eileen forces O’Connelly and O’shea to eat a diet recommended by the administration but which, do not complement their true tastes of food. The life at the disability home makes the two characters to feel as if they are in a prison. However, not all the workers are harsh to the patients with disabilities. A job applicant who performs in front of the patients with disabilities provides some feeling of comfort by singing. He gives reassurance to O’Connelly and O’shea through his song that they have the chance to do what they want, “you got your whole world in your hands”. Despite Eileen and the job applicant are different in some way, their tactic can be termed as intended to keep the patients with disability within the confines of the residential home (O’Donnel, “Rory O’Shea Was Here”).

When O’Connelly and O’shea seek to find a new home where they can explore the world on their own, they are assisted by Ability Ireland. The board displays a style of treatment that contradicts the routine in Carrigmore Residential Home. The board assists people with disabilities to make free-will, free-choice decisions and responds in accordance to the needs of its customers. For instance, the boards assists O’Connelly and O’shea to into clubs, party and make new friends, actions that are not tolerated in Carrigmore Residential Home. More interestingly, the board sends the gorgeous Siobhan to be their personal assistant (O’Donnel, “Rory O’Shea Was Here”).

During their friendship, there are qualities that O’Connelly and O’shea share and on others, they differ. For instance, they both have the desire to explore the world and experience life like any normal life. However, O’shea seems to be different from O’Connelly on the basis that he is reckless and pragmatic, that is, he does not let anything stop him from getting what he wants. On the other hand, O’Connelly is cautious and calm. He prefers to follow the strict rules while he is at Carrigmore Residential Home. O’shea is more influential than O’Connelly; he enchants O’Connelly to leave the boring home and explore the world by themselves. O’Connelly on the other hand is more careful and controls O’shea’s reckless behavior such as when drinking in the club (O’Donnel, “Rory O’Shea Was Here”).

Both O’shea and O’Connely provide a valuable lesson to my experience. They act as an inspiration that regardless of what I may be going through, it is worthwhile to make sure that I look at life in a positive way, always changing adversities into opportunities.

Works cited

O’Donnel, Damien. “Rory O’Shea Was Here”. Universal Studios: United States. Film

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