city shock Fair City to mark 5,000th episode milestone with dramatic new storyline

Fair City will mark its 5,000th episode tomorrow night with another dramatic storyline that has made the Irish soap one of the most popular TV shows over its 33-year history. 

In tomorrow night’s episode viewers will be shocked as Nora Keogh is knocked down in an incident at Molloy’s Car Garage.

The much-loved character who is played by Ruth Hegarty is seen being stretchered off by emergency personal, leaving Ray wondering how the accident happened.

It would appear that Doug Ferguson who had been told to keep an eye on a car that was being held in place by bricks had removed them, resulting in the car beginning to roll forward.

Doug, played by Wesley Doyle, is riddled with guilt as Nora is taken to hospital on a stretcher.

Erica tries to assuage Doug’s guilt over the accident, but viewers will be left guessing if Doug will own up to what happened, as the drama unfolds from 8pm on RTÉ One.

This is just the latest in long line of storylines featuring the residents of Carrigstown, that have made the award-winning show one of the most popular on Irish TV since it first aired on Monday, 18 September 1989.

Over the last three decades its gritty storylines have tackled various controversial issues previously unseen on Irish television.

Back in 1996, just three years after homosexuality was decriminalised in Ireland, male characters Eoghan and Liam moved in for a passionate embrace for what would have been the first gay kiss on Irish television.

There was the false accusations story when schoolgirl Niamh Cassidy falsely accused her teacher Barry O'Hanlon of coming onto her after she seduced him and they had a passionate embrace.

That same year also saw the first murder on the show when Tony Kelly was killed by London criminal drug-dealers after he had fallen into debt.

In 1998, the show tackled the subject of rape, as Lorraine Molloy was attacked by Dr Jack Shanahan, who later committed suicide.

The following year, Kay McCoy began a relationship with Catholic priest Malachy Costello, who then left the priesthood to marry her.

Foster care was also depicted in 1999 when Kay and Malachy fostered teenager Lorcan Foley while psychopathic nanny, Mona Fagan, kidnapped Paul Brennan and Nicola Prendergast's baby son Osin.

The sensitive issue of abortion was portrayed in 2001 with a story which divided the country as Kay decided to abort her pregnancy against the wishes of Fr Malachy.

This particular storyline caused anti-abortion viewers to complain to the Justice Minister on the grounds that the story was hate speech against people with disabilities.

Drug addiction has also been portrayed a number of times including in 1997 when Lorraine Molly became addicted to amphetamines to cram for her exams.

One of Fair City's best-known storylines took place in 2001, with crime lord Billy Meehan abusing his wife Carol and mistress Tracey McGuigan before being murdered by Carol's son Lorcan.

Prostitution was also shown in 2001 when Tracey turned to prostitution in order to pay for drugs.