'Simpsons' gets Irish love interest

An Irish charmer named Colin is about to set moviegoers' hearts a-flutter in one of the summer's most anticipated releases; and no, it's not that fellow from Castleknock.

Journalists attending a recent sneak preview of the first 10 minutes of The Simpsonsmovie, the long-awaited big-screen adaptation of the animated television series, got to see Lisa Simpson, the family's most conscientious member, swooning before a youthful ecological campaigner with red hair and a twinkly brogue.

Colin, whose lines are spoken by Maile Flanagan, an established American actress, anticipates an inevitable query from Lisa and wearily explains that he is not Bono's son.

Matt Groening, The Simpsons' creator, and Al Jean, the series' executive producer, attended the preview at London's Odeon West End cinema and spent 40 minutes chatting with fans and journalists afterwards. They were cautious about giving too much of the plot away, but explained that the film, which opens worldwide on July 27th, will see Homer Simpson, the clan's hungry paterfamilias, attempting to save the world from catastrophe and will feature a surprise vocal contribution from a very, very famous person.

"It's a romantic movie," Mr Groening said. "Homer falls in love with a pig." When asked about Colin, Mr Jean said: "That was a scene written again and again. There were a lot of incarnations before he became Irish . . . But there is a tragedy to the romance, of course, because he's Irish."

In the 19 years since The Simpsons first got their own television series, the writers have often used Irish stereotypes to comic effect. An episode set on St Patrick's Day showed the drunken Irish novelists of Springfield - a staggering James Joyce among them - joining other tipsy expatriates in a massive brawl on Springfield's main street. On another occasion, Homer gained access to the backstage area of a U2 concert by slinging a sack over his back and announcing that he was "the potato man".

The creation of caring Colin might be viewed as an act of contrition towards the series' Irish fans. But the show has already allowed one of its characters to express enthusiasm for a significant section of the island. "Catholics Rule!" Homer recently exclaimed. "We've got Boston, South America and the good part of Ireland."