Lourdes, a picturesque French town and a place of miracles, a magnet for 6 million visitors each year from across the globe.

Ballygar, Ireland, 1967: a boisterous hard-knocks community in outer Dublin that marches to its own beat - frenzied, fast and loose - and yet also deeply soulful; rooted in traditions of loyalty, faith and togetherness. And the opportunity to rise above one's daily struggles is frankly a pipe dream, especially for women.