Early
Drama Groups and Ballyshannon Playwrights
Ballyshannon Amateur Dramatic Club
This blog briefly looks
back to early generations of actors and playwrights who laid the foundation for
what is still today an important part of Ballyshannon life. The drama movement
in Ballyshannon can be clearly traced back to the 1880s when Bernard Kelly of
the Port, the first nationalist Member of Parliament for South Donegal, was a
member of The Ballyshannon Amateur Dramatic Club and indeed Kelly also wrote
poetry. Kelly is buried at St. Joseph’s on the Rock, just beside the Rock Hall
which was a popular venue for plays and concerts. No doubt the drama movement
goes back much further but records are scarce.
John
McAdam and the Rock Hall
John (Pa) McAdam, editor of “The Donegal
Vindicator,” produced countless plays in the Rock Hall. He was responsible for the old
Dramatic Club who staged “The Colleen Bawn” and “Ara-na-Pogue” in the Rock Hall
around 1904. He was an all round producer who taught the local actors how to talk, walk and more
importantly stand still. He devised the costumes and painted the scenery and
even acted parts in the plays.
John (Pa) McAdam was recalled by Gerard Sweeny of The
Commercial Hotel in his memoirs:
Pa McAdam, the proprietor of The Donegal Vindicator, a
fat little man, usually spent a while each day in our kitchen, with his back to
the range, particularly in winter, warming himself. Smoking a big fat cigar,
hands in pockets, moving up and down on his heels for exercise, and telling all
the news and receiving plenty from the kitchen staff. ---- He was a wonderful
character.
In April 1914 the Ballyshannon Amateur
Dramatic Club produced “The Shaughran” with the following cast: A.J. Reaper,
P.J. Stephens, Cecil Stephens, J. J. O’ Dowd, Patrick Croal, (father of Premier
Players’ producer Patsy Croal), J.J. Stephens, James Kelly, Bernard Brady, Miss
E. Stephens, Miss S. Croal, N.T., Miss Bella Lynch and Miss O’ Daly.
The Rock Hall was officially opened on the 25th
March 1892 and for many years was the mecca for drama, dance and variety and is
recalled with great affection by older residents of the area. It also became a
cinema for some time before the days of the Erne Cinema and the Abbey Cinema
which both came on stream in 1946.
De
La Salle Brothers
In January 1914 the De La Salle Brothers
produced “Benson” with the following cast: P.J. Munday, E. Higgins, J. Higgins,
W. McGinley, J. Martin, F. McLoughlin, M. Walsh, P. Monaghan, John Cleary,
(afterwards producer with the Premier Players founded in 1932), G. Kelly, W.
Ward, H. Dolan, Luke McGinley, John Daly, T. Stephens, J. McGowan, Alby Munday
and Mrs. P. Connolly. The De La Salle Brothers had only arrived in Ballyshannon
in 1912 to open a primary school.
Playwrights
D.V.
Stephens
Ballyshannon produced at
least three playwrights in the early decades of the 20th century.
D.V. (Vincent) Stephens was producer and scenery designer in early drama
productions in Ballyshannon. Later in life he organised the Bundoran Drama
Festival. His play, “To Whom this Glen”, took first place for manuscript at
Cork Drama Festival. He also wrote a radio play entitled “St. Columcille.” Vincent
Stephens was also responsible for publishing Canon Maguire’s history of the
town called, “Ballyshannon. Past and Present.”
Thomas Ward and the 98 Hall
Thomas Edward Ward of
Market Street was a well known Ballyshannon poet and artist who wrote and
produced “The Child of the Tempest” in the ’98 Hall. He also painted the
scenery. Among the cast were: E.D. McAdam, L. Weir, S. Lee, S Martin and P.
Ward. Thomas Ward published 2 books of his poetry. He lived in what is now Sean
Ógs bar and the family at one time also owned what is now McGrath’s Bridge Bar.
The following is an extract from his poem entitled, “Eventide” (Written in the
Harbour Ballyshannon)
Nought but the rippling of the Erne breaks the silence
here,
A holy peace reigns over all, the skies above are
clear,
Yet clearer are the waters that silently doth flow
Beside the purple meadows where the blossoms gently
grow;
Where faded sunbeams scatter their rays out far and
wide,
And a clank of weary oars sound o’er the silent tide.
The 98 Hall was built in
memory of the centenary of the 1798 Rebellion. It was officially opened by
Belfast politician Joe Devlin who was a leader of The Ancient Order of
Hibernians (A.O.H.). To commemorate the 150th anniversary of 1798 a
plaque was designed by Phil McGroarty, monumental sculptor, from Rossnowlagh .
The plaque was unveiled on the front of the building on the 27th December
1948 by Martin Bernard McGowan a former T.D. for Sligo-Leitrim.
Ms. E.D. McAdam
Miss E.D. McAdam of “The
Donegal Vindicator” newspaper who had acted in Ward’s play also wrote a play
entitled; “The Hearts of Tyrconnell.” She produced the play to packed audiences
in the ’98 Hall. Amongst the cast were: Miss McAdam, Mrs. J.J. Kilfedder, Miss
Bella McAllister, Miss May McAllister, J.J. Kilfedder, W. Gallagher, P. Darcy,
Danny Downey, B. Lyons and Matt Gilfedder. She was following in the footsteps
of her father John (Pa) McAdam, both in drama and also in the newspaper
business.
The Ballyshannon Players in the 1930s
Eighty years ago the Rock
Hall was the major venue for drama and variety shows in the town. The
Ballyshannon Players regularly performed plays by George Sheils including a
three act comedy called “The New Gossoon”. The cast included; Mary Monaghan,
Ignatius O’ Gorman, Harry Brady, John Cleary, Lily Daly, Seamus Martin, Meg
Gillespie, Jim McFadden and Patsy Daly. They certainly gave value for money as
along with Sheil’s three act play, a one act farce called “The Duplicity of
David” by J. Bernard McCarthy was performed on the 6th January 1933.
The cast included Mary Monaghan, Alby Munday, Tommy McGuinness, Mary Fox and
Paddy McShea. Audiences got great value for their money in those pre-television
days as there were also singers and dancers accompanied by a small orchestra on
the programme. The night concluded with The National Anthem.
Modern Times in the Abbey
The Premier Players reached
the pinnacle of amateur drama in 1961 when under producer P.J. (Patsy) Croal
they won the Open All-Ireland Final with “Old Road” achieving professional
standards. There have also been successes in All-Ireland one act competitions. Soinbhe Lally who resides in Rossnowlagh, is a prolific author and
has also written plays which have been successfully performed. Amongst her
plays have been “The Dark Daughter”, “Donalbain” and a number of plays for
national radio.
Jim and Ailis McIntyre, relatives of Thomas
(Tommy) Ward, a playwright named above, are currently members of Ballyshannon
Drama Society, a group who won the All-Ireland Drama Final for “Steel
Magnolias” in 2011. The drama movement still thrives in Ballyshannon and has a
proud history with the Annual Drama Festival in the Abbey Centre every March.
Next Blog: “Ballyshannon Links to Two Unusual Olympic
Games” will be posted on 9th March.
The Gathering in
Ballyshannon: Google “The Gathering in Ballyshannon” for more
details of special events you might like to attend later in the year. Lots happening in Ballyshannon in the
summertime including:
Music Festivals----------Ballyshannon 400 celebrating
the granting of a town charter in 1613---- The Commemoration of the Kildoney
Fishermen’s victory on behalf of the people in 1933.
Ballyshannon Musings: Please let people with an interest in
Ballyshannon and surrounding areas know about this site, particularly people
who are not living locally and those who are abroad. The site is called
Ballyshannon Musings and there are a number of back issues available on the
internet. Copy this link and forward http://ballyshannon-musings.blogspot.ie/ The site can be located on the internet
(or by connecting to my Facebook page). New items will be posted every
fortnight on Ballyshannon Musings during 2013, the year of “The Gathering”.
New
Local History Book: “Ballyshannon
Genealogy and History” by Anthony Begley has newly researched history on the
Ballyshannon area in the 19th and 20th centuries including fishing,
sport, tourism, social history, flora and fauna, The Independence struggle, The
Emergency, buildings, townland history and lots of reminiscences. Contains 500
pages with much material on how to trace your roots. All the
gravestone inscriptions in the 3 local cemeteries are recorded and indexed for
ease of location. Includes history of all the parish of
Kilbarron and the local parts of Mágh Ene parish (formerly Innismacsaint
parish).
Available from
The Novel Idea Ballyshannon/The Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town
or can be
ordered on line from anthonyrbegley@hotmail.com A limited number of hardbacks also available. Enquiries welcome.
