Ballyshannon Drama Society is devastated by the passing this morning of Rachel O Connor.Rachel was an inspiration to us all as our secretary, as a director and award winning actress. She was a driving force behind everything both on and off stage.We extend our deepest sympathy to her husband Sean, her children Sophie, Lauren and Ross and her sisters and brother.Their loss is deepened by the passing yesterday of Sean’s father John.Rest in peace, Rachel.
The Ballyshannon Drama Society proudly presents the 72nd Ballyshannon Drama Festival, as part of the annual ADCI All Ireland Amateur Drama Festival circuit. From Saturday, March 15th to Sunday, March 23rd, 2024, the Abbey Centre in Ballyshannon will host nine nights of exceptional theatre. Talented groups from across Ireland will bring their best performances to the Abbey Centre stage, vying for a place in the All-Ireland Finals in Athlone later in the year. Adjudicator Martin Maguire will surely have his work cut out for him this year, as the programme promises another captivating mix of drama, comedy, and thought-provoking stories, with performances by festival regulars and newcomers alike. Festival Line-Up Saturday, March 15thCorn Mill Theatre kicks off the festival with…
Rachel O’Connor won the Best Actress award in the All Ireland Finals in Athlone at the weekend for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in ‘Margaret’, written by Shaun Byrne! We could not have been more delighted to hear Rachel announced as the winner at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday night. Rachel’s husband Sean O’Connor also received a nomination for his stellar performance in Sound, masterfully managing a sound-plot that involved over 100 cues. In addition, lighting technician Sam Asylee received an award in the Newcomer category. After eight nights on the circuit, two local shows, and the Ulster Final in Newtonabbey, all the hard work culminated in the final performance of ‘Margaret’ in the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone on…
Don’t miss your last few chances to see ‘Margaret’ by Shaun Byrne, the multi-award winning show produced by Ballyshannon Drama Society, as it wraps up the festival season with two more local performances, a trip north to the Ulster Final, and the All Ireland Final in Athlone in May. ‘Margaret’ is back on the road again this week, with a performance in An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, on Friday the 26th of April, and the Ulster Drama Final performance in The Theatre at the Mill in Newtonabbey on Saturday the 27th. The show will return home to Ballyshannon for one final performance in the Abbey Arts Centre, on Monday May 6th, before appearing in the All Ireland Drama Final in the…
‘Margaret’ cleaned up at the Glenamaddy Festival at the weekend, taking home a raft of trophies, including the show’s 5th first place award, which positioned Ballyshannon Drama Society second on the ADCI Open League leaderboard. The prizes included First Place in the Open section, Best Director for Monica Doherty, Best Actress for Rachel O’Connor, Best Set for Shaun Byrne, Monica Doherty and Shaun O’Connor, Best Lighting for Sean O’Connor, with a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Shaun Byrne. With 8 festivals now completed, ‘Margaret’ has finished up with 5 first place, 2 second and 1 third on the leaderboard. The All Ireland finals will take place in Athlone from the 2nd to the 10th of May. The team now await…
‘Margaret’ adds a night in Letterkenny on the road to the All Ireland Drama Festival Finals in Athlone! ‘Margaret’, the award-winning circuit production by Ballyshannon Drama Society, written by Ballybofey’s Shaun Byrne, will run for one night only in An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, on Friday, April 26th, 2024.The production has qualified for the All Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone, and taken home multiple awards for actors Rachel O’Connor as Margaret and Shaun Byrne as Dennis, along with awards for director Monica Doherty and the sound and lighting team. This date in the wonderful #angrianantheatre will give audiences in the north of the county an opportunity to see the show and enjoy the sparkling inventiveness of Shaun Byrne’s script, before the…
Congratulations to the cast and crew of ‘Margaret’ on winning the Portadown Drama Festival, their fourth win of the circuit. Rachel O’Connor won Best Actress, and the show took the trophies for Best Stage Management and the Audience Award, with Shaun Byrne receiving a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Having secured the all-important 36 points by last weekend, this win leaves ‘Margaret’ second in the Open League table, with two more festivals due to report results: the Mid-Mid Ulster Drama Festival (Carrickmore) tonight, and Glenamaddy Theatre Festival next weekend.
And the winners are… Winner of the Open Section (Maureen Gallagher Award): ‘Margaret’ Ballyshannon Drama Society Second Place Open (C. J. King Award): ‘A View From The Bridge’, Prosperous Third Place Open (Jim Flynn Award): ‘Alone It Stands’, Balally Players Best Producer Open (John Stephens Cup): Monica Doherty, ‘Margaret’, Ballyshannon Drama Society Best Actress Open (Eoin Carney Award): Rachel O’Connor as Margaret, ‘Margaret’, Ballyshannon Drama Society Best Actor Open (H. J. Travers Award): Robery Massey, Prosperous First Place Confined (Commercial Hotel Cup): ‘The Lonesome West’, Enniskillen Second Place Confined (Catherine Breslin Award): ‘New Electric Ballroom’, Newtownstewart Third Place Confined: ‘No Going Back’, Castleblayney Players Best Producer Confined (Hugh and Mary Daly Cup): ‘The Lonesome West’, Enniskillen Best Actress Confined (Kathleen…