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 Friday the 10th of May, the last night of the All Ireland Finals. The excitement and anticipation were palpable throughout the day, but Shaun, Rachel and crew were not put off by the pressure and the show was very well-received by the audience on the night.
There wasn’t too long to wait for the results as the Awards Ceremony took place in the Radisson Hotel the following night, Saturday the 11th of May. Cast and crew in attendance enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere as all the competitors from the circuit came together for a night of celebration of amateur drama. There was great excitement when Sean was nominated for Best Sound, followed by rapturous applause from all as Rachel was announced as the winner of the Best Actress award, her 9th win on the circuit.
A fantastic finale to a wonderful festival season! Congratulations to all the team on a remarkable achievement!