Congratulations to Rasper Players who won the 2015 Blue Riband Trophy for their performance of Marina Carr’s “Woman and Scarecrow”.

Full results are on our Results page.

Kilmuckridge Drama Group

Photo: © Michael Donnelly

Congratulations to Kilmuckridge Drama Group who won the 2014 All-Ireland Confined Drama Finals in Claremorris for their performance of Conor McPherson’s “The Weir”.

Full results are on our Results page.

Claremorris Drama Festival Committee were delighted to have the opening of the 2014 All-Ireland Confined Finals in Claremorris performed by Seamus Mallon.

Seamus Frederick Mallon (born 17 August 1936) was the first Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2001. He was also the Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party from 1979 to 2001. Seamus was educated at the Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School in Newry and St. Patrick’s Grammar School, Armagh.

As a career he chose teaching, becoming headmaster of St. James’s Primary School in Markethill. Seamus was also involved in drama and a member of Newpoint Players Newry. Later in his illustrious career, Mr. Seamus Mallon was one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, and helped instigate the road map to the peace settlement, we have today.

Seamus was also involved in the Gaelic Athletic Association, playing Gaelic football for County Armagh.

Newpoint Players [Newry and Warrenpoint] were formed in 1946 shortly after the war. For most of the years since, the drama group has produced at least one full-length play a year, frequently several other productions and has boasted a strong team of actors, producers and back-stage players.

Seamus produced many plays for Newpoint Players including “The Borstal Boy” by Brendan Behan and many musicals including “West Side Story” and “Oklahoma”. He also produced plays for The Armagh Theatre Group including “The Hostage”.

In the early sixties Seamus Mallon directed Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town”, a production still remembered fondly by some members and patrons. It won everything, including the society’s second All-Ireland title in Athlone.

The shortlist for the 2014 Claremorris Fringe Festival of Drama has been announced. See our Fringe Festival Page for details

There is an interesting article on the itsyourline.com website about our adjudicator for the 2014 All-Ireland confined finals. In it Geoff discusses his involvement in the amateur drama movement as an actor, then director and now as an adjudicator.

You can read the article here: http://www.itsyourline.com/index.php/in-the-adjudicators-chair-from-st-pats-to-roscommon/

And you can follow Geoff on twitter here: https://twitter.com/GeoffOKeeffe1

Good news for the Drama Festival and Claremorris this morning as the Environment Minister Phil Hogan has approved LEADER funding of €200,000 for the Town Hall.

The Town Hall Trust is planning to carry out refurbishment works at the Town Hall ahead of hosting the All-Ireland Confined Drama Festival next year.

The 43rd Claremorris Drama Festival took place from March 8th to 18th, 2013. John O’Mahony TD performed the official opening on Friday March 8th.

The results for 2013 are now available on our Results page.

The Adjudicator for the 2013 festival was Imelda McDonagh ADA from Wicklow. Click here for more details on Imelda.

Blue Riband Trophy

Photo: © Michael Donnelly

Congratulations to Corofin Dramatic Society who won the 2013 Blue Riband Trophy for their performance of Marina Carr’s “By the Bog of Cats”.

Full results are on our Results page.

We are pleased to announce that this year’s festival results will be broadcast live on Claremorris TV on Monday night March 18th – expected time around 11pm.

For more information see the Claremorris Community Radio website.