GRANAGH PLAYERS ARE BACK:

Getting into Character -

Jim Chawke & Natalie Stapleton

prepare for their roles as

Lord & Lady Wordsworth.....in

' The Foggy Dew '

GRANAGH PLAYERS:

Dates: Fri, Sat Sun, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 27th, 28th & 29th Jan. In the community centre, 8pm nightly, tickets on the door with shop and raffle. With only a week or so to go, things are getting a bit frantic, I suppose we have been out of practice for the last two years.! Of course during the Christmas break, we all tend to relax a bit, then the next few weeks fly by so quickly.

However, Grace & John have been busy painting, the cast are sourcing costumes and the last few lines have to be learned off. The play, scheduled for '21, was rudely interrupted by covid and only resurrected again last year.

'The Foggy Dew' takes a brief look at events that occurred during the war of Independence. We know that the companies of the 4th Battalion of the West Limerick Brigade were located in: Granagh, Ballingarry, Kilfinny, Croagh, Rathkeale, Stonehall, Pallaskenry, Ballysteen, Askeaton and Cappagh. With so many men being sought by the RIC, Black and Tans and British Army, the Volunteers began banding together and formed Flying Columns. Members of Flying Columns waited in ambush, robbed trains of British supplies, attacked military barracks to obtain badly-needed guns, raided the mails to determine who was secretly communicating with Dublin Castle, and, most important, provided a moving target that was difficult for enemy soldiers to track and contain.

You will be meeting our own Flying Column of Kevin Fitzgibbon, Steven Hickey and Donal Griffin, led by commander Joe Power. Trying to do their duty, they have to contend with many difficulties, one being the Republican Itch. !!!

Nobody really wanted to volunteer for the Black & Tans so they were just given the job. John Kelly, Martin Treacy, Niall Carroll and Pat Herlihy are led by their commandant John Bennett. Caithlín Ní Houlihán, who is seen as a symbol of Ireland, is played by Karis McMahon. Caithlín speaks about her four green fields and how she hopes to get them back again, these of course refer to the four provinces. Yeats’s description of Cathleen as a “poor old woman” symbolizes the magnitude of trouble Ireland was in. We meet the Gillane family; parents, Carmel O'Carroll & John English and their son Liam Houlihan. Liam is due to be getting married, but...... We have Lord & Lady Wordsworth living in luxury in the Manor house; Jim Chawke & Natalie Stapleton, that's not going to last.! Taking a break from freeing Ireland, the young men and women have to meet up at the local pub, at some stage. That's most of the action from the first half, but I'm not telling everything..!!!

CRESCENT MUSICAL:

Rock of Ages Teen Edition, presented by Crescent College Comprehensive SJ, will take place in the Lime Tree Theatre from Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st January at 8pm. Two of its musical directors are from Granagh, Roisin Sexton and Emma McMahon, so we wish them well with the production.

The scene is set at the end of the 1980s in Hollywood. At the Sunset Strip, the last legendary rocker Stacee Jaxx takes the stage. Amidst the madness, aspiring rock star Drew longs to take the stage as the next big thing (and longs for small-town girl Sherrie, fresh off the bus from Kansas with stars in her eyes).

CHURCH NEWS:

Weekday Masses - Thursday & Friday morning at 10am. Kathleen has signed Mass cards available after those masses or on Sunday's after 10.30am Mass. Last weekend we remembered the anniversaries of Jim Morrissey and Richie Chawke.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Drama in Ballinvreena - 'Love Thy Neighbour'. Dates, 12th - 15th & 19th - 22nd at 8pm nightly. Booking can be made on 087-4287000, between 6pm-9pm.

At Friars Gate; Film - An Cailin Ciuin 20th January, 7.30pm. 'The Parish' , a hilarious comedy on 24th Feb at 8pm

Workshops of interest - Children's Drama Classes - Ten week programme commencing 24th January.

Drama Classes for Retired People - Ten week programme commencing 24th January.

The Bell Ringer is a new 90 minute full length play written and directed by local man Charlie McCarthy and produced by Dunmore Productions. It is based on one of the most tragic accidents ever to happen in Ireland, the 1926 cinema disaster in Dromcollogher, in which forty-eight people perished. Susannah de Wrixon and Pat Ryan, will feature in the forthcoming stage production . It will run in February from 2nd -5th and 8th -12th. Note the 12th is a 3pm Matinee. Tickets on Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.ie/.../the-bell-ringer-tickets