Mayo's Ray Leonard Players qualify for All-Ireland Drama Finals at first attempt
The Ray Leonard Players, Claremorris, are creating quite the name for themselves, after qualifying for the prestigious All-Ireland Confined Drama Finals on their first ever festival circuit.
Undoubtedly, this is a massive achievement for a group in its infancy and they will travel to Donegal later this month to compete for national glory.
Established in memory of the late, great Ray Leonard, the Claremorris-based group has performed across the country over the last number of weeks, bringing Martin McDonagh’s dark-comic play, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, to life in impressive fashion.
But, before they travel to Ballyshannon to compete for the national title, the group has teamed up with the Claremorris Branch of The Irish Red Cross, to stage the play this Good Friday night, April 15, in Claremorris Town Hall Theatre.
Directed by John Corless, the production has stunned audiences across the country and recently won the Mountmellick, Claremorris and Kildare Drama Festivals, achieving maximum points available.
Friday’s event will give the people of Mayo one last chance to see the great show, before the All-Ireland competition.
It will also double as a fundraiser for the Red Cross for their Ukrainian Relief Support.
The local branch will be holding a huge raffle on the night, with some truly fantastic prizes on offer.
“This fundraiser is to directly support people whose homes have been destroyed by bombs and who have had to flee their country,” explained Ger McCallig, chairperson of Claremorris Red Cross.
The Red Cross supply food to the needs in the area through Food Cloud and provide emergency support for sporting and community events.
“The Ukrainian refugees are mainly women and children who have been evacuated, leaving their husbands and partners, fathers and sons, at home to fight for their country.
"Many have turned up with only the clothes they are wearing. There are people from Ukraine in all of the towns around Mayo. They have absolutely nothing,” he continued.
The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a classic Irish play, set in the mountains of Connemara.
It tells the story of Maureen Folan, a plain and lonely woman in her early 40s, and Mag, her manipulative, aging mother.
Mag’s interference in Maureen’s first and potentially last romantic relationship sets in motion a chain of events that are as tragically funny as they are horrific.
The play features Mayo-Abbey native, Vera Kilgallon, in the lead role of the Beauty Queen, with Anne Fahey-Ronayne, from Irishtown, as her mother, Mag. Kevin Woods from Roscommon plays Ray who traffics in messages, and John Morley from Bekan, now living in Oranmore, plays his brother Pato. Castlebar’s Eibhlin Gallagher is the soloist.
The Ray Leonard Players was established to honour and perpetuate the memory of the late Ray Leonard, who was synonymous with drama across the west of Ireland throughout his life.
Ray – who passed away in 2005 – was a director, producer and mentor who made an outstanding contribution to drama, musicals and stagecraft.
He was a great friend and a massive inspiration to founding members Damien Conway and Anne Ronayne, as well as countless other performers across the west.
For Anne and Damien, the decision to establish the Ray Leonard Players stemmed from a mutual affection, admiration and appreciation for the late Ray Leonard – sentiments felt by so many others who worked with Ray throughout his lifetime.
Ray was passionate about the stage and was affectionately known as ‘Mr Drama’ in Claremorris and indeed all across the west of Ireland.
Tickets for Friday night’s performance are available to purchase from the Box Office (094 93 10999) and from townhall.ie. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show commencing at 8 p.m. sharp.
There will be a full bar on the night and some amazing prizes up for grabs in the raffle. Your support for this worthwhile cause would be greatly appreciated.