Cappagh drama group

Cappagh drama group was formed in 1917 under the chairmanship of Fr O’Shea, pp. The cast included Bridget Kennedy, Mary Duggan, Kathleen Hennessy, Margaret Burns, Molly Kennedy, Bridget Fitzgerald, Bridget Dore, Tom Barry, Tom Murphy, Moss Hennessy, Patrick Barry, Dave Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy, Brid Barry, Martin Hennessy, Gaile Buckley, Paddy O’Grady and Michael Cahill. Play they staged included The Patriot Priest, Paid in his own coin, The Down Express, O La Se Me and The Workhouse Ward.

The stage was carried from place to place by Dan Buckley in his horse and cart. The stage managers were Pat Fitzgerald and Mick Duggan. The group disbanded around 1925. It was revived for a short period in the early 1940s and among the plays that they staged was The days of the Black and Tans.

In 1961 the drama group was again revived and they enjoyed instant success. The cast included Eugene O’Sullivan, Peg Hennessy, Mary O’Grady, Patrick kennedy, Mick O’Sullivan, Kitty Boyce, Sean Stokes, Tom Murphy, Moss Hennessy, Mary O’Shaughnessy, Con Quinn, Paddy Cregan, Mary Healy, Nellie O’Grady, Josie Doab, Tom Barry, Mrs Tom Barry and Maggie O’Grady. Among their many productions were Professor Tim, Paul Twining, The New Gassoon and Mrs Mulligan’s Millions.

 

‘The clinic’ with Geralding and Mai Burke and Moss Hennessy and Paddy Barry
‘The clinic’ with Geralding and Mai Burke and Moss Hennessy and Paddy Barry
‘The clinic’ with Geralding and Mai Burke and Moss Hennessy and Paddy Barry
Below is a video of ‘The Clinic’ performed by the drama group. The cast was Mossie Hennessy, Paddy  Barry, Mai and Ger Bourke and Mary Noonan

 

2017 saw a revival of the Cappagh drama group under the direction of Mai Madigan The production that year was called ‘Fledged and Flown’, a one act play by Bryan Mc MAHON. The actors were a Mike Coleman, Anita Hawkes Lyons’ ,Mike Mullane’ ,Geraldine O Grady, Mike Sheehan, Geraldine Liston, Noel Lyons and Margaret Stokes. It was a great success with capacity crowds each night.

2018 saw the production of ‘It runs in the family’, by Ray Cooney. The cast this time was Kieran Barry, Mike Sheehan, Mike Coleman, Mike Mullane, Brian Ruttle, Ita Kehoe,Rachael Mullane, Anita Hawkes Lyons, Margaret Stokes, Geraldine O Grady and Geraldine Histon.

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2019 saw the production of ‘Move over Mrs Markham’ by Ray Cooney and John Chapman. This was a huge ask for a stage as tiny as Cappagh. It requires 5 rooms😳. Undaunted, our director Mai Madigan made it happen with many imaginative solutions.

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