Like hundreds (and more) of others in the town and parish of Athenry, my first introduction to drama was the “fit-ups”, the travelling companies who would travel from town to town and would visit Athenry no more than once a year. Their visit would be eagerly awaited by many. In pre-television Ireland and in many cases pre-electricity, the travelling group would transport us into an other world, one of make believe, and having us hanging onto their every word.

Multi-talented and professional

They were nearly all family groups and every one of them from the youngest to the oldest was multi-talented and they were just so professional in their approach to the stage. Not only would they put on a different play on every night of their stay, they also performed a variety concert every night .They had singers, dancers, musicians a comedian and sometimes a seanachaí, simply amazing entertainment.

Acting bug

I think I got the acting bug at that time. I couldn’t sing, dance, or play a musical instrument but I felt that with the proper guidance and encouragement I might be able to act. I need not have worried. By the time I got around to it there was an abundance of experienced and willing mentors offering encouragement, not least among them, the incomparable Kitty Lardner.

‘Fit-up companies’ and Circuses

I remember quite clearly the Mc.Faddens, the McCormacs and the Carrickfords, and that was our entertainment for the year, with the exception of the occasional visit of one of the three circus families James and John Duffy and Fossetts, and hugely talented they were too. And that wasn’t just Athenry but every town and parish up and down the country north and south.

Legacy of the ‘fit-ups’ lives on

Small wonder then that when the fledgling new Irish television station, R.T.E., was getting off the ground, many of their programmes especially their dramas, were populated by members of the fit-up companies. Even today, many years later, the names McFadden, Duffy Carrickford and Cassin, still crop up. (Barry Cassin was a talented producer with one or more of the fit-up companies, who turned his hand very successfuly to television drama producing). Lest I forget, Stephen Brennan in ‘Glenroe’ was a Carrickford, and Anne Cassin is a popular presenter of Nationwide. The legacy of the fit-ups lives on..

Local talent competition

One of the very popular ideas, and each of the companies employed the same tactics, to increase the door takings and small blame to them for that, was that on the final night they would stage the final of the local talent competition having featured one or more of the entrants during their variety concert on every night of their performance. The tension mounted as we approached the semi-finals, and everybody had their own opinion as to who should win.

Bragging rights

For the life of me I can’t remember any of the winners. X-Factor it was not, not even the Voice of Ireland but it was the best the parish had to offer at that time and the winner owned the bragging rights, but only until the next fit-up arrived and a new competition would begin.

Micky Molloy and Josie Forde

Two contestants that I do remember, especially, are my then neighbour in Boyhill, Micky Molloy, who always gave his own beautiful rendition of Saint Teresa of the Roses and Josie Forde from Slieverue would belt out an Ella Fitzgerald type of big song to thunderous and extended applause.

“Murder in the Red Barn”.

I remember most of the one-act plays the companies put on but one in particular still remains stuck in my mind. A brilliant piece of acting had the audience sitting on the edge of their seats and we left the theatre white- knuckled and scared after a very convincing performance of “Murder in the Red Barn”.

(I really wanted a piece of this kind of action).The whole stage was bathed in an eerie red light through the performance, and the murder itself was brutal and gory. I can assure you that I whistled past the graveyard on my way home that night,

Huge crowds inside and outside

All of the action took place in a marquee type of structure erected in Taylor’s field, now the park beside the Post Office. The marquee was always about the same size, no more than 50feet long and about 20feet wide with a small stage set up at one end. Up to 150 chairs would be set up in rows the length of this temporary theatre. On the big nights, as I have outlined,  the crowd could swell to maybe 300 standing at the sides and back There could be as many more, having failed to gain entry, leaning on the wall and around the gate outside as they waited for news from inside. What was the play about? Had the funny man any good jokes? What was the talent like in the competition?

It couldn’t, I’m sure, happen today, and maybe rightly so, with insurance and health and safety considerations. In another sense its a great pity that it has to be lost. Ah, such innocent times!  

On the occasion of weather being so bad as to keep the paying public away, everything took place in Murphy’s Town Hall, now the Community Hall, which also doubled  (or should that be trebled)  as a Cinema and Dance Hall.

Kitty and Joan and the seeds for Athenry Players

Through it all, Marquee and Hall and all the years, Kitty Lardner looked and learned. She got to know the families on first name terms, and remained friendly with them for the rest of her life and she learned the rudiments of acting and production. I believe that Kitty continued to learn right up to her death just a few years ago. Because the plays were sometimes performed in Murphy’s Hall, Joan Murphy looked and learned as well and individually they asked themselves the same question, Could it be possible?  Eventually,  they put their heads together and asked themselves  Why not?

The seed for Athenry” Players” had been planted.

Diminished people’s fear of acting

The early years are a bit of a blur,  I honestly don’t know exactly when the group was officially formed or what their first play was .What  I do know is that Kitty and Joan were the key players (pardon the pun) and the main movers They were the ones who recruited new members, who mentored, coached and encouraged new young, and not so young would-be actors and actresses. One of the spin-offs from the fit-ups talent competitions was that it had, somewhat at least, diminished peoples fear of going on stage in front of an audience of their friends,  family  and  neighbours. One thing Kitty instilled in me even before I ever got involved was that in a play nobody could take offence at anything you say or do because you are not playing yourself but simply following a script written by somebody  else and who may even be long since dead.

An O’Casey play

Having said that I don’t know but it would surprise me if the first play performed by Athenry Players was not an O’Casey given that  Kitty and Joan subsequently had such  great enjoyment and success in playing O Casey characters.

Tommy Reilly-an inspired choice

Early on, Tommy Reilly (Caheroyan) was installed as producer of the fledgling group. With the benefit of hindsight this turned out to be an inspired choice. Kitty had done her homework and her research and discovered that apart from herself Tommy was the most knowledgeable in all things dramatic in the parish of Athenry. So when he came to offer his services to the new group in any way he could she knew that she had hit the jackpot.

Forming a drama group and seeking new members

They then put it about that they had formed a drama group and were seeking new members to make up a potential cast.

One of the first converts was postman Mike Fahey (Ballygurrane) and he was quickly joined by Tom Armstrong (c/o John Duffy’s, the Arch bar and grocery), Noel O’ Grady, (a nephew of Ciss Curreen, Farnablake), Kathleen Corley (Cross St.), Donal Ó Cinneide (Kennedy) N.T., (Cross St.) joined as did Jimmy Kearns (Caheroyan), Kitty Fahy (Bridge St.), and Nora Beirne (Cross St.), as well as Christy Barrett (Caheroyan)and Christy Howley (Cross  St.).

Some young people were now needed and Rosemary Kennedy and Chris Kearns (both Caheroyan) were just ‘what the doctor ordered’.

Athenry people knew their drama

From the very start they played to packed houses.  The people of the town and parish flocked to support the new group and to enjoy what they had to offer.

It was clear from the very start that the people of Athenry knew their drama, and any member of the audience was capable of submitting a knowledgeable critique, or adjudication, on the play they had seen, Even years later when the play was taken on a tour of the numerous Drama Festivals it was agreed by cast and producer that if we passed the test of the Athenry audience we could take our play anywhere.

First important decisions

So that was one of the first important decisions the new group had to make. Would they simply do their best and confine their performances to Athenry or would they take their play on the drama festival route and compete against other drama groups for recognition and for prizes such as BEST PLAY of the Festival, BEST PRODUCER, BEST ACTOR, BEST ACTRESS,  BEST SET DESIGN? At that point it would be about winning, and putting their performance under the scrutiny and adjudication of a professional adjudicator.

Into Competitions against other groups

There was much debate among the members and it was agreed that, provided that the winning of prizes did not compromise putting on the best show they could for the appreciative Athenry audience, they would go into competition with other groups.

Once again, it proved to be the right decision, but as the prizes rolled it was hard to believe that they were not the most important part of the whole experience

Change of name

I never found out the reason, and anyway I don’t think it is very important, but sometime in the early 1960s the name was changed to ATHENRY DRAMA GROUP. The actors remained the same,t he producer and the backroom team remained the same, only the name had changed. The quality was still there and the prizes continued to roll in, which established Athenry as one of the top amateur drama groups in the entire country.

Big winners both female and male

The big winners were Kitty Lardner with best actress awards too numerous to mention, but awards for All Ireland Best Actress not once, but several times were included, and Joan Murphy, still operating somewhat in Kittys shadow, quickly filled her trophy cabinet, which also included an All- Ireland award for best supporting actress.

At the male end too, the praise was high for Mike Fahy, described by more than one adjudicator as Athenrys treasure of a leading man.