Moving John B Keane drama by Inch Players to enthral audiences

The perennially much loved musical drama about emigration, "Many Young Men of Twenty" by the late great John B Keane will be staged by the famous Inch Players in Inch Community Centre theatre on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, February 24th, 25th and 26th at 8.15pm nightly. Early attendance is advised for what promises to be one of the most entertaining theatrical experiences of the year in County Tipperary.

In the days when young men took the boat train to Dun Laoghaire for Holyhead, to perhaps join McAlpine’s Fusiliers, emigration was seen as a curse upon our nation and in one memorable County Tipperary production of this beautiful play many years ago I saw grown men and women weep openly for departing young emigrants in the play. This very moving play will resonate with an older generation, as well as younger folks also who have brothers and sisters in Australia, Canada or America.

Meet The Cast:

Peg Finnerty - Patricia O’Halloran

Danger Mulally - Patrick Gormley 

Maurice Brown –  Matthew McGrath

Seelie Hannigan - Matilda Hayes 

Tom Hannigan - Michael Carey

May Nan –  Kathleen Flynn

Dawheen Timminneen Din - John Glasheen 

Kevin –  Brian Everard  

Dinny –  Colm Young 

Kitty Curley - Bridget Bourke

Dot - Jodie Kennedy

JJ Houlihan - Brendan Hoare

Johnny - Paddy Carey 

Aloysius - PJ Delaney 

Mikey – Adam Carr 

Mary Sinead Ryan/Christine Delaney/Cliona O’Connell

Musicians: Seamus O' Halloran and Jim Ryan (The Mill).  

Production Team: Matt Shanahan and Mary Everard.

The play is set in the back room of a public house during the Summer time in the early 1960’s.  It’s a musical play which deals with emigration and the lack of jobs at home that forced people to leave their native Ireland for England in the days before mobile phones and skype. And when for young country folks in particular England, physically and emotionally, seemed a longer way off than it is today. This year, encouragingly, sees a few new faces, including Colm Young and Brendan Hoare, in the famous group.

“We also have some of our Youth Players who have stepped up to the senior group for the first time,” said well-known comedy actress, Bridget Bourke, the highly efficient PRO of the Inch Players.

The group’s musicians, so much a part of the play, are well known accordion player Seamus O’Sullivan and fiddle player Jim Ryan of the Mill. Both are well known for their musical talent throughout the county and beyond.

The Inch Players were formed in the Spring of 1956 when a group of people assembled in Inch School at the invitation of Rev Fr P. Purcell, CC who was first producer and make –up artist. The first play was “The Young Man from Rathmines” and this was followed by “The Workhouse Ward”.

Question time and concert items all added to the productions of those days. After Fr Purcell’s transfer to another parish Mr Jim Ryan, N.T. became producer and he had had experience of drama in his native Upperchurch. Under his direction the group went from strength to strength and they staged plays such as “The New Gossoon” by George Shiels and “The Black Stranger” by Gerard Healy. Macra na Feirme was strong in those days in the parish and the drama group became known as the Inch Macra Drama Group. They won in Tipperary and went on to the Munster Final in Fermoy where they were placed second. They competed at the Muintir na Tire Drama Festival in Thurles and were to continue this practice for years.

The became known as Inch Players then and theirs was the first name to appear on the Muintir na Tire Cup for rural drama at the Thurles Festival. At that time they were the only rural group to win the Dr Morris Cup. They entered festivals all over Munster- in Cork, Charleville, Fermoy, Killarney, Limerick, Six Mile Bridge, and once qualified for the All-Ireland in Athlone and later in Loughrea.

Around 1963 the late great Joe Boyle of Ballyroan, Borrisoleigh, a cast member, took over production and under his guidance drama flourished in Inch. They travelled to Dublin with “The Field” at the invitation of the Tipperarymens’s Association in Dublin and performed the play in the CIE Hall in Marlboro Street.

The players loved to travel in the early years to halls in the neighbouring parishes: Drom, Upperchurch, Drombane, Littleton, Dundrum, Boherlahan, Borrisoleigh, Nenagh, Thurles and Templemore. There was always great support in these areas and at the festival in Thurles great numbers came from these places to cheer on the players.