​Curtain falls on 42nd Lislea Drama Festival as Glenamaddy take the honours

​Festival Chairperson Orla Murphy opened the awards by introducing the platform party which comprised of Ann Johnson, representing Aidan Strain Electrical Engineering who are again the main sponsor of this year’s festival; Joe Murphy, Festival President; Imelda McDonagh, Festival Adjudicator; and Anne Garvey, Festival Secretary.

Presenting the night’s awards were Tony McParland, Chairman of the Community Association (Terrence O’Hanlon Cup and Kathleen McParland Cup),Pius Tierney (Paul Tierney Memorial Award), Eamonn McCann (Michael J McCann Memorial Cup) and Liz McElroy (Pat Hannaway Cup).

Orla had the agreement of the packed house when she described this year’s festival as having “eight wonderful nights of drama showcasing an array of talents from acting and directing to writing and lighting.

"We had the thrills and spills of family feuds and firm friendships, historical sagas, and absurd fables. We even had an invisible lizard!”

She expressed her sincere appreciation and admiration to all the groups who travelled this year to the festival “with their finely crafted and courageous presentations” and extended her personal thanks to the regular festival patrons who truly make Lislea festival.

Travelling groups, the length and breadth of Ireland have commented over the years that the Lislea audience is renowned in amateur drama circles due their warmth, appreciation and knowledge of the plays.

She praised the ever-faithful season ticket holders who turn up religiously to purchase their tickets every year to enjoy the debate about the plays, the cups of tea, the renewed friendship and even ‘the cheeky glass of wine in the festival bar on a cold Wednesday night in Lent!’.

Orla expressed her personal delight on seeing the audience come through the door on opening night and her "joy to hear them laugh uproariously, clap enthusiastically and suspend a breath holding silence as you fell on every word delivered.” She thanked them for supporting her in her inaugural year as Festival Chairperson as “a festival just doesn’t work without its audience participation.”

Orla also paid tribute to all her hard-working colleagues on the Festival Committee who all played their part in making sure the festival ran smoothly. She also recognized that the success of the festival is also a testament of the hard work the Community Association and local people, the bar persons, tea ladies, stewards and especially Andrew Gray (who marshalled the carpark in all weathers without complaint) and Tina Grant who served the groups their meals every night, who all worked voluntarily night after night behind the scenes to help run the festival year after year. She welcomed new committee member Linda O’Brien and gave her personal thanks to Frances Hannaway who became her right hand, Shona Cunningham who did a marvellous job as PR, Cathal Murphy and Thomas Crawley who so quietly and unseen complete a myriad of little jobs that cumulatively amount to a mountainous workload and not forgetting the glamorous glue that holds the festival together Anne Garvey.

However, she reserved a special mention to one crucial member of the Committee who was missing from the Theatre. Kathryn McParland, who is truly the heart and soul of the festival, was this year unable to join us due to the loss of her beloved husband Peter in the middle of the run. Orla spoke for everyone in the community when she said, “We carried her in our hearts every night here”.

Finally, she said that all the talent and goodwill in the world would go to waste if not for our sponsors. She continued: “We are indebted to the generosity of Aiden Strain and also the financial support of every one of our 54 programme sponsors.” She urged patrons to ensure they frequent and use the services of all these wonderful patrons throughout the year as many of them had been unstinting supporters of the festival for decades.

Festival Adjudicator Imelda McDonagh then closed the festival and presented the awards.