New play penned by Cappamore man to premiere in Limerick village this weekend

The cast of Grean Drama Productions will present A Playwright in the Western World

placeholder image — The cast of Grean Drama Productions will present A Playwright in the Western World

A Playwright in the Western World was written by Cappamore man Joe Diggins

A NEW play penned by Cappamore man Joe Diggins will premiere in Pallasgreen this weekend.

Grean Drama Productions will present A Playwright in the Western World in the community centre this Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, February 27 to March 1, at 8pm.

In 1905, JM Synge visited the Blasket islands. He stayed in the house of Peats Mhici O Cathain, The Island King. At this time Synge was writing a series of essays about the people and places he had come to visit in West Kerry.

His writings would paint a portrait of this western world. In the King's house he was attended to by the King's two daughters, Maire and Cait. He would refer to these young women as the "little hostess" and "the princess".

Synge would spend a lot of his time in the kitchen of this cottage working on his writing and having conversations with whoever he happened to meet here. Maire had been recently married but still kept house for her father although she had her own house close by.

The King's eldest son had immigrated to America a month or so before Synge's visit and all who lived within the cottage was missing their brother.

Synge's visit to the Island had a profound effect on him, it is believed that the character Pegeen Mike from his famous play The Playboy in the Western World was based on Maire.

This new play, by Mr Diggins, is based on Synge's account of his visit to the Blasket islands

from his book titled In Wicklow and West Kerry which was published in 1910. Added to this are some of the characters of the time on the Blaskets.

The play is based on fact, all the characters are real and either lived on the island in 1905 or were visiting the island. Synge also brought along one of the first cameras to the island and the photos he took were also used as a reference for parts of this play.

Proceeds of the performances go towards a Young at Heart Christmas function every year and a donation is also made to a charity. Tickets, €12, 087-7989310.