Half a century of theatre: Torch Players founder named Limerick Person of the Month

Maurice O'Sullivan, the founder of the Torch Players Drama Group has been named Limerick Person of the Month.

Speaking at the award presentation in the Clayton Hotel in Limerick city on Monday, Maurice said:

"It's a great honour to be the Limerick Person of the Month, especially for a Kerry man, even though I'm 50 odd years in Limerick now, but it's still a great honour and I'm delighted to to receive it."

The Torch Players is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and Maurice has been at the helm since the beginning. 

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"We were founded in September so at the end of September and early October we're doing three one-act plays in the Coach House in the Civic Trust building there in Pery Square," explained Maurice.

He said the celebrations kicked off last month with a run of performances of a popular play by Brian Friel which Maurice directed. "We started already about six weeks ago. We had a play in the Belltable, Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel. For five nights, it was packed out in the Belltable."

He added that the Torch Players Drama Group which was founded in 1976 started off very small.

"I started because I had been doing one-act plays and pantomimes and concerts in the school... One play led to another. We did one-acts for a few years, and then after a few years I think in 1979 we did our first full-length play and we performed that one in the school hall in Mulgrave Street. So we did two plays in the school hall in Mulgrave Street and then we moved to what is now the Belltable in 1988."

Maurice added that the Torch Players has performed in the Belltable every year since then, except the years it was closed down.

In the early 1970s, Maurice, with wonderful assistance from Brendan Nash, began producing pantomimes and one act plays as Gaeilge with students at the School of Commerce (now Limerick College of Further Education) in Mulgrave Street. 

They went on to win the Feile Scoildramaiochta Naisuinta in 1972 and 1975 and when these talented students left school in the mid-70s, Aisteoiri Scoil na Tractala evolved into the Torch Players.