As history and personal accounts inform us, women entered the Magdelene laundries for a variety of reasons. Pregnant women were signed in, women who were deemed too “fast” or a little bit “slow” or even those who were a burden to their families were confined within those walls. Patricia Burke Brogan, the author of the 1992 play, Eclipsed, drew on her experiences as a 21-year-old novice with the Sisters of Mercy in Galway, working alongside residents in the former laundry at Forster Street in the city. She also highlighted the plight of the women in the laundry in her 2014 book Memoir with Grykes and Turloughs. At its launch, the then President Michael D Higgins wrote the forward to the memoir, noting that her play had “changed everything”, and that its faithfulness to the characters and the hidden stories “could almost not have had another author”. At the launch of Eclipsed, Ms Sabina Coyne Higgins said it exposed a “complicity and conspiracy of silence”. Despite being known as the person to expose the conditions and behaviours of the Magdelene laundries, Patricia eloquently managed to convey the other side of life within those walls, in her play. She adamantly told The Irish Times in 2013, “I never saw any physical beating-up,” and stuck to her truth. Instead she portrays the tenacity of the women. Their ability to survive the drudgery and oppression of their suffocating, colourless environment. She shows the strength of women standing together, supporting each other to cope, by sharing their happy memories. Their ability to find hope and light, leaning into their playfulness and creativity, creating make believe scenarios bringing laughter, song and comradeship. The human instinct to survive is our most powerful drive and Eclipsed in essence is a story to prove that.
Sarah Walsh – Brigid
Sarah is a Dutch/Irish actor based in New Ross. She started acting at six and attended youth theatre school in the Netherlands for ten years. In Ireland she studied at the Irish Film Academy, The Gaiety School of Acting and the Helena Walsh Voice & Acting Studio.
In the Netherlands Sarah has been in professional stage productions such as Les Misérables and The Wizard of Oz and had a small part in a Dutch Sitcom. More recently she has played in several indie short and feature films like the Wexford horror comedy ‘A Season in Hell’ and Amazon’s Prime Detective ‘Pooka’.
Theatre credits in Ireland include Rainout and Broken Parts at The Gaiety’s Black Box in Dublin, Yeats before Purgatory in a Little Room, and Dracula with No Drama Theatre.
Sarah feels honoured to tell this very important story with this talented cast and crew to remember the women working in the Magdalene Laundries.
1. What’s your favourite theatrical moment (on or off the stage)?
It was an audition I did during the pandemic. There were still very much restrictions in place, but the lockdown was over and the auditions were held in a theatre. Before I even started the audition, I just had a moment to look around and realise I was on stage in a theatre again.. and how good it felt to be back.
2. What spurred you to be involved in Eclipsed?
I have always been very interested in the plight of the women in the Magdalene Laundries and it is very important to have these stories told. It is very recent history and we need to be aware of the attitudes that made this possible, those ideas about the place of women in society are still very much alive. The role of Brigit is also an incredible part to play for an actress and I am really happy to be part of this production.
3. What’s your characters name full name?
Brigit Murphy
4. What about your character can you relate to?
Her critical views on the church and authority and her refusal to abide by rules that are not just.
5. Whats your characters Pet peeve?
Not paying attention when folding so it takes three times longer.
6. What is your characters favourite food?
Griskin, black pudding and potatoes smothered in butter apparently. I myself wouldn’t eat any of those things though
7. What is your characters favourite song?
You don’t own me ~Leslie Gore
Would you like to add anything else?
It is important to remember the absolute crimes that took place in Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby home. The stealing of babies, locking up women for being pregnant or considered ‘unruly’. It happened recent and not only in Ireland and I feel very grateful that I am able to tell a piece of that story.
Megan Kelly – Nellie-Nora (Young)
Megan is a 26 year old actor and Specsavers Lab Technician from Kilkenny and is very passionate about acting.
At the age of 5 years old she joined the stage school Jesters Stage Academy in Kilkenny where her love of acting began and remained a student of Jester for 13 years. This led her to pursue acting as a career and study theatre studies and English in Waterford Institute of Technology where she gained a BA (Hons) Arts degree.
Some of her previous work includes: Two Shakespeare plays: “Macbeth” & “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, with Waterford Theatre companies: Suir Look Theatre and StageMad. She also performed in original plays: “Memoirs of A Ghost” by Derek Flynn and “Deception” by Conor Armstrong Sanfey.
Megan is so excited to take on the role of Nellie-Nora in Eclipsed as it was this character that drew her to the play and so delighted to get to work with the talented cast taking on this amazing play.
1. What’s your favourite theatrical moment (on or off the stage)?
On stage: was getting to perform my favourite monologue as my favourite Shakespeare character, Lady Macbeth, in Waterford’s Suir Look Theatre’s production of Macbeth of just me on stage with her candle.
Off stage: was getting asked to come on board Waterford director Jim Nolan’s The Red Iron as assistant stage manager and seeing all the professional actors. It was a pleasure to get to speak to them and ask them about acting in London and how to go about it before my move to England.
2. What spurred you to be involved in Eclipsed?
I always wanted to work KATS Theatre company after getting to see their production of Sean O’Casey’s play “Shadow of A Gunman”. When I saw they were holding auditions, I had to go for it. When I saw the play they were auditioning for and after my research and reading of the play, I just had to be apart of this telling of Ireland’s shushed history. Patricia Burke Brogan tells the reality of Irish women in history in such a beautiful way and with such strong and likeable characters. Also, it was the character of Nellie-Nora that really stood out to me as I could identify with her in some ways.
3. What’s your characters name full name?
Nellie-Nora Langan
4. What about your character can you relate to?
Being the mother of the group, as in always worrying about them and putting them before herself. I’m very much like that with my friends. Always making sure other people are ok before herself and how she is quiet or in herself.
5. Whats your characters Pet peeve?
People eating/chewing around her which has been intensified since coming to the laundry
6. What is your characters favourite food?
Stew/ Casserole
7. What is your charachters favourite song?
Favourite Song: Old Shep by Elvis Presley
Rosey Hayes – Cathy
Rosey Hayes is an actor from Kilkenny who has appeared in many film and theatre productions and has also worked in writing, directing and casting.
She graduated from Sligo Institute of Technology in 2016 with a BA Hons Degree in Performing Arts and has gone on to train with David Scott, Helena Walsh & LA based coach Benjamin Mathes.
Recent roles include Ann in Cloud 9 Production’s world premiere of new musical Letters From The Front, Emma O’Connor in Sau Dachi’s feature film Suit Hung Tied Tongue and Louise in Marcus Maher’s The Gallows Tree. She is currently appearing in a campaign for Dublin Airport.
Rosey will play the role of Mairead in Last Trip to Tipp, directed by John Morton as part of Barnstorm Theatre Company’s Bench Tales which debuts at this year’s Kilkenny Arts Festival.
Rosey runs Barnstorm Youth Theatre and is represented by Dublin based agency Red Kite Talent. She is thrilled to be a part of Eclipsed and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such an important story.
1. What’s your favourite theatrical moment (on or off the stage)?
One of my favourite theatrical moments was brushing my teeth in the men’s bathroom in Rothe House in a jester costume with my hair in space buns prior to a performance of The Merchant of Venice. I had been on a set all day, so was doing a lot of rushing around, but absolutely thrilled to be acting for the entire day. Getting to play a comic Shakespeare role was so special! Another treasured moment was seeing my writing performed for the first time, by two actors I am very fond of. The director handed me a rose as he walked up to clear the set after the performance… A very moving experience!
2. What spurred you to be involved in Eclipsed?
The script and story. It’s such a sad but important moment in our history and these women deserve to have their story told to an audience
3. What’s your characters name full name?
Cathy McNamara
4. What about your character can you relate to?
Her resilience. Despite being so physically weak, Cathy never gives up on the idea of being reunited with her girls. She’s also very protective and has a beautiful capacity to love the other girls living in the laundry.
5. Whats your characters Pet peeve?
Some of the other girls in the laundry can lash out of be unkind to one and other and this frustrates and upsets Cathy as they get enough torment from their captors without inflicting it on each other too.
6. What is your characters favourite food?
Cathy talks of missing homemade cakes and almond icing, so she’s got a bit of a sweet tooth.
7. What is your charachters favourite song?
Cathy’s favourite song is Galway Bay by Bing Crosby
