Since they were founded in 2005, Shrughawadda Players from Kilmoganny have produced some wonderful nights of theatre. The man who started the theatrical ball rolling was Michael Dowling. Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the players are now preparing to take to the stage again and will present The Field by J. B. Keane.
Based in and around Kilmoganny and the surrounding area, Shrughawadda Players are dedicated to fostering and nurturing new talent. There is a great history of theatre in Kilmoganny, dating back to the 1940s, when local players travelled around the county to parish halls to perform their shows.
The Field
There are certain plays in which the character, creature or object named in the play’s title, but never directly appearing in the action, exerts an influence varying from the crucial to the incidental on the characters of the play. Waiting for Godot immediately springs to mind. So does The Wild Duck. So does The Quare Fellow. And so does The Field.
In this play, the field itself — three acres, one rood and thirty-two perches, or thereabouts, in size — influences the lives of the various characters in different ways and to varying degrees. Its sale will lessen the fear and insecurity haunting Maggie Butler’s old age; it will mean money for Mick Flannagan, the auctioneer; it will mean a happier marriage and, hopefully, better business for William Dee.
For the community of Carraigthomond, it will mean murder, gossip, enquiry, whisperings and silence — the Church and the law combining to probe the lives of the people so that justice will be done. For the Bull McCabe, the sale of the field means nothing short of disaster, for him and for his son Tadhg. This possibility is as incomprehensible as it is unacceptable.
This play shows that a man who loves something or somebody can be a dangerous animal. The Bull loves the field; when he speaks of it, his language is warm with love and detailed knowledge.
Bull:
“I watched this field for forty years, and my father before me watched it for forty more. I know every rip of grass and every thistle and every whitethorn bush that bounds it.”
Important
The Field remains one of the most important plays, not just for its storytelling but for how it captures the soul of rural Ireland. The play explores themes of land, legacy, pride and identity. It reflects a time when the ownership of land was bound up with dignity, especially after centuries of oppression by British rule.
Of course, the Bull McCabe is one of the most famous characters in Irish literature. He is a possessive farmer who fights to keep his land from the ‘outsider’.
The Keane play, first performed in 1965, tells the story of the hardened Irish farmer “Bull” McCabe and his love for the land he rents. The play debuted at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre in 1965, with Ray McAnally as ‘The Bull’ and Eamon Keane as ‘The Bird’ O’Donnell, and is recognised as a powerful Irish drama exploring obsession, greed and land ownership.
The plot follows “Bull” McCabe, a farmer who believes his long-term rented land belongs to him, and who takes drastic, violent measures when a wealthy foreigner threatens to outbid him at auction.
It is interesting to note that Joanna Keane, daughter of John B. Keane, picked Maimie Flanagan as her favourite character from her father’s work.
“My favourite character from all the plays has to be Maimie Flanagan from The Field. She has it all to give — bitter yet humane, hard but sensitive.”
“Maimie was trapped in a loveless marriage, in a town that was too small for her needs,” said Joanna.
Maimie comes into her own during the interrogation scene with the local guard, who feels he can discover the identity of the murderer by quizzing Maimie.
Guard: You were here on the night of the murder.
Maimie: I’m always here.
Guard: Did the dead man say anything to you?
Maimie: You can’t have a conversation with a dead man, Sergeant.
Guard: This is serious, Maimie.
Maimie:
“What do you think I am — a bloody schoolgirl, is it? I’m always here. Always. How well they wouldn’t murder me. No such luck. I’ll have to stay and look at thicks like you climbing on other people’s backs because you have the authority. Now, for Christ’s sake, get out of here and let me get the bloody dinner.”
Cast
The cast includes: Pete Dunne, Oran Aylward, Andrew O’Neill, Aoife O’Neill, Stephen Gilmore, Biddy Hawe, Bobby Murray, Max Kirwan, Willie Kearney, Robert Little, Gerry Carroll and Claire O’Neill.
Speaking to The Kilkenny Observer, Alycia Kearney said that rehearsals were in full swing and that a great show was in store.
Tickets are on sale at Pete’s Shop (051 648637), Alycia Kearney (087 6757490) and Jackie Kenneally (087 9953532).
Celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, Shrughawadda Players will present The Field in St Eoghan’s Centre from 11–14 February.
Please place in panel with art
The Field
By Peter Martin
Stone-covered fields
Abused by the elements
Unable to breathe
Shackled by hardship and torment
Bent and old, he slaves
Bloodied knuckles and hands
Of an octogenarian
Gave birth to his child
Through years of labour
Covered her with a shawl of understanding
At one with the child
Because he is the child
Growing into maturity
Yet bloodied through sacrifice and pain
Each turned sod seeking forgiveness
Garden of Eden veiled.
