LIMERICK’s National City of Culture teams of past programmers and current administrators took home the Judge’s Special Award to Shannonside from the Irish Times Theatre Awards in National Concert Hall on Sunday. The panel of judges cited the Culture vultures’ using “of the city in the most imaginative way to rebrand Limerick as a beacon of artistic endeavour” to underpin their nomination and ultimately, choice as gong recipient.
So on Sunday February 22, it came to pass that Sheila Deegan and Mike Fitzpatrick accepted the award on the part of the administrative wing and former programmers Maeve McGrath and Jo Mangan ditto for their work prior to January 2014 in scheduling theatre shows from the deluge of applicants in for a slice of the €6million on a slate for Limerick.
Former artistic director Karl Wallace, who had resigned with Mangan and McGrath over a controversial administrative appointment, was unavailable to attend.
Speaking to Limerick Post, Limerick Arts officer Sheila Deegan – who was manager of City of Culture office for 2014 – made clear that “we are delighted, as you can imagine, to have been given recognition by the Irish Times as the first National City of Culture. The importance of the recognition within the Irish theatre sector is a valuable one”.
She is now one of the five appointees to the Limerick 2020 Bid Team operating out of Culture House, Pery Square who are leading the legacy treasure to European Capital of Culture 2020 status, hopefully.
Maeve McGrath, better known through her own company, Sídhe Theatre and Film, and PayDay Productions (Savoy Hotel), admitted, “It’s nice to be recognised for achievement by this Special judges’ award. Theatre was our area of the [City of Culture] programme and these are the theatre awards, obviously. Liz Nugent of the panel with Fergus Cronin and Gerard Smyth said they were blown away by the calibre of the projects and felt the level of funding had made a big difference”.
To refresh readers of Limerick’s profile at this closely watched Irish Times’ selection of top productions countrywide, ‘On The Wire’ was up for Best Production. Staged promenade style in The Sailor’s House, O’Curry Street, On The Wire was written and performed by Marie Boylan, Mike Finn, Conor Madden, Amanda Minihan and Shane Whisker. Terry O’Donovan directed for Boylan’s Wildebeest Theatre Company.
Maeve Butler was producer with Norma Lowney miraculous on set design.
Freelance Mario Beck was nominated for Best Set Design for his exciting work with animation technology for Honest Arts Production Company’s ‘Waiting in Line’. Created by Tara Doolan and Pius McGrath, Dance Limerick space in John’s Square was site for this other example of fine new Irish writing.
Onwards and forwards for all concerned with 2015 and beyond to meet raised expectations from here on.
