GRANUAILE
About 1546 she was married to Donal O'Flaherty. Being tainist to The O'Flaherty (i.e. next in line to be head of the clan and chief of all Iar Connacht) and being in possession of the castles of Bunowen and Ballinahinch he was a good match. He was known as Donal-an-Chogaidh (Donal of the Battles) for his for his truculent disposition. In 1549 he was implicated in the murder of his step-nephew Walter Fada Burke who was a likely obstacle for the son of his sister, Finola O'Flaherty, in attaining The MacWilliamship.
The Gráinne Mhaol Project
The interaction between the writer and the performers, and between the director and the design team created a vibrant dynamic that was nothing short of inspiring. At the end of the week we gave a short presentation to a small invited audience, and the results were both impressive and encouraging.
One of the main outcomes of the development week in November was the realisation that the scale of this production would be unlike any other we have attempted in the past. The epic nature of the story demanded a new approach and methodology, which we have spent the end of last year developing and fine-tuning.
Declan Gibbons - General Manager - Macnas - July 2002
Press Reviews
Galway Independent.
21st August 2002
Macnas must be congratulated for having mounted this mammoth production, which has a huge community involvement. From the very young and inexperienced to the adult volunteers and seasoned professionals, all worked with impressive commitment and theatre discipline.
The Big Top playing space was on a grand scale with the audience in arena seating and Macnas under the adept direction of Kathi Leahy exploited the space through its magnificant set pieces and well drilled crowd scenes.
"Costumes were striking and on occasion breathtaking as was the case with Queen Elisabeth's gigantic outfit (dress). There was, surprisingly, an under use of the mask and other striking or outrageous theatricals - the Macnas trademarks - which would not only have added to the spectical but might have given a lighter, more ironic tone to the naritive.
"Macnas magic, however, was brilliantly demonstrated in the most successful scenes of the production, those depicting the Court of Elizabeth. The stilted figures and the carnival scenes were also beautifully staged"
Memories
I invite all participants and/or those who saw the show to enter their memories into this space. Photos of the show most welcome.
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