Spirits of the late great actress, Siobhán McKenna and the writer Walter Macken have been summoned in Galway's Taibhdhearc Theatre this week as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.
The Taibhdhearc became the world's first theatre dedicated to Irish-language productions when it opened its doors in 1928 with Micheál MacLiammóir's production of Diarmuid agus Gráinne.
As it received a State subsidy,it was also the second national playhouse, the first being the Abbey in Dublin, founded in 1904. It still has a curtain designed by MacLiammóir, inspired by the Celtic revival of the early 20th century.
To mark the 75th birthday, a new scriptwriting competition was initiated on Monday night in honour of Walter Macken.
During his time as manager and artistic director there, the author directed and produced more than 76 plays. His work, Mungo's Mansion, was inspired by the lives of those residents in tenements on Galway's Middle Street where the Taibhdhearc is based.
In the past two years, Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe has produced 16 new works between major productions on national tour and experimental productions.
The Walter Macken Award aims to encourage new writers, with the fruits of such work being staged next year. A prize fund of €7,500 represents €100 for each year since An Taibhdhearc was established.
A youth theatre initiative named Na Crosain has also been set up to provide training in Irish language theatre for 13-18-year-olds. The initiative will involve a 15-week workshop, when two groups of 20 young people will be given the opportunity to develop their interest and talent in theatre.
