On the Town: The air of quiet excitement at the world premiere of What Happened Bridgie Cleary sparked into life when playwright Tom Mac Intyre arrived at the Peacock Theatre this week.
Bridgie Cleary was "feisty, beautiful, daring and an exemplary hero of her time", Mac Intyre said. The tragedy was that "she didn't get out of there fast enough", he added, recalling the true story of Bridgie Cleary, who was burned to death in Co Tipperary in 1895. "She had wonderful courage and was a joy to write about. There's nothing else you should be doing except writing about feisty women like that."
Artists Anne Madden and Louis Le Brocquy filed through the foyer for the opening.
"We're old friends and old fans of the two Toms," said Madden, referring to the playwright and the actor, Tom Hickey, who was backstage preparing with his co-stars, Declan Conlon and Catherine Walker.
Afterwards, talk was of the play.
"I loved it," said poet Dennis O'Driscoll, who was there with his wife, fellow poet Julie O'Callaghan. "It stirred me and touched me to my Tipperary roots. Instead of victims, he presented lovers and instead of social documentary he gave us mesmeric poetry." O'Driscoll was recently notified that he is this year's winner of the EM Forster Award, which is presented by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Mary Tuohy, of Dublin's Hallward Gallery, where an exhibition of Helen Richmond's work is running, was equally moved.
"It was so moving, so poetic," said actor Ingrid Craigie, who was there with her mother, Betty Craigie.
• What Happened Bridgie Cleary continues at the Peacock Theatre until Saturday 4 June. It then tours, playing at Galway's Town Hll Theatre, Longford's Backstage Theatre; Cavan's Ramor Theatre in Virginia, Monaghan's Garage Theatre, Dundalk's Town Hall, Bray's Mermaid Arts Centre and finishing at Letterkenny's An Grianán as part of the Eragail Arts Festival