*Co-director Louise Donlon with scriptwriter Jim O’Brien
Commemorations of the 1916 Easter Rising have to be held in private this year which has prompted one East Clare community to air their plannned production on social media instead.
‘O’Gonnelloe Remembers’ will be broadcast tonight (Sunday) on Facebook and YouTube. The show which commemorates the Easter Rising was recorded on parishioners’ phones and produced this week.
Their forty minute production is a shortened down version of what was originally planned and includes songs and poetry together with a special diary from the time written by local man, Tim Lynch which gives an insight into how word was received and anticipated of events from Dublin some 200kms away from his home by Lough Derg.
Best known for his work with The Farming Independent, journalist Jim O’Brien who lives in Ogonnelloe has written the narrative.
Co-director Louise Donlon maintained that the production reinforced the closeness of the community. “We have a very vibrant community here and typically at this time of year we would put on a show involving local people for local people and many from beyond who are now coming here for these shows. There’s a great closeness here in the parish and we are just reinforcing that with this production at this time. Once the lock-down came a few of us chatted and said let’s do this and, to a person, everyone we asked to contribute said yes.”
Farmers, a landscape gardener, a journalist and individuals from the marketing profession are members of the cast which covers a wide range of age demographics. Each person recorded their contribution on phone with Clare editor, Brian Ruane piecing the production together.
Cast member, Michael McNamara stated, “It’s been a frantic week as we are all trying to do our day jobs in difficult circumstances but it’s been a great and fun distraction. We’ve had the first cut and we’re into final edits now and will have our best foot forward on Sunday night. There’s a great sense of community spirit and solidarity about it at this difficult time. We might not be able to do something in the community hall this Easter but we will be bringing that spirit into people’s homes”.
Extracts from the diary of Tim Lynch make the production which is supported by Clare County Council, all the better, Michael felt. “What’s really special about this show are the excerpts from Tim Lynch’s diary, whom I knew as a boy growing up when he was moving on in age. He wrote brilliantly and you get a real sense from the diaries as to how word travelled back then. You are very much with him as he hears with excitement what’s happening in Dublin and then his disappointment but pride as he hears of how things ultimately unfolded.”
