Murphy’s Town Hall Athenry 35 Wuthering Heights, an adaptation by Kathleen O’Shea The Shooting of Dan McGrew, adapted by Herman Gordon Double Wedding The Old Bog Road, by Kathleen O’Shea The Trail of the Northwest 29th January 1944 – Athenry Red Cross held a Fundraising Sale in the Hall, organised by Eileen McDermott Kelly (source: Hall Journal). 6th February 1944 – Athenry Red Cross held a Dance in the Hall, organised by Eileen McDermott Kelly (source: Hall Journal). 14th to 20th February 1944 – Harry Bailey Travelling Company performed their All Star Variety, Songs, Gags & Sketches in the Hall on 7 nights (source: the Hall Journal). The Tuam Herald 26th February 1944 carried an interesting tale on page 2, under the heading Tenor’s Flying Visit From West To Capital Operas that links into Harry Bailey’s Athenry appearances: 66 “When the immortal Melba was getting together her company for her farewell tour of Australia she included Alfred O'Shea, a young Irish-Australian tenor who had just completed his studies at Milan. The company included some of the brightest stars in the operatic firmament and it was a great honour for the young tenor... O'Shea was immediately acclaimed by his countrymen and before the completion of the tour, his fame as a singer was already established. Thus began a career which has taken him twice around the world and in the course of which he has toured America, Canada and Australia, with an appearance at the Opera Comique and several recitals in London thrown in. At the outbreak of the war, Mr O'Shea arrived in Eire... The week before last, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr O'Shea when he appeared at the Odeon with Mr. Harry Bailey, and I have seldom spent a more pleasant evening... After Mr O'Shea had left Tuam on Monday week, an anxious enquiry arrived from the Director of the Dublin Operatic Society as to his whereabouts. The tenor billed to sing RigoIIeto had been taken ill and a substitute capable of taking his place had to be found immediately. Eventually he was traced to Athenry and after a hurried consultation with Mr Harry Bailey, he set off for Dublin on Wednesday where he sang the opera in Italian the same night. Back to Athenry the following morning to sing with the show that night and the following night and then to Dublin again where he took part in the gala performance at the Capitol on Saturday night.” 6th to 12th March 1944 – The Shannon Players (Alec de Gabriele & Company) performed the 7 plays listed below, across 7 nights in the Hall (source: Hall Journal): Peg O’ My Heart by Hartley Manners Dracula Blackmail, by Alec de Gabriele Gate of Doom Madam X The Patsy The White Sister 9th April 1944 – Athenry Dramatic Class held a Dance in the Hall, organised by Kitty Lardner (source: Hall Journal). 15th to 22nd May 1944 – a Town Hall Promo leaflet records that the Touring Drama Company Carl Clopet Productions were booked in for 7 nights, performing a different play each night (confirmed by the Hall Journal): White Cargo, by Leon Gordon Pygmalion, by GB Shaw Night Must Fall, by Emlyn Williams French Without Tears, by Terence Rattigan Love In a Mist, by Kenneth Horne Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier Jane Eyre, by Helen Jerome (adapted from the novel by Charlotte Brontë) 66 Harry Bailey (Daniels) was Carrie May’s son. Gabriel ‘Gaby’ Taylor, son of Kitty Breen & Gilbert Taylor, was married to Harry’s sister, Cherrie.
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