CULTURE: Ballinrobe writer Mick Donnellan releases fifth novel

Mick Donnellan has just released a new book, ‘Galway Blues’. The novel, the Ballinrobe writer’s fifth, follows ‘El Niño’, ‘Fisherman’s Blues’, ‘The Dead Soup’ and ‘The Naked Flame’.
Set against the vibrant yet shadowy backdrops of Athlone, Ballinrobe and Galway, ‘Galway Blues’ centres around the main character Charlie, who as he becomes entangled in risky heists, illegal diesel operations in Westmeath, stolen ATMs in Ballinrobe and brutal debt collections in Galway.
Drowning his grief in alcohol, Charlie battles not only his inner demons but also external threats from the police, vengeful former crew members and a powerful new boss consolidating his empire.
Amidst the turmoil, Charlie meets Karena, an enigmatic actor who offers a glimmer of hope – or the risk of deeper despair. Dark, raw and laced with sharp humor, Galway Blues explores loyalty, loss and the thin line between survival and ruin.
Mick Donnellan works as a successful playwright, novelist and screenwriter. Film credits include ‘Tiger Raid’, adapted from Mick’s Play ‘Radio Luxembourg’. Optioned by London film company Dixon/Baxi/Evans, the script was developed in London and shot in the desert in Jordan. Starring Brian Gleeson, Damian Molony and Sofia Boutella, it was accepted into the Tribeca film festival (New York) and was also seen at Cannes and Edinburgh. The Irish Premiere was screened at the Galway Film Fleadh.
The prolific writer was recently part of the Galway Theatre Development Programme run by Andrew Flynn in conjunction with Galway’s Town Hall Theatre. His plays include ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’, ‘Shortcut to Hallelujah’, ‘Gun Metal Grey’, ‘Velvet Revolution’ and ‘Checkpoint Charlie’.
He received the Agility Award through the Arts Council of Ireland (June 2023) and the Mayo Theatre Bursary through Mayo Arts Office (April 2024).

Auditions
Donnellan’s latest play, ‘Outlaw Pete’, is being produced by Truman Town Theatre, and auditions are being held at the end of the month in Galway.
The play focuses on three complicated characters who collide at a critical moment in their lives. Pete, newly released from prison, arrives at Jane’s door to win her back. But Jane is now married to Dave, who isn’t willing to let Pete disrupt their lives. As tensions rise, Jane’s doubts about her marriage surface, revealing that Dave is far from the perfect husband he seems. A dark, character-driven comedy, the play explores issues of urban crime, loneliness, existential crises, and feminism.
Auditions (15 minutes each) for each of the three characters will be held in the Town Hall Theatre (studio), Galway, on Thursday and Friday, January 30 and 31, from 11am to 1pm and 2.30pm and 5pm.
While the format of the auditions if open/walk-in, advance contact is strongly advised to select a character and receive audition samples. For more information or to submit a CV, showreel or expression of interest, email Donnellan at mickdonnellan@hotmail.com.

Staying busy
Donnellan always seems to have several irons in the fire. Speaking to Ciara Galvin for The Mayo News several years ago, he was asked which form of writing he prefers, and he confessed he couldn’t choose one over the other. “They all have different things to be excited about,” he said.
“When you’re writing plays, you think ‘All I want to ever do is write plays’, and then when you’re doing the books, you get a taste for the fiction again, and the screenwriting you’re kicking around in the desert and different countries,” he explained.
Asked how he has the time to produce so much work, Mick said he simply sits down most days and ‘pulls out a bit of an unfinished play’ or writes ‘a bit of fiction’.
“You kind of need to stay busy and keep track of your ideas, and if you hit a lull with a project then go back to the ideas and maybe develop them. It’s weird, it’s one day at a time, one word at a time.”