Reliving the magic: Kilmeena Drama Group brings Mayo’s All-Ireland journey to the stage

AS Mayo supporters continue to relive the county’s unforgettable All-Ireland journey, Kilmeena Drama Group is bringing the highs, lows and sheer emotion of the number of months to stage a production that blends comedy and nostalgia.

Adapted from Niall Conway’s original play, The Lucky Shirt, the Mayo version, titled The Curse be Damned follows three friends from the excitement of the London game to the drama of the All-Ireland against Kerry in Croke Park.

For director Julie Moore and cast member Pat O’Malley, getting the details right has been central to the production, with the script reworked to capture the language, humour and emotions of Mayo supporters. The result, they say, promises audiences a chance to revisit a season that captured the lives of the county, this time through the eyes of three familiar football fans.

The Mayo News spoke to director Julie Moore and cast member Pat O’Malley ahead of the script making it to stage.

ADAPTING THE SCRIPT

FOR director Julie Moore, it was a certainty that she wanted to bring this play to Mayo audiences, with changes she felt Mayo audiences could understand.

“We had a meeting, read it, and said we could actually do something with this. I thought if we didn’t do it, somebody else would pick it up and we’d regret it,” she said.

While the script is adapted from Niall Conway’s The Lucky Shirt, Julie says the play needed to be localised because it was written for Armagh, and a lot of the references didn’t carry in Mayo.

“We spoke to the writer and asked if we could adapt it as we saw fit and get exclusivity so nobody else in the county would do it. He agreed, and we set to work figuring out what needed changing and updating,” Julie tells The Mayo News.

The original script provided the foundation, but the group wanted the finished production to sound and feel Mayo authentically.

That meant getting the dialogue right, removing references that would not resonate locally and ensuring the story reflected the experience of supporters who had lived through the campaign themselves.

It also meant tackling the final, the part of the production Julie felt required the greatest attention.

“My favourite part is the final. We did a lot of rewriting because, although the writing was very good initially, it just didn’t capture the madness and the mental experience that everybody had.”

To get it right, she kept returning to the match footage, watching the highlights, pausing, and taking notes as she went.

“I sat down and tackled that, writing it from nearly my own perspective about what everybody’s emotions were there in Croke Park on the day.”

CAPTURING THE MAYO EMOTION

Julie say the task was about capturing something that went beyond the scoreline. Mayo’s journey had been experienced collectively, with supporters sharing every anxious moment and every surge of hope. The final was the culmination of that emotional investment, and the production had to do justice to it.

“I think everybody remembers every single second and every minute of those 70 minutes. I just hope the play allows them to relive it.”

Julie believes there is a particular poignancy to the story because the audience already knows how it ends. They have watched the matches, celebrated the victories and experienced the disappointments.

The highs were matched by lows, and the disappointment following the Roscommon game remains an important part of the narrative.

“There were high highs throughout the season and definitely low lows. Everybody was head in hands after the Roscommon game. That’s the truth,” Julie said.

FOLLOWING THE MAYO JOURNEY

The production follows the journey from the enthusiasm surrounding the London game through the setbacks and the subsequent build-up to the final, with references to Andy Moran adding another layer of interest for those familiar with the season.

Rather than simply recreating the matches, however, the play focuses on the people following them.

JP is the comic character, a bit of a wild boy who initially knows relatively little about football and is not especially invested in the team's fortunes. His interest grows as the season progresses.

His friend Dessie acts as something of a referee between JP and Francie, an older, semi-retired farmer. Francie is an old-school supporter who knows the game inside out, follows every match, and is rarely far wrong with his predictions.

The contrast between JP, who ‘doesn’t give two hoots', and Francie, who very much does, provides much of the comedy, while Dessie attempts to keep the peace between them.

HOPES FOR THE AUDIENCE

For Julie, the timing matters. Supporters have already watched the matches repeatedly, but the production offers a new way to experience them, with the football interwoven with the humour, relationships, and conversations that surround match day.

Pat hopes audiences will enjoy both elements.

“I hope they can relive all the matches and enjoy the comedy as well,” he said. “A lot of people will be looking forward to the football side of it, knowing that there’s a happy ending at the end.”

The production is also designed to travel, both Julie and Pat agree. Kilmeena Drama Group currently has two dates planned in Kilmeena, with a third possible if demand is there. Although there is no room to bring the show to Westport at present, Julie hopes other towns and communities across the county will have the opportunity to host it.

DATES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

‘The Curse be damned’ will take place in Kilmeena Community Hall, Mayo, from November 12 to 13.