Cur Síos

This book contains a description of the history of Irish-language theatre in Dublin in the second half of the last century. It was Gael Linn who founded the Damer Theatre and directed it from 1955 to 1976. During that time, the Damer was a central part of the social life of the Irish-speaking community in the capital.

The greatest achievements associated with Damer were:
· It had a central base at St. Stephen’s Green
· Through the Drama Club, it nurtured followers
· It boosted amateur drama
· It encouraged writers to write new plays
· It promoted high standards in every aspect of the work

Playwrights: The playwrights who wrote for the Damer included: Eoghan Ó Tuairisc, Seán Ó Tuama, Breandán Ó Beacháin, and Máiréad Ní Ghráda. The work of these playwrights continues to be a support structure for theatre companies across the country. Directors: The Damer was fortunate to have professional directors such as Proinsias Mac Diarmada and Tomás Mac Anna working there. The Damer nurtured top young producers, some of whom would go on to work professionally in production or acting later on, e.g., Niall Tóibín, Noel Ó Briain, Seán Ó Briain, and Dónall Farmer.

Actors: Damer gave many people the opportunity to perfect their talent for acting. Among the people who started at Damer and pursued a career in acting were Áine Ní Mhuirí, Máire Ní Ghráinne, Breandán Ó Dúill, and Fionnula Flanagan. However, there were amateur people who reached a high standard of acting, especially Séamas Ó Tuama and Séamas Páircéir.

Riobard Mac Góráin: This work is dedicated to Riobard Mac Góráin, former Director of Gael Linn. Riobard was a mainstay at the Damer Theatre from its founding, and it is thanks to his efforts, in particular, that Irish-language plays were performed on the Damer stage for more than twenty years. Most of the people associated with the Damer—actors, directors, and administrators—worked voluntarily. Gael Linn’s vision was for the Damer to be a professional theatre.

This describes the efforts that were made and the results they had. An Damer lasted for twenty-one years under the patronage of Gael Linn (1955-1976). Afterwards, a professional company took over (from 1978 to 1981) as a joint venture between Bord na Gaeilge and the Arts Council.

The Book An Damer: History of Theatre by Máiréad Ní Chinnéide

Program of Productions: An important feature of this book is the listing it provides of all the productions that were staged at the Damer. This information will be helpful to people who were involved with the Damer and to those who are interested in the history of theatre. In certain cases, items from contemporary reviews are included.

Photographs: Photographs greatly enhance this book; they give us an insight into the beauty of the costumes and the effort spent in the Damer on staging dramas.

The author: Máiréad Ní Chinnéide is a freelance journalist and author. She put a lot of effort into talking to people connected with the Damer and sifting through documents. She has an interesting, easy-to-read story here.