The Burren Dramatic Society can be described as a community within a community. Since its earliest days not only has it provided greatly appreciated entertainment for the local community, it has also been a major fundraiser for many of the facilities and privileges that the local community enjoys today. St. Mary’s Hall, The Church, the Foreign Missions, the GAA Club, the Youth Club have all been regular beneficiaries of the Dramatic Society’s generosity.
In more recent years our name has changed to Burren Amateur Dramatic Society (BADS), but the tradition of entertaining our audiences and fundraising for the local community is still at the forefront of our purpose. Our main aim is to fund the upkeep and running of St. Mary’s Hall. However, some of our more recent beneficiaries are Busy Bees Preschool, Burren Lourdes Fund, Burren Senior Citizens and Burren Men’s Shed.
About a decade after the official opening of the new hall The Burren Dramatic Society first threaded the boards of the local stage. Then came 1924 and the production and presentation of one of the greatest challenges to ever face an Irish Dramatic Troupe. The regularly talked about a play based upon a book ‘The Collegians’ written by a Co. Limerick author Gerald Griffin. It told the story of the murder of the Colleen Bawn and that was the name given to the powerful melodrama. It’s sequel ‘The Shaugharun’ was also presented in the mid-twenties.
We are pleased to have recorded most of the names of the plays produced by the Burren group all down the years. In drama circles it is oft times said that good producers make good plays. Burren has always had a wealth of excellent drama producers including in recent times: Dan McEvoy Sen. Dan McEvoy Jnr. Mrs Nan McKay, John Byrne, Mrs Julie McGovern and our current producer Miss Aisling O’Rourke.
We understand that in 1922 the first play presented by the group was the ‘Courting of Mary Doyle’ and the following year another comparatively new play, a County Down play ‘The Loaves and Fishes’ was staged. The obvious success of these productions instilled a confidence in the Society thus enabling it to aspire to greater heights and the still greatly acclaimed 1924 production of ‘The Colleen Bawn’.
The traceability of the entire works of the Burren Amateur Dramatic Society is certainly a difficult undertaking and given that all of those involved in those early-day productions have now gone to their eternal reward we are limited in searching for authentic information. We nevertheless are pleased to place on record those facts that we have been able to establish.
1922. The Courting of Mary Doyle
1923. Loaves ad Fishes
1924. The Colleen Bawn
1925. Handy Andy
1926. The Eloquent Dempsey
1929. The Red Redeeming Dawn
To date we have been unable to establish the exact dates of the following post war productions; Professor Tim, Smugglers Redemption and McCook’s Corner. In 1958 and 1960 society members were back in action when they presented the Pope in Killybuck and The Roadside. As we move more into the memorable years and with the help of our records, we can list all of our productions since 1983.
1983. The Big Sweep
1984. Wigs on the Green
1985. Trouble Batchelors
1986. Quare Gunk
1987. The Roadside
1988. Swan Song
1980. Cupboard Love
1990. My Wife’s Family
1991. The Year of the Hiker
1992. The Mating Season
1993. The Man from Clare
1994. Don’t tell the Wife
1995. Anyone could Rob a Bank
1995. All the King’s Horses
1996. The Odd Couple
1996. The Marriage Plan
1997. The Black Stranger
1998. Adam Turner & Son
1999. Philadelphia Here I Come
2000. Family Fever
2000. Second Honeymoon
2001. The Late Mrs Early
2002. The Mating Season
2003. Widows Paradise
2004. Run for your Wife
2007. Cash on Delivery
2008. Don’t tell the Wife
2009. Lend me a Tenor
2010. Family Fever
2011. Wake in the West
2012. Don’t tell the Bride
2014. Out of Order (March)
2014. Second Honeymoon
2015. It’s the Real McCoy
2016. Separate Beds
2017. The Late Mrs Early
2018. Cupid Wore Skirts
2019. Stop It Nurse
2022. Strictly for the Birds
2023. Sink or Slim
