Clontarf Players win Newry Drama Festival 2024

It really was a case of keeping the best to last at this year's Newry Drama Festival. The final play of the 70th festival was the production of Radium Girls from Clontarf Players and for once the audience and the adjudicator agreed that this was the festival winner.

Clontarf won an incredible 8 awards on the night for their production based on the tragic story of factory workers who painted watch faces with radioactive material and the ensuing illnesses that followed. With three out of the five plays performed already qualified for the All Ireland Final in Athlone the calibre of this year's offerings was beyond doubt.

Newpoint Players In the Shadow of the Glen, reimagined took a worthy second place with four awards for the incredible imaginative version of the J.M. Synge play, by Director Sean Treanor.

In her closing remarks Festival Chairperson Kate Carragher thanked audiences, patrons sponsors and groups for their contribution to making the 70th festival a very successful event. She noted that 3 of the 5 plays in the festival are now through to the All Ireland finals in Athlone, an indication of the quality of work seen throughout the week. She thanked the committee who she said, “though small in number, all worked tirelessly for months to ensure that the festival maintained its reputation of being a flagship on the Irish circuit”. She reiterated her hope that Newry Drama Festival would continue to flourish throughout the 21st century and beyond.

Award winners 2024

First: Clontarf Players “ Radium Girls”

Second: Newpoint Players “In the Shadow of the Glen; Reimagined”

Third: Ballyduff Drama Group “The Ferryman”

Most ambitious choice: Newpoint Players

Best Director : Myra Maguire, Clontarf Players 

Best Actor: Mickey Brannigan, Newpoint Players 

Best Actress: Ellen O’Malley, Clontarf Players

Best Supporting Actor: Ronan Richardson, Clontarf Players

Best Supporting Actress: Fiona Coughlan, Ballyduff Drama Group

Best young Actor: William Anglim, Balally Players

Audience Award: Clontarf Players

Best Stage Manager: Noel Hayes, Ballyduff Drama Group

Best Decor: Donie O’Sullivan, Ballyduff Drama Group

Best Lighting: Clontarf Players

Best Moment in Theatre: Clontarf Players 

Best Music and Sound: Catriona Connelly, Clontarf Players

Best Costumes: Alison Rodger’s and Bernie McParland, Newpoint Players

Best Technical Production: Ballyduff Drama Group