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From stage to screen, Newry has a long and distinguished association with the performing arts. This week, we look back at some of the actors and actresses connected with the area and celebrate their achievements.
One of Newry’s earliest noted actresses was Julia Glover (née Betterton), who was born in the town in the late 18th century. Her father, Tom Betterton, was a strolling player who built a theatre in Hill Street in 1783. Glover first appeared on stage in Newry at the age of six and made her official debut at Covent Garden in 1797. She was praised for her performances in Sheridan’s The Rivals and in Shakespearean roles. After marrying Samuel Glover in 1800, she continued acting for five decades, making her final appearance at Drury Lane just four days before her death in 1850.
Newry and Mourne Museum Collection.
Moving to the screen, another prolific local actor was Gerard Murphy. Born in Newry in 1948, Murphy began his career with Glasgow Citizens Theatre before becoming an Associate Artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He worked with acclaimed directors including Christopher Nolan and Kevin Reynolds, and television audiences saw him in numerous roles. On film, he is remembered as Nord in Waterworld (1995) and the corrupt Judge Faden in Batman Begins (2005).
Perhaps the area’s best-known acting family is the Lynch family. John Lynch was born in 1961, and the family moved to Corrinshego in 1968, when he was seven. After appearing in several plays, he reached a wider audience with his BAFTA-nominated performance opposite Helen Mirren in Cal (1984). His other film credits include Evelyn, In the Name of the Father, Sliding Doors, Some Mother’s Son and The Secret Garden. His sister Susan Lynch, born in 1971, also became an acclaimed actress. She has won three Irish Film and Television Academy Awards, including one for portraying Nora Barnacle in Nora (2000), and received the British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for 16 Years of Alcohol (2003). Their niece Leah O’Rourke has followed the family tradition, entertaining audiences as Jenny Joyce in the hit television comedy Derry Girls.
Newry-born actor Caolan Byrne graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2002. He then spent three years with the Royal Shakespeare Company and later performed with the re-formed Field Day Theatre Company. His television credits include The Miniaturist, Porridge, Chernobyl, Bloodlands and Das Boot, and his film work includes The Wonder (2022), The Foreigner (2017) and Nowhere Special (2020). He also provided the voice and motion-capture performance for Sliro Barsha in the video game Star Wars Outlaws.
Newpoint Players Susan Lynch and Patch Connolly. Newry and Mourne Museum
Collection.
Other actresses from the area include Valene Kane, who appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). In 2023, Kane played Lady Macbeth for the Royal Shakespeare Company in a performance that earned strong reviews. Newry-born Naoimh Morgan is known as a triple threat: an actor, singer and dancer. Her dancing skills helped secure the role of Rumpleteazer in the 2019 film Cats. More recently, she portrayed Pat Hume in HUME – Beyond Belief: The Life and Mission of John and Pat Hume, which explores the couple’s life, marriage and peacebuilding legacy.
These are only some examples of the remarkable acting talent associated with Newry and the surrounding area. Many others deserve recognition, including Patch Connolly. Although born in Dublin, he became a much-loved Warrenpoint actor. His credits included Snowy White in the 1992 television series Eldorado and a role in the comedy Shaun of the Dead. Connolly was also a member of Newpoint Players, whose casts have included several actors mentioned in this article, as well as Sean Kearns, Peter Balance, Donal O’Hanlon and Gerard Rooney.
The Museum is currently offering free tours of the main exhibition galleries on Wednesdays at 2.00 pm. These must be booked in advance by calling our Education Officer at 0330 137 4422.
Newry and Mourne Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 am – 4.30 pm. Please call 0330 137 4422 or email museums@nmandd.org for further information.
Please visit our website at www.visitmournegullionstrangford.com/museums/newry-and-mourne-museum
