Exploring Owen Roe through “a beautiful theatrical experience”

Hacklers brings 'Owen Roe O’Neill’s Letters' to Cavan County Museum

Aisling Kiernan

The Hacklers drama group is known for its ability to push boundaries and find humour in the darkest places. So, this really does beg the question: What can people expect when the group’s latest offering - a play entitled ‘Owen Roe O’Neill’s Letters’ that is set to mark the 375th anniversary of his death on November 8 - takes to the stage of Cavan County Museum?

Written and directed by Damien O’Brien, the play brings to life the story of Owen Roe O’Neills return to Cavan after the 1641 Rebellion. A soldier, O’Neill was one of the most famous of the O'Neill dynasty of Ulster; he left Ireland at a young age and spent most of his life as a mercenary in the Spanish Army serving against the Dutch in Flanders during the Eighty Years' War. After the Irish Rebellion of 1641, he returned and took command of the Irish Confederate Ulster Army.

It’s from this point that The Hacklers pick up the story; one of a man who is also known for his victory at the Battle of Benburb in 1646 and whose mother was the daughter of Hugh Connolly O'Reilly, lord of Breifne O'Reilly in Cavan - and the very place he returned to, seeking safety and peace.

The play features music, poetry and drama and is being described as “a beautiful theatrical experience” for those who will be in attendance.

Johnny Binchy who plays the character of Feilim O’Neill says this latest offering is a bit of a new departure “particularly for me”.

“The concept of gathering information from the letters and researching that period in history and converting that into a piece of drama is pretty new for The Hacklers,” he says before adding that it isn’t that the group hasn’t already dipped its toes into historical drama, it’s more because “this piece is bringing something new for us”.

Founded in 1980 by Dermot Healy and Ray O'Connor, The Hacklers made history by winning the All-Ireland Drama Festival that same year.

“The whole piece of work that we were commissioned to do is part of a celebration and series of lectures that will be held in November to mark the 375th anniversary of the death of Owen Roe O’Neill. To convert history through the use of letters is a new idea for us. It’s also interesting in that, normally when you act in a play, you have a written play that you follow and it’s very finite; this is very open-ended and so for us the challenge was to make it interesting and different.

"The rest of the weekend is going to  be made up of a series of lectures including a reading on Hugh O’Neill and a bit of entertainment as well. So we must entertain and therefore move away from purely factual and historical information to creating something from those letters.”

There’s also an element of irony at the heart of this play. “We’re rehearsing in the Town Hall for this and are probably rehearsing over the bones of Owen Roe O’Neill,” says Johnny. “This is because, as far as we can tell, his remains were brought back to the Franciscan Friary here in Cavan Town - where the tower is now on Abbey Street and the Town Hall is 100 yards from there. Our plan is to bring all these characters to life during a very turbulent time in history and where allegiances changed all the time.”

Meanwhile, Michael Olwill who plays Owen Roe O’Neill describes the central character of the play as “a decorated officer returning from the wars in Flanders”.

“He is highly regarded in Europe and returns back to Ireland where he sets up his headquarters in the old St Mary’s Monastery in Cavan,” Michael continues. “This play is going to have a lot of meaning and resonance for people in Cavan. We’ve all grown up with the image of Owen Roe - Dún O’Neill Barracks and Owen Roe Terrace in Cavan, and the whole story around the contemporary painting of him that we are all so used to - and when he was much younger of course.”

Michael says there’s a “great love and affection” for the man right here in Cavan - whether people are aware of it nor not!

“He gives up everything to come to Ireland and indeed to Ballyhaise where he rested his army prior to his demise, and in Cloughoughter Castle,” Michael adds.

“His demise was a moment in history for people in Ireland because, after that, Cromwell came and that was that. Was he poisoned or did he die of natural causes? Well, that will be up to the audience to decide," concludes Michael.

ON THE BILL

Owen Roe O’Neill’s Letters plays Cavan County Museum Ballyjamesduff on Friday November 8.

Written & directed by Damien O’Brien

Johnny Binchy: Feilim O’Neill & Narrator

Michael Olwill: Owen Roe O’Neill

John Meehan: Paddy O’Reilly - eyewitness to the Battle of Benburb

Marie White: Bridget & Owen Roe’s widow

Poem: Mark Lawlor

Lament to Owen Roe O’Neill Ellen O’Brien

Paul Connolly: Backstage/rehearsals