The 37th Kerry Drama Festival ran in the Ivy Leaf Art Centre from Saturday, March 8th to Tuesday, March 11th 2025. This year, the festival ran for four nights only.
“A number of our regular visiting groups are not on the festival circuit this year, in addition to a reduced number of competing groups are some of the reasons for our reduced programme,” said this year’s festival director, Aidan Reidy who stood in for festival founder member and director Jerome Stack.
“We welcomed one Kerry group, a group from Co. Clare as well as two groups who travelled all the way from Co. Mayo.
On Saturday, March 8th St. Patrick’s Drama Group from Westport, Co. Mayo performed their production of Marina Carr’s ‘Woman and Scarecrow’ to a packed house.
Groups from Clare, Kerry and Mayo
“We welcomed Sliabh Aughty Drama Group from Co. Clare on Sunday, March 9th. Sliabh Aughty brought us into the lives of the Mundy Sisters in Ballybeg, Co. Donegal with their production of Brian Friel’s classic memory play ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’.
Flavour of the Month Productions from Listowel performed ’The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ by Martin McDonagh on Monday, March 10th.
Finally, on Tuesday, March 11th on their first visit to Castleisland, Upstage Players from Claremorris, Co. Mayo performed ’The Weir’ by Conor McPherson.
Packed Houses Nightly
“We were delighted to have packed houses each night to witness these fantastic plays – all of which were performed to an extremely high standard,” said Aidan.
“Our adjudicator for this year was Mary Meaney of GODA, who, after each performance, provided us with wonderful insights into the plays and productions as part of her public adjudication.
Kerry Drama Festival is one of thirty-three preliminary drama festivals, which are run under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland and the final results of each festival determine the number of points awarded to the groups placed in first, second and third places respectively.
Claremorris to Host All-Ireland Confined Finals
This year the groups are competing in the festival circuit in order to accrue enough points to take part in the All-Ireland Confined Finals which are this year being hosted by Claremorris Drama Festival.
We wish each of our groups the best of luck with the rest of their journey on the festival circuit.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Castleisland in March 2026 for the 38th Kerry Drama Festival.
Festival 2025 Awards
The award winners for 2025 are as follows: 1. Best Play – Upstage Players; The Weir; 2. Best Director – Alan Heneghan; Upstage Players; The Weir; 3. Best Actor – Tim Oates; Upstage Players, The Weir; 4. Best Actress – Alanna Ní Mhíocháin; St. Patrick’s Drama Group; Woman and Scarecrow. 5. Best Supporting Actor – Norman Skillen; Sliabh Aughty Drama Group;
Dancing at Lughnasa. 6. Best Supporting Actress – Eavan Brennan; Sliabh Aughty Drama Group;
Dancing at Lughnasa; 7. Adjudicator’s Award – Flavour of the Month Productions; The Beauty Queen of Leenane for ‘The Burning Scene.’ 8. Adjudicator’s Award – Sliabh Aughty Drama Group; Dancing at Lughnasa for The Mundy Sisters Ensemble.
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