Offaly resident taking lead role in James Connolly folk opera premiere

BALLINASLOE Town Hall Theatre in Galway will host the premiere of folk opera ‘James Connolly: The Rebel’ from Thursday October 22nd to Saturday October 24th 2026.

Connolly will be portrayed by Birr resident Patrick Byrne.

Written by US-based Connolly scholar Donnacha Ó Foghlú with music by Will Welling and Sean Obach, the story takes audiences from Connolly’s upbringing in the Cowgate ghetto in Edinburgh right up to his participation in the 1916 Rising.

Adapted to the stage and directed by Ballinasloe native Declan Kelly, the production uses AI generated film at the beginning of the show to lead audiences through some of Ireland’s history and folklore up to the Insurrection of 1916.

The author Donnacha Ó Foghlú said “I’m delighted to see that this work is getting its premiere in Ireland. James Connolly was a complex but fascinating man and this production touches on all the main events of his life. Many people probably do not know that James Connolly’s eldest daughter Mona died at the age of 13 in a tragic accident just before the family left to join Connolly in the US. He never recovered from this dreadful loss and in the production to be staged in Ballinasloe, Mona acts as the narrator”.

There is a strong supporting cast which includes Michelle Drysdale, whose great grandfather was Thomas MacDonagh, one of the leaders of the 1916 Rising.

Donnacha Ó Foghlú will also give a lecture entitled 'James Connolly: A Man for all Seasons' at 2.30pm on Saturday October 24th at Galway City Museum.