HIGH DRAMA IN KILDARE

“Pure Drama from Behind the Spotlight” is a nostalgic look back at the first 50 years of the Kildare Drama Festival 1958 to 2008. Performers, groups, adjudicator’s reports, paper cuttings, photographs and stories of those entertaining evenings. In the opening chapter it looks at some early drama groups in Kildare, a short review of the 14 festivals that were up and running between 1940 and the mid 50’s. and the first All-Ireland finals in Athlone in 1953.

Six participants, one from each decade, give a short memory of their involvement in drama at that time. Ray Darling, actor 1950’s – Barry Cassin, adjudicator 1960’s – Stan Hickey, backstage 1970’s, Kevin McCaffery, producer 1980’s, Fr. Adrian Carbery,  festival president 1990’s and Conor O’Connell, actor 2000’s. 
Many well known actors and producers from stage and screen have “tread the boards” at the Kildare Festival. Tom Hickey, Gabriel Byrne, Joan Brosnan Walsh, Myles Dungan, Pat Moylan, Pat Kinnevane, Simon Delaney and Moya Doherty who wrote the foreword for the book.

Many Co. Kildare groups are included :-
Allen, Athy, Caragh, Brownstown, Carbury, Curragh, Kildare, Kilcullen,  Lackagh, Leixlip, Monasterevin, Naas, Newbridge and Prosperous.

On Sale in Farrell’s bookshop Newbridge – Easons, Whitewater, Newbridge –
Kildare Parish Center – Kildare Heritage Center.