A new show by Upperchurch playwright Áine Ryan is set to play at the Source Arts Centre Thurles.  The Hills of Love is a co-production between the Source and Clonmel Junction Arts and tells the story of three women navigating the world of dating. Áine told the Tipperary Star she started writing the play to capture some of the real-world experiences of the women around her. “I wanted to portray stories that I hear at my own kitchen table from my neighbours or my cousins. Stories from women discussing their love lives, their friendships, all of that was really fascinating. “I just thought I need to put this in a play because there is so much humour and excitement and drama and also devastation and embarrassment that comes with an emotion like love,” said Áine. The Hills of Love follows mother and daughter Terry and Benny who seek out advice from recently widowed publican Maura. Benny really wants a boyfriend while Terry really doesn’t, having been disillusioned by love when her relationship with her daughter's father ended.  Maura recently lost her husband and is eager to get back out there.  “She is excited to make the most of her final chapters of life, she is in her 70s and wants to get out dating again. She just wants the excitement and the fun of it all,” said Áine. Maura suggests that the three women all start dating and compare notes. That way Benny is not in it alone. Along the way, they go on a unexpected journey and figure out lots about themselves.  “There are a lot of strong issues there and they are all to do with romantic love and family love and grief as well,” said Áine.  TIPPERARY WOMEN The Hills of Love stars three Tipperary actresses. Katie Taylor who plays Benny is from Thurles and trained in Cork.  Audiences may know her from Ursuline productions and since school, she has several shows under her belt.  Bríd Ní Chumhaill is based in Cloughjordan and has worked in both theatre and TV. She plays Maura in the Hills of Love. Eve O’Mahoney plays Terry.  Eveplaceholder image
A new show by Upperchurch playwright Áine Ryan is set to play at the Source Arts Centre Thurles.  The Hills of Love is a co-production between the Source and Clonmel Junction Arts and tells the story of three women navigating the world of dating. Áine told the Tipperary Star she started writing the play to capture some of the real-world experiences of the women around her. “I wanted to portray stories that I hear at my own kitchen table from my neighbours or my cousins. Stories from women discussing their love lives, their friendships, all of that was really fascinating. “I just thought I need to put this in a play because there is so much humour and excitement and drama and also devastation and embarrassment that comes with an emotion like love,” said Áine. The Hills of Love follows mother and daughter Terry and Benny who seek out advice from recently widowed publican Maura. Benny really wants a boyfriend while Terry really doesn’t, having been disillusioned by love when her relationship with her daughter's father ended.  Maura recently lost her husband and is eager to get back out there.  “She is excited to make the most of her final chapters of life, she is in her 70s and wants to get out dating again. She just wants the excitement and the fun of it all,” said Áine. Maura suggests that the three women all start dating and compare notes. That way Benny is not in it alone. Along the way, they go on a unexpected journey and figure out lots about themselves.  “There are a lot of strong issues there and they are all to do with romantic love and family love and grief as well,” said Áine.  TIPPERARY WOMEN The Hills of Love stars three Tipperary actresses. Katie Taylor who plays Benny is from Thurles and trained in Cork.  Audiences may know her from Ursuline productions and since school, she has several shows under her belt.  Bríd Ní Chumhaill is based in Cloughjordan and has worked in both theatre and TV. She plays Maura in the Hills of Love. Eve O’Mahoney plays Terry.  Eve

New play by Upperchurch playwright to open in Thurles

By Shannon Sweeney
Published 20th Jun 2024, 18:33 GMT

The Hills of Love is written and directed by Áine Ryan

Eve O'Mahony is an actor from Clonmel best known for her play Brigid Cleary, a one-woman show which describes the life and events which led to the death of the woman accused of being a changeling and burned to death by her husband in Tipperary in 1895. With a passion for storytelling she is influenced by history, society, mythology and personal experience. Through performing and writing she aims to provide thought, evoke laughter and leave a lasting impact on audiences. 

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Eve O'Mahony is an actor from Clonmel best known for her play Brigid Cleary, a one-woman show which describes the life and events which led to the death of the woman accused of being a changeling and burned to death by her husband in Tipperary in 1895. With a passion for storytelling she is influenced by history, society, mythology and personal experience. Through performing and writing she aims to provide thought, evoke laughter and leave a lasting impact on audiences. 

Bríd Ní Chumhaill is an actor based in Cloughjordan. Bríd has worked in The Abbey, The Gate, Project Arts Centre and Civic Theatre in Dublin and many of the major theatres throughout Ireland. TV work includes Redemption, Fair City, Love/Hate and The Clinic. She has been a series regular on Ros na Rún for the past twelve years as the character Imelda O'Shea.   Film work includes the short films Whale and Finding Charlie and feature films Omagh, Guiltrip, Around Here, Dark Sacred Night, Four Letters of Love and most recently, Aontas.

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Bríd Ní Chumhaill is an actor based in Cloughjordan. Bríd has worked in The Abbey, The Gate, Project Arts Centre and Civic Theatre in Dublin and many of the major theatres throughout Ireland. TV work includes Redemption, Fair City, Love/Hate and The Clinic. She has been a series regular on Ros na Rún for the past twelve years as the character Imelda O'Shea.   Film work includes the short films Whale and Finding Charlie and feature films Omagh, Guiltrip, Around Here, Dark Sacred Night, Four Letters of Love and most recently, Aontas.

Katie is an actor and classically trained vocalist based in Cork. She has just graduated from MTU Cork School of Music with First Class Honours in BA Theatre & Drama Studies degree (BATDS).   Notable performance credits include: ’Cleo’ An Pheacog (Dir. Aisling McCarthy, Cois Laoi, Cork Arts Theatre, March 2023. ‘Puca’ Blathanna (Dir. Kelby Guilfoyle, ScareFlowers, Cork Arts Theatre, May 2022).‘Richard  DNA (Dir. Alison McCormack, FourFaced Theatre, Cork Arts Theatre, Feb 2022), Grimm’s Fairytales (MTU BATDS Final Year Production, Dir. Regina Crowley, Apr 2022). Hera in Alpha (ChompChomp Productions, Cork Arts Theatre, May 2021). In addition to acting for theatre, Katie has performed in a number of musicals, including: Godspell ‘Judas’ (MTU Musical Society, Feb 2020), which she won Best Supporting Actress at AIMS 2020. ’The witch’ Into the Woods ( Phoenix Productions Dir. by Debbie Kiernan June 2019). ‘Grizabella’ Cats (Phoenix Productions Dir. Debbie Kiernan August 2018). ‘Mrs. Potts’ Beauty and the Beast (Phoenix Productions Dir Eoin Cannon). ‘The waitress’ Working (MTU Musical Society March 2019) for which she won Best Female Performer at the All Ireland Intervarsities 2019. Katie is classically trained in Opera and Musical Theatre singing & Piano from the Royal Irish Academy of Music and throughout her training at MTU Cork School of Music. She also has a long history of Traditional Irish music in her family, where she learned to play the tin whistle and the bodhran.

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Katie is an actor and classically trained vocalist based in Cork. She has just graduated from MTU Cork School of Music with First Class Honours in BA Theatre & Drama Studies degree (BATDS).   Notable performance credits include: ’Cleo’ An Pheacog (Dir. Aisling McCarthy, Cois Laoi, Cork Arts Theatre, March 2023. ‘Puca’ Blathanna (Dir. Kelby Guilfoyle, ScareFlowers, Cork Arts Theatre, May 2022).‘Richard  DNA (Dir. Alison McCormack, FourFaced Theatre, Cork Arts Theatre, Feb 2022), Grimm’s Fairytales (MTU BATDS Final Year Production, Dir. Regina Crowley, Apr 2022). Hera in Alpha (ChompChomp Productions, Cork Arts Theatre, May 2021). In addition to acting for theatre, Katie has performed in a number of musicals, including: Godspell ‘Judas’ (MTU Musical Society, Feb 2020), which she won Best Supporting Actress at AIMS 2020. ’The witch’ Into the Woods ( Phoenix Productions Dir. by Debbie Kiernan June 2019). ‘Grizabella’ Cats (Phoenix Productions Dir. Debbie Kiernan August 2018). ‘Mrs. Potts’ Beauty and the Beast (Phoenix Productions Dir Eoin Cannon). ‘The waitress’ Working (MTU Musical Society March 2019) for which she won Best Female Performer at the All Ireland Intervarsities 2019. Katie is classically trained in Opera and Musical Theatre singing & Piano from the Royal Irish Academy of Music and throughout her training at MTU Cork School of Music. She also has a long history of Traditional Irish music in her family, where she learned to play the tin whistle and the bodhran.

Related topics:TipperaryUpperchurchThurles
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