New play's opening night in Tipperary to raise funds for park and sensory garden

Opening on Monday, May 13, in The Source Arts Centre, The Year of the Hiker by John B Keane will be a benefit night for the Loughtagalla Biodiversity Play Park and Sensory Garden.

This is a major environmental and community project that provides a wonderful play area and sensory park for the Loughtagalla community in Thurles.

This project is supported by the North Tipperary Development Company (NTDC) and the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Fund (SICAP).

The project is led primarily by John O’Shaughnessy, who pointed out that there would be a number of other elements to it – including a walking path and a sensory garden.

“It’s an inclusive sensory garden. The idea of the park is that it’s for everybody’s use irrespective of your ability or your inability.

“The biodiversity element as we all know nowadays is something that’s important. The world is changing. The climate is changing. There’s a lot of deforestation and a lot of other things that are going on in the world which are having an impact on how the whole ecosystem works.

“So, this park as we were designing and developing it, we had taken that into consideration.

“The provision of a sensory garden was supported to address issues of social inclusion and provide the first such garden for Thurles and its hinterland.

“The use of a modern form of design in the provision of equipment developed around the theme of biodiversity was another highly preferred option.”

The Loughtagalla group are delighted to work with Thurles Drama Group for the opening night of The Year of the Hiker and is looking forward to a great production and raising some much-needed funds to further this wonderful project.

The Year of the Hiker has a cast of seven (four men and three women), dominated by the Hiker himself (Johnny Fogarty), returning to the family home he left 20 years previously.

Other cast members include Kate (Tricia Kenny), Freda (Mary Condron), Simey (Jack Meaney), Joe (John Glasheen), and Mary (Mary Troy).

Rehearsals are going very well, and all the cast are working hard on lines and characterisation to bring this classic Keane play to life.

Greg Cullagh, who directs the play, is a newcomer to Thurles Drama Group but a seasoned actor and director.

Greg has been involved with the Gaiety School of Acting, a number of JB Keane productions and has done some short film work, both in Ireland and Australia.

Greg is currently completing a master’s degree in drama studies and is very excited about this production and delighted with the progress so far.

Tickets for opening night, as usual, will be €20 and include a wine and cheese reception beginning at 7:15pm.

Tickets can be purchased directly from The Source and Gleeson’s, The Tower Lounge, Loughtagalla, Thurles (0504 22483).