Frank Stagg Play to take stage in Leitrim

A historically grounded play telling the story of IRA hunger striker Frank Stagg is set to take to the stage in Ballinamore this June.

We Have Him Back – The Frank Stagg Story, written by Brían MacSuibhne, will be performed at the Island Theatre Ballinamore on Saturday, June 6, marking the 50th anniversary of Stagg’s death.

Set in Leigue Cemetery in Ballina, the play offers a deeply emotional and historically accurate account of Stagg’s death after 62 days on hunger strike in Wakefield Prison in 1976—and the controversial handling of his remains in the aftermath.

Seven days after his death, Stagg’s body was secretly buried in an unmarked grave under heavy Garda presence, where it remained for 18 months before being reinterred in the republican plot in Ballina—fulfilling a promise made by his brother, George.

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The production will premiere with a two-night run at the Áras Inis Gluaire on May 15 and 16 before embarking on a tour across every province, including dates in Dublin, Belfast, Donegal and Cork.

The play marks five decades since the death of Stagg, a Mayo man who died in February 1976 after a 62-day hunger strike in Wakefield Prison in England. His death, and the handling of his remains, became one of the most controversial episodes of the prison protests of the 1970s.

Following his death, Stagg’s body was buried in an unmarked grave against his wishes and those of his family. The grave was later covered in concrete under the direction of the Irish Government, a move that sparked outrage and long-standing debate.

Twenty-two months later, his brother George exhumed the remains and reinterred him in the republican plot in Ballina, fulfilling a promise he had made.

Developed with the full permission and input of the Stagg family, the production presents an historically grounded account of the hunger strikes, the use of force feeding by British prison authorities, and the determination of the Stagg family in the aftermath of his death.

At its core, the play is told through the voices of those closest to him — a mother watching her son die, a wife confronting official narratives, a sister struggling to understand, and a brother determined that history would not be silenced.

Blending documented accounts with staged dialogue, the production also captures the wider atmosphere of 1970s Ireland, weaving in references to world news, music, fashion and everyday life of the time.

Speaking ahead of the premiere, MacSuibhne said the play aims to revisit a story that was deliberately suppressed.

“Fifty years ago, the truth of what happened to Frank Stagg and his family was buried in concrete, censorship and lies. This play is about uncovering that truth, about love between brothers, and about a family who refused to let their son be erased from history.”

The play will take place at 8pm (doors open at 7pm), with the Crannog Bar open on the night. Tickets are priced at €20 plus booking fees.