Dominic Mac Hale as Michael Collins plays against Irene Kelleher as Kitty Kiernan
Pic: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision
A NEW play created by Pat Talbot of Cork’s Everyman Theatre looks at Free State hero Michael Collins in dual aspect, Collins the statesman and Collins, dedicated lover to Kitty Kiernan.
From Talbot we hear that the work’s title, ‘A Great Arrangement’ is from Collins’ own words describing his domestic ideal with Kitty. This was to be life humming by their own fireside when the hurlyburly of war and setting up new Ireland was done.
‘A Great Arrangement’ comes to Lime Tree Theatre on Saturday 10 at 8pm in a tour sweeping Cork; Skibbereen – close to the hero’s homeplace; The Gaeity for seven performances; MAC in Belfast; and of course, Longford, hometown to the Kiernans.
“I think this country has an obsession with Michael Collins,” states Pat Talbot, writer and director in this instance. “What if he had lived, what direction would this country have taken? I like to think this play is a fresh perspective on the traditional representation of the man as soldier, and architect of independent Ireland.
“This focus is on him as diplomat, as the budding statesman and eventually as statesman of the era after the War of Independence”.
Pat Talbot has researched the journals, newspapers, diplomatic reports and evidences. He takes his dialogue and narrative from the 400 or so letters Collins exchanged with Kitty Kieran, as well as other papers of the time. His speeches feature strongly.
“When I read the totality of his correspondence with this woman, I have no doubt that he was in love with her and wanted to marry her and that’s why he got engaged to her”.
Fleshing out their connection, the playwright sets context for them as teenagers who were dispossessed too young of family. Collins emigrated to London to work aged 14; Kitty’s parents died. Whilst in her 20s took on the running of their shop that developed ultimately into a fine business, The Greville Arms.
Harry Boland had introduced his girl to Collins, always devilishly handsome, “and did not give up on her until the very end. It was a classic love triangle”.
With Dominic MacHale and Irene Kelleher as the principals and three actors engaged in roles as newspaper men, Boland, DeValera and others. Book at www.limetreetheatre.ie
