Limerick Musical Society (LMS) has announced an exclusive national staging of Michael Collins – A Musical Drama, running from 19–21 March at 8pm in the University Concert Hall, Limerick.
Presented by arrangement with the Michael Collins Production Trust, this will be the only production of the show in Ireland next year.
Often described as the Irish Les Misérables, the powerful musical drama brings to life the Easter Rising of 1916, the War of Independence and the Civil War, while also telling a deeply moving love story. At its heart is the story of Michael Collins—a man’s pursuit of peace that ultimately cost him his life, culminating in his assassination at Béal na Bláth at just 31.
The large-scale production features a cast of 60 and is directed by Des Henn, with musical direction and choral work by Michael Young. Together, they bring fresh vision and emotional depth to a score rich in soaring harmonies, including standout numbers such as Fly the Flag of Freedom and Every Heart Awaken.
The narrative focuses on four central figures: Collins, his political rival Éamon de Valera, his close friend Harry Boland, and his great love, Kitty Kiernan.
The book, music and lyrics were written by the late Bryan Flynn, a highly respected figure in Irish musical theatre who died in 2014 aged 43. Commissioned in 2005, the work premiered in 2009 at the Cork Opera House, followed by a run at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin.
Flynn drew inspiration from a real event at the Abbey Theatre on the night the 1916 Rising began, when a performance of Cathleen Nà Houlihan by W. B. Yeats was abandoned as audiences rushed to the streets—an idea that shaped the show’s unique theatrical framing.
Founded in 2000, LMS is a multi-award-winning society renowned for bringing ambitious and innovative musical theatre to Limerick audiences.
Tickets are now on sale via uch.ie.