Our local drama group in East County Waterford has just completed four sold-out shows of a play that highlighted our fishing traditions and heritage of our locality, Tales of the Estuary.

Performed to warm and attentive audiences, the play was a one-hour piece that told the story of Ritchie and Mary. A bittersweet love story, Ritchie is a fisherman from Cheekpoint, and Mary, a cockle picker from Passage East. From childhood, they have been close and by sixteen, the pair are never far from each other’s thoughts or company. But fate takes a hand. Mary is caught up in a challenging court case that could see her way of life and only income erased. Meanwhile, Ritchie gets a life-changing opportunity from an uncle in New York.  He must deal with the expectations of his family, the reality of a fisherman’s harsh existence and his feelings for Mary.

Its origins, of course, could not be further from the play that was performed.  The Minaun Players, aka The Minaun Community Theatre Group, had put out a call for some pieces of writing to reflect life on the local estuary. This was after two well received productions they performed of a political background. Both Breda Murphy and I wrote individual scripts that we understood would be performed as stand alone pieces. Breda opted for an account about a court case that attempted to move the cockle pickers off the streets of Waterford. These women who worked the tides and the local strands during the week, would head to Waterford City to sell their hard-gathered produce on a Friday. A tradition that probably goes back centuries.

My own was a memory of my grandmothers, called the American Wake. A story of her eldest brother leaving home at sixteen to work in New York. To be honest, I had little enough to draw on for the story except my grandmother’s memory of the crowd in the house, how the excitement, music and food transformed the modest cabin and the sadness of her mother with her eldest child’s leaving. I tried to draw on my grandmother’s expressed feelings of emigration. There were also many stories of how hard life was like for her and her remaining five brothers in the 1930s, not to mention my own memories of fishing to develop the story further.

It was only when the group got the scripts that they realised both were set in 1926. That coincidence became the germ of an idea that saw the two stories woven together into what I feel was a terrific show directed by Joe Meagher.

My own daughter, Ellen was chosen to play Mary, and she even helped to make some rewrites to the script. Although I decided to step back and allow the team to use my script as they saw fit, Breda joined the group. Not alone did she help develop the story but she also played a memorable role as Nanna Robinson, one of the cockle pickers.

My daughter Ellen and nephew Keelan, taking a break at rehearsals. Photo courtesy of Breda Murphy

It’s very difficult to describe the feeling of seeing your words performed on stage and characters that have meaning for you, brought alive. Deena and I went to the first show in Passage East, and to say I was nervous was an understatement. As I sat at the back of the room, my apprehension was quickly replaced by delight and even elation. There was obvious relief that the story was accurate and worked so well. I was also relieved that part of what I wrote was retained and stood up. But it also was a reaction to what the group had managed to achieve with the two scripts, their re-writes and their talent on stage. As people congratulated me afterwards, I felt like an impostor. My role was insignificant compared to the groups achievement. However, we also made the last show, and by then I was over the concern, I was proud, proud as punch, and happy to show it.

The cast and crew of the Tales of the Estuary show.

When I set out to do this blog in April 2014 and to try retain and promote the maritime history of my community, I could never have dreamed that something I wrote could be used to create a drama that would reflect it. Yet, that is what the Minaun Players have done. It was a vision of Glynis Currie and the group to focus on the estuary for their latest show. They appealed publicly to many for scripts. In the end only two were forthcoming, and the group managed to create what to my mind is a beautiful, enriching, emotional, entertaining, informative and ultimately wonderful piece that I am proud to have had an association with. The group are looking for further scripts for their autumn project, don’t be shy.

As Tides and Tales navigates a course towards expanding the work of the project further, it’s a great feeling to know that Breda is chair of the management team, and another actor of the troupe, Eoghan Hegarty is our company treasurer.  Strong, passionate and committed team members with a clear sense of the importance of our work. It was also heartening to hear that Ellen was not alone interested enough to join the group, but to play a leading role, and apparently stand her ground for her own vision of the play. Maybe the work of Tides and Tales may transfer our proud maritime traditions to some of the next generation after all.

Where would we be without sponsors who help make the staging of the shows a reality

Well done to the Minaun Players, and how lucky were those of us who got to see the play! From speaking to others, I know that it felt like we were all part of something special. Apparently, in response to requests, the Players will try to facilitate another show over the summer get there if you can! (edit- one show at least on 18th July at Fatithlegg NS, keep an eye out on social media for details)

If you would like to know more about the Players of this play, Catherine Drea wrote a beautiful synopsis of both for her regular column in the Waterford News and Star.