Tommy Marren hails from the parish of Tourlestrane in Co. Sligo and is one of the best-known voices on local radio in Ireland.
He presents Midwest Radio’s flagship current affairs programme Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 11.00am and the programme currently commands the highest listenership of any station in the west of Ireland.
One of the principal roles in the musical On a Wing and a Prayer will herald a welcome return to the stage by Leitrim-born Cynthia Clampett, who will play Dame Judy Coyne.
Mrs Coyne and her husband Judge Liam Coyne were instrumental in reviving interest in Knock Shrine. She founded the handmaids and stewards, provided facilities for the sick, and had a broad vision for the development of the Shrine. She was also responsible for commissioning the statues at the apparition gable in Knock. She died in 2002.
Lavinia is no stranger to the people of Ballina and Mayo and the surrounding areas, having been involved in music from a very early age.
As a trained Soprano she spent many years as a cantor in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina, and has been very involved with music in the local St Patrick’s Church from the early days of the folk group through numerous youth groups and indeed, to date, as Musical Director of the renowned Rejoice Gospel Choir.
Ballina businessman Ollie Rouse is to play the role of Monsignor Horan. His credits to date are many. From his college days, he played leading roles in musicals such as “Joseph & His Amazing Technical Coloured Dream Coat”, and “Jesus Christ Superstar”.
Patrick Lacken from The Quay, Ballina, is 24years-old but is no novice to the stage having played principal roles in several musical productions over the past few years including Jesus Christ Superstar, Miss Saigon, Little Shop of Horrors, & Grease. He was a student of St Cecilia’s School of Song for ten years and continued this training studying classical music at DIT’S Conservatory of Music and Drama after he finished school.
He has known great personal success in competition both at local and national level but by far one of the biggest achievements to date was representing Ireland at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Hollywood in 2009 where he brought home individual medals and the world championship title as part of the winning group Realta. Patrick is also a soloist with the renowned Ballina based Gospel Choir ‘Rejoice’.
“He is at his musical best performing on stage, so when somebody has talent and a will to share it with the world it makes my job easy,” says his vocal coach and mentor of many years, Lavinia Gilmartin. Patrick is delighted to be part of this venture and happy to be part of raising awareness and much needed funds for the Mayo Roscommon Hospice.
Pat Feeley, from Tubbercurry, has been acting for over 30 years with several different groups. He gained national recognition in 1991 with the Charlestown Theatre Group’s production of “Buried Child“, which won the All Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone. He had previously won Best Supporting Actor at All Ireland level for his role as “Charlie” in “Never too Late“.
In recent years he has worked with Beezneez theatre group in several productions and has just completed a 30 show tour with the group, preforming the role of “Mitch” in “Tuesdays with Morrie“. A superb mimicker, he plays the roles of Charlie Haughey and Pope John Paul 11 with great aplomb.
Deirdre O’Meara who plays the role of Ellen, trained in the Gaiety School of Acting. Since then she has appeared in “Beyond Reasonable Doubt” and “Bostral Boy” in the Gaiety Theatre, “Twelfth Night” in the Gate Theate, “Blood Brothers” and “It runs in the Family” in both the Olympia Theatre and The Cork Opera House. With “Beezneez” she has played many roles including “The Weir” and “Chapter 2”.
Deirdre has also toured with Splódar Theatre Company, playing in “Eclipsed” Miss Funny in “The Black pigs Dyke” “Pintigone”, The Homeplace” and this year had a very successful tour playing Maggie in “Dancing at Lughnasa”. For radio she has won a PJ O’Connor award for acting in a radio play.
Deirdre’s TV Credits include working as a researcher and dramatization actor for RTE current affairs and Health Programmes. Her most recent work was a short film last month highlighting Domestic Violence for DVAS.
Deirdre is delighted to be working with Tommy Marren in this production and supporting the Mayo Roscommon Hospice, and finally, when she grows up she wants to be a radio presenter like Tommy Marren or even a train driver!!!!!
Narrator/Director Tommy Marren
Musical Director Lavinia Gilmartin
Young Horan Patrick Lacken
Mons. Horan Ollie Rouse
Judy Coyne Cynthia Clampett
Ellen Deirdre O’Meara
Padraig Flynn/Garret FitzGerald/Frank Forde Barry Desmond
Charlie Haughey/Pope John Paul 11 Pat Feeley
Cathal Duffy Kieran Coen
Jim Ryan Martin Curry
Sean Balfe Matt McLoughlin
John Healy Anthony Walshe
Frank Harrington Pat Doyle
Tom Neary Michael Rice
Jim Fahy John McLoughlin
Jim Mitchell Aidan Higgins
Christy Moore Gerry Scanlon
Our Lady Mary Marren
Dana Amanda Browne
Showband Singer Brendan Rice
Harpist/Vocalist Frankie Forde-Waldron
Pianist Brendan McGuinness
Soloists Brendan McGuinness, Louise Maloney, Amanda Browne, Cian Harrison, Ciaran Hopkins
Supporting cast:
Colette McHale, Ciaran Hopkins, Tommy Heveran, Valerie Neary, Danny Leonard, Oisin Ryan, Kamil Mikolajcyk, Rebecca Casey, Laura Hunt, Una Hunt-Gorman, Cian Harrison, Valerie Neary, Deirdre McNicholas, Enda Judge, Jerome Chambers, Fred Finley, Robert McKinley, Erin Rice, Danielle Hunt, Rebecca Casey, Laura Hunt, Fiona Hiney, Deirdre Chambers, Claire Irwin, Karen Jacob, Megan Munnelly, Aine Lawlor, Caitlin O’Malley, Seamus O’Gorman, Cian Moyles, Siofra Murray, Roisin Langan, Ann McNeely, Cillian O’Boyle, Jack Duffy, Darragh Jordan, Fred Finley, Maureen Lacken, Tommy Heveran, Joan O’Gorman, Ben Bourke, Mary Henry, Patricia Bourke, Cora Barrett, Beryl Slevin, Pauline Leonard, Carmel Hughes, Anna Muggridge, Martina Naughton, Eileen Corrigan, Caitriona Doyle, Collette McGuiness, Valarie Neary, Ann Donnelly, Maria Cadden, Noel Henry, Tommy Canavan, Maureen Canavan, Margaret Devine, Raymond Devine, John Brennan, Martina Brennan, Brendan Conwell, Geraldine Clarke, Damien Slater, Michael Judge, Killian Flynn, Beverley Stafford, Phil Doherty, Alina Mikolajczyk, Gemma Ryan, Rebecca Langan, Niamh Murray, Carol Freeley, Katie O’Malley, Katya Harrison, Geraldine Browne, Claire McDermott, Edel Doherty, Mary Moore
Stage Manager: Aileen Harrison
Set Design & Props: Eileen Slevin
Stage Crew:
Ann Corcoran, Melaine Cassidy, Helen Green, Hubert McMorrow, Padric Lynn, Sean Lynn, Damian Ruddy, Charlene Barrett
Sean C. Gaughan, Caroline Sharkey,Mark Lynn, Fion Ryan
Wardrobe Mistress: Maggie Gorman and Geraldine Langan
Sound: Frankie McDonnell, Teresa Cosgrove
Lighting: Paul Marren and Tony Burden
Photographs: Slater Photographers
Backing Tracks: Dennis McCalmont and Francis Ryan
Music Technicians: Kassi Gorman and Emma Doherty