The Abbey Theatre and the GAA Presents 14 Voices from the Bloodied Field

This month, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the Abbey Theatre Partners for the first time with the G.A.A. to give voice to the 14 men, woman, and children who were killed in Croke Park on that day.

The victims were:

Jane Boyle, James Burke, Daniel Carroll, Michael Feery, Tom Hogan, Michael Hogan, James Matthews, Patrick O'Dowd, Jerome O'Leary, William (Perry) Robinson, Thomas Ryan, John William (Billy) Scott, James Teehan, Joe Traynor.

With 14 Voices From The Bloodied Field, The Abbey Theatre commissioned 14 writers to write 14 monologues and, with 14 directors and 14 actors, create a 14-minute play for a solo performer. These 14 stories, each centred around one of the victims of that day, will be filmed in Croke Park and streamed online on 20 November.

Graham McLaren and Neil Murray, Directors of The Abbey Theatre: "The world premiere of 14 Voices from the Bloodied Field sees two of Ireland's leading institutions coming together to mark a tragic moment in Ireland's history. When we conceived of this project, our aim was to honour these 14 people, with a historic partnership with the GAA. Theatre has always provided Ireland with a place to reflect and process. We invite audiences in Ireland and abroad to join us as we pay tribute to those who lost their lives 100 years ago."

GAA President John Horan said: "From the outset, our work around the commemoration of this hugely significant event in Irish and GAA history has been to put people first. Our goal at all times has been to remember and pay respect to the people who went to a match and tragically never came home. We are delighted that the Abbey have also shared that vision, have given it their full support and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their creative talents, with Croke Park no doubt providing a perfect stage for their performances."

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin said: "I am very pleased to have the opportunity to support this new initiative from The Abbey Theatre. Creative endeavours, such as this, have a very important role as we remember the difficult and often deeply personal events that defined the Struggle for Independence. My priority is to ensure that the State's approach to the remembrance of this very difficult period in our history is grounded in the respectful, sensitive, measured, and authentic ethos that has become the hallmark of the Decade of Centenaries programme. It is important that our history is faithfully presented, even when the historical record is distressing, and that we acknowledge the great tragedy of the lives that were lost or irrevocably altered during those divisive and traumatic years. The work of artists encourages us to revisit painful memories and engage with the difficult legacies of our past - this form of respectful public discourse is essential for any honest and authentic exploration of our history. I am delighted that my Department could assist in ensuring this important work could reach a wide audience".

The Abbey Theatre brings together some of our leading writers, directors and actors for this poignant commemoration.

The writers:

Deirdre Kinahan, Fionn Foley, Timmy Creed, Billy Roche, Jo Egan, Stephen Brennan, Jimmy Smallhorne, Lynda Radley, Tracy Martin, Paul Howard, Barbara Bergin, Thomas Kilroy, Colin Murphy & Jimmy Murphy.

The directors:

Jo Mangan, Jeda de Brí, Tom Creed, Raymond Keane, Maisie Lee, Jane Brennan, Emma Jordan, Dan Colley, Sarah Jane Scaife, Ben Barnes, Ronan Phelan, Stephen Rea, Eoghan Carrick & Veronica Coburn.

The actors:

Caitriona Ennis, Ian O'Reilly, Alex Murphy, Moe Dunford, Shane O'Reilly, Liam Heslin, Steve Blount, Jack Galvin, Bryan Burroughs, Frank Blake, Jake Verrecchia, Laurence Kinlan, Marty Rea & Callan Cummins.

On the eve of the centenary, at 7pm, this commemorative performance will be streamed on The Abbey Theatre's YouTube, Facebook and Twitter channels, and on abbeytheatre.ie. It will be available to watch for 48 hours.

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