Ireland’s Call – John Connors’ play about three teenagers being enticed into a life of crime runs 12th November at The Civic at 3pm & 8pm. Following the lives and family histories of three young men as they grow up in Coolock on Dublin’s northside, this new play is an unflinching exploration of the Irish psyche, bringing our collective guilts, secrets and flaws to the surface.
Following each performance, join us for ‘The Civic Sessions’, a post-show chat discussing the themes the play addresses. This is curated by 4th Year Social Care Students of Technological University Dublin- Tallaght Campus. There will be plenty of opportunity to get involved in the discussion, to share your thoughts and get involve in the discussion.
3pm John Connors, Edwin Mullane, Conor Byrne & Sandra Fay
8pm John Connors, Edwin Mullane, Darren Dillon & Sandra Fay
Panel Biogs
CONOR BYRNE
Conor grew up in Tallaght and spent his teens and early twenties struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. Never quite settling in at school or understanding who he was supposed to be, drugs, alcohol and negative reinforcement from the groups he hung around with never gave him any reason to find out. Settling into the label that he had become accustomed to as the ‘funny one’, and the ‘alcho’, it became easier to conform to this role of deluded reality than to seek true purpose in himself. As years passed on and his friends grew tired of the act, the only one left on stage was himself. Now homeless and realizing the hole he had dug for himself and the bridges he had burned along the way, suicide seemed the only desirable route. Albeit, through some miracle he ended up in an N.A meeting instead. Now in Recovery and drug and alcohol-free, that loss of desire to find a purpose is no longer there. After moving away from his hometown and starting fresh, he found a drive for education in which he never knew existed. After completing a level 5 in Community Drug and Alcohol Work, he went on to complete a level 7 Diploma in the same subject. Currently studying a degree in Social Policy and Sociology fulltime in UCD, Conor no longer sees his past as the dramatic nightmare it once was, rather, he looks back with respect for the journey he took to finally understand his purpose. Educating himself and those around him of addiction.
DARREN DILLON
Darren Dillon is a Tallaght based father of 3 daughters. He is the owner and director of Kickstart Fitness Ireland which is now in its 10th year of business working with people to improve their health and wellbeing. Darren also works as a performance coach at Shamrock Rovers football club.
SANDRA FAY
Sandra Fay, is from West Tallaght, and has taught in her local area for over 20 years and in May 2019 was elected as a local socialist councillor for solidarity after years of activism. She is a member of solidarity, The Socialist Party and the Committee for a Workers’ International that is organised in approx 30 countries. According to Sandra ‘I believe in an alternative system, Socialism. Socialism is a system of real daily democracy in both our workplace and our community that would deliver resources such as housing, healthcare, education, secure meaningful jobs, and a safe clean environment for all.
As a councillor I hope to continue to build fighting campaigns that will deliver properly funded resources that are needed in our community. Through building winning campaigns, both the community and workers will realise the real power for change lies with them. Raising working class consciousness is my ultimate role to changing the social injustices and poverty in our community and society. Poverty and social injustices are hugely affecting mental and physical health of those living in our communities. We need a revolution of workers that’s multi-racial, multi-gendered and multi-generational to win our right against the billionaire class who now control the wealth and resources in society. We need to put our needs before the greed, profits and accumulation of wealth of the billionaires. The workers of the world can build a truly democratic society, where each individual can develop to their full potential free of poverty and oppression’.
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Ireland’s Call
Tuesday 12th November, 8pm
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