The Old Galway Diary Podcast - Episode 259 - Macnas

And I think rarely can any in the history of theatre can any group have been so very aptly named as this last were they were founded 20 years ago by four very talented people Olly Jennings

who

was the founder and director of the Arts Festival Pádraig Branagh from Connemara who Gaeilge Ólín Egge He had worked with Don Tyviac and with Druid and he was the first director of the Galway Arts Centre.

Tom Conroy was a graduate of the National College of Art and Design, a lighting designer with Druid and a visual arts organiser for the Arts Festival.

And Pete Salmon was a street performer with a lot of experience.

He had worked with traveller groups and also in community arts.

A

very talented bunch.

They were

and you know with varied talents in different areas as well.

But they had a lovely manifesto.

We interpret the word community in the broad popular sense.

We are interested in the pastimes, the games and the rituals of our community in the West.

We wish to create dynamic visual spectacles using and exploring those popular forms of entertainment, of communal entertainment.

Our spectacles will be created in the community in the large outdoor family spaces.

We hope to make fun on a grand scale and between ourselves.

I'm

sure they did.

They did, didn't they? They succeeded very

spectacularly.