Eddie Fitzpatrick – An Appreciation

It is almost impossible for us in the Sligo Drama Circle to believe that Eddie Fitzpatrick is dead – has made his final exit. Eddie meant a lot to the Circle and to everyone in it. As an actor he had star quality. He could easily have made it onto the professional stage had he not been so committed to Sligo. He proved as much in Melbournes’ Little Theatre but the call of his native town brought him back from Australia and his talents enriched many a Sligo gathering since.

I was privileged to be associated with him over the years and my memories of Eddie are so many, so rich and so varied that it is difficult to be selective. But “My Three Angels” stands out. This was my first venture in production with the Circle and I was fortunate to have three brilliant “Angels”, Paddy Dooney, Brian Bohan and, of course, Eddie. So good were they, that in the All-Ireland Drama Finals in Athlone that year, the Best Actor Award was divided between them and for the only time in the history of the Athlone Festival, three Gold Medals were given. Gold medal performances were given many times since then by Eddie Fitzpatrick but such was his dedication to his art that he gave an equally good performance whether his audience was a packed Belfast Opera House where he played “The Playboy” or an empty Town Hall during a dress rehearsal.

I remember Eddie asking me to be his personal prompter during the run of Paul Vincent Carroll’s “Shadow and Substance” when he played the Canon. He often joked about this afterwards, wondering which of us was the “shadow” and which the “substance”. There were so many parts, so many plays, so many memories. “Rev Hale” in “The Crucible”, “Master Boyle” in “Philadelphia, Here I Come”, “Andy” in “Lovers” and his unforgettable “Joxer” in “Juno and the Paycock”. And how can we ever have a Drama Circle function again without Eddie and “St. George and the Dragon” or “The Blackbird”. If I’m crying while I write this, I do so unashamed for we all loved Eddie. The Drama Circle will never be the same without him or indeed will Sligo Town.

To Joan and his young family, what can we say? Nothing except that Eddie will live forever in our memories and that heaven is now a happier place since the great actor and entertainer has joined another band of Angels on a more exalted stage.

from The Sligo Champion, August 31st, 1973