Love of Drama a Family Affair

The first ever role acted by Lionel Gallagher was as “Bashful” in a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while attending the Presentation Brothers, Carrick-on-Shannon. He recalls how he had to blush to order as it were, which naturally enough he found difficult. Such have been Lionel’s achievements in the meantime, both as an actor and director, that few would begrudge him a blush or two when praise comes his way. One of the mainstays of local amateur drama since 1959, Lionel says he made a great start being surrounded by so many of the masters in a Drama Circle production of Montserrat in which he played Ricardo, a year later in 1960. The venue, of course, in those days was the Town Hall. The play was directed by Jim Fitzgerald, one of the top pro directors at the time, and the cast included Walter Mc Donagh, Paddy Dooney, Eddie Mc Dermottroe. For a budding actor one couldn’t have chosen better company from which to learn.

Lionel says that with such talent it was no surprise to see the play sweep the boards in all the regional festivals that followed but cruelly, because of illness, the Drama Circle could not compete in the All-Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone that year. If he missed out on Athlone in those early days, Lionel certainly made up for it a few years later. In 1970 he played the newsboy in “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams which captured the coveted Esso Trophy. The play was directed by Liam Mc Kinney. In 1962 Lionel himself directed “My Three Angels” which won several regional awards and which came second in the All-Ireland final, losing by just one mark to Newry’s “Our Town”, a play incidentally which was directed by the SDLP’s Seamus Mallon. There was some consolation for the Sligo group in that the Best Actor Award was shared between Paddy Dooney, Eddie Fitzpatrick and Brian Bohan which was unique at the time and hasn’t happened since.

Lionel has directed and acted in many plays since, though he doesn’t hesitate when asked to choose between the two. “I prefer acting now. Directing is a much more demanding activity because you are totally responsible for everything, from the first rehearsal to the final curtain”, he says. Lionel doesn’t need to be asked twice to recall other highlights from his distinguished career, and a trip to the US in 1989 stands out in particular. It was his first acting trip to America and was in a production of O’ Casey’s “Juno and the Paycock” which was directed by Walter Mc Donagh. Lionel played Joxer and the two performances they gave in St. Louis, Missouri went down a treat. A review in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch described Lionel’s performance as rich and superior. “Gallagher is just wonderful”, wrote the reviewer. “It was a fantastic experience. We even had what they call over there an “After-Glow Party” in which members of the public paid $10 each just to have a drink with the cast”, he says.

Every actor gets the acting bug somewhere and for Lionel he caught it in Carrick-on-Shannon where there’s a strong tradition with the Breffni Players. He carried it with him when he went to University College Cork where his love of the stage was enhanced by the many plays and operas he saw there. Even during the summer vacations, Lionel was never far from a theatre. “I remember one summer working as a deckchair man in Blackpool and I got to see almost every show free because I used to let the chorus girls and actors sit without charge in the seats during the day”, he laughs. He also made trips to London.

Lionel, who is now Vice-Principal of the Grammar School in Sligo, took his first teaching job in Sandymount High School, Dublin and became good friends with a theatre critic working for one of the nationals. He says he often wrote reviews for the critic whom he won’t name, and says the experience gave him a different perspective on theatre. He says that if he was starting out all over again, he might consider having a go at being a professional in the business. He doesn’t regret staying amateur, however, and the fact that so many of his own family are now involved professionally in the acting world makes up for any tinges of regret no matter how small they are at this stage. One of Lionel’s two daughters, Fionnuala, is a director and actress with the Blue Raincoat Company based at the Factory and his other daughter, Darina, is studying at Trinity College and is currently on an external year at University in Berlin. His wife, Joan, is never far away from a stage either, with Lionel describing her as being great with costumes.

Lionel’s two sons are also involved. Conor is a graphic designer and produced posters for many local and professional groups wile Fergal does some acting wile attending Queen’s University, Belfast. The only member of the family to give the business a skip in later life was Cliodna, who is currently in London. At one stage Lionel and his daughter Darina acted in the same play. Darina played the name part in “Sive” while he played the role of Seán Dota. They also performed together in the Fun Company’s production of “Annie”. He says it was a nice experience and that strong family connections are one of the good things about the theatre in Sligo. He lists the Mc Kinneys, Mc Donaghs, Dooneys, Mc Dermottroes as examples. “Once the parents get hooked on the stage, I think the kids are attracted and though they might reject it for a while, they nearly always come back to it”, he says.

Before moving on to discuss theatre in Sligo, he recalls a funny experience in the good old days in the Town Hall when anything was likely to happen and often did. On one occasion he had just arrived back in Sligo from a holiday in Denmark. It was a Thursday night so he made his way to the Town Hall. On Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summer there would always be some play on. As he made his way up the steps he met Walter Mc Donagh who told him that an actor had left at short notice and that he’d have to play the part. “You’re the right size to fit the costume”, he was told, being pointed backstage. To his horror the only costume backstage was a dress. “Yes, that’s it, we’re doing the ‘Magic Glasses’ and we’re using males to play the parts of the two aunts”, he was told.

“So out went Lionel in a dress, which was bad enough, but he didn’t even know the play, let alone what lines he had to utter. It was the ultimate acting nightmare. Jeff Rose was playing the other aunt and he told him to follow what he said and repeat some of it and that they would get through all right. “Thank God it was only a one-act play and I don’t think anyone noticed too much. But by the following Tuesday I had the part off by heart and had the clothes adjusted to fit me”, he says. In those days he found it easier to learn his lines. “I’m finding it a bit more difficult as I get older. If you can get the rhythm of the lines and listen for the cue you can make it a lot easier”, he says.

Lionel feels that the opening of the Hawk’s Well has had a marvellous revolutionising effect on the acting scene in Sligo. He says it sets off the town like no other in the locality and says perhaps Sligo people don’t sufficiently realise how valuable an asset it is. Lionel, who is on the Board of Directors, emphasises that the Hawk’s Well is a fully professional theatre that provides live entertainment all year round. He feels that the theatre gives an outlet to the talent being fostered locally by the drama schools and in the Feis. He praises the Fun Company for giving young people a chance to express themselves. Lionel believes that the theatre has also led to the growth of professional theatre in the region with groups like the Blue Raincoats and Seven Woods. It’s also a home for other groups like Coolera, Everyman and the Drama Circle. He states that the mix of professional and local groups at the Hawk’s Well is a positive one. The standard has to be very good from local groups because of the comparisons with the professional groups who visit. The professionals though might have done one hundred shows by the time they get here and everything is ready and polished on opening night, whereas the local groups might be on for just a week and that puts them under a lot of pressure, but they are meeting that challenge pretty well”, he says.

He lists Brian Friel and Seán O Casey as his favourite playwrights. He adds that it is very rewarding to direct a Friel play if the timing and balance of the characters is got right. It’s been a long time since 1959 and Lionel has certainly got the timing and balance of many a character right in the meantime.

An interview by Paul Deering in The Sligo Champion, Showstopper Series, April 9th, 1993