Joe Meehan – An Appreciation

We in Sligo Drama Circle were saddened to hear of the passing of Joe Meehan last Friday. Joe was a long-standing member of Sligo Drama Circle and was active in many roles within the group over many decades.

Joe’s involvement with Sligo Drama Circle probably dates back to the 1960s and from then on, Joe took a central part in all of the activities of the Circle, either on stage or in a background role. He was part of the Drama Circle group which pioneered the “Theatre For Sligo” project throughout the 1970s, culminating in the opening of the Hawk’s Well Theatre in 1982, a cherished dream for many in the Drama Circle at the time.

Joe took an active role in the fledgling theatre and was a member of its first Board of Directors. Joe took this role seriously and attended almost anything in the new theatre that was drama-related, always keeping a programme or poster for posterity.

Indeed, it was this habit of Joe’s to hold on to memorabilia related to Sligo Drama Circle and the theatre that instigated the development of our archive. In 2006, as our 50th birthday was approaching, we realised that we had very little archival material relating to our past activities. It was Joe who started us off by donating to us much of what he had collected over the years – photographs, posters, flyers and theatre programmes. This collection now forms part of our extensive and varied archive and we have Joe to thank for much of its contents.

On stage, Joe took part in many Drama Circle productions over the years including: A peasant in “The Playboy of the Western World” (1967); An executioner in “Deirdre” (1967); Mr. Burgess in “Candida” (1972); President of the University in “Stephen D” (1974); Pats Bocock in “Sive” (1978); Tom Byers in “All Souls’ Night” (1979); John Coneely in “The Pot of Broth” (1984); a warder in “Borstal Boy” (1984); John Hegarty in “Drama at Inish” (1984); Jarvis in “Peg O’ My Heart” (1986); General Mackenzie in “Ten Little Indians” (1987) and many more.

Joe was part of the group that won the Ulster Cup in Belfast in 1967 with a production of “The Playboy of the Western World”. He was also a member of the cast of “Juno and the Paycock” that travelled to St. Louis, USA in March 1989 for two performances in the Sheldon Theatre.

A Sligo man through and through, many people will remember Joe from his shop at Market Cross. Indeed people remarked that Joe would have been equally happy to talk to a customer about drama and the theatre as he would be to sell them a garment. Joe was proud of his roots and was equally proud of the role of the Sligo Drama Circle in the social history of the town. He was also immensely proud of the role of Sligo Drama Circle in the development a permanent theatre in Sligo.

Even in later years, when Joe was not as intimately involved with the Drama Circle as he had been previously, he would still like to be kept abreast of what was going on, what play we were rehearsing and always had a suggestion of a play we should think about producing. Even up to recently, he was enquiring about our premises in the Market Yard and suggesting that it might need painting!

We fondly remember Joe and thank him for his great contribution to our organisation’s dramatic and theatrical legacy. He will be sorely missed, but never be forgotten.

We in the Sligo Drama Circle extend our condolences to Joe’s extended family and wide circle of friends.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.