Ballyshannon Drama Society member Rachel O’Connor was crowned the Best Actress at the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival for her lead role in ‘Margaret’.
The awards in Athlone on Saturday celebrated the best of Irish amateur drama with nine groups in the final.
Donegal was represented by the cast and crew of ‘Margaret’, penned and directed by Ballybofey duo Shaun Byrne and Monica Doherty.
A native of Belleek, Rachel has enthralled audiences across Donegal with her portrayal of former British PM Margaret Thatcher in the unique political drama.
Also nominated in the technical category was Rachel’s husband Sean for Best Sound, while Sam Asilia in his first production with the Abbey based group was honoured in the newcomer category.
Pic courtesy of John Fallon.
‘Margaret’ joins the three times British Prime Minister in the last days of her life in the Ritz Hotel suffering from dementia and explores her troubled relationships: with the Irish, the miners, her children, the public, her male colleagues and the fallout from The Falklands War; as past demons, guilts and successes return to torment, flatter and deceive her. Shaun Byrne plays the ghost of her husband Denis.
This is the third play from writer Shaun Byrne to reach the All-Ireland Drama Festival finals, following his highly successful Bloody Sunday themed An Incident with Dave Cotter and last year’s Darkness Echoing.
