By Joe Hanratty

THE 19th Annual Drama Festival ended last Saturday note with Full House notices going up.

The festival organisers were delighted with the quality of the productions in both the Open and Confined sections and they were also delighted to see so many people attend especially the high number of young people.

There was great praise for the Adjudicator Roma Tomelty who gave a public adjudication on each production each evening and a private adjudication to each of the competing groups. 

There was also great praise for the sponsors and all who helped in any way to make the festival such a success.

In the Open section it was the Dundalk Theatre Workshop who took the premier award with the Production of Dangerous Liaisons by Christopher Hampton, and their producer /director Matt Murphy won the producers award.

In the Confined Section it was the Kilrush Drama group from Co Wexford who took first place with their production of Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmaan and their Producer Michael Byrne won the Producers award.

Other award winners were Open Section: Best Actor Conor O’Connell and Colin Malone (Silken Thomas) Best Actress Aine Corcoran (Dundalk); Best Supporting Actress Marie McStay (Newpoint Players); Best supporting Actor Tomas Winston (Breffni Players); Best Set: Tony Rice (Dundalk); Best Lighting Seamus Farrell (Dundalk). Adjudicators Award Backburners; Confined Section : Best Actor Paddy Farrelly (Sillan); Best Actress Claire O’Malley (Lislea); Best Supporting Actor Kerry Rooney (Lislea); Best Supporting Actress : Ellie Condren (Kilrush); Technical Award: Cripple of Innishmaan; Best Set :- Backburners; Centre Stage Drama Holiday –Darren O’Reilly (Sillan).