Tourism Ireland has teamed up with the Abbey Theatre to showcase its digital theatre experience Dear Ireland which brings together the voices of 50 writers and 50 actors in a collection of theatrical postcards from Ireland. To highlight this and to celebrate theatre culture, Tourism Ireland has created a series of three short films with the actors and writers.
The cast includes Derry Girls stars Siobhán McSweeney, who plays Sister Michael and Nicola Coughlan, who plays Clare Devlin, as well as author, activist and teacher Sinéad Burke. The third and final film in the series features Cork-born Siobhán McSweeney, who shares insights into a piece she performed called Katty Barry’s, written by Karen Cogan.
She also speaks about her love for Ireland and, in particular, the Beara Peninsula. The film features spectacular scenery and some of the country’s top attractions like Blarney Castle, the Ha’penny Bridge, Mullaghmore Head, St Anne’s Church in Cork city, the Cliffs of Moher, the Beara Peninsula, Eyeries village and Dursey Island.
In the film, Siobhán McSweeney praises Ireland, saying: “I think when people visit Ireland they’re surprised at how different it can be to the Ireland of their imagination. You may have one idea of Ireland but Ireland is so diverse and has so many different kinds of landscapes from rural to urban, mountains, beautiful lush green fields, forests and cliffs.
“People come with one idea and they realise that we have the whole world on the island of Ireland. The Peninsula Beara in West Cork is the most beautiful place on earth. The copper mines down there, the beaches, the surfing, the landscape, the food, my God the food. It is a very special, magical place. Ireland inspires me because there’s no place in the world like it.”
The series of short films is being shared with Tourism Ireland’s fans and followers on social platforms – including Facebook (almost 4.6 million fans worldwide), Instagram (804,000 followers), Twitter (530,000 followers) and YouTube. The first film in the series featured Sinéad Burke and the second film featured Nicola Coughlan.
To view Sinéad’s film, click here; and to view Nicola’s film, click here
