The All Ireland Drama Festival brings leading amateur actors and theatre groups to Athlone.
This is the 38th year of the festival which is run by the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland. Over the next two weeks, eleven drama groups from all parts of the country will compete for the premier award.
Drama groups must compete in anything from two to five festivals on the island of Ireland, and only the top ten groups, in addition with the winners of the Confined Finals, may enter the All-Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone.
Standards are high, with many productions on a par with professional shows. Four of the ten drama groups are previous winners. The Enniscorthy Theatre Group brought their production of 'Juno and the Paycock' by Seán O’Casey to the Dean Crowe Hall in Athlone.
Ulick O’Connor who opened the festival this evening believes it demonstrates a link between the Irish Literary Revival and the passions people here have for the theatre.
An 'Newsround' report broadcast on 13 May 1990. The reporter is Gerry Reynolds.
