The Everyman Theatre in Cork is staging a revival of Making History, Brian Friel's celebrated play about resistance, revolution and the remaking of heroes.
First performed by Field Day in 1988, the play follows Gaelic leader Hugh O’Neill in the events before and after the Battle of Kinsale and examines who gets to decide how history is recorded, told and retold.
Directed by the Everyman's new Artistic Director Des Kennedy, the ensemble cast includes Denis Conway, who returns to the role of O'Neill having famously performed it in 2007 – he exploreshis relationship with Friel's masterpiece below.
I first came across this play in 1993, five years after it was originally performed by the Field Day Theatre Company. Brian Brady, then an assistant director at The Abbey Theatre, along with Cinzia Hardy of European Players, approached me to play O'Neill in a production they were staging in Rome that year. Cinzia, an Italian, produced a play annually with European Players that always had something to do with both Ireland and Italy. This play, Making History by Brian Friel, follows Hugh O'Neill and ends in Rome—where O’Neill eventually died and is buried.
While performing at the Teatro Tordinona, just off the Piazza Navona, I got the idea of touring the play along the route of the Flight of the Earls—from the battle site in Kinsale to O'Neill's final resting place, the Church of San Pietro in Montorio in Rome.
It took another 13 years to realise this ambition. In 2006, I was appointed Artistic Director of Ouroboros Theatre Company in Dublin and staged a production of the play at The Samuel Beckett Theatre. Using photos, reviews, and other materials from this production, we raised funds to take the play on the tour I had envisioned.
We succeeded, and in 2007–2008 we retraced the Earls’ journey to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls. We travelled from Kinsale to sites across Ireland associated with O'Neill and O'Donnell. We were supported by the OPW, who not only financed the project but also allowed us to perform at many of their historic sites—Charles Fort in Kinsale, the Rock of Cashel, Mellifont Abbey ruins, Clonmacnoise, and many more. Their staff were fantastic—enthusiastic, supportive, and equipped us with everything from lights to trucks. It was magical.
We concluded the Irish leg of the tour with a performance in Rathmullan, Co. Donegal—the very place from which the Earls set sail. From there, we left our OPW partners behind and travelled to Paris, then on to Leuven in Belgium, where the Earls took refuge in the winter of 1607–1608.
With the world as it is—Ukraine, Gaza, and other troubled regions—this play feels just as relevant as it did in 1988, when Friel wrote it amid the turmoil in Northern Ireland.
In 2008, we continued the tour in step with the Earls’ 1608 journey, even crossing the Devil’s Bridge in the Alps exactly 400 years to the day they did. Ironically, it was on that day—St. Patrick’s Day—that their money wagon fell into a ravine, leaving these once-wealthy men penniless upon their arrival in Rome.
We performed in Paris, Strasbourg, Basel, Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Altdorf, Viterbo, and finally, in Rome. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that deepened my admiration for this play. We staged one final performance in 2009 at the MacGill Summer School, especially for Brian Friel. That night was attended by many of the North’s most respected voices—Brian himself and his wife Anne, John Hume, Seamus Heaney, and others. A very special night indeed.
So, why do it again?
I was approached by Des Kennedy, the new Artistic Director of The Everyman in Cork, who proposed I reprise the role of the older O'Neill—specifically Act 2, Scene 2 in Rome. This time, I’d be joined by Peter Gowen as the older Archbishop Lombard (Peter played O'Donnell in the original Field Day production), and Chris McHallem (who played Harry Hoveden in the Abbey/Peacock production in 1999 directed by Brian Brady). Instead of the original six actors, this new version will feature nine. I’ve always loved working with large ensembles.
I also have a strong affection for The Everyman. I’ve performed there many times in plays like Conversations on a Homecoming, The Walworth Farce, Guests of the Nation, and more—but I haven’t returned in a while. It feels like coming home.
Not many people in Cork have seen this excellent play. The original Field Day production only did a short run at the Father Matthew Hall, and when Ouroboros staged it, we performed in Charles Fort and Barryscourt Castle—venues with limited capacity. Unless you were at one of those performances, you likely missed it. The Everyman, with its greater capacity, is the perfect venue to reintroduce it to a larger Cork audience.
And the timing couldn’t be more apt. With the world as it is—Ukraine, Gaza, and other troubled regions—this play feels just as relevant as it did in 1988, when Friel wrote it amid the turmoil in Northern Ireland. Who writes history? What does history mean? What is the truth? Is there even such a thing as the truth?
As for how I’ll approach the role: it’s vital to bring my experience with the play to the table, but equally important to let go of any preconceived notions. I know the play intimately, of course, but Des will have his own vision, and the new cast will bring fresh energy and ideas that I want to respond to openly. One of the biggest challenges will be matching the actor playing the younger O'Neill—Aaron McCusker—in terms of physicality, voice, and tone. He carries the bulk of the play, and it’ll be my job to match that weight in the final scene.
We’re already in rehearsals, and I’m really enjoying the process.
Lastly, I’m also a board member of the Brian Friel Trust. We're currently working on creating a centre dedicated to Brian in his beloved Glenties (Ballybeg) in Donegal. Brian died ten years ago, and performing one of his favourite plays in this anniversary year feels incredibly meaningful.
Making History is at The Everyman, Cork from Fri 11th - Sat 26th April - find out more here.
