A seachrán can be a wandering vagabond, a clever rogue, maybe astray in the head as well as abroad, and the play that made the word infamous in nineteenth century America returns to Galway this summer, for the first time since 1982.
Directed by Gary Hynes, Dion Boucicault’s The Shaughraun will be Druid Theatre’s opening play of its 2026 season, titled ‘Strange Country: Ireland in America’. It will premiere at the Town Hall Theatre as part of the Galway International Arts Festival, from July 13 to July 25.
Written by Boucicault in 1874, The Shaughraun captures a restless, divided Ireland of Fenian fugitives, land grabbers, priests and police informers. At its centre is Conn, the eponymous ‘shaughraun’ – trickster, survivor, and unlikely hero. Moving between worlds, he outwits authority with wit, charm, and defiance. Comedy and spectacle intertwine with questions of land, loyalty, and identity.
A small number of tickets are still available from www.druid.ie and www.giaf.ie
With set design by Francis O’Connor, this production features Druid’s ensemble cast members Aaron Monaghan, Marie Mullen, Rory Nolan, and Marty Rea, alongside Jamie Beamish, Megan Cusack, Peter Daly, Fintan Kinsella, Pattie Maguire, and Eileen Walsh, with live music composed and performed by Conor Linehan.
The Shaughraun marks Druid’s return to the work of Dion Boucicault following their 2013-14 production of The Colleen Bawn which earned rave reviews in Ireland and Britain.
In addition to this summer’s production, there will be a talk with Garry Hynes and Francis O’Connor in conversation with Patrick Lonergan as part of Galway International Arts Festival’s First Thought Talks series.
Hynes and O’Connor will reflect on a creative partnership that has shaped the visual and dramatic language of Druid Theatre Company for over three decades. They will also discuss Druid’s 2026 season — ‘Strange Country: Ireland in America’ — and reveal the currents of influence from Dion Boucicault to Eugene O’Neill.
The talk will take place on Monday, July 20, at 2pm in the Bailey Allen Hall, University of Galway.
For tickets and info see www.giaf.ie
