An exhibition featuring photographs of Mayo by Anthony Hennigan from Attymass got a civic launch on Friday May 15 in Manchester. The new Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Alison Firth, together with Councillor John Commons from the Mayo Association, officially opened the exhibition. The exhibition, called From Manchester to Mayo, had been commissioned by the gallery to launch the world premiere of a new Irish play, Haunted, by Edna O’Brien. It was held in the Mezzanine Gallery in the theatre and the play and exhibition run until June 13.
The Lord Mayor in her opening speech said: “I was delighted to be asked to open the event. I have wonderful memories of a family holiday in the magical county of Mayo and here in Manchester we have a strong and vibrant Irish community. To open an exhibition that reflects these connections so early in my year of office and that also accompanies a world premiere is very exciting. I'm extremely honoured to have been invited”. The exhibition features a selection of shots taken in and around Attymass parish along with photographs from this years Manchester Irish Festival.
When asked about how the event went Mr Hennigan replied: “It was a great night, I think this was one of the first Irish exhibitions staged in the new gallery. It was a great night for my family and relatives along with the Irish community who turned up to support the event. ‘Young, Gifted and Green’ did a fantastic job in entertaining the crowds, it was great to see a little bit of Ireland brought to such a prestigious venue”. Visitors to the exhibition were greeted by Irish musicians and dancers from the Mayo award winning ‘Young, Gifted and Green’. After the launch of the exhibition the troupe staged a short presentation featuring extracts from its show in the main hall of the theatre. The event attracted a capacity audience who applauded their performance and insisted that they did an encore.
