The iconic GAA themed play The Pitch by Shane Connaughton will have its only Mayo showing for 2012 in the Breaffy GAA Clubhouse on Tuesday January 24 commencing at 8pm. Tickets are €10 each and a limited number will be on general sale. This promotion is part of the GAA Social Initiative, which is supported by Calor, and Moth Productions has agreed to bring this nationally acclaimed drama, which has captivated audiences throughout Ireland for the past 12 months, to The Breaffy Clubhouse.
The production, which has a cast of three with the former Leitrim senior footballer Seamus O’Rourke in the lead role of Philly, tells the story of a man who is the ultimate club footballer. He will be easily recognised as his ‘alter ego’ can be found in most clubs in Ireland. Philly, who lived, played and breathed for his beloved club and jersey, is in a tormented state.
He agonised for years that he was not allowed to play in the county final of 1945, the day the club won its only county title, but his enemies are now targeting his beloved pitch as the ideal location for a housing estate. Although his perceived enemies have also accused him of fathering an illegitimate child and are threatening to retire him to a retirement home, turning his old sacred ground into a housing estate is the final straw and it is here Philly intends making his last stand.
The author, Shane Connaughton, a native of Redhills, Cavan, is best remembered as a screenwriter for My Left Foot. He also wrote Border Station and Run of the Country and played the part of Philly in some of the early productions of The Pitch in his native Cavan. His acting career includes parts in Coronation Street, The Playboys, and The Miracle.
