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Actor Frank Finlay 1926 – 2016

We are sad to note the death of actor Frank Finlay. He died peacefully at home surrounded by his family after a short illness.

He was a stalwart of the early years of the National Theatre under Laurence Olivier and also played in some excellent productions at the Old Vic, including playing Joxer to Colin Blakely’s Captain Boyle in Juno and the Paycock.

Finlay is best known for his television and film work including the title role in Dennis Potter’s Casanova.

As Michael Coveney writes in his obituary for The Guardian, “He was able to imply depths of feeling by doing very little.” This economy allowed Frank Finaly to be an affecting and powerful actor.

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Juno and the Paycock First Draft at the National Library of Ireland

The National Library of Ireland has acquired the first draft of Juno and the Paycock at auction in New York. This was made possible by special allocation funding from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the National Library of Ireland trust.

Library director Dr Sandra Collins said the library looked forward to “reserving this precious piece of Irish history and literature and exhibiting it in the library for all to enjoy”. This is wonderful news. It is gratifying that this manuscript should return to Ireland.

The first draft is significant in that it shows how the play evolved and what Sean’s early thoughts on the play were. The title on the exercise book is Juno and the Peacock. The National Library of Ireland already holds a significant number of manuscripts and correspondence by and on Sean. This first draft is a wonderful addition to that resource.

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Sean O’Casey Production Image Galleries

We are happy to present image galleries of production photographs of some of Sean’s plays. We will be adding more images as they become available.

The Plough and the Stars 2012 Abbey Theatre, Gabrielle Reidy, Kelly Campbell and Joe Hanley, Photo Credit Ros Kavanagh
The Plough and the Stars 2012 Abbey Theatre, Gabrielle Reidy, Kelly Campbell and Joe Hanley, Photo Credit Ros Kavanagh
The Gate Theatre’s 1986 production of Juno and the Paycock by Sean O’Casey. Photo by Tom Lawlor
The Gate Theatre’s 1986 production of Juno and the Paycock by Sean O’Casey. Photo by Tom Lawlor

Thank you to the Abbey, Gate and Tricycle theatres and the photographers for providing these great images to us.