Everyone was in fine form on the evening of Jan. 18.
Origin's 1st Irish Theatre Festival 2019 hosted various plays, productions, and feature events throughout the five boroughs of New York over the month on January. Theatre companies from Derry, Dublin, Limerick, and Belfast, all flew in to participate and perform and join the spectacular local line-up of talent.
For the third year in a row, Origin 1st Irish Festival invited the New York GAA community's Scór Champions to perform as part of the Festival and for the first time Origin Theatre was thrilled to extend this unique invitation even further and included performances from New York GAA clubs, county associations, and many talented groups from all corners of our community celebrating their hidden stage talents for one night on Broadway as part of this huge Festival.
Dancing was a big part of the celebration of Irish culture on the Loreto stage.
On Friday Jan. 18, with over 100 performers -- that included children, teens, students, young expats, parents and grandparents -- took the Loreto Stage, one of Broadway's many beautiful theaters and celebrated their Irish heritage and the Irish traditional Irish cultural arts forms of Ceili, figure and sean nós dancing, instrumental, ballad, and solo singing, and recitation and stage presentations. Seven local GAA Clubs were well represented along with several county associations and groups from all corners of the community were represented like the New York Irish Center, McManus School of Dance and Tyrone Pipe & Drums Band.
The theatre was alive with Irish culture and county, club and Irish pride with all 32 counties flags proudly displayed within in a completely jam-packed theatre during our opening ceremony parade of counties led by Tyrone County Pipe Band & Drums Piper, John McManus with the help of our young flag bearers from McManus School of Dance, Rockland, Rangers, St Brigids, Manhattan Gaels, Long Island Gaels, Shannon Gaels to a name a few.
Lots of prizes were given out.
Following over 20 spectacular performances, GAA Development Simon Gillespie representing New York GAA took to the stage and congratulated all performers and thanked everyone for keeping Irish culture and the traditions alive through Scór and events like Scór on Broadway. He proceeded to award a special Medal from the NY GAA to all Scór on Broadway Performers.
Special Guest, #WearingIrish Movement founder, Irish style guru and former Offaly Scór na nÓg champion Margaret Molloy took to the stage to congratulate and thank all performers on behalf of Origin's 1st Irish Theatre Festival and presented all performers with a special Scór on Broadway Award from Origin Theatre Company.
Rangers GFC was awarded a very special prize of a $500 O'Neill’s voucher, kindly donated by O' Neill’s Sportswear, Tyrone, for their display of amazing club-spirit with their 120 Rangers club members showing up to support the Scór on Broadway performers of 2019!
Denise Frayman from JFA Insurance at Origin’s 1st Irish Festival Awards Ceremony presented this voucher to Ger McMorrow, Fiona Murphy, and Siobhan Barry from Rangers GFC on Monday, Jan 28th 2019 at the beautiful Manhattan Club, Time's Sq.
Origin's 1st Irish Theatre Festival's Scór on Broadway 2019 was an unforgettable evening for all the family on Broadway.
Origin's 1st Irish Theatre Festival Scór on Broadway producers, Jane McCarter O'Dowd, and Artistic Director George C. Heslin are entirely grateful to our performers, family, and friends for filling the Loreto Theatre to capacity and cheering on all our shining Broadway Stars. To McManus School of Dance, Tyrone Pipe & Drums Band, New York Irish Center, The participating County Associations, and all community groups along with GAA Clubs and Scór Officers for their help and support during and in the lead up to Scór on Broadway and to the New York GAA for their continued support.
Scór on Broadway 2019 would not be possible without the help and support of our amazing Sponsors, Eddie Dowling, and the Padded Wagon and Denise Frayman and JFA Insurance.
Thank you all.
