Ireland’s Call follows young man growing up on the Northside

“WE first came across ‘Ireland’s Call’ at the beginning of this academic year when our lecturers introduced us to our project,” remark TUD’s sales and promo representatives Caoimhe Moore and Jane Kerrigan.

On November 20, ‘Ireland’s Call’ by John Connors will take to the main stage of The Civic.

As part of the experience, John invites community leaders and the audience to join in a post-show discussion around themes drawn from the play.

As part of the event and to encourage local community engagement, students from TUDublin will curate and host the post-show discussion where audience members will be invited to give their thoughts and feedback.

A young working-class man from Dublin’s Northside is forced to confront the impact of addiction, violence, and trauma as he’s pulled between the life he was born into and the life he might still choose.

‘Ireland’s Call’ follows the journey of a young man growing up on Dublin’s Northside.

Told through a series of characters and turning points, from childhood to prison, the story explores the roots of class-based oppression, addiction, and generational trauma.

It is a sharp examination of masculinity, institutional neglect, and the choices facing those raised in the margins of modern Ireland.

John Connors toured the world with Ireland’s Call from 2018 to 2020, performing to sold-out audiences and critical acclaim in Ireland, the UK, France, Australia, and the United States.

According to Niamh Honer, Engagement and Marketing Manager at The Civic

“We are delighted to welcome to John’s return to The Civic following on from

the success in 2019.”

As part of the event, students from TUDublin will curate and host a post-show discussion with local representatives to discuss themes from the play.

Audience members will be invited to give their thoughts and feedback.

Caoimhe and Jane continue, “as we began to research the play, our interest began to grow.” The first meeting with John Connors was particularly impactful; his genuine passion and dedication to the project were “immediately evident.”

His enthusiasm made them eager to discover more about the play’s themes, message, and the story it aimed to tell.

That first meeting left them inspired and motivated to learn everything they could about this exciting production, and it sparked a deeper curiosity about the key issues it addresses.

The organisation of the Q & A came about from a desire to engage the audience in an interactive way, making them feel welcomed by others.

They wanted the audience to be able to creatively involve themselves in the show by voicing their thoughts on what John Connor’s show had given them.

Caoimhe and Jane’s favourite part of organising this event was the creative element involved throughout the process.

Challenges included timing, budget, and communication, as they needed to plan everything before a specific date, they set a desk in the college reception area and handed out free flyers for the event to students, as fees were not in the budget.

Finally, they had to learn the strengths and weaknesses of everyone in the group and delegate everyone with tasks that suited them and that would benefit the event in a quick, achievable way.

They are hoping that on the night, the audience will enjoy themselves and will gain new insights from the play that they may share with the Q & A panel.

At the moment there are no events planned for this group of students, although it is still a possibility.

“We all enjoyed the whole journey and challenges faced by this event, as we have learnt about our strengths and weaknesses and how to conquer them in a positive, professional manner.”

Caoimhe and Jane would like to thank John Connors for producing the show and giving them the opportunity to collaborate with him, lecturers Patricia Medcalf and Hilda Burton for their continued support and guidance.

Finally, they would like to thank the Civic Theatre staff for allowing them to use their venue, particularly Niamh Honer, their consistent point of contact, their peers who worked on the project, and the audience in advance.

According to Niamh, “We sincerely thank Patricia Medcalf and Hilda Buton for facilitating this experiential learning experience for the student and appreciate their valuable input. Come along and support them on the night.”

‘Ireland’s Call’ returns to the Civic for one night only on November 20 at 8pm, followed by the Q & A.