Nobber student in national drama critique final

by Denis Finegan

Patrick Flynn, from Nobber, a former pupil from Scoil Eoin Báiste an Obair, has been shortlisted for an award in the Bord Gais Energy Student Theatre Awards, for his written critique of the school play, Nobber’s Forgotten Heroes, which was staged in Nobber Community Hall in January 2015, and in the Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, in May 2015. In the play, Patrick played the lead role.

Ronan McGahan, acting principal of Scoil Eoin Basite, Nobber, says: “Patrick Flynn a former pupil at Scoil Eoin Báiste and now a first year student in St. Patricks, Navan will attend the Bord Gáis Energy Student Theatre Awards ceremony, in The Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin tonight, along with members of his family and the original cast from the play”.

Mr McGahan, who taught Patrick in Scoil Eoin Basite, Nobber, says that “news of the nomination was first relayed to the school at the beginning of March”.

Mr McGahan is the writer and director of the play, Nobber’s Forgotten Heroes.

Nobber’s Forgotten Heroes tells the story of James Englishby, a native of Nobber, who leaves his home, family and friends to go and fight for the Irish Volunteers in World War 1. The play charts his journey through the war, the effects it had, not just on those in the trenches around him but also on the wife, child, family and friends that he left behind him. James eventually ends up in Palestine where he contracts malaria and very sadly dies three days after the end of World War 1 on the 14th November 1918.

'We are absolutely thrilled that Patrick has received a nomination for his written critique of last year’s school play,' stated Mr McGahan. Our principal, Anne Marie McKenna, handed me the application form from the Bord Gáis Energy Student Theatre awards last September and told me that I should fill it in given the success of the play and how well it was received by the many people who saw it.'

Ronan adds: “Among the categories of Best Leading Male, Best Costumes, Best sets etc, there was a category for Best Written Critique. We approached Patrick to write a critique of the play and then sent it off with the rest of the application”.

“I had completely put it to the back of my mind so when we got the call from the Bord Gáis Energy Student awards committee we were completely taken by surprise. It’s a marvellous honour for our school and a tremendous individual achievement for Patrick himself”, said Mr McGahan.

'Patrick has been nominated along with two other children out of a total of over 3,000 applicants from all over the country.'

Anne Marie McKenna commented that “the nomination alone is an outstanding achievement and for this we are making a big effort to ensure a large representation from the school and village will be present at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on the morning of the awards”.

Mr McGahan says that “Patrick hasn’t partaken in any productions since performing the lead role in last year’s school play but retains an avid interest in theatre and drama and he hopes to get involved in acting at some stage later on. Meanwhile English remains one of his favourite subjects at school and he is a student on the Dublin City University High Achievers weekend programme”.

Scoil Eoin Báiste are currently in rehearsals for 'Honk the Musical' which will be held in the Solstice Arts Theatre on Wednesday 8th June and Thursday 9th June.

“Patrick’s nomination has set the bar for us and given us the inspiration to continue to produce shows of this standard. We are very proud of his and all the rest of the cast members without whose efforts, we would not have received the nomination,' said Mr McGahan.