FOUR IRISH PLAYS: Falling From Grace, Gilmartin, On Raglan Road, I'll Tell Me Ma

FALLING FROM GRACE: A full-length play with music on the life and time of Shane MacGowan of the PoguesON RAGLAN ROAD: Dublin of the 1940'50's; the Dublin of writers Patrick Kavanagh and Brendan Behan, whose mutual hatred of each other became a public spectacle when it spilled from the pubs into streets of the city. It was also the Dublin of Hilda Moriarty, a beautiful medical student, who was the love of Patrick's life, and for whom he wrote the song' On Raglan Road'.GILMARTIN: When Bertie Ahern resigned on May 6th 2008 after 11 years as Irish Taoiseach and more than thirty years all told in the corridors of power, it was as a direct result of the fall-out that occurred from the treatment meted out to Irish businessman, Tom Gilmartin, which only emerged in its entirety at the conclusion of the Mahon Tribunal, which had sat for almost 15 years before reaching its conclusions in 2012, forcing Ahern to resign as Taoiseach.I'LL TELL ME MA: The Clancy Bros. and Tommy Makem were bigger in the USA in 1963 than the Beatles. Bob Dylan to this day claims that Liam Clancy is the best ballad singer he ever heard. Yet they may never have existed if it wasn't for Diane Hamilton (Guggenheim). She was a wealthy American divorcee with money and influence, and she loved music. In the mid 1950's she toured Ireland, searching for talent for her new record label, and discovered, amongst others, Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem. Liam Clancy found himself in the USA, aged 20, learning the music and acting business, courtesy of Diane - and in between trying to keep Diane out of his bed. Diane was so smitten that she attempted suicide one night, after Liam literally kicked her from of his bed in her house in Connecticut. That was when Liam lit out for Greenwich Village, and the Clancy Bros were born.