Cross-border youth performance

After nearly a year of rehearsals, 20 talented young people from Cavan and Monaghan along with students from Down, Armagh, Donegal, Louth and Dublin, prepare to perform Samhradh na gCruitirí (The Summer of the Harpers), an award-winning Irish-language musical composed by Siubhán Ó Dubháin.

The production is the culmination of Ceoldráma na nÓg, an ambitious cross-border youth arts initiative led by Cultúrlann Caisleán Ruairí, funded through the Shared Island Civic Society Fund.

Bringing together young people aged 8 to 18 from the border region, the project has provided participants with the opportunity to develop their skills in singing, acting, movement and stagecraft while exploring Ireland’s shared cultural heritage.

Set during the flax harvest in Ulster in 1792, Samhradh na gCruitirí follows a young seasonal labourer who falls in love with Bríd, a hedge-school teacher awaiting the return of Captain Quinn. The story unfolds alongside the arrival of a mysterious blind harper and against the backdrop of the historic 1792 Belfast Harp Festival.

Combining traditional melodies with modern arrangements and staging, the production celebrates the talent, dedication and creativity of its young performers, while fostering confidence in the Irish language and building connections across communities and counties.

Ceoldráma na nÓg is made possible through funding from the Shared Island Fund, with support from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich.

The first play will open its curtains tomorrow (Saturday), November 7 at 7:30pm in The Garage Theatre, Monaghan. Tickets can be purchased on eventbrite.co.uk