Equity recently negotiated an agreement for the cast of the production “1916 The Bloody Irish”. This was a live performance that was recorded in front of a live audience for broadcast on PBS in America. Initially the production company were insisting that the cast, who were a mix of Irish Equity, Equity UK and non-union actors, sign full buyout agreements. The cast were not happy with this and called in Irish Equity to help. We visited the cast on set and have a good and constructive discussion that left everyone with a fuller understanding of their rights. This fantastic cast all took the decision to support the union in fighting their cause and the non-union actors even signed up to Equity to be part of this. Once the fight commenced the cast showed real solidarity in ensuring their agents did not sign contracts until given the all clear from Equity even though the production company threatened to withhold payment from them. They actors stood firm with the union however and the deal was done that will time expire and allow for the payment of royalties so well done all concerned !!

The best known Irish playwright of his generation, Brian Friel, died on Friday (2^nd October) aged 86. His first major play, Philadelphia, Here I Come!, was the hit of the 1964 Dublin Theatre Festival, and Dancing at Lughnasa in 1992 won three Tony Awards.

He was also an accomplished short-story writer and a founder of Field Day Theatre Company. In all Friel wrote 24 published plays, two short-story collections and eight published adaptations or versions, most notably from Ibsen, Chekov and Turgenev.

His most controversial play, Translations, was first staged in 1980 is about the mapping of Ireland by the Ordnance Survey in the 1830s. It proved to be a landmark in the debates about cultural identity and historical revisionism that were a feature of Irish intellectual life in the 1970s and 1980s.

Friel was born near Omagh, Co Tyrone, in January 1929. Ten years later he moved with his family to Derry. There he was educated at St Columb’s College, following which he spent two years as a seminarian at St Patrick’s College in Maynooth. Trained as a teacher at St Joseph’s College, Belfast, he began teaching in 1950.

In 2001 he presented the archive of his work to the National Library of Ireland. Elected in 1982 to membership of Aosdána he was elected a Saoi in 2006. He was Donegal Person of the Year in 2010.

His wife, Anne Morrison, their three daughters and their son survive him.

ICTU General Secretary Patricia King discussing the Competition Authority ban on collective bargaining for certain workers at a European Conference in Dublin on Collective Bargaining for atypical workers.

The International Federation of Actors (FIA) held a very successful four-day international conference on live performance in Liberty Hall, Dublin, from 4th to 6th June.

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Members of the Irish Equity Executive at the Labour Court, fighting the case for royalties for actors (July 2015).

Ros na Rún actor Diarmuid Mac An Adhastair has died at the age of 71, Diarmuid was a member of Irish Equity.

He played Séamus Mhicil Tom on screen since the first episode of the Irish-language soap opera in 1992.

He passed away in hospital in Galway on Sunday (12th July) following a short illness.

Diarmuid is survived by his wife Máirín and his two sons Caomhán and Diarmuid, and daughter Gráinne.

The cast and crew of Ros na Rún have paid tribute Diarmuid saying it was to great honour and pleasure to work with him.

Irish Equity would like to extend their deepest sympathies to the Diarmuids family.

Read featured articles from The Stage Magazine, June 2015 on the FIA Conference in Dublin Read now