Louth Talent Brings Women of 1916 to Centre Stage in Major New Production ‘Mná na hÉireann’

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Mná na hÉireann, created and produced by Ardee native and Blackrock resident Carol Leavy Joyce, will run at the Ambassador Theatre from October 14 to 16, 2026. The production brings the stories of women involved in Ireland’s revolutionary period to life through traditional Irish dance, music, song, poetry, and theatre.

The production’s Louth connections run particularly deep. It was developed through a full workshop production at An Táin Arts Centre in Dundalk in 2019, while Dundalk musician, singer, and composer Áine McGeeney has created the original score and will perform live during the show.

Bringing Hidden History to Light

Following performances in Dundalk, audience members regularly remained afterwards to share stories of mothers, grandmothers, and other relatives who had been members of Cumann na mBan or involved in events surrounding Easter Week 1916. That connection between national history and individual family memory is what Mná na hÉireann hopes to rekindle on O’Connell Street.

Created by former Riverdance Irish Dance Director and three-time World Irish Dancing Champion Carol Leavy Joyce, the production traces a defining period between 1912 and 1918, when women fought not only for social and political change, but also to preserve and strengthen Ireland’s cultural identity.

The show focuses on remarkable women from different backgrounds whose lives became intertwined with the political upheaval of the era, including Countess Markievicz, Nurse Elizabeth O’Farrell, Julia Grenan, Dr Kathleen Lynn, Winifred Carney, and Grace Gifford. Nurse O’Farrell, who carried the surrender from Pádraig Pearse to Brigadier-General William Lowe in April 1916, is a particular focus of the piece.

A Decade-Long Creative Journey

The seed for Mná na hÉireann was planted on Easter Sunday 2016, when Carol stood on O’Connell Street during the centenary commemorations. Struck by how little she heard about the women central to the revolution, she visited Kilmainham Gaol and Richmond Barracks. Confronted by a tapestry recording the names of ~70 women interned there, her mission began.

Following years of research, workshops, and setbacks—including delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic—the show is finally ready for its historic Dublin debut. Reflecting on the milestone, Carol Leavy Joyce said:

“To now bring Mná na hÉireann to The Ambassador Theatre, on O’Connell Street where so much of this history actually unfolded, feels incredibly special. In many ways, the story is coming home. Above all, I hope audiences leave knowing more about these remarkable women and understanding just how much we owe them.”

The production features choreography by Carol alongside two-time World Champion Michael Patrick Gallagher, an original musical score by Áine McGeeney, movement direction by Dr Ella Clarke, and dramaturgy by Declan Gorman, bringing together a stellar creative team to honour Ireland’s unsung heroines.

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