by J.M. Synge
Druid
Mick Lally Theatre, Galway
July 16, 2025
****
These were the words used by John Millington Synge when describing his feelings towards the Aran Islands in his journal entries, published in 1907. The time Synge spent on the islands around the turn of the century undoubtedly served as the inspiration for his tragic short play Riders to the Sea.
The story centres on Maurya, whose husband and five sons have all been lost at sea. It paints life on Inishmaan as being quite primitive. The lives of its inhabitants exhibit little joy or luxury; the sole objective of each day in this relentless environment is survival. And at a time when an abundance of wealth appears to have descended upon Galway, this play gives pause for thought: reminding us that not long ago this was a poverty-stricken county.
Death shrouds Marie Mullen as the haunted Maurya. A broken woman, both physically and emotionally, her appearance is closer to that of a ghost or banshee than a grieving widow. Newcomer Pattie Maguire has been earning plaudits in Dublin recently, having worked on critically acclaimed productions with Glass Mask, The Abbey and ANU. She stands out as the sorrowful Nora, who doesn't have the heart to tell her mother that yet another of her sons has passed away.
Sadly, the idea of losing people to the sea is not a thing of the past. There is no sound more haunting than that of the Irish Coast Guard’s Sikorsky helicopter taking off from UHG, battling the blistering rain as it heads out towards Galway Bay in search of unfortunate souls who have been taken by the tide. In that way, this affecting production proves Riders to the Sea to be timeless; an enduring West of Ireland story that cuts to the core.
