Siamsa Tire-Folk theatre

Siamsa Tíre (Irish pronunciation: [ˈʃiəmsˠə ˈtʲiːrʲə], meaning "entertainment of the land") is home to Ireland's National Folk Theatre and is located in Tralee Town Park, Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland.

Siamsa, pronounced “Shee-am-sa”, comes from the Irish language. The word itself expresses mirth and music, Tíre means ‘of the land’. At the heart of Siamsa Tíre lies a professional repertory company group drawn from the local community but trained in the unique Siamsa style and idiom over a period of ten years. Full-time and community performers integrate and blend into a dedicated and talented team performing a repertoire of productions each summer.

Following the move to its custom built premises in 1991 the company embraced the role of operating an Arts Centre. Now, in addition to its remit as the National Folk Theatre, Siamsa Tíre also hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year. Contemporary theatre, dance, classical music, comedy and literary events feature on a year-round programme, as well as a vibrant visual programme in the dedicated gallery spaces, which also explore the themes of folk culture. Siamsa Tíre also hosts residencies by professional artists and regularly tours the work of the National Folk Theatre.

In recent years, Siamsa Tíre has become increasingly involved in exploring new ways of interpreting folk culture, including a number of multidisciplinary projects incorporating contemporary dance, visual arts and site specific work.

The origins of Siamsa Tire date back to 1957 when a young curate, Fr Pat Ahern, was sent to Kerry to establish a new choir in St John’s church in Tralee. The success of the choir and the talents of some of the members inspired Pat Ahern to stage a Passion Play entitled, Golgotha, in 1963. A film was made of this play as well if I remember rightly as I was in this play (Eamonn Ferry). This performance met with such acclaim that a celebratory night was organised to acknowledge the performers and organisers. The night concluded with a special presentation of song, dance and music by some of those involved. This too was so warmly received that Pat Ahern and a number of others decided to continue to explore further possibilities for the informal group. They decided to call themselves, Siamsóirí na Ríochta.

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