‘Oh Paddy dear, and did you hear the news that’s going round? The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground.’
Druid returns to The Shaughraun for the first time since 1982. Written by Dion Boucicault in 1874, it captures a restless, divided Ireland.
At its centre is Conn, the shaughraun — trickster, survivor, and unlikely hero. Moving between worlds, he outwits authority with wit, charm, and defiance. Comedy and spectacle intertwine with questions of land, loyalty, and identity.
Directed by Garry Hynes, with set design by Francis O’Connor, this
production features a stellar cast including Druid ensemble members
Aaron Monaghan, Marie Mullen, Rory Nolan, and Marty Rea, alongside
Jamie Beamish, Megan Cusack, Peter Daly, Fintan Kinsella, Pattie Maguire,
and Eileen Walsh, with live music performed by Conor Linehan. The
Shaughraun is the opening play of Druid’s 2026 season, Strange Country:
Ireland in America. The second play A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene
O’Neill will open later in the year.
Captioned Performances
Friday 17 July, 7pm
Saturday 18 July, 2pm
Accessibility: step-free entrance, automated access door.
- Disabled Parking Spots: Waterside, Corrib Terrace, Courthouse Square (opposite Waterside Resource Centre)
- Toilets: accessible
- Seating: accessible
