A local theater company that specializes in contemporary plays from Ireland and the UK, an Irish radio host, a local attorney and a state legislator with Irish ties were in the news in the past two weeks–and it was all good.
The Inis Nua Theatre Company, which brings contemporary Irish and UK plays to the stage in Philadelphia, won five awards at the annual Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theater this week. Four awards went to the company’s musical, Midsummer, which took home honors in outstanding musical direction, outstanding lead actress in a musical (Liz Filios), outstanding direction of a musical (Kate Galvin) and outstanding overall production of a musical .
Inis Nua also won the June and Steve Wolfson Award for an evolving theater company which carries with it a $10,000 prize.
Tom Reing is artistic director for the 11-year-old theater company.
Marianne MacDonald, host of the popular Sunday morning Irish radio show, Come West Along the Road (noon, 800 AM), was the recipient of the Mayo President’s Award at the recent Mayo Ball at the Irish Center in Philadelphia. She also operates dance and musical tours to Ireland, Cape Breton, and other locales
Theresa Flanagan Murtagh, counsel for Murtagh Brothers Inc. in Newtown Square, was named to the Irish Legal 100, a list of top people of Irish descent in the legal profession by the Irish Voice newspaper. Murtagh is a graduate of the Villanova University School of Law and a former assistant district attorney in Delaware County.
Brendan Boyle of Philadelphia becomes the only son of Irish immigrants to serve in the US Congress. A state legislator from District 170 whose family has ties to Donegal and Sligo, Boyle was elected to Congress this week from the 13th District, which includes parts of eastern Montgomery County and northeast Philadelphia.
