Sligo theatre director role for Marie

FROM starting out working behind the bar in Glór to becoming the venue’s traditional arts specialist, Marie O’Byrne has certainly come a long way.
Now, the Ennis native is about to move ahead even further with her recent appointment as director of the Hawk’s Well Theatre in Sligo.
Marie said that that after working in Glór for more than eight years, her departure is an emotional one.
However, she is also delighted to take up her new role and is keen to make her own mark on the Hawk’s Well’s programme.
Speaking shortly before she moves to Sligo to take up the role, Marie said.
“It’s quite similar to Glór in terms of what they do there, which is everything, really.”
Being from Ennis, the move away from family and friends is no doubt difficult for Marie. “When I went up to Sligo for the interview, I have to say, it just feels like Ennis.
“You know when you go somewhere and it just feels lovely. There is a really nice feel to the place, it’s bigger than Ennis but quite similar in the way it works, even the traffic. Sligo is like the next best thing to Ennis. Trad is really strong there, Clare is known as the home of trad but it’s also really strong in Sligo. While it’s bigger than Ennis, it’s not a city so it’s not scary.”
When asked how she began her career in the arts she said, “I just kind of stumbled into it and I just started at the bottom and worked my way up.”
Marie began working at Glór behind the bar while studying for her masters in traditional music performance in UL. She previously studied architecture and music technology and lectured in DIT.
She was then asked to produce a summer season before becoming involved in marketing.
She then progressed to being the venue’s tech manager, going on to become the traditional arts specialist.
“When I started working in the bar I didn’t think I’d be here eight years later but I just love it.
“I’ve always loved music; when I was going to college it was either music or architecture and I nearly regretted not doing music. Then, when I got here I just loved that I was always doing something new every day, meeting new people and just being able to be creative.”
She explains that it was her experiences in Glór that helped her gain her new coveted position.
“I was told what went in my favour was my ­enthusiasm and the fact that I had such a good understanding of ­regional theatre from having covered so many areas here. I’ve covered a lot of the bases here, I’ve sort of learned my trade here really,” she said.
According to Marie, she is being encouraged to put her own stamp on the Hawk’s Well. “In their advertisement for the job they asked for one area you are a specialist in, so I told them it was trad music so they are quite open to that. They are quite theatre-based, although they do a bit of everything.
“They’re so lovely there and they’ve said they want me to make my mark on the place.”
A major opportunity for this will be the venue’s 30th birthday celebrations next year. “We have plenty of time to plan for it, which is great, and they seem very open to new ideas there. I’ve got some ideas in mind,” she said.
With her strong background in traditional music, how does Marie think she will fit in with the Hawk’s Well and its diverse programme encapsulating all forms of the arts?
“I said that to them when I was applying for the job and they are just open to bringing everything in. Sligo has a really good arts scene; they have lots of amateur theatre groups and musical groups, no more than Ennis has.
“They have so many festivals there like Sligo Live and the Cairde festival and obviously there is the whole Yeats side of things as well.
“It’s very broad and it’s got a college in the centre of town, which is ­fantastic in terms of music and comedy.
“However, while I would love to fill the theatre with trad, you just want to go in there and just do this, this, this and this.
“I really feel I need to slowly make my stamp on it and not take over. I just want to go there and look back on what types of things have worked for them in the past, meeting up with local groups and just seeing what the market is out there,” she added.