©Photograph: John Reidy 8-3-2009
It was as an adjudicator on the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland circuit that the late Michael Twomey endeared himself to audiences at the Ivy Leaf Art Centre in Castleisland and at Siamsa Tire in Tralee.
Mr. Twomey, whose acting career spanned over 70 years, died after a short illness in Cork last week at the age of 84.
In both of these venues and on these occasions, Kerry Drama Festival Director, Jerome Stack got to know the Cork man well and clearly grew to respect and like him.
Here, Jerome writes of the man who lived for amateur drama and who gave his all to his audiences and stayed around to talk to anyone who wished to engage with him.
The following is Jerome Stack’s tribute to the late Mr. Twomey:
It was with deep sadness we learned of the death of Michael Twomey last week.
Michael made his stage debut at the age of eleven and was still acting up to this year.
He started out in the old Opera House in Cork.
Entertained Audiences
He entertained audiences throughout the country as one half of ‘Cha and Miah’ on Hall’s Pictorial Weekly on RTE in the 1970s.
It was as a drama adjudicator we knew Michael best. He adjudicated the Kerry Drama Festival on two occasions and also the All Ireland one act finals which we hosted in Siamsa Tire in Tralee.
He was held in highest regard by audiences of the Kerry Drama Festival.
A Pleasure to Work With
As for the committee, Michael was a pleasure to work with and nothing was a problem to him.
Michael had a wonderful speaking voice and entertained his audiences while at the same time engaging with them.
Nobody left the hall until Michael’s adjudication was over and then they stayed around to meet him. You always knew Michael would get the result right.
Tremendous Advocate
He was a tremendous advocate of the amateur drama movement.
Above all, his outstanding attributes, Michael was a pure gentleman through and through and he will be sadly missed.
Ar dheis De go raibh an anam dilis.
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