Our Drama Festival has been running since 1989 every Spring, and now we even have two drama festivals, the second being held over an Autumn weekend. Our upcoming schedule of plays will be run over nine days with a different visiting drama group each night. Some of the groups are our neighbours in counties Armagh, Down and Tyrone, we have groups from Clontarf in Dublin and Ballymena in Antrim, and two travelling long distances from Co. Wexford.

The festival is topped and tailed by two comedies: ‘Sylvia’, a new pet dog causes plenty of trouble when she gets between a married couple; ‘The Communication Cord’ is a lesser- known Brian Friel play where chaos is caused by language confusions.

There’s a couple of classics ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ and ‘Our Town’; gritty, family dramas in ‘Things I know to be True’ and ‘I Never Sang for my Father’; a comedy thriller ‘Deathtrap’ with lots of twists and turns; a very topical new play ‘Toxic Relationships’, a satire on climate change; and an adaptation of the classic James Joyce short story ‘The Dead’.

Full details of the plays are on www.castleblayneydramafestival.ie

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Seats can be booked through Iontas Theatre on www.iontascastleblayney.ie or ring 042.9753400 or call in to reception.

Tickets adults €19, concessions €17, students €10.

If you are enticed by a lot on the menu, our Season Ticket for €90 gives you a ticket for each night.

Tickets are transferable and can be used by any of your family or friends.