An Origin Story, Exploring the Arts at University of Galway

I feel extremely fortunate to have been amongst the group which was the third intake of students for the Higher Diploma in Arts Administration at University College Galway, as University of Galway was then known. As part of that course, I had the further good fortune to undertake my work placement with Druid.

While at Druid, I fell under the enduring influence of mentors Garry Hynes and Jane Daly, the impact of which has stayed with me throughout all my professional and personal life.

On that arts administration course, I was taught by many graduates of the University, amongst them Mary O’Malley, Michael Gorman, and the late Mike Diskin. I found myself utterly enthralled by the course, the University, my classmates, and by Galway itself.

Studying the business of arts management in Galway felt so right to me, especially so back in the 1990s, when arts organisations were reaching new and impressive heights. Alongside the taught modules, our class was wisely encouraged to immerse ourselves in the cultural landscape of the city and county. This collapsed any sense of divide between the University and the city, and it’s one of the aspects of the University that I admire most – how it integrates itself into the city and makes its work relevant to people from all backgrounds.

Druid Theatre’s Living and Learned Legacy

I joined Druid as its CEO in October 2025, and I am now seeing firsthand the strength of its connection with University of Galway. It is a source of enormous pride for us all in Druid to have that ongoing relationship with the University. After all, it was the birthplace of Druid, and it’s always inspiring to reflect on the work that founders Garry Hynes and Marie Mullen undertook at Dramsoc alongside other Druid stalwarts, such as Sean McGinley and the late Maelíosa Stafford.

Wider than that, it’s fascinating to ruminate on what may have been in the air back in the 1970s, conjecturing about what inspired such brilliant artistry and sparked the birth of not just Druid but Galway International Arts Festival and Macnas at that time – most of the founders of these companies are graduates of the University. In this way, the imprint of the University is watermarked everywhere throughout the cultural landscape in Ireland.

For all of us in Druid, it is a privilege to bring our work to audiences nationally and further afield, and to bring the values and aspirations of the University with us. We are always delighted to acknowledge the wellspring of the work borne there.

The Thriving Culture of Creativity in Galway

Through the years, Druid and the University have respectively been ambitious and visionary and undoubtedly proven that entities of excellence do not need the backdrop of a capital city against which to prosper and thrive. That sense of courage and innovation and excellence are the qualities that rightly make us so proud of each other and of our strong connection.

It is unbelievably energising to see the next generation coming through, and our work with the University through the Druid Academy is a source of immense pride to us.

At a symposium in the University last November, held to mark Druid’s 50th anniversary, it was a thrill to hear the next generations speak about their affinity with Druid and the influence it has had on their choice of course. This spring, to accompany our revival of Macbeth, students across a range of disciplines engaged with actors Marty Rea and Cathal Ryan, as well as designer Francis O’Connor and assistant director Lianne O’Shea, to hear about their approach to the production. A small group of students attended the show’s dress rehearsal – we are delighted to be able to provide such insights to our work.

The ongoing exchange of energy and ideas between Druid and the University is of huge importance to the company. There is a sure sense of the art form looking to the future and knowledge that it is in safe hands with the coming generations of theatre makers taught by the finest academics whilst they engage with Druid’s work and personnel through the Academy. Alongside this, the University helps create audiences who will experience the work, and the various departments encourage those who will interrogate and promote the work. There are also the librarians and archivists, careful custodians of the Druid Archive, who ensure that future generations who haven’t had the chance to see the work will benefit from all that Druid has achieved.

Year after year, the University sets about nurturing citizens to look at the world through a medium of empathy, aligned with Druid’s mission to make the very highest form of theatre available to the widest possible audience. At Druid, we believe that extraordinary theatre can help transform lives for the better.

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