Hit play ‘3 Hail Mary’s’ for An Tain Arts Centre

A rip-roaring Irish comedy which has audiences around the country in tears of laughter, comes to An Táin Arts Centre on Thursday night. Set in an Irish nursing home in 2016, ‘3 Hail Mary’s’ is written by Tommy Marren, who penned the highly-acclaimed comedies ‘It’s The Real McCoy’ and ‘Nobody’s Talking To Me’.

It tells the story of three women, Mary O’Toole, Mary O’Neill and Mary O’Brien, who have lived in a nursing home for over ten years and have become great friends. However, due to circumstances beyond their control, they are being moved to three separate nursing homes and the play is set around their last few hours together. Mary O’Toole is a very religious character who has great devotion to Our Lady of Knock. Mary O’Neill is a Londoner who met and subsequently married a Kerry man and moved to Ireland. Mary O’Brien is a retired nurse who has travelled to almost every corner of the world!

With dozens of hilarious one-liners the play moves with pace throughout as the three Mary’s laugh, cry, argue, sing, dance and recount their life experiences. From statues to fishing rods, a would-be music composer, an enthusiastic and very posh ‘volunteer’ and a very frustrated nursing home owner this play has everything! There are a number of twists throughout and the play finishes with all three Mary’s performing an original song written by Tommy Marren entitled ‘I’m Really Still The Same’ which is written from the perspective of a person who has dementia asking loved ones to treat them the same as they always did. The play has received standing ovations from audiences around the country who are captivated by the characters and the story.

The play comes to Dundalk as part of an Irish tour. Next year it will be staged in the UK before a run in Dublin’s Olympia Threatre.