M. J. Molloy facts for kids

Michael Joseph Molloy (born March 3, 1914 – died 1994) was an Irish writer who wrote plays. He was born and passed away in a town called Milltown, County Galway in Ireland.

Michael Molloy first planned to become a priest. However, he became very sick with tuberculosis when he was young. During his long stays in the hospital in the 1930s, he started writing.

His first play was called Old Road. It was shown at the famous Abbey Theatre in 1943. His plays were very popular in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Most of them were performed at the Abbey Theatre. Later, only one of his plays, Petticoat Loose (1979), was shown there again.

Michael Molloy was seen as a writer who followed in the footsteps of another famous Irish playwright, Synge. Molloy himself once said that the people around him, the everyday folk, were his biggest inspiration, just like they were for Synge.

His second play, The Visiting House, was performed at the Abbey Theatre in 1946. He got the idea for this play from visiting the home of a local blacksmith, Michael Silke. People would gather there to tell stories and act out tales. Back then, many places didn't have electricity. Michael Molloy loved old stories and traditions. So, in the 1940s and 1950s, he rode his bicycle around his area. He would visit many homes and write down the stories and folklore he heard.

Stories from the Stage

Michael Molloy wrote many plays. Here are some of his most well-known and successful ones:

The King of Friday's Men (1948)

This play was very popular. It was performed not only in Ireland but also in big cities like London and New York. The Abbey Theatre often brought it back for new audiences to enjoy years later.

The Paddy Pedlar (1952)

This play was first shown by his brother Gerry's drama group in 1952. It even won a special award at the All-Ireland Amateur Drama Festival. The Abbey Theatre also performed it, and it was broadcast on radio and TV in Ireland and the UK.

The Wood of the Whispering (1953)

This play was also brought back by the Abbey Theatre in the 1960s. It was performed in Stratford in 1963 and later by another theater group in the 1980s at the Dublin Theatre Festival.

Daughter from over the Water (1963)

This play had a successful run at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin in 1964. A famous actress named Siobhan McKenna starred in it.

Michael Molloy's Plays

Here is a list of plays written by Michael J. Molloy:

• Old Road (1943)
• The Visiting House (1946)
• The King of Friday's Men (1948)
• The Paddy Pedlar (1952)
• The Wood of the Whispering (1953)
• The Will And The Way (1955)
• A Right Rose Tree (1958)
• Daughter from Over the Water (1963)
• The Wooing of Duvessa (1964)
• The Bride of Fontebranda (1975)
• Petticoat Loose (1979)
• Delilah (1982) - (This play was not performed)
• The Bachelor's Daughter (1985)
• The Runaways (1987)
• The Fateful Princess (1993) - (This play was not performed)

Other Writings

Michael Molloy also wrote a collection of folklore stories called "The Visiting House."