Siamsa Tíre facts for kids
Siamsa Tíre is a special place in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. It is home to Ireland's National Folk Theatre. You can find it in Tralee Town Park. The name Siamsa Tíre means "entertainment of the land" in the Irish language.
What Siamsa Tíre Does
The word "Siamsa" is pronounced "Shee-am-sa." It comes from the Irish language. This word means fun and music. "Tíre" means "of the land."
Siamsa Tíre has a group of professional performers. Many of them come from the local area. They are trained in a special Siamsa style. Full-time and community performers work together. They put on many shows each summer.
Since 1991, Siamsa Tíre has also been an arts centre. Besides being the National Folk Theatre, it hosts many events. You can see modern theatre, dance, and classical music. There are also comedy shows and literary events. The centre has art galleries too. These galleries often show art about folk culture. Siamsa Tíre also welcomes artists to stay and work there. They often take their National Folk Theatre shows on tour.
In recent years, Siamsa Tíre has explored new ideas. They find new ways to show folk culture. This includes projects that mix dance, visual arts, and special outdoor shows.
History of Siamsa Tíre
Siamsa Tíre started in 1957. A priest named Fr Pat Ahern came to Kerry. He wanted to start a choir in St John's church in Tralee. Later, in 1963, they put on a play called "Golgotha."
The group that grew from these early efforts called themselves "Siamsóirí na Ríochta." This group performed in many places around Ireland. They even performed at the Abbey Theatre. They were also invited to be on TV shows. In the late 1960s, the group started doing summer shows. This became the first "Summer Season" for Siamsa Tíre.
A company called Siamsa Tíre Teo was formed in 1974. Pat Ahern became the artistic director. He held this job until 1998. Another important person was Martin Whelan. He first helped out as a volunteer. Later, he took on a full-time role. In 1974, he became the manager of Siamsa Tíre. He stayed in this job until he passed away in 2002.
Martin Whelan, Pat Ahern, and architect Patrick O’Sullivan helped build the current theatre. They even traveled to the United States. They wanted to study other arts centres. The theatre and arts centre officially opened in 1991. Before this, Siamsa Tíre had different temporary homes. These included the Ashe Memorial Hall and the old Theatre Royal in Tralee.
