- Who was the oldest cast member in Oklahoma, name and scene?
Answer: Mary Devane, a mourner, at the funeral of Jud, (Liam Ó Maoldhomhnaigh) – Lament sung by Brian Creed
- Which ‘Singing Nun’ from the Pageant played a lead role in Oklahoma?
Answer: Joan Kennedy, Dualla, who was Aunt Eller in Oklahoma
- One night during an extremely heavy downpour as the cast of Oklahoma were rehearsing, Peter Alley was asked what was Plan B for the show if this happened during an actual performance. What was Peter’s Answer?
Answer: ‘There is no Plan B’. The Show must go on…….. – the second bit of his answer was a bit more embellished!
- In the Pageant, who gave the order to ‘shoot’ and killed his father, and in which scene?
Answer: Philly Ryan, Captain of the ‘Redcoats’. Dan was in the stand sitting among the audience – there was a huge reaction when Dan ‘dropped’ for a second or two, people genuinely thought he had been hit.
- Kathryn O’Sullivan. Ardmayle East and Laura O’Dwyer, Ballytarsna, pictured together on P. 46 of Millennium Memories now have something in common? What is it?
Answer: Both are now Radiographers. Something else they had in common was that both had baby brothers who were ‘Baptised’ in the St. Patrick coming to Cashel scene -James O’Sullivan and Niall O’Dwyer. – all six O’Sullivan children took part in the Pageant. Kathryn and Gerald both had solo’s – Kathryn –The Wexford Carol in ‘The Birth of Christ’ and Gerald Where is Love during the ‘Famine’
- Which of the teenage group known as the ‘Mad Monks’ in the Pageant also played the role of Mary Magdelene?
Answer: Eleanor Dwyer, (Jun.) Ballytarsna – She sang I Don’t Know how to Love Him
- This ‘singing sister’ had an unusual event for a nun in the Pageant year – what was her name and what was the event?
Answer: Pauline Bargary – Cian was born to Philip and Pauline later that year. Every member of their family took part in the Pageant and Pauline and James McGrath sang The Ave Maria for their ‘party piece’ in the House Party scene.
- Which Pageant little ‘Orange Order’ member is now a beautiful singer?
Answer: Eimear Lowth. Eimear has a beautiful video on Facebook now with a selection of Wedding songs.
- Co-incidentally, the same event in Fr. Egan’s life occurred during the preparation for both the Pageant and Oklahoma – what was the event?
Answer: He was hospitalised but back in good time for both events. For the Pageant, he asked Fr. Feehan to keep an eye on things and even though it was damp, cold and the midges were very active, Fr. Feehan turned up each night.
- Name the youngest participant in the Pageant and what age was he?
Answer: Niall O’Dwyer, Ballytarsna – he was 3 months. .
- Who was ‘Ballinree Lizzie’ in the Pageant?
Answer: ‘Ballinree Lizzie’ was Tom Ryan’s, Ballinree, Kerry Cow! – He was Supreme Champion in the Spring Show that year
- Three children were part of almost every scene in the Pageant, two girls from Ballytarsna N.S. and one boy from Boherlahan N.S. Can you name them?
Answer: The two girls were Sophie McCan and Sarah Fogarty and the boy was Christopher Maher – they appeared in almost every scene – Christopher playing his bodhrán for several scenes as well as ‘dying’ and being buried during The Famine and being ‘betrayed’ during the Rising of 1848
- Two school principals had a part in the same scene in the Pageant – name them.
Answer: In Scene 4, St. Patrick, Liam Ó Duibhir, principal, Dualla N.S. and Michael Heffernan, New Inn Boys N.S. – Michael was one of the families where three generations of the family were involved.
- How many parishioners volunteered to be ‘security men’ to safeguard the GAA field for the seven nights before and during the Pageant?
Answer: – 28
- T. J. Donnelly supplied the fowl for Oklahoma. Name the parishioners who supplied sheep and ducks.
Answer: John Foley – the sheep and John and James Maher, the ducks.
- In Oklahoma what did John Murray ‘Ali Hakim’, Cian Corcoran ‘Will Parker’ and Susan Corcoran, ‘Laurey Williams’ have in common?
Answer: In one sense they were ‘outsiders’ but Susan Corcoran is on the parish bounds and had been to school in Ballytarsna, John Murray, had produced many musicals for Cashel Community School and many of the cast had been his students. Cian Corcoran was Peter Alley’s future son-in-law. Participation in both the Pageant and Oklahoma were considered opportunities for parishioners to be part of community events.
- Name ‘Jud’s’ solo number in ‘Oklahoma’.
Answer: – he had two – ‘Guilty’ and ‘Lonely Room’
- In both the Pageant and Oklahoma, because of possible interference from wind, who/what helped the chorus singing numbers overcome this?
Answer: Pit singers – parishioners who could not give a commitment for the duration of the show and members of neighbouring parishes who were thrilled with the opportunity to sing in such a unique event.
- To cater for ticket demand for Oklahoma, what decision was taken?
Answer: Run an extra show – Eddie and Helen O’Dwyer set up a desk in the shop and sold the tickets – when they went on sale, cars queued from the cross such was the demand.
- For factual historical records, the results of a huge undertaking now appear in Millennium Memories. What was it?
Answer: A Parish Census and Map – every house/household was surveyed, so the number of houses in the various townlands and occupants of each household were recorded.
