Scripts

And the Scripts 2026 winner is... Liza Costello, for her debut play "In The Garden".

On a night that had our audience cheering, laughing and genuinely moved, three extraordinary new plays were performed at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre for the very first time. After deliberation, our guest judges Mark O'Rowe and Selina O'Reilly (The Abbey Theatre) awarded the Scripts 2026 prize to Liza Costello for In The Garden: a tense, beautifully crafted exploration of class, loneliness and power that announced a major new voice in Irish playwriting.

Liza receives a private dramaturgical consultation with The Abbey Theatre, a scholarship with Fishamble: The New Play Company, and a Theatre Residency at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre in 2027.

A huge congratulations also to our runners-up, Elaine Maguire O'Connor (Lay Your Hands On Me) and Liam McCarthy (Mam and Love and Woo), who will both be offered a further development opportunity with An Grianán Theatre Artist-in-Residence Ultan Pringle. Three writers, three remarkable debut plays, one unforgettable night.

Thank you to Aisling O'Sullivan, Tiernan Messitt Greene, Niamh Fennessy and Cathal Ryan for bringing these plays to life so brilliantly on stage. To Jim Nolan for his direction, Eugene O'Brien for his mentorship, and to everyone who came to Birr this weekend and made Scripts 2026 what it was.

This was a night that reminded us exactly why we do this. See you in 2027.

Tiernan Messitt - Greene Cathal Ryan

this was an eye opening, mind expanding, session from Peter Kearns and Christian O'Reilly. our group of writers felt rejuvenated and gained a new insight on how to write and produce shows that are inclusive by nature.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the "From Script to Access: Disability Led Theatre Practice" session at SCRIPTS Ireland in Birr Theatre & Arts Centre over the weekend.

ILMI's Peter Kearns joined playwright Christian O'Reilly to share their experience of developing "No Magic Pill" and to explore disability led theatre practice, authentic representation and inclusive creative processes.

The session went very well, with great discussion and engagement throughout. Peter and Christian both really enjoyed the experience and were delighted to be part of the conversation.

Birr Theatre & Arts Centre Scripts

IMAGE: photo shows Christian and Peter and the Scripts banner

We are thrilled, and very proud, to welcome Aisling O'Sullivan to the cast of Nurtured New Works.

An award-winning actress and associate artist with Druid Theatre Company, Aisling's career spans theatre, film and television at the very highest level.
Her stage credits include Audrey or Sorrow (Landmark Productions and The Abbey Theatre), King Lear on Broadway at the Cort Theatre, Hangmen (Gaiety Theatre), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Druid/BAM New York), The Pl***oy of the Western World (Druid, Best Supporting Actress, Irish Theatre Awards) and Liola at the National Theatre London.

On screen, her work includes Six Shooter (Oscar best short film), The Secret Scripture, The Butcher Boy and Frank of Ireland, and she won an Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actress for The Clinic.

To have Aisling on stage for the world premieres of our three selected plays is genuinely special.

Nurtured New Works / Sunday 5 July / 4pm / Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
Book at www.scriptsireland.com

We are delighted to welcome Niamh Fennessy to the cast of Nurtured New Works, and she brings something a little special to the table.

Niamh is a performer and theatre maker from Waterford, with a first-class honours BA in Theatre and Drama Studies from MTU Cork School of Music. As an actor she has worked with Four Faced Theatre Company, Shakespeare Squared and The Stack Theatre, among others. But Niamh is also a playwright: her one-woman play Glue won Best New Play at the Greenroom Awards, with runs at the Cork Arts Theatre and the Theatre Royal Waterford, while her second play GUTS has been workshopped by Rough Magic Theatre Company.

Having a fellow playwright in the room for the world premieres of our three selected plays feels very Scripts.

Nurtured New Works / Sunday 5 July / 4pm / Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
Book at www.scriptsireland.com

Step into the spotlight or stay forever her mother's footnote?

Footnote is a sharp, funny and deeply felt solo show from the exceptionally talented Irene Kelleher, playing in a pop-up theatre right on Birr's Main Street.

"Kelleher is an exceptionally talented writer." Broadway Baby.

Sat 4 July / 3pm / Pop Up Theatre, Main Street, Birr / €13 (+ booking fee)
Capacity is very limited. Book early.

Link in bio.
IrishTheatre

We are very happy to welcome Tiernan Messitt Greene to the cast of Nurtured New Works.

Tiernan is an actor from Wexford, based in Dublin, who trained at the Lir Academy. On stage he has worked with Druid Theatre Company (The Cavalcaders), Landmark Productions (Asking For It, The Beauty Queen of Leenane) and on productions of Billy Roche's plays, among others. On screen, his credits include Harry Wild alongside Jane Seymour, Tall Tales and Murder for RTÉ and Lucky in Love alongside Allen Leech. He also has an upcoming role in Netflix's Grown Ups.

Looking forward to seeing him on stage in Birr on Sunday.

Nurtured New Works / Sunday 5 July / 4pm / Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
Book at www.scriptsireland.com

We are delighted to welcome Cathal Ryan to the cast of Nurtured New Works.

Cathal is an actor from Tipperary with stage and screen credits spanning some of Ireland's most exciting companies.
On stage he has worked with Druid Theatre Company (Macbeth, Riders to the Sea, The House, Druid Debuts: Denouement), Anú Productions (Staging the Treaty), Eastern Angles (Stones in His Pockets) and the Gaiety Theatre (Peter Pan, Beauty & The Beast), among many others.
On screen, his credits include The Surgeon, Spilt Milk, Love of the Irish and Der Irland Krimi.

We are very much looking forward to having him in Birr on Sunday.

Nurtured New Works / Sunday 5 July / 4pm / Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
Book at www.scriptsireland.com