As Annaghmakerrig marks its 25th anniversary, Tyrone Guthrie’s vision in founding the eponymous retreat for artists in County Monaghan has been admirably realised, writes Marianne O’ Kane
When renowned theatre director Tyrone Guthrie died in 1971 (Fig 2), his plans for the longevity of his home Annaghmakerrig were clear and his will benevolently stated:
“…my said dwelling-house, furniture, pictures and chattels and the income of my residuary estate are to be used for the purpose of providing a retreat for artists and other like persons … so as to enable them to do, or facilitate them in doing, creative work.”¹
There is an overwhelming spirit of dedication associated with the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig (Fig 1). This was evident most profoundly through the actions of the centre’s namesake: Tyrone Guthrie, who donated his family home to the State to become a creative colony after his passing. Dedication was inherent in the centre’s former Director Bernard Loughlin and his wife Mary who managed the centre for over twenty years. Many of the current staff are there even longer and the centre’s current director Sheila Pratsche has just signed her second five-year contract with fervent commitment
Nicola Gordon Bowe discusses Harry Clarke’s exquisitely detailed interpretation of Synge’s Queens, an ode to history’s most memorable female characters
