Karen Casey to open new show at The Everyman

A rallying cry to progress the female narrative in the Irish folk tradition has rung out across the nation in the form of Cork-based singer Karan Casey’s new show ‘The Women, We Will Rise’.

Co-produced with The Everyman, Karen’s latest work previews on 27 September before opening the following day.

‘The Women, We Will Rise’ is a theatrical song cycle exploring the experiences of gallant women from our nation’s past, placing them centre stage and projecting them as a vision for the women of the future.

The show is directed by leading theatre and opera director Tom Creed who is well known to Cork audiences with recent work including ‘Watt’ by Samuel Beckett, ‘Conversations After Sex’ by Mark O’Halloran, ‘Sure Look It, Fuck It’ by Clare Dunne, and ‘I Am Tonie Walsh’ by Phillip McMahon and Tonie Walsh.

Foregrounding the experiences and nuances of women’s lives from the revolutionary period, Casey has written songs about her own great grandmother Agnes Ryan of the hotel, a mother of 12 children and a Cumann na mBan member. Other figures from that era, such as Kathleen Clarke from Limerick and Countess Markievicz, also feature, while legendary figure from Irish folklore, an Chailleach keeps an eye on proceedings.

“Agnes Ryan of the hotel was my great grandmother,” explains Karen.

“In 2016 I was invited by my granduncle Jacko to sing at the unveiling of a plaque for Pakie Ryan of the hotel, her husband. He was the head centre of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), and he ran operations in Doon, Co. Limerick. And while I have found a lot of information about Pakie, very little was known about Agnes but whenever I asked a question about her, an apparition would appear in the room.

“She was an O’Dwyer from Hibernia House in Doon, and her mother was a seamstress from Belmullet in Co. Mayo. They went up for her on a horse and trap and as Jacko says, it was a long way to go!

“Like many Irish people, I became fascinated with the time period and particularly about the women activists who were involved. There is some familial lore about Agnes and her 12 children, some of which I have substantiated and some not.”

Karen’s journey into her family’s past lead her to learn about other women from the period, particularly artists, who were involved in the suffragette movement and came from different backgrounds.

She continues: “Women such as Kathleen Clarke and The Countess came to the fore. Also, the woman whose head rose up from the past was an Chailleach, a legendary folk figure who has been overseeing all. I ended up writing a lot of songs and poems which I am now delighted to showcase at The Everyman, produced by Aoife Clarke and Directed by Tom Creed. I am thrilled to give voice to these gallant women.”

‘The Women, We Will Rise’ is presented by Karan Casey with The Everyman and Cork Folk Festival and is supported by the Arts Council and Cork City Council.