Enjoy a wild Mayo bus ride exploring sibling relationships and extinction
Tír an Traonaigh (Land of the Corncrakes), taking place from August 19 to 23, is not your typical stage play.
Instead, it packs an audience of 80 people on to a bus to travel through the Mullet Peninsula in northwest Mayo!
Pioneers of site-specific theatre, the Performance Corporation use the annual migration of one of Ireland’s rarest birds to explore an emotive story of family feud, ecological grief, and the fragility of the Irish language – as Gaeilge.
Funny and playful, it blends theatre, music, light projections, and movement against the extraordinary landscape background.
Written by Tom Swift and directed by Jo Mangan, the play draws a parallel between the erosion of wildlife habitats (the elusive 'crex crex' call of the corncrake) and the fragility of the Irish language in Gaeltacht communities.
Commissioned by An Taibhdhearc, the Irish National Language Theatre, Tír an Traonaigh brings together two organisations with distinct artistic traditions to create an ambitious new contemporary work in Irish.
FEUD OVER LAND
At the heart of the story are two sisters, Annie and Deirbhle, whose long-running feud over land, nature and a noisy little bird sets them on an emotional field trip through the north Mayo countryside.
Central to their story is the corncrake, whose annual migration between Africa and the Mullet Peninsula becomes a powerful symbol of biodiversity, memory and belonging.
The corncrake means different things for each of the women. For environmentalist Deirbhle, the bird’s distinctive ‘crex crex’ call brings back memories of their father and happier times. For Annie, it’s an annoyance that stands in the way of progress and practicality on their struggling farm in Emlyclough (Imleach Chloch).
But when Deirbhle goes missing while on a field trip in Africa, everything changes.
Performed entirely through Irish, the production features Caitríona Ní Mhurchú, Maeve McGrath, Seamus Moran and Stephanie Dufresne, combining live performance, music, projection and the landscape itself to create an unforgettable theatrical experience in the heart of the Mayo Gaeltacht.
PERFORMANCE INNOVATION
Founded in 2002 by director and creative producer Jo Mangan and writer Tom Swift, The Performance Corporation is one of Ireland's leading interdisciplinary performance companies, internationally recognised for pioneering site-specific theatre and performance innovation. The company has created ambitious, award-winning work that re-imagines the relationship between audiences, artists and place.
Tír an Traonaigh marks the company's third production in north Mayo following the sell-out successes of Lizzie Lavelle and he Vanishing of Emlyclough, and Disappearing Islands. Together, these productions reflect a long-standing artistic relationship with the region, inspired by its communities, stories and the richness of the Irish language.
The company has consistently embraced new technologies and artistic forms, creating opera, festivals, virtual reality, mixed reality and AI-driven performance. The company conceived and produced Big House Festival, Ireland's first site-specific arts festival, and has produced landmark cultural events such as Bram Stoker Festival and the Carlow Arts Festival.
Artistic director Jo Mangan is internationally recognised for her work in immersive performance and extended reality, ensuring the company's artistic practice remains at the forefront of contemporary performance innovation.
Tír an Traonaigh' marks An Taibhdhearc's commitment to commissioning and producing at least one piece of work per year in Irish within the Gaeltacht communities and their commitment to community engagement and outreach throughout the process and within the show itself.
This follows on from their hugely successful cross-border tour of Dathanna Geala Amháin (Bright Colours Only), which sold out in Gaoth Dobhair, and the tour to Conamara with Seó Linn for younger audiences, both in 2025.
FAMILY ROOTS
Speaking about their latest production, Jo Mangan, artistic director of The Performance Corporation, said: “North Mayo has always been where my heart is. My family roots are here and we have been privileged to be based here in recent years.
“It's a place that has shaped me personally as much as it has shaped me creatively, and one that continues to inspire through its extraordinary landscape, its people, its stories and the richness of its language.
“We've been incredibly fortunate to create work here before – Disappearing Islands on the tidal pool, and Lizzie Lavelle and the Vanishing of Emlyclough in the dunes at Carne – and each project has deepened our connection with this remarkable place and its communities.
“I'm absolutely delighted to be returning to Belmullet with Tír an Traonaigh, a new story that could only exist here. Created in partnership with An Taibhdhearc, it's a celebration of this landscape, the Irish language, and the deep connections between people, place and nature. We can't wait to welcome audiences aboard and share this journey with them.”
Muireann Kelly, artistic director and co-CEO of An Taibhdhearc, added: “It is a huge honour for us to be co-producing Tír an Traonaigh with The Performance Corporation, especially as they are leaders in their field producing ambitious and inspiring new site specific work.
“We are so excited to be working with the community in the north Mayo Gaeltacht. As the National Irish Language Theatre, it is imperative that we are engaging and collaborating with as many Irish artists and groups in this community as possible.”