Nothing Is Organised at Annaghmakerrig
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Transcript of Nothing Is Organised at Annaghmakerrig
Linen Hall Library
Nothing Is Organised at AnnaghmakerrigAuthor(s): Ruth BakerSource: The Linen Hall Review, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Autumn, 1985), p. 18Published by: Linen Hall LibraryStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20533701 .
Accessed: 14/06/2014 10:54
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NOTHING IS ORGANISED AT ANNAGHMAKERRIG
Ruth Baker
Driving up the long, winding avenue to
the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at
Annaghmakerrig in Co. Monaghan, I
could feel myself already 'getting away from it air. It would be hard to find a more
superb retreat than this lovely old house,
lived in for general ion s by the same family, with woods on all sides and lawns sloping down to a tranquil lake.
No wonder that artists, writers and
musicians come here from all over Ireland
and further afield.
Tyrone Guthrie inherited the house
from his mother in 1956 and spent as much
time as possible here in a distinguished and
crowded life. In 1961 he was knighted for
services to the theatre. He received
honorary degrees from many universities
and became Chancellor of Queen's
University, Belfast in 1963. When he died
in 1971 he left his home for artists to work
in peaceful surroundings. The Arts
Councils from both sides of the Border came together to help bring this-about, and
the centre opened to fulfil its new role in
October, 1981.
Bernard Lough lin, Resident Director, is
quiet spoken and exudes an air of calm
efficiency. A fund of information on the
Guthrie family, he lives here with his wife,
Mary, and two children, providing a stable
background for the ever-changing flow of
residents.
Bernard showed me his office, formerly the butler's pantry, and the original gong
on the hall table which still summons the
household to dinner at seven p.m. ? the
only organised meal of the day. For
convenience's sake, it is served at a long table in a room off the large, magnificently
equipped kitchen.
For the rest of the time the residents are
free to cat, work, sleep, go out, take a walk
when it suits them. They get their own
breakfast and lunch, and help themselves
to tea or coffee at all hours of the day or
night.
'Nothing is organised for them', said
Bernard Loughlin. * After dinner some like
to sit and talk for a while, others get back to work/
If they want to rdax in the pleasantly furnished drawing room they can listen to
Tyrone Guthrie's own play recordings. Over the mantelpiece is a painting of
Tyrone Power, famous actor, writer and
great grandfather of Tyrone Guthrie,
depicting him in three different roles (not to be confused with Tyron Power of
Hollywood fame, another relation!)
Throughout the house is a vast
collection of books representing the
family's interest in subjects ranging from
education, literature and theology to
nature, medicine and science. The drama
collection is one of the finest in Ireland.
There are valuable first editions,
including Charles Babbage's 'On the
economy of Manufactures and
Machinery," 1832; and a whole collection
of the works of Tyrone Guthrie's Scottish
grandfather Thomas Guthrie, who was
Moderator General of the Church of Scotland and wrote widely on theological and other topics, such as *A Plea for
Ragged Schools/ There are, too, books on travel by
Tyrone Guthrie's maternal grandfather. Sir William Tyrone Power, KCB, eldest son of the actor Tyrone Power, A large portrait o( the former dominates ;the
library, originally the dining room. On the table in this room is the theatrical
scrapbook presented to Tyrone Guthrie in
1945 by the governors of the Old Vic and Sadlers Wells, where he was producer and
administrator for over ten years. The library contains some of the
published work, romances and farces, and a book ^Impressions of America,' 1836, in two volumes by the actor Tyrone Power,
who was tragically lost at sea at the age of 44,
A bust of Tyrone Guthrie by Marjorie Fitzgibbon stands in the entrance hall ?
copies are in the Old Vic and the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Bernard told me.
Paintings by artists who have stayed at
Annaghmakerrig are also displayed. On a landing wail a collage by Lady
Guthrie is an impressive photographic record of some of the highlights of her husband's career, and of the great actors and productions with which he was
associated.
There is a large music room (formerly the concert room) where composers and
musicians can work. Sometimes it is used
by small professional theatre or musical
groups to rehearse and develop new ideas ? Ulster's Charabanc Theatre Company
and Martin Lynch, for instance.
Eleven studio bedrooms, comfortable
and workmanlike, have their own little
'library', a desk and angle poise lamp. Over coffee I met some of the residents: a
young American freelance journalist,
living in Dublin, working on a television
play; an American woman poet; adesigr >r
and writer from Hillsborough, writing a
play for radio; and a young man, recen;?y
graduated from the Belfast College of A t.
writing and illustrating a children's bo< k
in the spacious studio off his bedroom.
Among the residents of 1984 were J?rn
Littlewood, English theatre director,
working on her memoirs; Mary O'Malley, founder of Belfast's Lyric Theatre, doing likewise; Patrick Sandford. Artist c
Director of the Lyric; and Christina Rei I author of 'Tea in a China Cup' writing a
new play. The Tyrone Guthrie Centre is open to
practitioners of all the arts. To be accepted
they must show evidence of 'sustained
dedication and a significant level of
achievement ... People who have a clear
idea of what they want to do will get nmt
benefit from a sojourn at Annaghmakerrig.' Irish artists are asked to contribute what
they can afford towards thecost of thetrstay, the rest being made up by bursaries
administered by the Centre. Overseas
residents are expected to pay the whole
cost of a residency, now ?900 a month,
though from time to time special bursaries
may be available. Length of stay varies
from several days to weeks, up to thrc
months.
And the future? A major campaign to
raise funds for more studio and workshop
space is under way, and it is expected that
the next few years will see
Annaghmakerrig becoming a creative
focus of international stature. What mor??
fitting tribute could there be to the memory of its founder?
Irish Microforms Ltd
10 Cornelscourt Hill, Foxrock, Dublin 18
Specialising in Irish archival materia, Irish Microforms catalogue lists Over 20 atiesto 105mmmicrofk^aswellasmo than50t^ on 35 mm microfilm. Specialist subject areas include Irish History, Politics and Political Literature and Genealogy,
kor?eiSthebackf?lesc/NatktnalandPr^ In cooperation with various repositories in the countryt manuscripts
not currentfy available in microform can be commissioned through Irish Microforms Ltd. The catalogue is available without charge from
the address above.
p*gtl$
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