Aisling Irish Language and Drama Troupe

Webmaster's Note:  Though the San Diego Irish Players are no longer active, the AILDT maintains this webpage in honor of the SDIP's many years of contributions to the San Diego Irish community.  Go riabh maith agaibh!

San Diego Irish Players

The San Diego Irish Players, or SDIP for short, were founded to promote Irish culture through drama, which Ireland possesses a rich and varied assortment of.  They are a non-profit organization that has produced many plays, as well as a few short story and poetry readings.  They are also quite famous (or, rather, infamous) for their annual Bloomsday Pub Crawl.

Like many a great Irish Organization, the SDIP was founded in the back room of a pub.  On a rare rainy Sunday afternoon in 1990, Martin Brennan, Brian Curran, Ray Carney, Mick Ward, and Tony Cummins decided to test the thespian waters in San Diego and called the inaugural meeting of San Diego Irish Players.

When Pat Wogan, Kit Healy, Frank Herb, and Pat Flannery added their wealth of knowledge to this fledgling endeavor, the stage was set for their maiden production, the hilarious comedy Richard Cork Leg by Brendan Behan.  Building on the huge success and support generated by their first attempt, the SDIP have subsequently produced Juno and the Paycock by Sean O'Casey (1990), Philadelphia Here I Come by Brian Friel (1992), Moll by John B.Keane (1994), The Black Stranger by Father Michael O'Brien (1996), Anyone Could Rob a Bank by Thomas Coffey (1997), The Country Boy by John Murphy (1997), Who Fears to Speak of '98 by Pat Flannery (1998), Brothers of the Brush by Jimmy Murphy (2000), and a Festival of Short Stories featuring the works of Brendan Behan, Michael McLaverty, Frank O'Connor and Liam O'Flaherty (2001).

Another event under the auspices of the SDIP is our annual celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses.  With song, story, and general craic, we bring our Bloomsday costume clad entourage on a double-decker pub tour around San Diego's Irish bars, performing as we go.  If you would like to join us on our annual June pilgrimage, look for details in early June at the Ould Sod Bar, 3344 Adams Avenue, San Diego.

Recent active members of the SDIP include Peter Connolly, Mary Murphy, Ginny Doughton, Mick Byrne, Brian Curran, Colm Lynam, Fionnuala O'Sullivan, Olga Simmonson, Martina Patterson, Mick Ward, Tony Simmonson, Mari McAvoy, and Martin Brennan. 

For more information, contact the webmaster.

Last updated: 04-19-03