Catherine Drea: A turning point

As it turned out the 1980s in Ireland was a period of transition. While it seemed at the time that the dark days would never end, change was just around the corner. 

The world of Irish solutions to Irish problems, the trauma of Northern Ireland and the ongoing poverty trap that offered nothing to young people but emigration wouldn’t last forever.

Arriving in Waterford in 1980, with the idealism of youth, I was still weirdly optimistic. Almost everyone I knew had emigrated but for some reason a few of us wanted to stay. 

I had tried working in London and New York but somehow I dreamt that Ireland would change and above all I wanted my children to be Irish.

My introduction to Waterford was the night of the Christmas party in the WIT where Himself had just been employed. We were so excited to meet his new colleagues and enjoy a night out. We parked the baby in his office and went down to the makeshift bar.

It didn’t really feel like a party as I understood that word. But before long we were ejected by a couple of lads as “floozies had been brought out from town” the previous year and the lads could take no chances. Even after I got my own part-time hours there in the Art Department I never attempted to attend any kind of party again.

But that was the 1980s. The old world was about to be replaced by a new generation who would define their own rules, unshackle themselves from the church, vote in divorce, contraception, and eventually abortion and gay marriage. Who knew!

I loved the Art Department in WIT in those early days, working with Con Fay, who was the happiest and funniest man you could wish to meet. 

My boss in the Art Department was Tony Ryan. Tony was also a bit of a renegade and a man who juggled the old rules while forging his own creative path. His Swedish wife Lisa became a good friend. Both of them passed away far too young but I am mentioning them here as they were part of the turning of the tide. Tony in the support he gave to the emerging Red Kettle Theatre Company and Lisa who campaigned tirelessly for women’s rights.

I remember the day that the Garter Lane Arts Centre was born. It was great to witness the broadening of the arts to be more inclusive and visible on the streets.

All of this came back to me at the special celebration for Jim Nolan on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his first play, The Gods Are Angry Miss Kerr. 

That night in the Theatre Royal 40 years ago was like a spark of creativity lighting a fire! Waterford people jumped to their feet and cheered the young actors, the director Tony and above all the writer Jim Nolan. There was an electric atmosphere in the theatre, something that I will never forget. Here was the beginning of a new era. A turning point for us all.

Mary Boland, Manager of the Theatre Royal, described on the night how Jim’s work had been the catalyst for so many careers and creative developments in Waterford over the years since that first play. Too many people to name here, but I’m sure you all know them and their incredible contributions to the arts in Waterford.

But maybe the best outcome from those of us around in the 1980s was the validation of ordinary people’s lives and the recognition of their contribution to this place. 

While the arts in Waterford began to truly reflect the heart of the people, others were also building confidence in local communities, setting up family centres, the Women’s Centre, the Rape Crisis Centre, childcare facilities, men’s groups etc. 

Initially, the Combat Poverty Agency funded all of this work, and, gradually, various Government departments and other agencies took over.

Without a doubt the creative energy of small groups of people were part of a turning point away from a dark past and into a hopefully brighter future. 

In every way it demonstrates the power of the people and the vindication of our rebelliousness through those years.

One thing I wonder about still, though, is how to maintain a similar free-flowing emergence of talent and innovation. 

Sometimes I think “the arts” have become over academic and professionalised. It would be a travesty to lose the childish impetus to just create, make and play for the sake of it. Creating is a human activity, a natural occupation and belongs to us all.

On the night of the celebration of Jim Nolan as a treasured writer and artist, it was also a recognition of how one committed artist can bring about change and enhance the lives of others. 

I have been very aware of this in my time as a board member of the Waterford Healing Arts and now the national support organisation Réalta.

Because of yet another small group of people, Waterford also became a leader in the field of arts and health, bringing art, music, play and a variety of creatives to the patients and staff of University Hospital Waterford, enhancing their environment and the wellness of everyone.

Life is short and not all of us will write 18 plays like the bold Jim! But even the smallest interactions and overlaps between audience and artist in any setting can inspire and transform our everyday lives.