One of the standout talents of Portlaoise Musical Society is Ballyfin native Eoghan Fingleton whose love of music has endured since his childhood.
Eoghan (36), who now lives in Kilkenny, plays the part of Eddie in ‘Made in Dagenham’ which is currently running at Dunamaise Theatre.
He feels hurt that his wife, Rita O’Grady, the leader of the strike at the Ford Dagenham factory, is never at home anymore.
A graduate of The Irish College of Music Theatre, Dublin, Eoghan has won several Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) awards including best male singer for his portrayal of Judas in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ in 2015.
Son of John and the late Rita Fingleton, a teacher in St Francis’ School, Eoghan always had a love of music, passed onto him from his dad, a member of the Ballyfin parish choir.
He has an older brother, an older sister and a younger brother but it was only his sister, Niamh, who got involved in musical activities. “Myself and Niamh played with Camross Comhaltas for years. Music was always promoted at home,” he says.
Between the ages of 15 and 23 he was involved in an alternative rock band ‘Long Weekend’ with his friends from the Patrician College, Ballyfin.
Sport took up much of his time up to the ages of 24 and 25 when he was heavily involved with Ballyfin GAA, playing football and hurling. He was also involved with Portlaoise Rugby Club.
“Now I do musicals as a hobby; one or two a year. My first show was in Portlaoise in 2004.
“From there I realised that you really have to commit to the show. You can’t be half-hearted about it,” said Eoghan who has been travelling to Portlaoise from Kilkenny three days a week for rehearsals.
While being involved in Portlaoise Musical Society is time consuming, it’s very sociable, he said.
“It’s particularly so for people who have moved to the area and are trying to meet new people and create some friendships. It has been interesting to see the way the society has changed over the years. I was once among the youngest but now am at the older end,” he laughed.
“The week of the show is crazy but hopefully the wheels will start turning and it will be a smooth run. Everyone rows in together,” said Eoghan who works in Munster Energy as a development manager.
“I’ll be working for the majority of the week and at the end, I’ll stay in my dad’s house. I’ll work through the musical. The days of taking days off for musicals are long gone. You have to save your holidays for the summer,” he laughed.
There’s a strange sensation in the weeks after the build-up to the show but also a sense of relief that the time demands are no longer there, said Eoghan.
“I haven’t made a decision yet on whether I’ll do any other shows next year. Last year I did two. There was a time when I did three or four but now I’m working and have other priorities.”
He met his girlfriend, Shauna McNamara from Kilkenny while doing a show at the Watergate Theatre ‘Michael Collins, The Musical Drama.’
“She isn’t doing a show at the moment as she is working and in college. She’s taking a break from the musicals until life mellows out a bit.”
Getting involved in a musical is something Eoghan highly recommends. “For a lot of young people, sport is what they are directed towards but it’s great to see all the different courses there are now to explore for those who don’t have an interest in sports.
“It’s also brilliant to have a theatre like Dunamaise in a town the size of Portlaoise.”
‘Made in Dagenham’ runs from Saturday, November 18 to Saturday, November 25.
SEE ALSO – ‘Made in Dagenham’ revved up and ready to go for Portlaoise Musical Society
