Solid as a rock: Former stonemason Mick Flannery hands-on in development of his musical stage show 

The House Must Win was developed with Julie Kelleher, and stars Tommy Tiernan in a show that opens in Dublin and Cork in the coming weeks  

Mick Flannery and Julie Kelleher at the Tinteán Theatre in Ballybunion, Co Kerry, during rehearsals for The House Must Win. Pictures: Chani Anderson

It is many years since Mick Flannery trained as a stonemason before pursuing music full-time but the willingness to graft has never left him. The Cork singer/songwriter has recently added a new skill to his repertoire, writing the script as well as the music for the upcoming stage show The House Must Win. During recent rehearsals, however, he had to be persuaded not to get too hands-on in other areas.

“There’s a running joke where I have to tell him to put down the drill, because he is inclined to start building things,” says the show’s director Julie Kelleher.