From the milking parlour to the beauty parlour may seem a bit of a stretch for most people, but not farmer Maurice Walsh.

A Fermoy company has been crowned the country’s top amateur drama group at the 63rd RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival.

GROUPS from Waterford and Clare won the two major awards at the 56th North Cork Drama Festival in Charleville.

A POWERFUL production of Lyle Kessler’s play Orphans by Ballyduff Drama Group of west Waterford won the Bryan MacMahon Trophy, the top award in the open competition at the North Cork Drama Festival, now in its 54th year.

A TOWN’S love of the theatre rubbed off on John Ryan before he headed for New York nearly 50 years ago to pursue his dreams.