Martin Lynch is a
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
and
theatre director from
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
.
Life
Martin Lynch was born in Gilnahirk, Belfast in 1950. He left school at 15 and became a cloth cutter until 1969, when he became a full time organiser for the
Republican Clubs
The Workers' Party ( ga, Páirtí na nOibrithe) is a Marxist–Leninist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
It arose as the original Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, but took ...
. In 1976, he organised a tour of community centres with
John Arden
John Arden (26 October 1930 – 28 March 2012) was an English playwright who at his death was lauded as "one of the most significant British playwrights of the late 1950s and early 60s".
Career
Born in Barnsley, son of the manager of a glass f ...
’s Non-Stop Connolly Show. This inspired Lynch to write plays himself.
Work
He co-founded the Turf Lodge Fellowship Community Theatre in 1976. Over the next five years, he wrote a series of plays including ''We Want Work, We Want Bread'' (1977), ''They’re Taking Down the Barricades'', ''What About Your Ma is Your Da Still Workin’?'', and ''Roof Under Our Heads''.
He then worked as writer in residence with the
Lyric Theatre (Belfast)
The Lyric Theatre, or simply The Lyric, is the principal, full-time producing theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The theatre's current Executive Producer is Jimmy Fay, previously the founder and Artistic Director of Bedrock Productions.
His ...
. His most famous play produced there was ''Dockers'' (1981), a recreation of working class life in Belfast’s Sailortown district. This was followed by ''The Interrogation of Ambrose Fogarty'' (1982), ''Castles in the Air'' (1983), and ''Minstrel Boys'' (1985). Lynch's plays have been performed throughout Ireland and in the UK, Europe and the USA.
Lynch has also been co-ordinator of the Northern Ireland Community Arts Forum since 1998.
Published plays
* The Interrogation of Ambrose Fogarty & Castles in the Air by Martin Lynch (Blackstaff Press)
* Lay Up Your Ends by Martin Lynch (Lagan Press)
* The History of the Troubles (accordin' to my Da) by Martin Lynch, Conor Grimes & Alan McKee (Lagan Press)
* Pictures of Tomorrow & Rinty by Martin Lynch (Lagan Press)
* Dockers & Welcome to Bladonmore Road by Martin Lynch Lagan Press)
* Chronicles of Long Kesh by Martin Lynch (Oberon Books)
Awards
* 2020: Elected member of
Aosdána
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Martin
Irish dramatists and playwrights
Irish theatre directors
Writers from Belfast
Living people
1950 births