Former Minister Joe McHugh brings political story to Donegal theatre

Joe McHugh has turned to the stage with a one-man play charting his surprise appointment as Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs.

McHugh, a former Minister for Education, was uncomfortable with his cúpla focal when the then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, appointed him as the Minister of State with responsibility of Gaeltacht Affairs in 2014.

McHugh enrolled in an Irish language refresher course at Oideas Gael, an Irish language centre in Glencolmcille, and last year released a book, Beidh Tú Alright - An Irish Language Journey, about the whole episode.

Now, he has taken the story to the stage with the aid of award-winning Donegal playwright Francie Cullen. After an appearance at the Clifden Arts Festival, McHugh will put on his show, Joe’s Call, at Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair next Thursday. 

“I have never been as much as a Christmas tree in a play,” the Carrigart native says.

“I did this at Clifden and got great feedback. Francie is originally from Gaoth Dobhair and he urged me to do a show there.”

When McHugh was initially invited to the festival in Clifden, it was to talk about his book, but he felt that “people were sick listening to me talking about the book and I maybe was sick talking about the book”.

So, he floated the idea of a stage play focusing on the day he was appointed as Minister of State. At that point, he had no intention of doing a one-man show.

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His co-writer Cullen, who lives in nearby Downings, arrived at his home one day and dropped something of another bombshell on McHugh: “It’s not going to work…The only way this will work is a one-man show”.

After three months of intense rehearsing on stage, McHugh put on his 70-minute show - mostly in English, partly in Irish to reflect the mood of that day in Leinster House - in Clifden and goes now to the west Donegal Gaeltacht next week. 

He says: “It was probably about satisfying a bit of curiosity. I was always curious about acting. I was very nervous before Clifden. This was something I had never done. 

“I felt it went well and felt satisfaction after that effort. I must say, I enjoyed doing the practice and the rehearsals.”

Former Minister Joe McHugh pictured in rehearsals, for his up and coming show, which takes place in Gaoth Dobhair. Photo: Joe Dunne

The play is supported by Céim Aniar, an organisation responsible for promoting the Irish language on the Rosguill peninsula, where McHugh hails from.

Last year, McHugh stepped down after 25 years of political life. 

A senator since 2002, having been previously a County Councillor since 1999, Fine Gael candidate McHugh topped the poll, with 8,711 first preferences, in the old Donegal North East constituency in 2007, usurping sitting Fianna Fáil Deputy Cecelia Keaveney. 

Now, he’s back under the spotlight of a very different stage.