Donegal Railway Heritage Museum, housed in what was once Donegal Town’s railway station, will serve as the stage for an upcoming site-specific, promenade-style drama written and directed by Maura Logue of Dark Daughter Productions.
Entitled All Aboard the Wee Donegal, the play is set in the station on a June morning in 1944, following the conversations and tribulations of a colourful cast of characters working and traveling on the railway as they prepare to make the journey through Barnesmore Gap to Stranorlar.
All Aboard the Wee Donegal is a raucous comedy that invokes the concerns of its time, from global conflict, fuel shortages, and strict social norms to cows calving at inopportune moments. Performed across the site of the museum and with historic buildings, carriages and even a steam engine serving as the backdrop, it is set to be a wonderful way to experience how a day in Donegal might have played out 80 years ago when the county’s narrow-gauge railway network was still a fundamental feature of everyday life.
Maura Logue, a native of Stranorlar now resident in South Donegal, is widely celebrated for her works of ‘animated history,’ bringing stories of the past to life in ways that are informative, interactive, and frequently hilarious. Some of her best-known works of this kind include Ballytour: Walking with the Ghosts of Ballyshannon’s Past; her recurring interactive historical performances in Glenveagh National Park; and appearances of her comic character Nora Gallagher at events throughout the county. Running throughout her work is a deep love not only for the heritage of Donegal, but for the language, humour, and characteristic disposition of its people.
Museum Manager Marty Gilroy said in a statement:
We were delighted to receive the support of Donegal County Council and Creative Ireland via the Culture & Creativity Project Award to work with Dark Daughter Productions on this project. In our recent Strategic Plan 2026 – 2030, we outlined an intention to expand our focus on cultural programming by working with local artists and creatives to explore new and creative ways to engage with the past; working on this project has been an excellent early step on that path. Having read the play’s script, I can ensure everyone that this will be an unforgettable experience, equal parts informative and entertaining, and we are looking forward to seeing Maura and her cast work their magic and bring some of the spirit of the old station to life. I would like to extend a huge thanks to Maura on behalf of the board and management of the museum for going over and above on this project, and I encourage the community to avail of the opportunity to see her work in this free, family-friendly production this August.
Three rolling performances of the play will take place at the museum on Sunday 16th August at 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm. Tickets are free, and can be booked online at donegalrailway.com/events or over the phone on 074 9722655. This event forms part of the museum’s Heritage Week programme, more information on which can be found on donegalrailway.com or the museum’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Event page direct link: https://donegalrailway.com/events/all-aboard-wee-donegal/
