Amelia Laughlin of Scoil Bhríde, Leitir Mhic a’Bhaird who won the Best Actress Award at this year’s Ulster Finals Festival of An Féile Scoildramaíochta held recently in An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny.
A YOUNG Leitir girl is proving she will be a force to be reckoned with in the acting world after scooping another drama award.
Amelia Laughlin (12) of Scoil Bhríde won the Best Actress Award at the Ulster Finals of An Féile Scoildramaíocht 2013 held in An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny last month.
Amelia won the award for her portrayal of the ‘class bully’ in Scoil Bhríde’s production of Fiche Euro, just one of 21 plays from primary and secondary schools from all over Ulster which took part.
Amelia is indeed no stranger to the stage having won the All Ireland with her school these past two years with An tOráiste in 2011 and An Turas in 2012.
Amelia also has the distinction of winning the Little Miss Mary at last year’s Mary From Dungloe Festival. And as if all that was not enough, Amelia auditioned with the Belfast-based Century 21 Drama Production Company last November and was chosen to perform in their Christmas Pantomime, Little Red Riding Hood, in December of 2012.
It appears as if there is no limit to the talents of this young actress. A star may very well be in the making and we wish Amelia all the very best in her future endeavours.
Amelia’s and Scoil Bhríde’s play Fiche Euro came out top in its own section and also received a nomination, with 10 other schools, to proceed to the All Ireland Finals to be held in the Arts Centre in Mullingar from April 17 to 24.
The Best Actor Award went to Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair student Jack Ó Gallachóir for his portrayal of Peadar in Peadar ag an Dochtúir, a play which also won its section at the Ulster Finals and also received a nomination to the All Ireland Festival.
The Best New Script Award went to Gaoth Dobhair teacher Manus Ó Duibhir for Misneach Pheaitsí produced by Scoil Adhamhnáin, an Luinnigh, which also proceeds to the National Finals in Mullingar.
The much-coveted best overall production award or Scoth Léiriú na Féile went to Gaelscoil Ultáin of Monaghan for their production of Gilín Sneachta under the direction of yet another Gaoth Dobhair man, school principal Joe Ó Gallchóir.
The Cumann Scoildramaíochta, founded in 1934, with the specific aim of allowing school going children the opportunity of expressing themselves through drama in the Irish language, would be justifiably proud that their vision of nearly 80 years ago is still alive and well.