The delightful dame is still in the limelight after 60 years.
Pictures: Valerie O’Sullivan
Declan Mangan, the driving force behind the annual Killorglin Pantomime for six decades, has been honoured by Kerry County Council for his commitment to the community and the county.
He was included in the annual civic honours presented by the Kenmare Municipal Distict Council at a function in the Kerry County Council Services Centre in Killorglin.
Nominated by Cllr John Francis Flynn, Sunhill Road resident Declan was celebrated for his participation in the pantomime and Puck Fair throughout his lifetime.
The retired schoolteacher has provided the creativity and the inspiration for the panto every year and not only does he pen the scripts and direct and produce the shows, he also takes centre stage in the hilarious role of the dame.
Since his first production – Snow White and the Seven Cromane Men – all those years ago, Declan has kept the panto ship on a steady course with a succession of brilliant shows, working alongside his wife Ann who is the costume designer for the stage spectaculars.
They are involved with a terrific team of performers, actors, dancers and singers of all ages, who guarantee the locals and people from across the county a real feast of entertainment every January.
Accomplished sports stars, community activists, award-winning companies and champion fundraisers were honoured on the night and the recipients included journalist Donie O’Sullivan, from Caherciveen, in recognition of his work reporting to the world the threat to democracy in the USA during the January 2021 Capitol Hill riots. He was proposed by Cllr Patrick Connor Scarteen and Cllr Niall Kelleher.
The other award recipients were:
- Ryan Griffin who won a silver medal in the short javelin competition in the Special Olympics (proposed by Cllr Michael Cahill).
- Local Link Transport: The bus service has opened up the whole county to a new generation of bus users, residents and visitor alike, with its increased number of regular return routes (proposed by Cllr Michael Cahill).
- Puck Fair Committee: It has preserved local traditions by annually honouring King Puck despite the many obstacles it has met over that long period of time (proposed by Cllr Michael Cahill).
- Sharon Sugrue, Emmet Casey and Micheal Sugrue of the Realt na Mara Shellfish Company, Cromane for winning the fish and seafood producer of the year in the Good Food Ireland Awards (proposed by Cllr Michael Cahill).
- Liz O’Dwyer, organiser of the Hike for Haulie, in memory of her late husband with the fundsdivided between Comfort for Chemo and Kerry Hospice service in memory of his own battle (proposed by Cllr Michael Cahill).
- Noel Casey from the famous Casey rowing and wresting family from Sneem, who trained local and national competitors and Olympians (proposed by Cllr Patrick Connor Scarteen).
- Cunamh Iveragh: For acquiring, fundraising for and fully establishing a respite facility in Caherciveen serving the needs of adults with intellectual disabilities (proposed by Cllr Norma Moriarty).
- Scoil Realt na Mara: Crowned All-Ireland ocean champions on the Marine Institute’s Award of Excellence (proposed by Cllr Michael Cahill).
- Aileen Crowley and Monica Dukarska: Rowing stars from Killorglin who represented Ireland in the Olympic Games (proposed by Cllr Michael Cahill).
- Rosemary Hill who, for more than three decades, has been keeping the beaches in South Kerry clean by consistently undertaking beach clean-ups and removing harmful plastics and debris that wash up (proposed by Cllr Norma Moriarty).
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