George Shiels
Encyclopedia
George Shiels was an Irish
dramatist whose plays were a success both in his native Ulster
and at the Abbey Theatre
in Dublin. His most famous plays are The Rugged Path, The Passing Day, and The New Gossoon.
, County Antrim
, and emigrated to Canada
as a young man. While working on the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway
in 1913, he was involved in a serious accident that left him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He returned to Ballymoney and started a shipping company with his brother, and also began writing at this time. Starting with poems and short stories, he soon progressed to plays, which he provided to the Ulster Literary Theatre under the pen name of George S. Morsheils.
Starting with Bedmates (1921), his plays began to be regularly accepted by the Abbey Theatre for production. His 1930 work The New Gossoon was so well-received that the Abbey's touring company, The Abbey Theatre Irish Players, brought the play to Broadway
for limited runs three times, in 1932, 1934, and 1937. In 1940, a production of Shiels' The Rugged Path set an Abbey record by attracting a total audience of 25,000 people over eight weeks.
When his success as a playwright allowed him, he left the shipping business and moved to Carnlough
on the coast of County Antrim, where he lived from 1932 until his death in 1949.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
dramatist whose plays were a success both in his native Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
and at the Abbey Theatre
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
in Dublin. His most famous plays are The Rugged Path, The Passing Day, and The New Gossoon.
Biography
Shiels was born in BallymoneyBallymoney
Ballymoney is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,021 people in the 2001 Census. It is currently served by Ballymoney Borough Council....
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, and emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as a young man. While working on the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in 1913, he was involved in a serious accident that left him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He returned to Ballymoney and started a shipping company with his brother, and also began writing at this time. Starting with poems and short stories, he soon progressed to plays, which he provided to the Ulster Literary Theatre under the pen name of George S. Morsheils.
Starting with Bedmates (1921), his plays began to be regularly accepted by the Abbey Theatre for production. His 1930 work The New Gossoon was so well-received that the Abbey's touring company, The Abbey Theatre Irish Players, brought the play to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
for limited runs three times, in 1932, 1934, and 1937. In 1940, a production of Shiels' The Rugged Path set an Abbey record by attracting a total audience of 25,000 people over eight weeks.
When his success as a playwright allowed him, he left the shipping business and moved to Carnlough
Carnlough
Carnlough is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It has a picturesque harbour on the shores of Carnlough Bay. Carnlough is situated on the Coast Road beside the North Channel and at the foot of Glencloy, the second of the nine Glens of Antrim...
on the coast of County Antrim, where he lived from 1932 until his death in 1949.
Works
- Moodie in Manitoba (1918)
- Away from the Moss (1918)
- Felix Reid and Bob (or The Simpleston) (1919)
- The Tame Drudge (or The Drudge) (1920)
- Bedmates (1921)
- Insurance Money (1921)
- Paul Twyning (1922)
- First Aid (1923)
- The Retrievers (1924)
- Professor Tim (1925)
- Cartney & Kevney (1927)
- Mountain Dew (1929)
- The New Gossoon (1930)
- Grogan and the Ferret (1933)
- The Passing Day (1936)
- The Jailbird (1936)
- Quin's Secret (1937)
- Neal Maquade (1938) - later revised as Macook's Corner (1942)
- Give Him a House (1939)
- The Rugged Path (1940)
- The Summit (1941)
- The Fort Field (1942)
- The New Regime (1944)
- The Old Broom (1944)
- Tenants at Will (or The Brink of Famine) (1945)
- Borderwine (1946)
- Mountain Post (1948)
- The Caretakers (1948)
- Slave Drivers
- Tully's Experts