We are saddened to hear of the untimely death of Maelíosa Stafford. Tomás de Bhaldraithe has sent us this account of Maelíosa’s many achievements followed by a translation:
Tá Maelíosa Stafford imithe uainn i bhfad ró luath.
Aisteoir den scoth,stiúrthóir ealaíne do chomplacht Druid i nGaillimh ó 1991 go 1994 agus ar na drámaí a stiúr sé bhí dhá dhráma a scríobh Vincent Woods Claí na Muice Duibhe ( At the Black Pig’s Dyke agus Amhrán an Bhonnáin Bhuí (The Song of the Yellow Bittern) agus Cúirt an Mheáin Oíche ( The Midnight Court) chomh maith le lear mór drámaí ina ghlac sé príomh pháirt mar aisteoir ina measc Conversations on a Homecoming. The Playboy of the Western World, A Whistle in the Dark. Carthaginians, agus an Gigli Concert chomh maith le dramaí Martin McDonagh,The Lonesome West. The Beauty Queen of Leenane,A Skull In Connemara agus lear mór drámaí eile leis an gcomplacht drámaíochta a bhunaigh sé i Sydney O’Punskys a bhunagh sé le John O’ Hare agus Patrick Dickson.Is maith is cuimhin liom an léiriú de dhráma Frank McGuinness “Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme ag amharclann Crossroads.
Ní aon iontas go raibh sé sáite sa drámaíocht mar ba iad Seán agus Máire Stafford a chaith blianta fada sa Taibhdhearc i nGaillimh agus léiriú agus stiúrú drámaí i nGaeilge a mhuscail a ghrá don stáitse ó bhí sé ina stócach.Ghlac Maelíosa páirteanna éagsúla i scannáin anseo san Astráil agus i gclárach Teilifíse freisin.Bhí an suim aige i gcúrsaí ceoil agus spóirt,iomáint sacar Man Utd, agus mar iar imreoir rugbaí leis an “Jes” na hÍosagánaigh i nGaillimh agus bhain sé an taitneamh as Foireann na h-Éireann nuair a bhuaigh siad an Comórtas ^ Náisiún le gairid agus bhí sé ag tnúth go mór leis an Corn Domhanda i mbliana ach faraor géar tá sé imithe uainn ar shlí na fírinne.Comhbhrón ó chrói lena bhean Carolyn , a chlann Bennen,Cian agus Alia agus a chairde uilig i bhfad is i gcéin atá faoi bhrón.Tá smúit dorcha caointe orainn ó d’imigh ár gcara uainn…suaimhneas síoraí a Mhaelíosa.
Maelíosa Stafford has left us too soon. An excellent actor, artistic director for the Druid company in Galway from 1991 to 1994 directing among others two plays written by Vincent Woods Clái na Muice Duibh (At the Black Pig’s Dyke), and Amhrán an Bonnain Bhuí (The Song of the Yellow Bittern) as well as Cúirt an Méan Oíche (The Midnight Court), and added to these are the many plays in which he played a leading role, among them Conversations on a Homecoming, The Playboy of the Western World, A Whistle in the Dark, Carthaginians, and The Gigli Concert as well as Martin McDonagh’s plays, The Lonesome West, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, A Skull In Connemara and many other plays with the drama company O’Punskys he founded in Sydney with John O’ Hare and Patrick Dickson. I well remember the performance of Frank McGuinness’s play Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme at the Crossroads theatre.
It is no surprise that he was immersed in drama because it was Seán and Máire Stafford who spent many years in the theatre in Galway, producing and directing plays in Irish that awakened his love for the stage since he was a young man. Maelíosa took various parts in films here in Australia and also in a TV program. He was interested in music and sports, Man Utd soccer, and as a former rugby player with the ‘Jes’, the Jesuits, in Galway and he was delighted when the Irish team recently won the World Cup, and he was really looking forward to the World Cup this year, but sadly he has truly left us. Heartfelt condolences to his wife Carolyn, his children Bennen, Cian and Alia and his friends all far and wide who are mourning. There is a dark cloud of sadness since the passing of our friend… rest in peace, Maelíosa.
It seems fitting at this time, especially, to remind our readers of Maelíosa’s role in the Celtic Club, Sydney, a couple of years ago when the Irish language community came to hear Maelíosa and Tomás de Bhaldraithe read the Irish language version of Thomas Mayor’s book Finding our Heart.
Tinteán 