Imelda McDonagh ADA

Professional Background and Qualifications
Imelda McDonagh is a distinguished director and actress, recognised with multiple awards for her contributions to the performing arts. She holds a first-class honours M.A. in Theatre Studies and is a qualified Make-Up Artist, having updated her credentials in London in 2022. In addition, Imelda possesses a Licentiate in Speech and Drama from the London College of Music, underscoring her expertise in both the practical and theoretical aspects of theatre.

Career in Education and Adjudication
After taking early retirement in 2012 from her role as a secondary school teacher of English and Drama, Imelda embraced the opportunity to travel across Ireland, adjudicating drama festivals in every province. She has been dedicated to adjudication since 2001 and has just completed a four-year term as President of the Association of Drama Adjudicators (ADA). Her extensive adjudication experience includes the One-Act, Confined and Open All-Ireland Finals, as well as the Macra na Feirme and UK One Act Finals. Looking ahead to early 2026, Imelda is scheduled to adjudicate at several notable events, including the 70th Anniversary Glenealy One Act Festival, the Naas One-Act Schools’ Festival, the West Waterford Full Length Drama Festival, and the Northern Divisional Festival in the Orkney Islands, Scotland.

Performance Highlights
Imelda’s lifelong passion for performance has seen her take on a variety of memorable roles. Her favourites include Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Blanche in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, Stephanie in Tom Kempinski’s Duet for One, Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Kate in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. She has also excelled in monologue plays such as Baglady by Frank McGuinness, Jennifer Johnston’s Christine, and Dermot Bolger’s The Holy Ground.

Musical Theatre Achievements
Imelda is equally accomplished in musical theatre. She won the Association of Irish Musical Societies’ (AIMS) award for Best Director for her production of Kiss Me Kate. She was also nominated for Best Director for the amateur premieres of The Ha'penny Bridge and Michael Collins, a Musical Drama, and secured the AIMS overall award for Best Show from a competitive field of more than fifty productions. Currently, Imelda is rehearsing for her twenty-fourth musical, Chess with the Enniscorthy Musical Society, and she is relishing the challenge.

Community Recognition
In addition to her artistic achievements, Imelda has been honoured with the Civic Merit Award by President Michael D. Higgins in recognition of her valuable services to the community.

Celebrating Drama Festivals
Imelda views drama festivals as wonderful opportunities to showcase the rich diversity of talent and expertise brought by participating groups. She extends her warmest wishes for success to all groups taking to the stage in Castleblayney 2025, encouraging them with the traditional theatre blessing of “broken legs”.