TRIBUTES have been paid to actress and playwright, Donna McGarry who passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family on 23 March.
Donna is perhaps best known for writing and staring in the award winning play 'A Night With George'.
Posting on social media, Brassneck Theatre Company said: "It is with great sadness and heavy hearts, that we learned of the passing of our great friend and colleague Donna McGarry.
"Donna was one of the founding members of Brassneck and led from the front as one of our original board members.
"It was as a member of that board that she brought to the company a script that she was working on along with Brenda Murphy. This script was a one woman show called ‘A Night With George’.
"We loved it instantly and went about finding an actor with enough power to play such a role. It was at this point that Donna informed us that we had £400 in the bank and said 'good luck finding someone'.
"Then the stars aligned when another board member suggested that Donna should play the role. Donna had played roles before in many Dubbeljoint/Just Us productions in the past, but never anywhere close to the undertaking of a feature-length, one woman show.
"After much tooing and froing (and with the knowledge that we were skint), we agreed that Donna would play the role."
The theatre company added that it seemed like the biggest gamble ever, but as soon as rehearsals began, they knew that this was the easiest decision they had ever made.
Recalling the opening night of the play in the Roddies, they said that when their Artistic Director took to the stage to announce the play the set fell down on top of him. With the help of the entire front row of the audience, the set was re-established and the play could commence.
"90 minutes later, we witnessed the biggest and longest standing ovation that we had ever received," they continued.
CHARITY: Donna McGarry and director Tony Devlin at the West Club ahead of a charity performance with Colette Toman, Melissa Toman and her 9 month old daughter, Eva 
"None of us could have ever imagined in our wildest dreams, just what an incredible piece of theatre this would turn out to be. The strong, beautiful, warm, intelligent, astute, take-no-bullshit character of Bridie Murphy that Donna had brought to life, from page to stage, rocked the roof off The Roddies. The only woman in the history of theatre to have brought the house down twice in the same night!
"Word of mouth soon spread and sell-out show after sell-out show became a reality. Tickets were as rare as a George Clooney cut-out without mucky handprints all over him.
"The show quickly moved from the Roddies to the Waterfront Hall, selling out before it had even opened. Donna would eventually receive an Aisling Award for the show at a ceremony in the Europa Hotel.
"The main stage of The Lyric would soon be conquered by Donna before she stormed the Grand Opera House, completely selling the place out. On opening night, Donna’s mother proudly proclaimed to us in the foyer, ‘That’s my daughter’!"
The show would then fly even higher, ending up Off-Broadway in New York City at The Times Square Arts Centre where it ran every night for four whole weeks as part of the NY Irish Theatre Festival.
'A Night With George' went on to pick up the Best Play award at the festival in NYC as voted for by audiences and was awarded to Donna at a prestigious ceremony by none other than Hollywood A-lister, Gabriel Byrne.
Donna went on to tour Ireland with the production for almost ten years.
"Donna had them dancing in the aisles and falling around in laughter in the stalls. Easily one of the most memorable performances in the last few decades of Irish theatre. Thank God we didn’t try to find another actor with that £400," they joked.
"Donna had many strong attributes, but her best performances were off stage as seen through her huge personality and her even bigger heart, if you were ever lucky enough to be in her company. These attributes shone just as brightly when she would take the stage in front of an audience of 1,000, as they would sitting in a bar with Donna amongst friends in Donegal. ‘A night with Donna’ was never dull and always memorable.
"Donna has been taken from us far too soon and although our hearts are heavy tonight, we are so thankful that she stepped into our lives, filled them with much joy and laughter and made us and our theatre company what we are today.
"We at Brassneck Theatre Company are eternally grateful, honoured and proud to have called you a comrade and we will cherish forever all the beautiful memories that you shared with us Donna.
"Your pain is gone but you will live on through us. That will never be in doubt. An amazing woman, a great friend and an incredible wife and mother. We will never forget you big Mamma."
Donna is survived by her husband Jack, children Jack, Caitlín and Grace and grandchildren Caitlín, Roma, Jack, Lucas and Donnacha.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.
