Fourteen-year-old Darragh Faherty from Knocauranny, Moycullen, took part in a unique production at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre last week.

The show, The March of the Goldendoodles, highlighted the individual personalities and interests of five children who use the services of LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice.

This initiative between LauraLynn, the Abbey Theatre and the National Gallery of Ireland is a family-support project that seeks to make the arts more accessible for children with life-limiting conditions.

It enables them to take part in the arts in a significant way, as part of a unique project with two of Ireland’s most prominent art organisations.

In the show, written by Paul Timoney, the inclusive performance transported families on a magical journey through the arts, from a dark night on Fungarvan Beach to fireworks at the March March Parade, with lots of friends along the way.

Senior play therapist with LauraLynn, Michelle Hartnett, described last Wednesday’s show as “incredibly special” for the children and their families.

“The opportunity to perform on the stage in The Abbey Theatre is about more than just a performance—it is about joy, creativity and making memories that will last a lifetime. Each of the children’s names will be recorded in the Abbey Theatre archives, a lasting mark of this moment in the spotlight. Very few people can say that they have performed on the Abbey stage, and for these five families, it will now be part of their child’s story, a day to cherish forever.”

The success of The March of the Goldendoodles highlighted the importance of accessibility to the arts, she added.

Pictured: Darragh Faherty with nurse Mairead Gilmartin and music therapist Katerina Cussen, both of Laura Lynn, in The March of the Goldendoodles at the Abbey Theatre.