We Have Him Back! - A Powerful New Play Honouring Frank Stagg

What to Expect

“We Have Him Back!” is a new play staged at TF Royal Hotel & Theatre in Castlebar on Saturday 10 October 2026, marking the 50th anniversary of Frank Stagg’s death. Written and directed by Brían MacSuibhne, the production is described as a historically accurate account of Stagg’s death after 62 days on hunger strike and the Irish government’s subsequent handling of his remains. The action is set in Leigue Cemetery in Ballina and follows family relationships during the events surrounding his burial, drawing on 1970s cultural references throughout.

The play features a cast of twelve and takes in themes of force-feeding practices in prison, government censorship of the period, and one family’s determination to see their loved one honoured on their own terms. It is a serious, history-driven piece aimed at audiences with an interest in this chapter of Irish political history rather than an evening of light entertainment, and its Mayo setting gives the story a direct local resonance for the county.

Stagg, a native of Ballina, died in England in 1976 and the subsequent handling of his body by the Irish government became a significant controversy of the period. Staging the play in the TF Royal, a short distance from Leigue Cemetery itself, gives the production an added weight for local audiences who grew up with the events as part of the town’s living history rather than a distant historical footnote.

Good to Know

• Saturday 10 October 2026, doors at 7:00pm, show starts at 8:00pm.
• Venue: TF Royal Hotel & Theatre, Old Westport Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
• Tickets are EUR 24 plus fees, booked through the venue’s online box office.
• Unreserved seating; early arrival is recommended.
• This is a single performance rather than a run, staged specifically around the anniversary date.

Getting There

TF Royal Hotel & Theatre is on the Old Westport Road on the edge of Castlebar, with its own on-site car park. Castlebar is served by rail and Bus Éireann connections from Dublin, Galway and Westport.