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theatre · Saturday 17 October 2026 · 8:00pm 
The Love Hungry Farmer
At Roscommon Arts Centre · Circular Road, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon
At Roscommon Arts Centre · Circular Road, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon
Seamus O’Rourke brings John B Keane’s The Love Hungry Farmer to Roscommon Arts Centre on Saturday 17 October 2026, though anyone hoping to catch it should know the show is already sold out. The play follows John Bosco McLaine, a lifelong bachelor farmer who has never lain down with a woman but has romantic blood pulsing through his veins all the same, as he sets off in search of an ideal companion regardless of age, failure rate or the ample, damned advice offered by a community where women are few and opinions are plentiful.
O’Rourke, often described as the natural successor to John B Keane as Ireland’s masterful present-day storyteller, plays the wistful, blundering, romantic John Bosco with the same wit and way with words that made Keane’s plays staples of Irish theatre. The show is built around O’Rourke’s storytelling delivery, matching Keane’s rural comic voice stride for stride across what is billed as an uproarious evening of laughter, love, hope and desire, directed by Michael Scott. O’Rourke is well known regionally, having also toured a solo show at Roscommon Arts Centre in past seasons, and this production continues that relationship between performer and venue. The show having sold out well ahead of the date reflects how strong local demand is for O’Rourke’s take on Keane’s work in this part of the country; it is included here as a record of the event even though tickets are no longer available.
Roscommon town sits on the N61 between Athlone, about 30km south, and Boyle, about 30km north. Bus Eireann runs services from Athlone, Galway and Longford, with the Arts Centre a short walk from the town’s bus stop on Circular Road.
For anyone who misses out on this sold-out run, Roscommon Arts Centre’s autumn programme has several other shows worth checking. There is more to see in Roscommon and across Co. Roscommon.
Heading to Roscommon Arts Centre in Roscommon? Roscommon has plenty more to see. Read the Roscommon area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.