The Love Hungry Farmer

John B. Keane wrote The Love Hungry Farmer as a novella set in the kind of rural Ireland where neighbours know your business and eligible women are thin on the ground. In this stage adaptation, Seamus O’Rourke - performer and writer, often spoken of as a natural heir to Keane’s storytelling tradition - brings bachelor farmer John Bosco McLaine to life in a one-man show at Nenagh Arts Centre. It runs ninety minutes, starts at 8pm, and promises the kind of evening that is funny and quietly moving in equal measure. Good for anyone who enjoys sharp rural comedy, loves Keane’s work, or simply wants a proper night at the theatre in north Tipperary.

What to expect

John Bosco McLaine has never so much as lain down beside a woman, but that has done nothing to dull his optimism. Armed with hope, dogged determination, and the unsolicited advice of every neighbour within earshot, he sets off in earnest pursuit of a wife. O’Rourke plays him with warmth and comic timing that draws on Keane’s rich ear for Irish speech - the heightened language, the absurdity, the longing underneath the bluster. The script is drawn directly from Keane’s original novella and shaped into a tight theatrical piece that moves between laughter and genuine feeling. It is the sort of production that travels well and consistently sells out on the touring circuit, so booking ahead is sensible. Running time is approximately ninety minutes.

Getting there

Nenagh is the county town of Tipperary, sitting on the N52 about forty-five minutes north of Tipperary town and roughly an hour from Limerick city. Coming from Dublin, take the M7 motorway and exit at junction 23 (Nenagh); the town centre is a short drive from there, total journey around ninety minutes. Nenagh is on the Irish Rail Limerick-Ballybrophy line with direct services from Limerick and connecting options from Dublin Heuston via Limerick Junction - check irishrail.ie for times on the night. Nenagh Arts Centre is on Banba Square in the town centre. Street parking is available around the square and on the surrounding roads; the town is compact enough that nowhere is far to walk.

While you’re in Nenagh

Nenagh has a good few places to eat and drink in the town centre, making it easy to build a full evening around the show - dinner before, a drink after. There is more to see in Nenagh and across Co. Tipperary.

Good to know

• Saturday, 26 September 2026, 8:00pm (running time approx. 90 minutes)
• Tickets: €20 standard / €18 concession
• Book at nenagharts.com or call 067 34400
• Nenagh Arts Centre, Banba Square, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary E45 CD52