Deirdre Kinahan’s new play Refuge explores the history of the Irish Palatines at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, running until Sunday, October 11th, according to the sources. The production is a collaborative effort between Fishamble and Staatstheater Mainz, a German company hailing from Rhineland-Palatinate.
The Historical Roots of the Palatine Migration
The historical narrative centers on the events of 1709, when thousands of German Protestants fled the Palatinate region following years of war, religious persecution, and an exceptionally cold winter. Sir Thomas Southwell was among the Anglo-Irish landlords who settled these families on his County Limerick estate around Rathkeale. This particular settlement endured as one of the few Palatine communities in Ireland.
Within the drama, characters Hannah (Hannah von Peinen) and her husband Peter (Holger Kraft) deal with these realities. Peter embraces the colonial project and their new life, while Hannah displays deep ambivalence. Her perspective is shaped further by a growing friendship and romantic attachment with an Irish poacher and Hougher (Aidan Kelly), who represents people displaced from the land. Mary Murray is also featured among the cast alongside Holger Kraft, Aidan Kelly, Matthew Williamson, Hannah von Peinen, and Sabah Qalo, as captured in photographs by Andreas Etter.
Dreamlike set design supports expressionistic staging at Castle Matrix
The production opens in an old carriage shed at Castle Matrix in County Limerick, featuring a broken-down carriage, a dusty mirror, ivy-covered walls, and a tree. In expressionistic movement, a man in a grey tracksuit played by Matthew Williamson attacks a young Afghan man named Zabi (Sabah Qalo), who crawls under the carriage to sleep.
Director Jim Culleton manages a non-naturalistic approach supported by Matthias Werner’s uncanny, dreamlike set design and a live score performed by Steve Wickham on violin, piano, and percussion. A central twist reveals that Hannah is a ghost wandering a foreign land and tending to lost souls. Kinahan’s writing balances sympathy for the dispossessed Irish with empathy for the Palatines, who had little choice in where they were sent despite serving as instruments of colonial oppression. Her script is filled with simple, declarative, lyrical statements, including lines such as To take a man’s home is a terrible thing,
I sinned against God,
and I like the bogland.
Frequently Asked Questions About Refuge
Where is Refuge being staged during its run?
The play is being performed at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.
Which theatre companies collaborated to produce the play?
The production is a joint effort between Fishamble and German company Staatstheater Mainz from Rhineland-Palatinate.
When does the current run of the play conclude?
The Dublin Theatre Festival run at the Pavilion Theatre concludes on Sunday, October 11th.