Long ago, my parents used to make home-brew beer and wine. One Christmas, someone gave them a book called In Praise of Poteen: here it was that I first met Red Willie, the patron spirit of poteen-makers in Donegal.
Sometime around 1798, a hideous mask of Austrian origin came to be associated with Red Willie, but that is a story which has yet to be told. By 1829, the mask had lain dormant for some years, then suddenly it came back into action, and Red Willie stalked the hills.
Buck Jones became embroiled in the affair, and there was some benefit for him therein.
http://www.irishplayography.com/ has the credits, and the script was published by Methuen as part of the Abbey Theatre series. I suspect it is this additional exposure, along with the Peacock Stage production, that has given rise to the play's popularity in North America in particular, but part of me also likes to think that there is something about Red Willie himself that likes to roam across the wide open spaces, be they oceans, prairies or great lakes: he's been spotted in Chicago, Milwaukee, Toronto, Calgary and Burbank, among other places (like Naas and Headford).
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