It was with great sadness that the Society heard the news of the passing last week of one of its Founding and Honorary Life Members, Mae Gannon. Mae passed away at the age of 101.

Mae, along with her late husband Phil, were very active member of the GAA. The first production by what would become Castlerea Musical Society was a pantomime, The Long Ju Ju, to raise funds for the local GAA club, and so Mae worked as a Wardrobe Mistress for that first production in the Castle Cinema in 1968.

Mae was very active within the Society in the early years, spending a number of years as a committee member during the 1970's, and working as a Wardrobe Mistress for each of the Society's first 11 productions. She would continue her involvement with the costume department on-and-off up to our production of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 1997.

Mae then spent the following 5 years helping out with make-up for each of our productions from Anything Goes in 1998 through to The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 2002.

Mae's passing occurred only hours before our recent Annual General Meeting, where a minute of silence was held in her honour.

The Society extends its condolences to all of Mae's family and friends. She will be well remembered by Castlerea Musical Society and its members. May she rest in peace.