This September marked a major milestone for the Borderline Players, the much-loved amateur drama group based in Pettigo, as they celebrated 25 years of entertaining, inspiring, and bringing people together through theatre.
Since the group’s debut they have produced over 30 pantomimes and plays, hosted the annual Pettigo and Tullyhommon Cultural Festival between 2002 and 2020 and welcomed members from communities including Ballyshannon, Belleek, Belturbet, Derrygonnelly, Ederney, Enniskillen, Garrison and Irvinestown.
To mark the silver anniversary, current and former members came together for a special evening of celebration at the Termon Complex — the group’s home venue since 2014.
The formal gala ball brought together 170 people, including patrons and long-time supporters, offering a chance to reflect on the group’s journey and its role in sustaining arts and culture in a rural border community.
Founding member and group chairperson, Siobhan O’Brien said the night had exceeded her hopes and expectations and she reflected that organising the event had been more emotional than expected.
Following a career on both sides of the Atlantic in hospitality, Siobhan began teaching drama in Pettigo in the late 1990s and one evening following a youth drama class, she spoke to two parents about the possibility of staging a pantomime.
The idea took legs and a first meeting of what would become Borderline Players was held in September 2000. Little Jack Horner was the group’s first production, staged in April 2001, following a protracted rehearsal period due to the Foot and Mouth crisis.
Siobhan reflected upon late night rehearsals and the challenges of having no money to put on the show, but the overwhelming success of the production and the sense of community and camaraderie that had been established with people from both sides of the border taking part, she knew that this was just the beginning of the group’s journey.
Donal Monaghan was just 14-years-old when he joined the group and following acting roles in each of the early productions became the public relations and communications officer for the company, leading all advertising and marketing initiatives.
Donal, one of the organisers of the 25th anniversary celebrations, said that involvement in the group had been like a safety net through his teenage and early adult years.
Not being involved in sport in the community, joining the drama group gave him a new circle of friends and a network that could be relied upon for support.
Donal added that it hadn’t always been easy and that the group faced more than its fair share of challenges along the way, but that there had always been good people at the heart of Borderline Players who cared for each other and for the group and its growth and development and those close ties had helped weather the storms.
In a new book of memories compiled to commemorate the 25th anniversary, both Siobhan and Donal spoke about former members who have since passed on and the contributions they made to the company.
On the evening of the ball itself, Siobhan presented a series of post-humous ‘Hall of Fame’ awards to three deceased members of the group, Caoimhe Kelly and Terry O’Connell who passed away in 2024 and Belleek actor, Rachel O’Connor who died earlier this year.
Siobhan paid an emotional tribute to each while clips and photographs were shown on screens at the event, with few dry eyes to be spotted in the venue.
Northern Ireland’s first lady of pantomime, the hilarious May McFettridge (aka performer, John Linehan) took to the stage for a raucous set where just about everyone in the audience was a target.
Borderline Players had previously worked with May as part of the BBC documentary series ‘A Tale of Two Panto’s’ back in 2005, so were delighted that she was able to be part of the anniversary celebrations, two decades later.
Siobhan and Donal, on behalf of the organising committee, extend their thanks to Sarah-Jane, Natalie and all the team at the Termon Complex for their assistance throughout the evening and in the lead up to the big night, to Paul, Zara and the staff of the Riverbank Diner for the stunning meal and to all those who sponsored tables or prizes for the raffle, this support is very much appreciated.
Copies of ‘Borderline from the Beginning,’ a new booklet published in celebration of the milestone anniversary, is now available to purchase from the Termon Complex, from Feelin Fruity in Belleek or by contacting the group on Facebook.
The booklet is priced at £7/€8 and is packed with memories of the past 25 years, with hundreds of photographs documenting the group’s journey.