Opera Scotland

Lily of Killarney 1923Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Lily of Killarney

Unlike the other two components of the 'English Ring', The Bohemian Girl and Maritana, the plot of Benedict's The Lily of Killarney was derived from a contemporary play. Boucicault's Irish drama The Colleen Bawn (1860), hugely popular in Victorian times, had now faded from the repertoire. This may be one reason for Lily by now being considerably less popular than the others. Two of Boucicault's plays, London Assurance and The Shaughraun, have enjoyed successful theatrical revivals in recent years, so perhaps The Colleen Bawn should be given an occasional outing.

Cast details for the Glasgow performance have been taken from a programme in the collection of the V&A, London. It has one particularly interesting feature in the appearance of the veteran Canadian Mr E C Hedmondt in the character role of Myles.

For full details of the Royal Carl Rosa's 1923 Scottish tour, see under the entries for Aïda, Maritana, Lohengrin, Carmen, Tales of Hoffmann or Bohemian Girl.