Due to phenomenal interest in the theatrical portrayal of a War of Independence ambush which happened in mid-Kerry in 1921, a series of new dates for a highly acclaimed stage play, which tells the dramatic story of the incident, have been announced this week.

Ballymacandy, which is based on the bestselling book by author and historian Owen O’Shea, will return to the stage at the Muintir na Tíre Hall in Milltown for three nights in January.

Following a sell-out run in November, Ballymacandy will be staged again on January 19, 20 and 21 and demand for tickets is expected to be extremely high.

The play, which is written by Owen O’Shea and directed by Mike O’Halloran, has already been seen by over 800 people during a six-night run last month.

“The interest in the story and in the play has exceeded all our expectations and since our run in November, there has been huge demand for another run to ensure that more people get the opportunity to see the play,” said Owen.

“The cast and production crew have pulled out all the stops to perform again on the third weekend in January and we are sure that it will be another fantastic success."

Tickets for Ballymacandy will go on sale on Sunday (December 11) at the Christmas Market at the Muintir na Tíre Hall in Milltown between 11am and 4pm. The tickets for the sell-out play will make the ideal Christmas present and are priced just €15.

Ballymacandy involves a cast of 25 locals, all of whom live near the location where five RIC and Black and Tans were killed on June 1, 1921 just six weeks before the end of the War of Independence.

“The demand for tickets shows a widespread interest in and appreciation of local history. The entire community has been talking about the ambush since the play opened and we have had people attending from all over the county and all over the country,” added Owen.

“I am immensely grateful to an exceptional cast and a team of volunteers who have made this production such a huge success. It is all based on real events and the cast of actors have done a very professional job in bringing the story to the stage."