Ballinrobe Musical Society were the toast of Ireland’s musical theatre world at the weekend when their production of The Pirate Queen was declared the best show in the whole country.

The world amateur premiere production of the show was named as the Best Overall Show in the prestigious Association of Irish Musical Societies awards in Co. Kerry.

There were scenes of unconfined joy among the 50-strong Ballinrobe contingent in Killarney when it was revealed that the show, which packed 5,000 into Ballinrobe Community School auditorium during a memorable run in February, had won the favour of the adjudicators.

“It is the greatest night in the history of Ballinrobe Musical Society. We are keeping alive a tradition that stretches back to 1944 in Ballinrobe, and this award honours every single person who has contributed to musical theatre in the town over the past 70 years,” said Society chairman Pat McGovern, who accepted the award at the gala banquet attended by over 1100 people on Saturday night.

And there were further celebrations when Ballinrobe was also announced as the winner in three other categories:

Best Technical (encompassing Lighting, Sound and Set);

Best Stage Manager (Niall Heaney);

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Sandra Schalks);

Ballinrobe were runners-up in five categories:

Unsung Hero (John Hyland);

Best Programme (Liam Horan and Pat McGovern);

Best Chorus;

Best Actress (Sinead Heneghan);

Best Musical Director (John Roe);

It was only the Society’s second time to be nominated for Best Overall Show. “I must pay tribute to our production team, the whole cast, everyone who worked backstage, and the entire community of Ballinrobe and its hinterland which has supported us so well in terms of sponsorship and enjoying our annual productions,” added Mr Mc Govern, who paid tribute to the show's premier sponsors Irish Pride.

“All aspects of the production are taken into account for Overall Show – lighting, singing, sound, music, production, stage and front of house management, acting, and everything else that goes into making a great show.

“To win this award in a school auditorium is very significant, in view of the fact that we are competing with societies who have state-of-the-art facilities, unlimited resources, and populations many great times greater than Ballinrobe and its hinterland.

“Having the show’s creators John Mc Colgan and Moya Doherty, along with the world’s foremost composer, Claude Michel Schonberg, present to witness our efforts was an unforgettable experience"