It's 1979, Kitty is pregnant. She is on her own, not by choice.
She arrives in a mother and baby home. Nothing could have prepared her for this. The young women hold each other up with sharp, dark humour against the backdrop of the war in the North of Ireland.
The play is based on Caitriona Cunningham’s lived experience of being in Marianvale Mother and Baby home in Newry. It was developed over a year with Dramaturg Emily DeDakis and a cast of stellar local actors. It is a searing portrayal of a dark time in Irish history with a 70s/80s soundtrack. The Inquiry in the North of Ireland has just begun. This play is a call to all impacted to come forward and raise their voices so that they may never again be silenced and shamed for being human. The magnificent cast will take you on a journey that is mesmerising and intensely moving.
The Marian Hotel toured the North of Ireland in 2024 to sold out venues, standing ovations and rave reviews. It toured again in 2026 to sell out shows at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool, and across the North of Ireland including the Millennium Forum Derry. It was an incredible success.
The production has been widely praised for its powerful performances and compassionate storytelling. The Gown described it as “hard hitting” with “beautiful performances that impact the audience in a way a BBC Panorama special couldn’t”. Belfast Times Magazine called the cast “outstanding”, while The Seamus Heaney Centre hailed the play as “a perfect piece of writing and stagecraft” that confronts “the degradation of being told what’s best for you”.
As one audience member and adoptee described it, The Marian Hotel is “more than just a play, it is a cathartic experience, a call for acknowledgement, and a tribute to all the mothers, daughters and children affected by this history”.
Supported by Arts Council NI Commissioning Programme, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Foyle Foundation, Newry, Down and Mourne District Council, Arts Council England and the Connect Fund. Sole Purpose is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Annual Funding Programme.
We are incredibly grateful to all the people who made donations to our fundraising campaign for the 2026 tour. The work would not have proceeded without you.
Watch this space for future tours.
Digital Exhibition
Discover the powerful and deeply moving Marian Hotel Digital Exhibition, a creative heritage project that sheds light on the harrowing experiences of young mothers in Northern Ireland’s mother and baby institutions.
Through oral history recordings, filmed readings of creative writing, personal photographs, and historical documents, this digital exhibition brings to life the voices of those who were once silenced. It is a space for reflection, learning, and healing—an opportunity to acknowledge the past and honor those affected.
Launched on March 13th and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, this initiative provides a living resource for individuals and communities seeking to understand this hidden chapter of history. Explore the exhibition, hear the voices of survivors, and join the journey towards truth and reconciliation.
Visit the exhibition now at: The Marian Hotel Digital Exhibition
Photos by Gav Connolly
Cast and Crew
CREATIVE TEAM + CREW
Writer Caitriona Cunningham
Director / Producer Patricia Byrne
Co-Producer Fiona Harkin
Dramaturg Emily DeDakis
Development Officer Mairéad Nic Bhíoscaidh
Stage Manager Susie Garvey-Williams
Lighting Designer / Tech Manager Niall Cranney
Set Designer Robert Attewell
Sound Designer Robert Mulhern
Costume Designer Cara Parc
Choreographer Nadine Hegarty
Transport Dale Robinson
CAST
Kitty Aoibhinn O'Doherty
Sarah Emma Mulligan
Sinead Roma Harvey
Caroline Christine Clark
Ellen Rachel Harley
Jackie Sorcha Shanahan
Sister Celeste Cathy Brennan Bradley
Sister Rosanne Maeve Connelly