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The Arts Council Playography Na Gaeilge

People

Teresa Deevy

1894 - 1963

Teresa Deevy, from Waterford, was training to be a teacher when she lost her hearing through Méniéres disease. She went to London in 1914 to learn lip-reading and here discovered her interest in drama. In 1919 she returned to Waterford and joined Cumann-na-mBan. She began writing plays and articles and in 1930 had her first production at the Abbey, 'Reapers'. There followed a number of plays with the National Theatre, until the relationship soured over the rejection of her play 'Wife to James Whelan' in 1937. From then on, she concentrated on radio and had a prolific output for twenty years on Radio Eireann and BBC. In 1939 two of her plays were broadcast on the new BBC Television service.