Part One of the latest Byrne-ing News brings you the last bits from the glorious run of Gabriel Byrne’s stage play Walking With Ghosts, which closed at the Gaiety Theatre on February 6, including photos, tweets, a fan review, and more.

There’s also news regarding the sale of a NoLita landmark at the end. wink

Walking With Ghosts: The Stage Play

As the play went dark on the stage of the Gaiety Theatre at the end of February, Landmark Productions stepped up in early March and filled the resulting void with a digital streaming version made available globally. We will thank them for this amazing gift for the rest of our days, I’m sure!

Also after the play closed:

Bronzed Hands

Next time you visit Dublin, you MUST check out Gabriel’s bronze hand prints out on the Plaza of the Gaiety Theatre. So exciting!

From the Irish Daily Star:

Photo by Barry Cronin

Opening Night

We could not be there, but photographer Ste Murry and also Landmark Productions very kindly captured some of it for us. heart

Ste Murray Photographs on Flickr

President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, Gabriel Byrne, and Sabina Coyne (Mrs. MDH).

Behind the Scenes

Great pic! Thanks, Landmark!

Two Enthusiastic Thumbs Up

I love Twitter (more about that in Part 2 of the Byrne-ing News) and one reason I do is because it allows people to share their thoughts quickly and efficiently, while also allowing for plenty of emotion and intensity. And THEN it makes it easy for others to locate and enjoy those (brief but info-and feelings-packed) Tweets. Here are two examples:

I don’t know if Gabriel sees these spontaneous expressions of appreciation for his work, but I hope he does. Twitter was full of them during the entire run of his play and it was a joy to read them and to capture and archive at least some of them. Social media can be a social good and I think all of these tweets are a fine illustration of that social goodness. Many thanks to all who tweeted!

A Review of the Play by a Gabriel Fan

Not just any Gabriel Fan, either. Karen, who lives in the UK, has been with us here at Byrneholics since almost the very beginning. While she has other interests, of course–according to her Twitter Profile, she enjoys “music/books/TV/theatre/gardening/wine/coffee”–Gabriel is still on her radar and she happily took the opportunity to watch the streaming version of Gabriel’s play. And then she put fingers to keyboard and published her thoughts about the play at her blog, Early Rising Mum.

This is a lovely, heartfelt review.

And here’s my favorite part:

It goes without saying that Gabriel is a very talented actor but this performance is incredible. It is nuanced, measured, not a double, treble or quadruple take is wasted. He moves from over excited little boy at his first cinema trip all the way through to being drunk with Richard Burton seamlessly. Suddenly sobering to tell the audience “We were both lying” regarding their alcoholism. Sitting on the stage as he talked of his own battle with drink brought an even more intimate and honest feel. As if he was stepping out from the play for a moment.

I have watched it twice now, even though I *knew* what was going to happen somehow Gabriel still managed to surprise me. Walking With Ghosts is one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen on a stage. Gabriel has the presence, gravitas and charm to hold an audience in rapt attention for however long he sees fit. He could indeed go on stage and read a take away menu. We’d all pay to see it and enjoy every moment.

Thanks for this, Karen. I’m always pleased that long-time Byrneholics stay “just a little intoxicated by Gabriel Byrne” because I’m one of them and you are, too! Cheers to you! heart

Adiós, New York City

The New York Times reports the following news in the realm of New York/Maine real estate and a certain Irishman we all know:

Mr. Byrne made a tidy profit on the sale of his apartment at 211 Elizabeth Street, a seven-story brick building on the corner of Prince Street. He got a little more than $5 million for the unit, just shy of the $5.1 million asking price, but well above the nearly $3.4 million he paid in 2010.

The buyer used the limited liability company Millers Reagan Holdings.

The apartment, which takes up half a floor, has 1,688 square feet and includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms, along with a dining room/library with built-in bookshelves and a large eat-in kitchen.

Mr. Byrne’s primary residence is in Rockport, Maine, where he lives with his wife, the documentary filmmaker Hannah Beth King, and their daughter. His lengthy career in acting includes starring roles in the film “Hereditary,” and the upcoming movie “Lamborghini.”

The site of more than one pilgrimage, I’m sure

You can read more about this apartment and see some of the formal pics used for the sale in the November 2021 Byrne-ing News.

The most important question: Is there a cupcake shop in Maine OR Ireland as magical as the Little Cupcake Bake Shop in NoLita?! We hope so, because Mr. Byrne seems to enjoy writing in coffee shops and we do want him to keep writing, don’t we? Yes, we do. heart

Gabriel and Sal at the Little Cupcake Bake Shop, 2016

Part 2 is on the way!

You can look forward to being trapped in a cabin with Byron, relaxing with the Gabriel Byrne Coloring Book, catching a screening of Death of a Ladies’ Man in Germany, the coolest ZeroZeroZero art ever, more on “Why I love Twitter,” a couple of fun Gabriel Memes, a BIG Gallery celebration, and more!

April may be the cruelest month, but we here at Byrneholics are chilling out with our favorite Irishman, which is obviously a much better way to experience Spring. heart

Nothing but blue skies do I see . . .

PS. The blue skies and the grassy field in the background of the main header of this posting are actually in Ireland, near the Cliffs of Moher. I took that picture when I was there in 2014. I thought Gabriel would enjoy being there. I know I found it magical.

One Comment

  1. Corazón de Irlanda

    A Gabriel coloring book?! Diosa mía!

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