The Hibernian Father

The Hiberian Father

Written by| Edward Geoghegan
Date premiered| 6 May 1844[1]
Place premiered| Sydney
Original language| English
Genre| melodrama

The Hibernian Father is a 1844 Australian play. It is reportedly the first Australian written play professionally performed in Sydney.[2][3] It has been called the "first made in Australia play".[4]

The author was reportedly Edward Geoghegan.[5][6][7][8][9]

The playwright was accused of plagiarism of the Irish play The Warden of Galway by the Sydney Morning Herald. These accusations were refuted.[10][11]

The play was written as a vehicle for Frances Nesbit.[12] It was popular and was performed a number of times.[13]

Everyones said "It possessed great merit in dialogue and construction, and proved the author to understand the requirements of a playwright. The Hibernian Father was acted several times, and always met with the approbation of large audiences. "[4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Advertising". The Australian. Vol. I, no. 57\. New South Wales, Australia. 6 May 1844. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
2. ^ Rees, Leslie (1953). Towards an Australian Drama. pp. 13–14.
3. ^ "Our Weekly Gossip". The Dispatch. Vol. 1, no. 26\. New South Wales, Australia. 27 April 1844. p. 1. Retrieved 19 November 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
4. ^ a b "90 Years of Australian Drama; The Hits and the Flops.", Everyones., Sydney: Everyones Ltd (Vol.11 No.564 (10 December 1930)), nla.obj-564400612, retrieved 5 December 2023 - via Trove
5. ^ Lynch, G., & Pelosi, J. (2011). Lost & Found - Reinstating Playwright Edward Geoghegan (1813-1869) and his Most Controversial Play, The Hibernian Father (1844). Paper presented at Seventh Australian Conference of Celtic Studies.
6. ^ Edward Geoghegan at Austlit
7. ^ Oppenheim, Helen. ‘The Author of The Hibernian Father: An Early Colonial Playwright.’ Australian Literary Studies, vol. 2, no. 4, 1966, doi: 10.20314/als.9dda0e1867.
8. ^ Oppenheim, Helen. ‘The Hibernian Father: Mysteries Solved and Unsolved.’ Australian Literary Studies, vol. 3, no. 1, 1967, doi: 10.20314/als.52ae3a9274.
9. ^ 'Geoghegan, Edward (1813–1869)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/geoghegan-edward-1571/text1635, accessed 19 November 2023.
10. ^ ""THE HIBERNIAN FATHER"". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XVII, no. 2188\. New South Wales, Australia. 20 May 1844. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
11. ^ "THEATRICALS". The Australian. Vol. I, no. 70\. New South Wales, Australia. 21 May 1844. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
12. ^ "A great play resurrected", ABC Weekly, Sydney, 12 (39), 30 September 1950, retrieved 19 November 2023 - via Trove
13. ^ "90 Years of Australian Drama; The Hits and the Flops.", Everyones., Sydney: Everyones Ltd (Vol.11 No.564 (10 December 1930)), nla.obj-564400612, retrieved 19 November 2023 - via Trove

## External links[edit]

* The Hibernian Father at Ausstage