New theatrical walking tour brings Belfast’s ‘forgotten sister’ Mary Ann McCracken out of the shadows

Following the recent unveiling of a new bronze statue of Mary Ann at Belfast City Hall, Mary Ann, The Forgotten Sister by playwright Clare McMahon charts the life and times of this remarkable woman, her enduring legacy and impact on the city during her 96 years.

Revolutionary, educationalist, businesswoman, feminist, social reformer and abolitionist, Mary Ann McCracken was one of the people that shaped the rapidly growing city of Belfast but was left in the margins of history because she was a woman.

This play, performed over three April weekends, takes place between Clifton Cemetery, at the graveside of Mary Ann and Henry Joy, and Clifton House, home of the Belfast Charitable Society, where Mary Ann played a prominent role in the education of the poor.

Carol Moore takes the title role of Mary Ann, whilst Maria Connolly and Calla Hughes play a variety of roles, with appearances from her sister Margaret McCracken and Henry Joy’s illegitimate daughter, Maria. The action is interspersed by songs under the musical direction of traditional folk artist, Jane Cassidy.

Director Paula McFetridge said the intention was to bring Mary Ann out from the shadow of her beloved brother Henry Joy (known to the family as Harry) and to show her continued relevance to the people of Belfast because of the causes she championed.

“Mary Ann is an icon to feminists, a child of the Enlightenment, who fought tirelessly for equality and to improve the lives of under privileged children. Her story deserves to be told and Clare’s wonderful piece depicts her many struggles, the pain of losing her brother to the noose in the United Irish rebellion and her ceaseless quest for equality and justice for all. It is full of wit, humanity and historical insight,” she said.

Mary Ann McCracken was born in 1770 to parents Mary Joy, a member of the French Huguenot family who founded the Belfast News Letter and John McCracken from a Scottish Presbyterian mercantile family.

Unusually for the time, she received the same progressive education as her brother Harry and the pair were strong, proud, gifted children who grew up with a social conscience. Fired up by the spirit of change brought about by the Enlightenment and encapsulated by the American War of Independence and the French Revolution, both were heavily involved in the formation and activities of the Society of United Irishmen.

As a member of the Women’s Committee at Clifton House she fought to provide education for the children despite the protestation of her male counterparts.

In her late 80s she was a prominent member of the anti-slavery movement, handing out pamphlets at Belfast Docks, trying to stop ships from going to the New World and refusing to eat sugar from the plantations of the Caribbean.

Mary Ann, the Forgotten Sister theatrical walking tour takes place on Saturdays and Sundays from April 13 to 28 at 11am and 2.30pm, beginning at Clifton Cemetery and ending at Clifton House.

For performance schedule, tickets and more information go to www.kabosh.net.