Loretta McNamara

Loretta McNamara is better known to her friends as ‘Lol’ and this recording was compiled at her home, as she reminisced looking through her collection of photographs and programmes associated with the theatre in Cork city. She speaks of her fond memories of performing, and she clearly remembers her first Feis, and her enthusiasm at a very young age for her future as an actress. Growing up in Blarney Street, she later found work in the bookshop of Mercier Press, which was a landmark in the town at that time. She spent 38 years of her life working there, rising to the position of Director. She spoke about the branch of the business at University College Cork, which she managed for 21 years and she had much to say about the challenging academic atmosphere within the college. Lol was quite outspoken about many issues throughout this recording, providing frank accounts of her own views on the work of theatre in the city.