‘We had to bring a live rooster to the healer. She used its blood to make a poultice’

Michael Gallen, a composer from Monaghan known for his keen interest in distinctive social histories, is poised to premiere his second opera, The Curing Line, at the upcoming Kilkenny Arts Festival in August 2026. Building on the success of his debut opera Elsewhere, which explored the unique 1919 Monaghan Soviet, Gallen’s latest work shifts focus to the deeply rooted folk healing practices still somewhat present in Ireland’s Border region.

The Curing Line emerges from extensive research into the tradition of generation-to-generation folk cures. Gallen’s investigations revealed a living heritage where ordinary individuals—rather than legendary figures—hold the ability to heal specific ailments. This cultural fabric, though fading, remains tangible, particularly in areas like Monaghan, Cavan, and south Armagh.

A personal family experience intensified Gallen’s engagement with the subject. During his father’s chemotherapy for lymphoma, a local healer employed a unique remedy involving a live rooster’s blood to treat shingles. This encounter, which resulted in the swift disappearance of the condition, underscored the enduring presence of these traditional cures and inspired Gallen’s creative journey.

In preparation for the opera, Gallen conducted interviews with predominantly elderly custodians of these healing practices. Their testimonies portrayed a profound respect for the lineage of cures, coupled with apprehension about their potential disappearance. Many expressed concern that younger generations were either uninterested or unable to inherit the knowledge, highlighting the fragile continuity of this oral tradition.

One of the more complex aspects revealed by these interviews was the intricate conditions attached to certain cures. Some required the bearer to have never seen their biological father, linking the practice to Ireland’s fraught history with institutional care and social marginalization. This element of the tradition adds layers of cultural and emotional depth to the opera’s narrative.

The opera’s central character, Cora, embodies this heritage and its tensions. As a foster child introduced into a family where the father holds a cure for respiratory illnesses, she represents the transmission of this knowledge beyond biological lines. The storyline explores Cora’s struggle with inheriting the cure, the burden of responsibility it entails, and the impact on her identity and relationships, especially following the father’s death.

Collaborating with librettist Annemarie Ní Churreáin and animation designer Ross Stewart, Gallen has crafted a multidisciplinary work that resists straightforward categorization. While officially recognized as an opera through the Arts Council’s opera division, The Curing Line aligns closely with contemporary theatre and dance practices, emphasizing the immediacy and transformative potential of live performance.

Musically, Gallen draws from a broad palette, integrating contemporary styles with traditional Irish language songs and poetic forms. The opera engages with themes of language loss and cultural disconnection, as seen in Cora’s attempt to reinterpret a cure originally articulated in Irish—a poignant metaphor for Ireland’s complex relationship with its linguistic heritage.

The premiere of The Curing Line is scheduled for early August 2026 at the Watergate Theatre during the Kilkenny Arts Festival, offering audiences a rare glimpse into the intersection of traditional healing rites and contemporary operatic expression. Details on the production’s full creative team and performance schedule remain limited but promise a compelling addition to Ireland’s cultural calendar.

Through this work, Gallen not only preserves a fading cultural practice but also sparks reflection on broader issues of cultural extinction, identity, and the resilience of intangible heritage. The Curing Line thus stands as a significant artistic inquiry into how ancient customs continue to resonate and evolve within modern Irish society.