Mick Donnellan

Mick Donnellan (born c. 1980) is an Irish playwright, noir novelist, screenwriter, creative writing teacher and journalist.

Donnellan completed the MA in Writing at NUI Galway in 2004. Since then he has worked as a novelist, journalist, travel writer, teacher and playwright. He completed his first novel, El Niño, in 2005 and immediately secured a literary agent. He left Ireland soon after and went on to live in Spain, Australia and Canada. While traveling he worked as a travel writer and journalist and co-founded the arts paper Urban Pie in Vancouver. Upon returning to Ireland he went on to work with Druid (2009) and RTE (2010).

Later, he established his own theatre company, Truman Town Theatre. All Truman Town Plays are written, directed, and produced by Donnellan. The company exploded on to the theatrical circuit in 2011 with their hit play Sunday Morning Coming Down. Following a national tour, they went on to produce (and tour) two more hugely successful plays: Shortcut to Hallelujah and Gun Metal Grey. These dramas eventually became known as the Ballinrobe Trilogy.

Taking a quick step back into the fiction world, El Niño was published in 2012, and Donnellan is currently in negotiations to sell the film rights.

Moving slightly from rural settings but not themes, the company toured a fourth Play, Velvet Revolution. An intense two hander set in a stark urban landscape, it created interest in Mick's work among the film industry. He followed Velvet Revolution with his fifth Play – Radio Luxembourg and it was immediately optioned by London Film Company Dixon/ Baxi/ Evans and adapted for the screen.

While the film was in development, Donnellan's second novel – "Fisherman’s Blues." was published to great acclaim. As it rose up the ranks, and enjoyed positive reviews, Mick was taken on board as joint screenwriter on the Radio Luxembourg/Tiger Raid project alongside writers Simon Dixon and Gareth Coulam Evans.

After some months commuting to and from London, the script was locked down and a shoot organised in the Jordanian desert.

Titled Tiger Raid and directed by Simon Dixon, it starred Brian Gleeson, Damian Molony and Sofia Boutella. It was accepted into the Tribeca film festival (New York) and was also seen at Cannes and Edinburgh, and the Irish Premiere was screened at the Galway Film Fleadh. Tiger Raid was produced by Gareth Coulam Evans and the executive producer was Aporva Baxi.

Most recently Donnellan completed work on the exciting screen adaptation of his play Shortcut to Hallelujah with Florence Films. Hot off the press, the screenplay is titled Sam and is based on the gypsy curse supposedly set on the Mayo Football team as they returned home as All Ireland Champions in 1951. Set in the present day, Sam is drenched in Irish lyricism and modern-day dark humour. The script has been met with keen interest by film producers and actors throughout the industry.

In May 2019 his third novel was published. It was called Mokusatsu.

Donnellan also enjoys lecturing drama and theatre at NUI Galway and adult evening classes in creative writing at the AIT (Athlone Institute of Technology) in County Westmeath.