Support for Princess Sheila Folk Sea Festival

A Newfoundland tale of pirates, adventure on the high seas and a Princess named Sheila Na Geira will be brought to life this summer in Carbonear. Funding of $100,000 to contribute to the development of an outdoor play, entitled Princess Sheila Na Giera: A Legend of Love and Larceny, was announced in carbonear last night by Judy Foote, Minister of Development and Rural Renewal. Also participating in the announcement was Sandra Kelly, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation and Art Reid, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs and MHA - Carbonear-Harbour Grace.

"The tale of Princess Sheila Na Giera is an exciting piece of Newfoundland history from the 1600s," said Ms. Foote. "Bringing this story to life will celebrate a romantic piece of history from Carbonear. Most importantly however, it will contribute to the diversification of the local economy and develop the tourism infrastructure of the area by complementing other events in Carbonear, such as the folk festival and other attractions in the Bay de Verde Peninsula. Economic spin-offs will also be generated through the increasing numbers of tourists spending money on goods and services in the area."

The funding provided by the Department of Development and Rural Renewal will contribute to the purchase of costumes, building sets, hiring of local actors and the purchase and rental of equipment for the initial year of production.

"This project is an excellent example of building partnerships between the community, government and the private sector for the overall economic well-being of the area," continued Ms. Foote. "The commitment at the community level through the participation of volunteer committee members, corporate sponsorship, and the hiring of local talent are all contributing factors which will make this production a success."

Princess Sheila Na Giera was an Irish princess from the early 1600s. Her father, an Irish Nobleman, sent the young princess to school in France to learn proper etiquette for the social elite of the day. As the story is told, while returning home to Ireland her ship was captured by a pirate, Captain Peter Easton, who was notorious for plundering the shores around Carbonear. The princess was taken prisoner by the pirate. However, while on board the ship, one of Easton's lieutenants, Gilbert Pike, fell in love with the Irish princess. They plotted their escape together, fled to France where they married and after many adventures, eventually settled in Carbonear, where their gravestones mark the site to this day.

Last year, the project became a "Cabot 500 - Year of the Arts Project" and funding for the writing and musical score of the play was granted to well known Newfoundland playwright Chuck Herriott and composers/lyrists John and Richard Herriott. The play will open on July 19 and run five days a week until it closes on August 16, 1997.

Contact: Susan Laite, Director of Communications, (709) 729-4570.