'To take a man's home is a terrible thing.'

A young man trembles in his sleep amidst the ruins of a dilapidated barn on the outskirts of a small town in Limerick. When he awakes, he sees the ghost of a woman, comforting him with an old German melody…

Compassionate and lyrical, Refuge explores the complex hidden history of the German-speaking settlers who were invited to make a home in rural Ireland in the eighteenth century to increase the Protestant population, and draws parallels with the experience of contemporary persecuted minorities.

Deirdre Kinahan's play was first performed in 2026, directed by Jim Culleton and produced by Fishamble: The New Play Company, and Staatstheater Mainz, Germany, where it premiered before touring Ireland, including a run at Dublin Theatre Festival.



Deirdre Kinahan is an award-winning playwright and a member of Aosdána, Ireland's elected body of outstanding artists. Her previous work includes Raging, The Saviour, Rathmines Road, Crossings and Halcyon Days.