"We're on Irish Time," joked Irish Film Fleadh (Festival) executive producer Terence P. Mulligan, "so we'll be starting about ten minutes late."

While the Irish Film Fleadh (IFF) reading of "Finian's Trace," Sean Mahoney's new screenplay began a few minutes behind schedule, the performance was none the worse for the delay and Mahoney's story, which won IFF's 2000 Screenwriting Competition, was brought to life by the efforts of several actors from the Irish Repertory Theatre and the Irish Arts Center.

Directed by Tom Collins ("Bogwoman") and narrated by Jamie Harris, the reading of "Fenian's Trace" took place at noon on March 12 at New York Performance Works. Mahoney's screenplay tells the story of two men who fall for the same woman during the time of the Irish Rebellion in 1916. One is a charismatic rebel who longs to free Ireland, and the other is a quiet dreamer who yearns to free his heart of his tortured homeland.

The actors who read "Finian's Trace" were Dara Coleman, John Keating, Orla Brady, Liam Cunningham, Ciaran O'Reilly, Fidelma Murphy, Whitney Hamilton, Chris Jones, Andrew McGuire and Paul McGrane.

Of this group, Orla Brady and Liam Cunningham were featured on screen later in the day at the fleadh's closing night gala presentation of Sydney Macartney's film, "A Love Divided." In addition, actors Dara Coleman and Ciaran O'Reilly (who also serves as artistic director of the Irish Rep), are currently starring in the Irish Rep production of John Murphy's The Country Boy along with Valorie Hubbard, Aideen O'Kelly, Heather O'Neill and James A. Stephens. The Country Boy runs through April 2.

Tickets to The Country Boy run $30-$35. Irish Repertory Theatre is located at 132 West 22nd St. For information, call (212) 727-2737.

-- By Murdoch McBride