Mullingar's Rob Kearns nominated in 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards

Mullingar man Rob Kearns has been nominated in the 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards set to take place in New York this Saturday May 31.

The 28-year-old has been nominated in the Outstanding Music in a Play category for music he wrote for The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle which had a three week run off Broadway earlier this year.

Written by his friend Ross Dungan, The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle premiered at the Dublin Fringe Festival and then went on to the Edinburgh Festival in 2013.

Son of former Loreto principal Michael and Ann-Marie Kearns, Rob is currently six months in to a two-year contract with US micro-finance company One Acre Fund, which is situated in Kenya and Burundi, providing grain, agricultural advice and a proper market value for crops to small farmers in Africa.

“The nomination is a huge recognition of Rob’s work. Only a handful of Irish people have ever been nominated for this very prestigious award,” Michael told the Westmeath Examiner today.

“He’s always had a huge entrepreneurial spirit and with his job in Africa, he is following his dream of creating food equality in the third world.

“He’s always been interested in the Arts, and has produced many plays and films, and as well as producing The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle, he wrote the music for this, so he’s delighted with the nomination.”