Next Tuesday, Patrick Mason will direct a company of 13 actors in a reading of Ulick O'Connor's play, Execution, to commemorate the execution of four Republicans by the Irish Government in 1922. The executions were in retaliation for the shooting dead of a member of the Irish Parliament and the Deputy Speaker - but the four men who died, Rory O'Connor, Liam Mellows, Richard Barrett and Joe McKelvey, had nothing to do with the murders. Prof James Lydon of TCD, author of The Making of Ireland (Routledge) comments that as far as he knows, one man was chosen to represent each province of Ireland.

The reading will take place in the old Council Chamber of UCD in Earlsfort Terrace at 8 p.m. - admission is free - where the Treaty Debates of 1921/22 took place. Lydon further comments that a possible contemporary parallel for the emergency powers which the Irish government took to itself in 1922 are the amendments to the law which followed the death of Veronica Guerin - nothing like as dramatic, of course, but considerable nonetheless.

And this Sunday the Peacock will host a public workshop of new plays by three young playwrights, who took part in a two-day, in-house workshop on writing plays. The writers are Alice Barry, Liz Kuti and David Murphy. Participation and response from the audience is welcomed at the readings, which begin at 8.15 p.m.