Opera North: history and repertoire, seasons 2004– "Peter Grimes". The latter production, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, was garlanded with awards from "The South Bank Show", the Royal Philharmonic Society and the Theatre Management Association. During 2007-8, a mini-festival of operas inspired by William Shakespeare was presented by Opera North. It comprised Verdi's "Falstaff" and "Macbeth", Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Gounod's "Roméo et Juliette" and Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi". The latter saw the first appearance with the company by Sarah Connolly, who returned in 2010 for Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda". A second phase of "Transformation", completed in 2009, focused on restoring the former Assembly Rooms, which
Éamonn Grimes later when his friend and fellow member and benefactor of the South Liberties club, J.P. McManus, named his successful racehorse "Grimes" in his honour. Éamonn Grimes Éamonn Grimes (born 1947) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a midfielder for the Limerick senior team. Grimes joined the team during the 1966 championship and was a regular member of the starting fifteen until his retirement after the 1981 championship. During that time he won one All-Ireland medal, four Munster medals (two as a substitute), one National Hurling League medal and two All-Star awards. An All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions, Grimes