Heinrich Boll poetry reading in Achill
Fri, Jul 13, 2012
The Achill Heinrich Boll Association presents a reading of poetry, next Thursday evening, July 19 at 8pm. The reading will take place at the Cyril Gray Memorial Hall in Dugort, Achill, and admission is free. The poetry readings on the night will be by Jacqueline Murray Loring and Geraldine Mills.
Read more ...Michelle O’Sullivan launches her first collection of poems
Fri, Jul 13, 2012
Ballina Arts Centre celebrates the publication of the first collection of poems by Michelle O’Sullivan with a launch and reading by the Ballina-based poet on Tuesday, July 17, at 7pm. Michelle will read from the collection and fellow poet Sean Lysaght will be guest speaker on the night.
Read more ...The WhistleBlast Quartet Summer school in Ballina Arts Centre
Fri, Jul 13, 2012
As part of Ballina Arts Centre’s summer camp programme this year, there will be a music summer camp with the acclaimed WhistleBlast Quartet. Running from Monday, July 30 to Friday, August 3, the camp is open to children with or without musical ability. Children will have an opportunity to explore many musical concepts including composition, performance, and listening – all with an emphasis on fun and confidence-building.
Read more ...Sound+Vision: Ballina’s annual film festival returns
Fri, Jul 13, 2012
Sound+Vision Ballina Arts Centre’s annual film festival returns this year for a week-long programme celebrating music in film. The festival, now in its seventh year, is an integral part of Ballina Arts Centre’s film programme and each year takes a theme. This year the theme is ‘In Concert!’ and the programme will feature a number of classic concert movies. From the celluloid Valhalla of The Song Remains the Same to Jonathan Demme’s innovative Stop Making Sense, Sound+Vision: In Concert! Will have something for everyone and will truly celebrate music in film.
Read more ...Westport Music Festival is coming back to the streets
Fri, Jul 13, 2012
The Westport Music Festival is back for its seventh year to brighten up the summer with a weekend full of family entertainment on Friday, July 27, and Saturday, July 28. Main performances over the weekend will be from The Saw Doctors on the Friday night and The Beatlez on Saturday evening. The venue for the festival remains the same with the massive state-of-the-art stage taking up residence in the Carrowbeg River once again, a aplendid feature for the bands and public alike. Over the last six years the Westport Music Festival has become one of the most popular and well attended festivals in the west of Ireland and guarantees to have something to suit all age groups.
Read more ...New folk art exhibition to open in the National Museum of Ireland
Fri, Jul 13, 2012
A new exhibition of folk art opened at the end of June in the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar. The exhibition is composed of the country life paintings of Seán Ó Séadhacháin. These paintings were acquired by the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life in 2011 because they give a special insight into many of the farm and country life practices that are on exhibition in the Museum of Country Life. Seán Ó Séadhacháin grew up in west Limerick and spent a while working as a farm labourer in the West Kerry Gaeltacht in order to perfect his Irish. He emigrated to the USA in 1927 just before the Great Depression of 1929, where he worked for most of his life as a pharmacist.
He turned to painting late in life and forged his own style. The unique quality of the style is the capturing of iconic people and scenes from the Irish countryside. There is a sombre tone to the colour palette which powerfully conveys the very bog and soil and hues of the pre-electric house interior. Individuals emerge occasionally, but for the most part are subsumed into communal archetypes from the lost youth of an Irish emigrant. Tools and artefacts are often shown with precision. The whole collection is a virtual folk art representation of the great canons of Irish folklife – but in an appealing and unconventional way. Also of interest is that each painting’s frame has been coloured and individualised by the artist to suit each of the 23 paintings. This gives them a certain dramatic stage-set quality.
Read more ...Moffat School of Irish Dance presents Children of Lir at Ballina Arts Centre tonight
Fri, Jul 13, 2012
As part of this year’s Ballina Salmon Festival, Ballina Arts Centre will present The Children of Lir, by the Sheila Moffat School of Irish Dancing on tonight, Friday, July 13. The Ballina-based school will tell the classic story of how four young children were transformed into swans, destined to spend 900 years on the lakes of Ireland, by a curse from their stepmother, through the traditional form of Irish dance.
The acclaimed Sheila Moffat School of Irish Dance has dancers from age 11 to 22, who have won numerous awards throughout the country. This is their first time performing at the newly-redeveloped Ballina Arts Centre and promises to be a spectacular treat for aficionados of Irish dance and newcomers alike.
Read more ...Parke Arts and Drama Group supporting Mayo Autism Action
Fri, Jul 06, 2012
The Parke Arts and Drama Group is once again supporting a local charity this year and the group has donated €500 to the very worthy Mayo Autism Action whose goal is to support children and their families who are affected by autism. The flagship project is the Áthas School in Kiltimagh which caters for children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. On hand to accept the cheque on behalf of Mayo Autism Action was Pat Kearns who thanked all those involved with Parke Arts and Drama, and thanked them for their generous donation which will go towards helping with the running of the school. The Parke Arts and Drama Group has donated more than €3,500 over the last three years to worthwhile charities such as Enable Ireland, Western Alzheimers, Hospice Uganda, Tsunami Appeal, and other local charities.
Read more ...Bressie comes to Castlebar this August
Fri, Jul 06, 2012
The Royal Theatre has announced Bressie is to play on Sunday, August 26. Already a well respected and talented musician from his time fronting The Blizzards, Bressie’s debut solo album Colourblind Stereo, released last summer, reached number one in the iTunes Album chart. From the LP he has released three singles including the airplay number one smash ‘Can’t Stay Young Forever’ and the top three hit ‘Good Intentions’.
Read more ...Sound+Vision: Ballina’s annual film festival returns
Fri, Jul 06, 2012
Sound+Vision Ballina Arts Centre’s annual film festival returns this year for a week-long programme celebrating music in film. The festival, now in its seventh year, is an integral part of Ballina Arts Centre’s film programme and each year takes a theme. This year the theme is ‘In Concert!’ and the programme will feature a number of classic concert movies. From the celluloid Valhalla of The Song Remains the Same to Jonathan Demme’s innovative Stop Making Sense, Sound+Vision: In Concert! Will have something for everyone and will truly celebrate music in film.
Read more ...Beezneez are coming back to Castlebar
Fri, Jul 06, 2012
Leitrim’s ever-popular Beezneez theatre company returns to the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar with a lovely old Irish comedy, Johnnie’s Britches on Thursday, August 2 at 8pm. Written by former Athlone schoolteacher PG O'Dea, Johnnie’s Britches was a runaway nationwide hit when first produced in the 1940s, although the title was originally abbreviated to Johnnie because it was feared the inclusion of the word ‘britches’ would challenge people’s sensibilities. Now Beezneez theatre company brings its distinctive production values to this gentle comedy from another time. Anxious to be rid of their accident-prone servant girl, Ned and Bridget are willing to allow her to be married to almost anybody, including Johnnie (britches notwithstanding). However an unexpected letter from America throws all plans into confusion and it is left to Johnnie himself to untangle the web of conundrums that ensue. This laughter-filled comedy is directed by John McDwyer and Johnnie’s Britches is another guaranteed good night out from Beezneez.
Read more ...Iorras infused with International talent during July
Fri, Jul 06, 2012
A variety of artists will descend on Erris during the July for the 17th International Folks Arts festival, Féile Iorras. There is a diverse range of events to suit every taste and age group, incorporating every inch of the Barony of Erris. This year’s array of music, artists, and performers is in the final stage of completion and includes Tumbling Bones – American folk and old-time from the USA, Beoga who give a distinctly Northern flavour to Irish trad, international children’s films, Za Ucha with the finest Balkan music, Northumberland Celtic Ranters from England, and Iorras’s own David Munnelly Band. There will also be a 25 minute documentary by Blacksod native Fergus Sweeney, Keepers of the Light, poetry reading, local musicians performing a trad seisiún in Tra Buí, not forgetting children’s international cinema and Branar Theatre with a puppet show, Clann Lir,. The visual arts will be well represented by Diarmuid O Riordan’s exhibition of photographs which will be held at Áras Inis Gluaire and will open on Friday, July 13.
Read more ...