THE celebrated Brendan Bowyer will play at the Lime Tree Theatre in Limerick this Saturday night.The Waterford native first came to prominence in the late 1950s when he was the lead singer in the Royal Showband.His recordings with the Royals included number-one hits like Kiss Me Quick, No More, Bless You and The Hucklebuck.Bowyer was probably the most popular Irish vocalist of the 1960s and in 1971, he left the Royal to join the Big 8 and he followed his mentor Elvis Presley onto the Las Vegas circuit.He has remained active in music ever since, has appeared on The Late Late Show 11 times and has played many of the world’s top venues.  

PREPARATIONS are almost complete for the Shannonside Winter Music Weekend, which runs from January 17 to 20.Things will kick off with a concert at Sixmilebridge Courthouse on Thursday, January 17 by Sixmilebridge’s own Kieran O’Loughlin and Brendan Walsh. They will be playing classical, folk and traditional music. O’Loughlin his now based in Sweden where he has forged out a career in music.Friday will see performances from the Sixmilebridge Folk Club and Friends, the Fake McCoys, the Voice Squad and Lilly of the West, Members of Diversus, the Phelan Family, the Banjaxed Bluegrass band, John Nyhan and friends, the Gypsy Rebel Rabble and Two Time Polka.There are a huge number of performances on Saturday, both in Sixmilebridge and Bunratty, including the likes of Special Consensus, the Diversus Guitar Orchestra and the Shaskeen Full Band in Bunratty Folk Park and the Fake McCoys, the Alan Kelly Gang and Bending the Strings in Sixmilebridge. On Sunday, there will be festival mass in the …

The Munster Senior, Junior, Masters and U-23 Men’s and Ladies’ Indoor Championships were held recently at the Nenagh Indoor Arena. Clare athletes gave outstanding performances when taking home 26 gold, 14 silver and five bronze medals while Ennis Track won silver medals in the masters’ ladies and masters men’s 4 x 200m relays.

DESPITE the very wet weather over the holiday period, Spanish Point Golf Course was very busy with various members’ competitions and regular visitors playing with societies. The seniors’ open on December 18 was won by Brendan Reddan (15) with 41 points and the singles on the December 23 was won by Noel Connellan (16) on 39 points with Brian O’Loughlin second on 38 points.

NEWMARKET-on-Fergus trainer Pat Lynch started the new year in the best possible fashion when his Moving On sprung a 20/1 surprise to land the two-and-three-quarter-mile Horse and Jockey Handicap Hurdle at Thurles on Thursday of last week.

QUIN-based owner-trainer Frank Browne shared in the night of doubles at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium on Friday night. He won races with Mine Chanelle and Mine Rocket, while trainer Ger O’Reilly also doubled up with Mottos Rogue and Pretty Tokens.

ALL-Ireland and Munster U-21 hurling champions, provincial minor finalists for the third year in-a-row and Division 2 League winners, leading to promotion back to Division 1, made 2012 a very good year for Clare on the inter-county hurling front.  

IN the October 14 Clare senior football final, Kilmurry Ibrickane retained their title and won their fourth county championship in five years. They defeated Doora-Barefield 0-10 to 0-4, despite not scoring in the last 22 minutes. The club has now won 13 Clare senior championships.