Birthday celebrations in Cultúrlann Sweeney

CULTÚRLANN Sweeney in Kilkee is celebrating its first birthday and there are a number of events taking place.

John Spillane played at the venue last weekend and award-winning photographer Josephine Glynn will be exhibiting there until March 28.

Entitled Josephine’s Ireland, it features pictures from both north and south of the country.
Over the years her experience as a national tour guide has given her the chance to get to know the country well. In the exhibition, she features many scenic places and observes some aspects of Irish life that aren’t well known.

While the pictures in this exhibition are from around the country, most were taken on the West Coast, particularly in Cork and Kerry.

Most of the photos were taken in 2012, with some more recent ones on St Brigid’s Day of this year. Images included capture the arrival of the Celtic Mist for dolphin research last summer, the building of a traditional fishing boat, the opening of Loophead lighthouse and an abundance of wildlife and wild flowers.

On Friday, a new theatrical performance will take place in Cultúrlann Sweeney. Entitled Wild Winds,it is a fusion of theatre and music, inspired by the inner landscapes, travels and muses of Irish writers Yeats, Synge, O’Casey and Joyce. The piece was written and will be performed by Eleanor Feely, actor and Etain McCooey, musician.

Feely trained as an actor at the Focus Theatre, Dublin, and at the Theatre du Soleil, Paris. She worked in all the Dublin theatres including the Abbey and Peacock in addition to TV and film work.  In recent years, she has concentrated on performing original material.

McCooey studied oboe under Helmut Seeber and took master classes with Chicago Symphony legend Ray Still. She has been working as an orchestral player over the past number of years, plays for various musicals and shows around the country in addition to her recording and composition work.