Arts & Culture

AS the grand finale of Strictly Come Dancing East Clare approaches, the organising committee has announced Ger Loughnane and Paula Carroll as MCs for this exciting event, which sees representatives from 12 towns and villages in East Clare battle it out.The final takes place at the West County Hotel in Ennis on August 31 and is set to be a tense and exciting occasion. The competition is now heating up throughout East Clare with many of the dance couples fancying their chances of winning on the night. The ‘strictly’ event has resulted in numerous fundraising campaigns, undertaken by each dance couple. Kilkishen’s dancers Evelyn McMahon and Mary O’Neill claim to be strong contenders in the competition and vow to inject their performance with oodles of energy at the grand finale.  Meanwhile, the Flagmount/Killanena dance couple Laura Flaherty and Alan McNamara have also increased the tempo and are getting great support in their local community as they strive to match the …

The 34th Cruinniú na mBád Festival in Kinvara takes place this year from August 17 to 19 when the coastal village hopes to welcome up to 100 Galway Hooker boats ashore. This year the festival welcomes 15 French visitors and their two yawl sailing boats, which will race as part of the annual event. The two boats come to Kinvara with the Galway Bay Sailing Club and they will leave from Oranmore. The annual regatta hosts the legendary turf boats as the harbour village throws itself into a frenzy of sessions with the cream of Irish traditional musicians and singers.It is expected that up to 100 Galway Hooker boats, once the workhorses of the coast of Connemara and North Clare, will gather for a weekend of racing and celebration at the Cruinniú na mBád. The Cruinniú, which translates to Gathering of the Boats, was revived in 1979 and since then has become one of the most unique and successful weekend …

FOLLOWING the cancellation of Féile Sona Family Festival in July, organisers have announced that the festival has been rescheduled for the weekend of August 18 and 19.The festival will run over two days and will include activities for all ages. This year, the festival incorporates many of the natural beauties and attractions of Kilrush, such as the walled gardens, Cappa and the marina. It also provides an opportunity for local companies and clubs to organise events to highlight the variety of activities they provide.“We will be promoting Kilrush as a family friendly town throughout the weekend and encouraging families to visit our town to experience the wealth of activities that are here on our doorstep,” Ian Lynch, one of the organisers, said.“The festival provides a friendly atmosphere where the whole family can come together and enjoy the many activities available in Kilrush. “As well as inviting craft workers to participate in a craft fair on Sunday at the Family Fun …

ENNIS business WowWee has been shortlisted for the Your Business on Irish TV competition, which gives small businesses the opportunity to get their products on television for the first time.The competition has a €60,000 prize fund and is a joint initiative between RTÉ’s Shopping from Home and the county and city enterprise boards. WowWee, based at the Tracklands Business Park, is run by Áine Gleeson and was nominated by the Clare County Enterprise Board.In all, 20 small businesses from around the country have been short-listed for the six top prizes, which are monthly presentation packages on Shopping from Home worth €10,000 each.The competition is the brain-child of Kathy Hoffman, founder and managing director of Shopping from Home. Each of the six winning companies will be given a monthly platform to promote and sell their products and services directly to viewers on television, for the very first time. As part of the package, the winning companies will also receive marketing and …

ROCK ‘n’ rollers will be pulling on their blue suede shoes next week for a celebration of the King in Ennis that will leave them all shook up.The newly formed Ennis Rock ‘n’ Roll Club is hosting its first event on Thursday, August 16 at 9pm. The club is organising a tribute night commemorating the 35th anniversary of Elvis’ death, with UK impersonator Mark Summers making his only Irish appearance in the Auburn Lodge Hotel.Joe Cronin of the Ennis Rock ‘n’ Roll Club said, “We decided to set up the club because I believe there is a real need for something for the over 30s to enjoy in Ennis. I was involved in the Limerick club and I thought this is something that could catch on here in Ennis. “We’re only just beginning and this Elvis night is our first event but we have had a lot of positive feedback. Our Facebook friends are growing and we’ve had people getting …

LAST week’s conference at UL exploring the cultural influence of Harry Potter had a major Clare influence – Sixmilebridge woman Gráinne O’Brien was one of the organisers.

IN the four years since local band Guidewires came together, they have recorded two albums and toured the world several times over.

THERE’S a treat for Clare rock fans this weekend when The Walls play at the Scariff Harbour Festival.