Arts & Culture

TULLA-based poet, Arthur Watson, launched his first collection of poetry entitled Spirit Store in Glór last Saturday ,where it was warmly received. Arthur was born in Belfast but has been living in Ballyblood, Tulla, for the last 30 years and as well as being very involved in the East Clare community, he is also highly regarded in Clare poetry circles.  Speaking to The Clare Champion about the collection, Arthur explains where his inspiration comes from and his love for poetry. “The title originates from an old Limerick pub where I had a pint in 1977 after arriving from London to resume living in Ireland. I think it such a beautiful and appropriate name at so many levels. Although the pub itself has been closed for many years, I always found myself haunted by the name as I passed through Limerick until I wrote a poem, which in a sense, became the starting point of this selection,” he outlined. Spirit Store …

IRELAND has long been a fountain of great female singers but Heidi Talbot’s breakthrough solo release, 2008’s In Love + Light, swiftly assured her promotion to the premier league. Heidi last performed in Ireland alongside Eddi Reader and Tim O’Brien but is returning to Ireland for three special shows, which include one in County Clare. Heidi will appear at the Café Sessions at The Temple Gate Hotel this Friday,  in a show featuring her own material and group John McCusker and Ian Carr ahead of going in to studio to record the follow up to her acclaimed release The Last Star.In between fronting her own trio line-up with McCusker and Boo Hewerdine, she has also featured frequently as an opening act and backing vocalist, along with lending her vocals to a string of albums by leading artists.Now living in Edinburgh with her partner, John McCusker, the Kildare singer explains the combined effect of putting down new roots in the city, …

WITH May is just around the corner, organisers of the Bealtaine Festival have just announced the line-up for this year’s celebrations in County Clare. The festival will see hundreds of theatrical, cinematic, craft, photographic, choral, dance and other events taking place across Ireland, giving people a chance to celebrate creativity as we age. Clare Arts Office has organised a varied mix of free music concerts, dances and art exhibitions, including I’ll Live ’til I Die as part of the Bealtaine festival.  Ballad singer Delia Murphy will be commemorated in Glór on Thursday, May 31 at 2pm, where Gerry Anderson will speak about her life and times. Márín O’Donovan will sing some of Delia’s favourites and Delia’s niece, Carmen Cullen, will add some family reminiscences.For details of all the Clare Arts Office events taking place, contact Siobhán Mulcahy on 065 689 9091.St Joseph’s Hospital in Lifford will stage a number of events as part of the festivities where they will hold …

THE Inis Artists are proud of their latest achievement The Inis Artists’ Art Gallery, which was launched this week at the Elm Park Shopping Centre, Gort Road, Ennis, and 35 paintings are currently on display there.The venue is a shop-front site that had lain empty for a number of years. The group approached the owner of the property, who agreed to allow the window to be used to display art and that it would brighten up the area. The paintings are mainly of Clare scenes but include figurative and wildlife work also. Some of the well-known local artists include Sonia Schorman, Tom Daly, Margaret Ray, Tomás O’Maoldomhnaigh, Gerardine O’Leary, Dick Burke and Alan Schoosmitt.The Inis Artists group was set up in 2004 by some of the former members of the Clare Crafts Group and have been one of the most active artists groups in North Munster for a number of years. They average eight exhibitions each year in such venues …

LOCAL girl, Ann Kirrane, née Droney, is coming home. Following the success of her Tuam concert, the Belharbour woman will perform in the Burren College of Art on Sunday next, May 6 as part of the Burren-in-Bloom festival.This promises to be a very special occasion. Ann’s new CD One Small Star has received glowing reviews, and she brings the top session musicians who were involved in the recording of the album to Ballyvaughan.New Quay resident Garry O’Briain will be joined on stage by Gary Quinn, Mike Stewart and Ronan Greene. Ann’s father, Clareman of the Year, Chris Droney and all the clan will be in attendance, so a good session is guaranteed.Ann learned concertina from her father, and grandfather, Jim, and won the All-Ireland Fleadh Ceóil three times.Ann’s teenage summers were spent in Lisdoonvarna playing music with her father, Chris, Tommy Peoples, Kitty Linnane and Paddy Mullins of the Kilfenora Céili Band. One of the stand-out songs on Ann’s new …

Gort Starz Youth Group is holding a Gort Starz and Friends Variety Concert on Friday, May 4 in Gort Community Centre. The students of this new youth group will perform numbers from various hit musicals including Sound of Music, Fame and Footloose alongside current chart toppers. They will be joined on stage by some of Galway’s finest singers including Alan Greaney (Galway Musical Society), Jennifer Flaherty (Renmore Panto), Christine McLoughlin (Loughrea Musical Society), Aoife Flannery (Patrician Musical Society), Joanne Kelly (Athenry Musical Society) and Declan Gardiner (choreographer and Renmore Pantomime). Students from Gort Community School will also be appearing on stage and this year’s Reach for the Stars winners, Jedward, will be back in the community centre performing their winning song. “All the students have been working extremely hard for this one-night performance so it would be lovely to see them well supported on the night,” said Nicola Kerrigan, organiser of the event. Tickets are available from Gort Credit Union …

OIDHREACHT an Chláir has appointed Áine Hensey as cultural projects animator for the next 12 months.   The Miltown Malbay-based organisation was set up in 2005 to promote the study of the history and culture of Clare and to foster the Irish traditional arts in their native environment. Building on the outstanding success of Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, OaC is working to provide year-round archival and research facilities for music students, folklorists and the general public, both online and at Áras OaC on the Flag Road.Áine Hensey is well known in Clare from the early years of Clare FM, when she presented The Mist-Covered Mountain five nights a week and initiated many recording projects with the county’s musicians and singers. In the past 17 years, she has worked with RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and with RTÉ Radio 1. She has recently completed a PhD thesis in early modern history at NUI Maynooth.In the coming years, Áine hopes Oidhreacht an Chláir …

THE family of the late Tom Carey and organisers of the Tom Carey Commemorative weekend have expressed their delighted at the turnout for the recent weekend festival held in Cree. The village was alive with the sound of traditional music, song and lively battering steps from early on Friday evening until late into Sunday night. The late Tom Carey was highly regarded not just for his skill as a musician but also for his generosity and willingness to share and pass on his music and that was reflected over the weekend with musicians eager to give of and share their talents.Tom’s family and the organising committee acknowledge all of the musicians who took part in the concert and who played over the weekend. Joan Hanrahan was MC at the concert, which was held in Cree Community Centre with the co-operation of the hall committee.John Cunningham, Pat Considine and Stephen Browne and David O’Brien erected a marquee at Tom Carey’s grave …