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Arts & Culture

Planxty legend plays series of Clare gigs

MUSIC legend Andy Irvine will bring his talents to the people of Clare again this December. For those who haven’t seen him live before, this is a must. For the veteran fan of Andy Irvine, and for those less initiated in his music his performances wow and remain a major talking point.The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, plays The Market House Theatre in Miltown Malbay this Friday night, O’Grady’s Bar in Gort on Saturday and Glór, Ennis, on Wednesday, December 15. The shows are part of his almost-nationwide tour to promote the release of his latest album, Abocurragh, a reference to his residence outside Enniskillen. The release of his first studio album in over 10 years is no small news. It has been described by those in the know as capturing a bewitching set of original arrangements and songs that have illuminated his concerts of recent years. It is not just one man’s album; it is a gathering of great musicians …

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Bishop set to for Ennis sermon

AFTER time out touring Australia, Canada and the US, Des Bishop returns to tour Ireland this December, with a deeply personal tale of his father who has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. The comedian will perform in Glór on December 17 and 18.Inspired by his father’s illness, the impact it has had on his family and their sense of humour in dealing with it, Des’ latest internationally acclaimed stand up show My Dad was Nearly James Bond tells of a remarkable life tinged with regret. Of his father, Bishop says, “Before I was born, my father had another life.  As a boy, I thought it was the coolest thing ever that my father was a model and appeared as a blind pilot in Day of the Triffids and had one line in Zulu. His biggest claim was that he was very close to getting the role of James Bond. George Lazenby got the part and we never watched James …

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New wave exhibition

A GROUP of Clare-based photographers, with a shared interest will be exhibiting a selection of their West Coast photography at an exhibition in a surfwear shop in Limerick next week.David Olsthoorn, James Skerritt, Eoin O’Connor, Mark Lyons, Ronan Gallagher, Olivier Longuet and George Karbus will all showcase some of their top-class photography at the Emerald Surfwear Shop on Henry Street in Limerick, for one-night only, on Friday, December 10.Trevor Whelan of Emerald Surfwear explained that the idea of the photographic exhibition is to promote the business and also to allow the photographers to showcase their own work.“Emerald Surfwear is primarily an online surfwear business, but the group involved have opened a shop in the lead-up to Christmas and are looking at possibly doing the same in the summer. “We design t-shirts and other surfwear. Some of the photographers involved in the exhibition are also artists and have designed some of the gear for us. So the designs are collaborative too. …

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Pepper’s celebrates 200 years

IT wasn’t just the celebration of the century but of two centuries, as the famous Pepper’s Pub marked years in Feakle over the weekend. “It really is a milestone and something that had to be celebrated, and we celebrated it really well,” Gary Pepper explained.For the weekend’s celebrations, Pepper’s did what it does best of all, by bringing some fantastic music to Feakle.The cold snap took hold but that didn’t stop the music and dancing from warming the hearts of those who joined Gary and all at Pepper’s over the weekend.“With the weather the way it was, we were a bit worried but people still came along and supported the whole thing. It was a great event, with plenty of music for all tastes and plenty of sets danced. I felt it was important to mark the 200 years. There aren’t too many businesses with 200 years of history behind them. I had planned on doing this earlier in the …

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Choir records Gospel at the Movies CD

AFTER five years of singing together, the Really Truly Joyful Gospel Choir has produced their first CD with the assistance of Ennis Town Council.The CD was recorded by Matt Purcell at the gospel choir’s recent show, Gospel at the Movies and includes an uplifting and energetic collection of songs. The recording features Reverend Bazil Meade, Howard Francis and Leon Meade of the famous London Community Gospel, while the children’s section of the Ennis Gospel Choir, also sing Ain’t No Mountain High Enough on the CD.Fiona Walsh, director of the Really Truly Joyful Gospel Choir, explained the choir raises money for local charities throughout the year and the funds from the CD will enable them to continue to support charities, such as Share a Dream, the Clare Crusaders and a number of community projects.“We are really proud of our first CD and feel that it captures who we are. I love the live feel of the recordings,” Fiona commented.Choir member, Jane …

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Funk Fusion taking to the stage

MEMBERS of the Funk Fusion Stage School will bring a well-produced tale to Glór this Saturday night, with their performance of Billy Elliot meets the Phantom of the Opera.Marcella O’Sullivan of Funk Fusion, who is directing the show, explained it is a story of a young boy who wants to be an individual and dance but his father thinks dancing is for girls.“When he talks to the teacher, she makes him see how many male famous artists there is in the world who were legends of music. He hides his dream from his father but as an individual follows his dream. “The Phantom of the Opera is an adult who is hidden from the world because he is different and his behaviour is seen as different. Yet as the story unfolds, his ability for enjoyment of music is no different to the young boy’s and he too has dreams,” she said.She added that the show will teach people about how …

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Top-class line-up for Music for Missionvale

THE annual evening of music in aid of Sr Ethel Normoyle’s fundraising for the South African township of Missionvale will be held this Saturday in Cois na hAbhna.For the past four years, Music for Missionvale has been raising money to support Sr Normoyle. A top-class line-up of musicians has signed up to perform at the concert this weekend.Traditional band Tradavarious have been added to the line-up, which also includes top Clare singer, Kate Purcell. The music extravaganza, headlined by the talented Begley family, will make the journey from West Kerry to support Sr Normoyle’s annual fundraiser. Brendan and Cormac Begley will get together with a host of musicians for the show.Proceeds from the event will go towards funding a shipment of folding beds and duvets for use in the shacks in the Missionvale Township.Located on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Missionvale is a township of an estimated 100,000 people. Like much of the African continent, “Missionvale has been …

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Anything Goes in Coláiste

YOU don’t hear of too many schools putting the rules and regulations to one side and declaring, “Anything goes”.While it’s not quite a revolution, it is very much a case of anything goes for 120 girls at Coláiste Muire, Ennis at the moment.  It is, of course, organised chaos as the girls, under the guidance of producer, Gerardine McGlynn and musical director, Michael Hennessy, are working flat out to bring the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes to the Ennis stage from December 1 to 4. This is the Coláiste’s 25th successive show after the revival of the school’s proud musical tradition in the mid 1980s. The annual musical costs €25,000 to produce but every effort is made to fundraise for the event so that all aspects of the production will complement the amazing performances of the young people.Rehearsals and preparation for Coláiste Muire’s 2010 musical are well advanced and audiences are sure to be wowed with the fabulous music and …

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