Arts & Culture

The Willie Clancy Summer School takes place from July 2–10 in Miltown Malbay and if you’re unable to make it, then at least you can catch some of it on the radio. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy have a partnership that goes back 50 years and the station will be broadcasting from the heart of the festival all week. The then fledgling radio station was in attendance the very first year of the school, in 1973, and has been there every year since to record or broadcast live from the West Clare music mecca. This year, the live broadcasts on RTÉ RnaG start on Sunday with the Éirinn is Alba concert at 8pm, celebrating the connections between the Celtic nations. Musicians on stage will include Hamish Moore, Connie O’Connell, Maighréad Ni Dhomhnaill, Paddy Glackin, Louise & Mick Mulcahy, and groups from Cape Breton, Wales and Québec. Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha will present the concert. Then the broadcasting …

SHANNON Musical Society has announced plans to hold what will be its first show since 2020 on the week of February 12-18 of next year. The Society’s production will be Little Shop of Horrors, which it had planned to perform some months ago but decided to cancel due to continuing concerns about Covid-19. Director of the show will be Aodán Fox and he said they are looking forward to getting down to business once more. “Basically the new committee was elected and they decided that they’d continue with Little Shop of Horrors, which we were supposed to do in February just gone. “We’ve a slightly new production team in that our musical directors Carmel Griffin has stepped down and Shane Farrell is our new Musical Director. “Shane is from the Tuam area and he’d be well known from Operation Transformation. He’s just after winning a national AIMS award as best musical director for a production of Little Shop of Horrors …

BALLINA Killaloe Local Radio has announced the release of a new app to access the online station’s content. Ronan Ryan, the DJ behind the new app, believes this initiative will allow listeners to be entertained on the move while they also keep up to date on a variety of subjects. The app will be available free in Google Play and the iTunes App Store, allowing users who download it to listen to music around the clock, non-stop. It was created to include push notification functionalities, which allows users to be notified when their favourite show or DJ is broadcasting live. Aside from the basic radio functions, the app will also allow listeners to check out DJ profiles and learn more about them. Listeners will also be able to create an account for the app and check out the programme schedule to see what shows are the most appealing for them. The live chat feature will allow radio users to discuss …

A LIFETIME navigating Irish waterways and bringing their history to light was celebrated recently at the launch of a new collection of work by the late Brian J Goggin. Family members and friends of Mr Goggin worked together to publish a new 554-page book – Waterways and Means – a selection of his researched essays on the history of Ireland’s waterways. Speaking at the official launch of this new publication in Flanagan’s Bar, Ballina, Killaloe Ballina Historical Society chairperson, Arlene White, admitted the nine-panel waterways history tour of the two twin communities, which is now promoted on a local app, would never have come to fruition without Brian’s great input and support. Following the establishment of the Killaloe Ballina Historical Society in August 2017, Arlene recalled Brian was suggested as a guest speaker. During a subsequent discussion about a possible date, Arlene joked Brian had charmed her straight away after revealing that he could only confirm his availability once his …

THE decline in vocations and the number of priests in the Killaloe Diocese has inspired a pastoral worker to write a new book outlining the need for more lay people to complete clerical duties. “Community at Heart” – who will bury our dead?” examines past community and traditions in the catholic church, current reality, future possibilities and guidelines for pastoral councils. It will be officially launched by well known author, David Rice in the Killaloe Hotel and spa on July 1. Marie O’Connell has been a pastoral worker in the Diocese of Killaloe, a choir member, a dancer in an all-girl troupe, and a voice for women. The University of Limerick administrator says she does her best writing in cafes, on park benches, on any beach, and at home in Ballina/Killaloe. The mother-of-three believes it will not be long before a priest will not be available to attend funerals, so who will? “Priests can’t be everything to everyone all of …

THE world premiere of a play focusing on one of the most intense incidents in the War of Independence in Clare will be staged in Doolin next Thursday, June 30. The drama, entitled Two Days in September, secured funding support from the Decade of Centenary Arts Project Awards, 2021, and will premiere at The Attic at Hotel Doolin, with curtain up at 8pm. Written by Doolin-based playwright Dermott Petty, the play tells the story of the Rineen Ambush. It traces, in film and theatre form, the events of autumn, 1920, when a British Army convoy was ambushed by the Mid-Clare Brigade of the IRA. It also follows the aftermath of revenge and the sacking, looting and burning of the villages of Ennistymon, Lahinch and Miltown Malbay by the Black and Tans on September 22 and 23. “West Clare in 1920 was recovering from a land war, famines, World War 1 and Spanish influenza,” said Dermott. “While a beautiful part of …

GUITARIST Dennis Cahill who collaborated to great acclaim with Feakle’s Martin Hayes passed away last week. Born in Chicago to Kerry parents, he was widely regarded as an exceptional talent. A statement on Cahill’s website written by fellow musician Jimmy Keane announced his passing, this Monday, June 20. “Our dearest Dennis passed away peacefully on Monday evening, with his beloved Mary by his side as she has throughout his journey. “Just moments before — we were comforting Dennis while The Lament for Limerick from Dennis’ album with Martin was on in the background — and as the track advanced to My Love is in America, Mary turned off the player, leaned over to hug and kiss Dennis one last time – and then he was gone…” President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to Dennis. “It is with great sadness that those with a love of traditional Irish music across Ireland, his native Chicago and around the world will have heard …

A DECAYED statue dating back to Famine times has been restored and reinstalled in Portumna’s Workhouse cemetery thanks to the help of Ennis-based artist Larisa K Bevillard and Moycullen-based Klaus Dieter Von Kerckoff. The statue, depicting the crucifixion of Jesus, had been lying abandoned and badly damaged at the cemetery of Portumna’s Workhouse for decades. The pair were tasked to carry out the repair work by Galway County Council and the newly restored statue has now been reinstalled back in its original location. Ms Bevillard told The Champion it was “horrifying” to see the damage to the statue recalling it “crumbled extensively due in part to its composition and  mixture of excessive sand with insufficient cement”. She explained that as part of the restoration the remains of the statue were first brought to Ennis, before Covid-19 restrictions, for initial works. It was partially restored in Ennis with Ms Bevillard rebuilding the fingers and hands before it was brought to Moycullen …