Arts & Culture

Get Him To The Greek DIRECTED BY: Nicholas Stoller STARRING: Jonah Hill. Russell Brand, Sean Combs, Rose Byrne CERT: 16 The crude bro-mances just keep on coming. For a while there, The 40-Year-Old Virgin was the one to emulate. Then it was Superbad. Now everyone seems to want to make “the new Hangover” and so it looks like the genre will be with us for a while yet. More’s the pity, unless quality control improves and they start turning out more coherent efforts than Get Him To The Greek a film that offers up a decent dose of laughs but far too much lazy, uninspired crap. Director Nicholas Stoller follows up his lacklustre 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall with this sequel of sorts, featuring that film’s lounging loverman, British rock star Aldous Snow (Brand). Jonah Hill also returns, though not in his original barman role. Here he plays record company underling Aaron Green, who presents an intriguing money-spinning idea to …

Werewolves are cool. The eternal enemies of vampires and inspiration for Sonic the Hedgehog’s haircut, tales of half-man, half-wolf beasties that go howling mad come the full moon have littered popular literature for years to magnificent effect.Unfortunately though, they have a less than chequered history when it comes to being represented on film. Sure, Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldier’s was pretty cool and they served their dramatic purpose in the Underworld series – Michael Sheen doing a particularly good job of acting all lupine and lairy – but when the hairy critters are the focus of the flick, instead of the vicious, infrequently seen “monsters”, things seems to go slightly askew.It happened in Wolf with Jack Nicholson and it’s happened here in The Wolfman, Joe Johnston’s remake of the classic 40s monster movie of the same name that starred the celebrated Lon Chaney.Taking up the snarling and hairy-forehead-having duties this time around is Benicio Del Toro who stars as Lawrence Talbot, …

RENOWNED guitarist and fiddle player, Ged Foley, is using his former festival organising skills to bring East Clare its third local traditional music festival.The first East Clare Fiddle Festival will be held in Feakle from Wednesday, June 30 to Saturday, July 3. The festival will feature classes, sessions, a céilí and a concert. Classes will run morning and afternoon on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with tutors James Kelly, Tony Linnane, Eileen O’Brien, Patricia Clark and Tony Trundle. The festival’s headline concert, which will take place on Saturday, July 3, will feature all of the tutors, as well as special guests. Sessions will run every night and all musicians are welcome. The céilí takes place on Friday, July 2 in Pepper’s Pub Feakle, with music by the Five Counties Céilí Band at 9.30pm, while a concert, featuring all of the tutors and a number of special guests will be held in the community hall in Feakle on Saturday night.Ged is well …

A NORTH Clare writer scooped two awards at the recent Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland. Ursula Rani Sarma is a writer of Irish/Indian descent. She grew up in Lahinch and has been writing predominantly for theatre since graduating from University College Cork in 1999. Ursula co-founded Djinn Productions later that year and has directed several award-winning productions as artistic director of the company.Currently resident in London, Ursula took the honours at the Scottish awards for her first Traverse Theatre Company commission, The Dark Things. The production won Best New Play and Best Production at the awards presentation in Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre earlier this month.The Dark Things received a total of six nominations for the CATS, including Best Director for Dominic Hill, Best Actor for Brian Ferguson, Best Actress for Suzanne Donaldson and Best Design by Neil Warmington and Lizzie Powell.“It is especially nice to win a critics choice award. As an artist, you have a love-hate relationship with critics. …

KINVARA-based singer Maeve Cairney has realised her dream by releasing her first CD, Let it Happen. The CD contains a collection of the songs that she loves listening to and singing, spanning a range of genres, including classical pieces, Scottish and Irish ballads and songs from the musicals.The Dublin woman, her husband, Hugh, and two sons, Declan and Ruairi, moved to Caherglassaun, near Kinvara in 2006 and Maeve took up a job as an entertainer for Shannon Heritage in Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara. She is a regular contributor to the many music sessions in venues in Kinvara. Maeve developed her vocal range having first studied at the Bel Canto School of Singing and then performing with Lyric Opera Chorus and the Cantible Singers in Dublin. She is currently a member of the Quay Singers and regularly sings as a cantor in Galway Cathedral. Maeve is launching her CD in Johnston’s Hall, Kinvara this Saturday at 8.30pm, where she will also perform …

KILRUSH Youth Project hip-hop group, The Real Slim Ricks, from the John Paul Estate, will represent Clare in the All-Ireland finals in Donegal on Saturday week. The event is being hosted by Donegal Youth Service, on behalf of Youth Work Ireland.The Kilrush hip hop group is made up of seven girls aged between 13 and 18. They will represent the county after winning the Clare heat held in Lissycasey last March. This is the group’s third year participating in the games, in which they claimed third place last year.The hip hop group have been together now for three years and with the help and guidance of their dance teacher, Laura Jane Allis of Breakthrough Dance Company, they have improved their performances year on year.“The progression the group have made is excellent.  I’m very proud of them,” Laura explained.The Kilrush Youth Project was established by the Clare Youth Service in the John Paul Estate seven years ago. It is one of …

A PUPIL from Ballyturn National School showcased her talent recently in an Irish Rail-organised art competition held to mark the reopening of the Limerick-Galway rail service.The competition was divided into three age categories. Emma Nester from Ballyturn National School was victorious in the 11 to 12 age group, Ciara Horan, Ballymana National School, Craughwell took the top award in the eight to 10 age group and Kirby Dooley, Ballymana National School, Craughwell was the winner of the five to seven category.On Wednesday, the gifted young artists were presented with their prizes. The theme of the competition was Fun on the Train and judges said they were very impressed with the many entries they received.The prizewinners were presented with their awards by project manager for the reopening of the Limerick–Galway line, Sinéad Clair and Galway district manager, Gerry Glynn at a special ceremony at Athenry Station. The prizewinners and their family and friends travelled by train to the event.“Services on the …

CLARE Inclusive Action Research Group have teamed up with fellow researchers, Galway Research into Action to present the All-Ireland Learning Disability Research Project, All We Want to Say in association with the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies and Trinity College.This is a joint research drama and film presentation by two of a new breed of cutting-edge research groups, including people with a learning disability investigating and promoting services of choice. These two groups were prominent contributors to a national survey, gathering information and prioritising issues which emerged from the views, opinions and desires of people the length and breadth of Ireland. Here, they feature select excerpts from the film promoting choice and control in relationships, home life, money and work.The presentation starts with a drama Home Alone, which portrays a young girl, enjoying the new-found independence of her own home but those around her have their own ideas. The short comic play highlights the main research findings and is followed …