Arts & Culture

AN Ardnacrusha product design student’s prize-winning artwork has been described as ‘a short story in visual imagery’. Dan Killackey, 18, from Ardnacrusha, was chosen overall winner of the 68th Texaco Children’s Art Competition, taking first prize in the senior 16-18 years age category. “I was delighted to win a national award,” Dan told the Champion, “Since 2019, I have known about this competition. I wish I had known sooner because I could have competed since I was six years old. I think it would be good to promote this art competition more in schools. “When I complete a sketch and see people’s satisfaction, it motivates me to continue doing art and get people smiling.” Clare also had the winner in the seven to eight years category, which went to Aidan Hehir, 7, a pupil at Ennis Art School. Dan’s winning work, for which he receives a prize of €1,500, is entitled ‘Isolation’ and is a detailed portrait study in coloured …

A WINDOW of opportunity for creativity at St Joseph’s Hospital was created as part of the recently held National Arts in Nursing Homes Day. Clare based artist Rachel Macmanus visited the Ennis hospital and painted an artwork inspired by the stained glass windows of St Joseph’s church to the delight of residents. The project was one of a number of nationwide events for National Arts in Nursing Homes Day, held as part of Age & Opportunity’s Bealtaine Festival. Rachel, who has been a part of other creative projects at the hospital pre-Covid 19, tells us she was happy to be able to return to St Joseph’s. Drawing upon the stained glass windows of St Joseph’s Church as inspiration, Rachel painted her own version of the windows directly onto the windows of the hospital’s Sun Room, a congregational gathering space for the residents of the hospital. “The windows of St Joseph’s Church are very beautiful and tranquil and my idea was to bring some of …

As part of the Cusack 175 programme, the Michael Cusack Centre is running traditional hurley making workshops this Friday. ‘Camán to the Burren’ is a 45 minute traditional hurley making demonstration which will b delivered this Friday from 1-4pm by Aidan Cuddihy of Mac Coda Hurleys (Inagh). Further workshops will be delivered on the first Friday afternoon of each month to October 2022. Given there is a Munster Hurling final featuring the Banner this weekend and this is the home of the founder of the GAA, it is an appropriate time to explore the art and craft of hurley making.

HE has interviewed hundreds of people over more than 40 years, but a handful stand out for Eddie Lenihan, among them the late Jimmy Armstrong of Quin. Back in 1982 Eddie’s book Long Ago By Shannonside brought Jimmy’s stories to the public, and he has now published a revised addition with some extra chapters, entitled The Man In The Big House. Eddie visited Jimmy numerous times in the early 80s at Our Lady’s Hospital in Ennis, where he lived for years, although Eddie says it is highly dubious that a man like him should have been there at all. In the preface to The Man In The Big House Eddie writes of Jimmy’s delight when the original book came out as it showed he was in a place that he didn’t need to be. “This was proof, if proof were needed, that he was a man of sound mind.” Jimmy petitioned successive Ministers for Health for a review of his …

AN exploration of the Gaelic songs of County Clare has unearthed 130 songs, with that figure continuing to grow. The outcome of the project, carried out by actor, writer and director Diarmuid de Faoite titled Dúchas is Dóchas (Heritage and Hope), will be launched by the Clare Arts Office and The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) this Saturday in Cultúrlann Sweeney, Kilkee. The work was done as part of the third Duala: Creator-in-Residence Scheme. “It wasn’t today nor yesterday that the people of County Clare fell in love with music and the county has a deserved reputation in the field of traditional music,” said de Faoite. “Despite this reputation, however, songs in Irish are rarely heard and even rarer still are songs in Irish from the county, save the ubiquitous ‘Beidh Aonach Amárach’,” he noted. “Though the music has been preserved and enriched, our voice was lost quite suddenly and traumatically with the rapid loss of language” he added, posing …

CLARE has enjoyed siginifcant success in this year’s 68th Texaco Children’s Art Competition with the overall winner coming from the Banner county. Dan Killackey, 18, from Ardnacrusha, was chosen overall winner of this year’s competition, taking first prize in the senior 16-18 years age category. Clare also had the winner in the 7-8 years category, which went to Aidan Hehir, 7, a pupil at Ennis Art School Dan’s winning work, for which he receives a prize of €1,500, is entitled ‘Isolation’ and is a detailed portrait study in coloured pencils of his granduncle Mick. In choosing it as overall prize winner in the Competition, Final Adjudicator and Chairman of the judging panel, Gary Granville, Professor Emeritus of Education at the National College of Art and Design, described Dan’s piece as ‘a short story in visual imagery.’ “In his image of a man and his cat, Dan has captured so many aspects of contemporary life in Ireland. Through understated reference to …

ORGANISERS of this year’s Fleadh Nua say they are “making up for lost time” with a packed schedule of events planned for when the festival returns to Ennis this weekend. After a two-year break Fleadh Nua will be back on the streets of the county capital for a week of traditional music, song, and dance culminating in three headline concerts at glór over the June Bank holiday weekend. An annual event in Ennis for more than four decades, the Fleadh went online for the last two years due to Covid-19 to ensure the continuity of the event. Now, however, with all restrictions lifted, the ‘Fleadh down in Ennis’ is back, bigger and better than ever, as chairman of the organising committee Frank Whelan explains. “With this year’s Fleadh Nua, we’re making up for lost time, so we have a packed programme of events with everything from concerts, céilithe, singing and storytelling to sessions, film, CD launches and workshops in music, …

MOUNTSHANNON Arts Festival gets underway this Thursday, May 26, showcasing a wealth of talent and creativity in music, visual art, literature and more.  The theme of ‘Community’ is at the heart of this year’s event, which will involve performances, workshops and exhibitions, running until Sunday, June 6. As always, the festival’s focus will be on erasing the boundaries between artists and audience. Events range from Full Circle Playback Theatre, a songwriting workshop, Origami workshops, a community art installation and the inaugural Mountshannon Maracatu, a family-friendly community parade.  Mel White, Chair of the Volunteer Committee said the return to full, live, in-person activities is particularly welcome after the pandemic restrictions. “We are so excited for this festival after two years of lockdown and we have been supported by the local community in every way,” she said. “We have brought together an eclectic mix of actors, musicians, artists  and creative writers to create an experience like no other this year. We would …