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Arts & Culture

Virtuoso pianist to perform concert in east Clare

AN EVENING of Schubert, Schumann and Bach is in store in Mountshannon on Sunday night next as renowned pianist Alexander Ardakov makes a welcome return to Clare. The virtuoso pianist, who has strong connections to East Clare, had been due to give a major recital in Glór, Ennis at the end of March, 2020, but the pandemic put paid to that. This month, he returns to the Banner County with a performance at St Caimin’s Church at 5pm on November 7. Mr Ardakov, who lives in London, hails for the Volga region of Russia and as well as being an acclaimed musician is a Professor of Piano at a leading conservatoire. He played to a capacity audience in Mountshannon in 2019 and excitement is building ahead of his return to the town.  Roxanne Leonard who is a member of the Mountshannon Arts Festival committee had known Mr Ardakov when she lived, for a time, in London. She had been working with …

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Clare musician lines up EP to aid jazz pianist’s recovery

A CLARE musician has joined forces with leading jazz figures on a new EP to raise money for a stricken colleague. In 2020, the Irish jazz scene suffered shockwaves after pianist, Phil Ware, was incapacitated by a stroke. Ware’s fellow band-members in the Phil Ware Trio, Kevin Brady (drums) and Dave Redmond (bass) have joined Danny Healy and Eamonn Linehan to present three never-before-heard songs of his (and two instrumental variations) on the forthcoming “Happy Ever After” EP. It has been issued for global download through nobetterman [Cat. No. nbm007] and The Fund For Phil from October 22 and the entire session, accompanying booklet and video are available free! The group is asking music lovers everywhere to donate what they can “to assist in financing Phil’s long and arduous return to an independent life”. A spokesperson said, “Every single donation will go to the trust fund that’s been set up by his family and friends. Visit The Fund For Phil …

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Podcast series to share wealth of Clare oral history project

THE first-ever episode of the news Cuimhneamh an Chláir podcast will go live online this weekend. The Clare Oral History Podcast, produced by Paula Carroll, will provide deep dives into the oral history archive of Cuimhneamh an Chláir, which now contains over 12 years of memories and stories collected from the county’s oldest citizens. The most surprising, interesting, informative, inspirational and moving of these stories will now be shared in a permanently accessible way, thanks to funding from The Heritage Council. The pandemic has forced many organisations to review how they work and it inspired Cuimhneamh an Chláir to find new ways to share its material. Ordinarily, the main focus would have been put on live community events where the stories recorded in an area were brought back to that area. “The pandemic has made that kind of in-community sharing  impossible in the last 18 months’, said Paula. “Older people have been isolated in their own homes – the very …

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Cooney joins leading harpists for special Ennis concert

MUSIC lovers are in for a rare treat on Saturday night when some of Ireland’s finest harpists will be joined by renowned guitarist Steve Cooney for a special concert in St Columbia’s Church, Ennis. The concert is entitled ‘Harping On’ and is presented by Clare Arts Office. The idea for the concert originated from John O’Connor of the legendary Custy’s music shop in Ennis and it is being organised by Pat Ryan Music Services. The concert features six of Ireland’s leading harpists, including Aisling Lyons, Elaine Hogan, Eimear Coughlan, Fionnuala Rooney, Lily O’Connor, and Paul Dooley. They will be playing new original music as well as music from the masters of the tradition. They will be joined by singer Cadhla Brock with Steve Cooney adding an extra layer of musical magic. Steve is a renowned musician and was recently announced as the Cumadóir na Bliana (Composer of the Year) at the Gradam Ceoil Awards. He has worked extensively with Irish harp music on his …

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Flashpoints and fallout from Civil War focus of Joe’s book

Two violent historical episodes in the years after Irish civil war are investigated by north Clare writer WHILE the Civil War ended in 1923, the division and bitterness remained for decades after. The fallout from the conflict forms the background to historian Joe Queally’s book, Echoes from a Civil War, which is about to be launched. It looks at two incidents in the years that followed; firstly the killing of Garda Thomas Dowling, a Kilkenny man, who was shot four times in Fanore on December 28, 1925, by people who ambushed him from inside a stonewall next to the graveyard in the townland of Craggagh. Four years later on June 11, 1929, in Tullycrine in the parish of Kilmurry McMahon, Garda Timothy (Tadgh) O’Sullivan, a Corkman, was blown to pieces by a bomb on the roadside. It is believed that neither man was the intended target. Joe’s exhaustive research finds the men who were supposed to be killed on the …

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Late Laura Brennan honoured with Dublin portrait

A PORTRAIT of the late Ennis health campaigner Laura Brennan has been unveiled at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Laura, who died in 2019 of cervical cancer aged just 26, worked tirelessly in her final months to promote the HPV vaccine. Laura’s portrait is the first of a health advocate who is not a doctor to be added to the RCPI’s collection. Laura’s family travelled to Dublin for the unveiling, describing the portrait as a “fitting tribute to Laura who was a truly wonderful person and is testament to her outstanding contribution to boosting the take up of the HPV vaccine in Ireland. Her legacy will continue  into the future and we are delighted to be here today in this historic building for this very special occasion.” The portrait was launched at the start of the RCPI annual flagship event, St Luke’s Symposium that focuses this year on Global Vaccination. The painting has been hung in the Stearne room in No 6 …

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West Clare traditional singer to launch debut album in Kilkee

KILKEE based traditional singer Bríd O’Riordan will unveil her debut album this week. The album, ‘Scáthán mo Shaol’ will be launched in the Greyhound Kilkee on Tuesday October 19 by legendary fiddler Kevin Burke of The Bothy Band. The album launch follows the success of single ‘Bríd Óg Ní Mháille’ featuring harmony vocals from Paul Brady, which was on the RTÉ Radio One playlist for two weeks running.  Born in Kilnamartyra, in West Cork, Bríd had a typical rural childhood, working on her father’s farm, looking after the animals, and cutting turf. Neighbours and cousins visited each other’s homes regularly, where they danced, sang songs and played music. As a child, her mother schooled her in how to sing the traditional folk songs of the area. Under her watchful eye and her keen ear, she guided Bríd as she sang at the stations in the locality. In 2017 Brid decided to compile a list of songs and record them. This list was teased out with Derek O’Sullivan, on guitar, to …

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Martin’s memoir shares a rich musical history

RENOWNED East Clare fiddle player Martin Hayes, has published an eagerly-awaited memoir detailing his remarkable musical journey. Described as “profoundly moving,” the book is entitled Shared Notes. It traces Martin’s early days learning music from his legendary father P Joe, through his meteoric rise in traditional music circles, to his modern-day collatorations and the founding of Irish-American trad sensation, The Gloaming
. Now one of Ireland’s most treasured traditional musicians, Martin, who lives in Spain, was born in Maghera. As he grew up, life revolved around the famous Tulla Céilí Band, co-founded by his father in 1946. The household was steeped in musical tradition. In a 1960s kitchen with no refrigerator, where the food came straight from the family farm, a session could start at any moment. Ireland’s greatest traditional musicians regularly turned up unannounced and were welcomed in. At the age of 13, Martin won his first of six All-Ireland Fiddle Championships. In later years, he was named TG4’s Gradam …

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