Arts & Culture

The Really Truly Joyful Ennis Gospel Choir are on song for a post Covid return. The popular choir are relaunching their programme and they are currently recruiting new members. The choir will be holding an open night on Thursday, February 9 at 7.30pm in the Chapel Lane Community Hall in Ennis. There are no formal auditions as such required to join the choir, but you do need to have a basic singing ability and a willingness to sing. “If you’ve ever wanted to join a choir, make new friends and have a bit of fun through the medium of music, then we are the group for you,” says director Fiona Walsh. “There’s no formal audition, just come along to our open night. We are quite a friendly, inclusive bunch, exuding enthusiasm and joy wherever we go ……and that’s why we’re called the Really Truly Joyful Ennis Gospel Choir. This spring we are developing a show that we plan to take …

CLARE musicians have banded together to show their support for the Irish Red Cross’ ongoing humanitarian work in Ukraine. A fundraising night of music has been organised in Ennis with performances by Isolated Frequency, U Can Dance and Patrick Roche along with some special guests. The event, in Treacy’s West County Hotel, will take place on Friday, February 10 starting at 9pm with people urged put on their dancing shows and enjoy a night of music while supporting a worthy cause. The fundraiser has been organised by a committee including Nigel Devine, Steve Flaherty, Katie Devine, Mayor of Ennis Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy and Deputy Mayor Councillor Mary Howard. Nigel tells us they were moved to do something having seen the effects the war has had on the people of Ukraine. “We have all seen the pictures on TV and how the whole world has been affected by what is going on in Ukraine. It’s always the innocent that suffer. …

THE second Wings Music Festival will be held in Shannon over the course of a week from February 20-26. It follows the initial festival which was held last June, and organiser Damian O’Rourke said that holding it before the summer could see an even greater level of local interest and engagement. “There’s a lot going on in the summer. The winter is a good time for it, with the dark evenings you might have more people who would like to go to a gig and get involved in something,” he told The Champion. “When it’s the summer people might want to head off, whereas in the winter it’s more suited to indoor gigs. “I was a big fan of the Winter Music Festival in Sixmilebridge. That was at the end of January, I loved that vibe and I’m trying to pull a few bits from what they created and bring it to Shannon. “I hope they come back. I didn’t …

COMMUNITY groups in Clare are hosting a Culture Exchange afternoon in glór on Bank Holiday Monday, February 6 to celebrate St Brigid’s Day. “This is the first St Bridget’s Day Bank Holiday and we want to make it memorable,” said Michelle Nolan, of Clare Local Development Company, one of the organisations alongside Women’s Collective Ireland – Clare, Mna Ag Gaire Women’s Shed and Respond who are organising the gathering of communities from all over Clare. “This event will have something for everyone and all are welcome,” said Hilary Tonge of Mna Ag Gaire Women’s Shed. There will be, stories of St Brigid from Ruth Marshall, singing from Mary Frances Keenan and Yvonne Ketwa music from Los Paddy’s, interactive art workshops with Aine O’Brien.     There will be cultural performances from around the world, art exhibits and face painting for children. Those in attendance will get to sample teas and food from around the world. “In preparation for the event …

‘ECUMENICAL craic’ of all kinds has been promised, as the world-famous homage to comedy classic Fr Ted returns to Inis Mór. TedFest will be back in early March for devotees of the hit Channel 4 comedy, much of which was shot in North Clare. The largest of the Aran Islands is set to be transformed once again into the legendary ‘Craggy Island’, from March 2, for a weekend of high-jinx.  “Copious cups of tea and sandwiches, a lot of red tank-tops, nuns on the run, priests on the pull, mad-cap costumes and of course a bishop getting a kick up the arse,” have been promised by organisers, as one of Ireland’s best loved TV shows is celebrated with gusto. “Visitors will enjoy all the ecumenical craic that Craggy Island has to offer and the official programme has now been announced for the biggest ever Tedfest,” they added. Highlights include the annual ‘Lovely Girls Competition’, ‘Blind Date with Eoin McLove’, ‘King of …

EUROVISION hopeful Adgy will be cheered on by his Clare family this Friday as he battles it out for the chance to represent Ireland at the 67th annual song contest. Singer-songwriter Andrew Carr, who performs as Adgy, is among those who will be performing on the The Late Late Eurosong 2023 Special for the chance to perform in the finals in Liverpool this May. The Donegal performer has strong connections to the Banner County. He is the grandson of the late Mary Carr nee Sullivan, who originally came from Boreen in Ennis before moving to Hermitage. She then emigrated to England where she met Andrew Carr who she married, later returning to Ireland to Andrew’s native Donegal. Mary’s brother Jimmy Sullivan still lives Ennis as well as having other relatives in the county. Tony Fenton, Adgy’s second cousin who lives in Ennis, tells us all of his relations in Clare are looking forward to seeing him perform, and they wish …

A NEW arts collective in Gort is celebrating the nation’s latest Bank Holiday with a series of events in the town. Gort Arts Collective is hosting a series of events to celebrate the new St. Brigid’s bank holiday between February 4 and 5 with events including a procession, an outdoor large-scale projection onto the town’s courthouse, an art exhibition, and theatre performances. The Gort Arts Collective, a group of 40 artists who work in a variety of art forms: painting, sculpture, the written word, and filmmaking aims to bring the community together to celebrate old traditions and create new ones through the medium of the arts. Noreen Scully from the group said, “Ours is an old Irish market town that enjoys a rich and diverse cultural community – and it’s important for everyone in the town to feel that they belong. “The arts are a great way to do this and Brigid is the perfect opportunity. Brigid was a saint, …

SWEET music will ring out once again around the historic village of Kilfenora, when some of the finest local and national players and singers gather there from April 21 to 24. In just over two months’ time, the village will stage the 14th annual Kilfenora Traditional Music Festival. The hugely anticipated event first got underway in 2009 in tandem with the 100th anniversary of the Kilfenora Céilí Band. As always, this year’s programme will include a wealth of great concerts, céilíthe, CD launches, pub sessions and a young musicians’ workshop. The main concert will be staged on the night of Saturday, April 22. This year, the event features a mighty array of talent and All-Ireland winners, including Órlaith McAuliffe, Daithí Gormley, Dylan Carlos and Brian McGrath, supported by three fine singers – Katie Theasby, Kathleen Lynch and Theresa Garrihy, plus an award-winning young musician from the 2022 Meitheal Summer School. Tickets are €20 and will be available online as well as in various …