Arts & Culture

LOCKDOWN has been put to good use by Mounthsannon musician and researcher Cliodhna Donnellan, who took advantage of the period to record a debut album and to revisit a CD released in memory of her late father. “For everybody involved in the arts, this has been a very different year,” said Cliodhna. “The slow down gave me an opportunity to just go for it in terms of the album and I recorded it in six weeks. It was probably at the back of my mind for two years though.” Finding time for a solo project was all the more important, given Cliodhna’s recent PhD studies at the University of Limerick (UL) and her long stint with the Mountshannon Trad Festival. “I was working part-time and studying at UL, looking at how traditional musicians can enhance their own performance experience,” she explained. “In terms of the festival, I had established that and coordinated it for ten years and it was winding …

A KILLER stalking the world famous Camino de Santiago, and picking off pilgrims for who-knows-what gruesome purposes, is the central character in a new novel penned by Ennis man Anthony Galvin. An author, actor and children’s entertainer, Anthony has a rich and varied life experience to drawn on for a series of crime novels set in far-flung and glamorous locations. Already well-known for his appearances, which bring joy to children across the country, the Cork resident has also clocked up more than 20 winters in Arctic Finland, working closely with none other than Santa Claus. While crime writing might seem to be something of a departure from his ‘day job,’ Anthony sees it as an exploration of other aspects of his creative impulses. And, it is certainly not his first foray into publishing. The gregarious Banner man has clocked up a string of factual books, many of which focus on crime and history. “Around eight to ten years ago, I …

WHITEGATE marked the legacy of the Scariff Martyrs on the 100th anniversary of their capture at Williamstown House on the shores of Lough Derg. A wreath was laid last Sunday at the house of Michael Egan, the caretaker of the stately home who, despite being tortured by British forces, steadfastly refused to give away the hiding place of Brud McMahon, Alphie Rodgers and Martin Gildea. The three has been on the run since an attack on the Scariff RIC Barracks that September and sought shelter at the secluded house. Another wreath was laid on the grounds of the house itself, which now stands in ruins, with short orations from local historian Tommy Holland and from Dr Tomás Mac Conmara. On Monday, the centenary of the martyr’s capture, the church bell rang out in Whitegate at 9.30am, the exact time the men were discovered and taken to Killaloe for questioning. Children from Lakyle National School were present for a socially-distanced ceremony …

A MUSICAL challenge in memory of the late Caher woman, Eimear Noonan, has gone viral, attracting over 400 online performances, across all genres and styles. Carpe Diem Sing and Play: Remembering Eimear has also raised thousands of Euro for a bursary for music students, which is taking applications up until this Saturday. The online challenge was the brainchild of Eimear’s brother Michael and driven by a dedicated team involving family and friends, who have marked, in an extra special way, the third anniversary of the young musician’s untimely passing. “The response across the globe has been phenomenal,” said Eimear’s mother, Mary. “The purpose of Carpe Diem is to support music education and performance and was given a whole new audience as talented young players, together with seasoned musicians and household names, shared their gift of art and music-making for two wonderful lockdown weeks, this November. The music continues to roll in as over 150 performances have yet to be shared. …

WITH the normally vibrant amateur drama circuit among the casualties of pandemic restrictions, a new creative initiative aims to bring some of the best local acting, writing and directing talent to the airwaves early next year. Scariff Bay Community Radio together with The Clare Drama Festival have launched the inaugural Clare Drama Radio Play Festival, which will be broadcast on the community station in the spring. The station will also work with local national schools to bring short plays, written by pupils, to the airwaves. The Clare Drama Festival is one of the most popular and longest-running in Ireland and its loss, along with the cancellation of all other theatrical events, has been a huge loss to East Clare. “The amateur drama circuit like so many other cultural activities has been in hibernation since March this year,” said Eoin O’Hagan, PRO of Scariff Bay Community Radio. “Several festivals had been up and running and with the lockdown were forced to …

THE working from home revolution, prompted by the pandemic, has inspired a creative trio to make the move to the Banner county, where they hope to breathe new life into a much-loved North Clare venue. Kymann Power, Áine Leech and Diarmaid Keane who are all digital creatives, with a strong interest in arts, culture and music, have made Daly’s in Ennistymon their new home. The three have been reaching out to musicians and those in the arts with a view to using their digital skills to support them in finding new audiences online and on social media. “Before the pandemic, I was working from home in Dublin,” explained Áine, a Westmeath native. “I was tired of looking at the four walls and got out just before lockdown.” Clare was the destination of choice according to Kymann. “I had travelled here with Áine a few times and when we were looking for a base in the west of Ireland, we happened …

O’CALLAGHAN’S Mills’ artist Thomas Delohery continues to draw success since moving to Australia. He has been named as a finalist in the prestigious M16 Artspace Drawing Prize for his drawing of Australian actor Anthony La Paglia, which he did from life. Thomas describes his naming on the finalist list as “amazing”. Explaining how his award nominated art work came about he says, “Anthony is best known for Without a Trace and Bad Blood, etc. I met Anthony late in 2019 and did some drawings from life. Anthony was a pleasure to meet and draw in person. The selected piece is called, ‘Australian Actor Anthony La Paglia. In Conversation about our Fathers’. The artwork be on display at the M16 Artspace in Canberra from November 26, when the winner will be announced. The M16 Artspace Drawing Prize, established in 2006 has become an acclaimed event and attracts a number of high calibre entries from across Australia. A wide array of work is …

FIVE-years old Clare student artist, Kate Moran, from Nicola Art Class, Ennis, has won a top prize in this year’s 66th Texaco Children’s Art Competition for her work entitled ‘My Daisy’. Kate won a Special Merit Award for an artwork that final adjudicator, Professor Declan McGonagle said, “was imaginative and displayed a high level of skill”. With the onset of Covid-19, the competition had to be extended over a longer period this year with delays to the final adjudication process and the announcement of winners. As a result, activities normally undertaken during April and May, traditionally, the introduction of winners to the media and the formal presentation of prizes, had to be set aside as a consequence of which prizes will be delivered by hand without the possibility of an awards ceremony.