Arts & Culture

The Arts Council today (Wednesday) said it would invest over €210,000 in Clare-based organisations with a proven track record of delivering great arts experiences for people all over the county and beyond. A total of four organisations successfully applied for funding. Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy is a nationally significant event, involving the transmission of all aspects of the traditional arts, with an emphasis on high quality tuition. It also provides multiple opportunities for the public to engage in the traditional arts. Glór Irish Music Centre is an arts resource for Ennis and Clare. It produces work with network partners and hosts multi-disciplinary touring work. It organises a programme of arts engagement with the community. Clare County Council will also receive a grant of €63,000 for its arts service. In addition to this support, the Arts Council will be making significant funding available throughout the year for touring, projects and bursaries for talented artists. The Arts Council, the government agency tasked …

LOCAL woman Lou McMahon will be singing at Sixmilebridge’s Winter Music Weekend. “I’m playing on January 18 in the Mill Bar for the grand finale concert. Before that, during the day, I’m at singers’ session,” she said last week. Regarding her music, she said, “I’m a singer/songwriter and I’d consider myself to be in the contemporary folk genre. I’ve been playing for a number of years and I’m just off tour with Jack L. I was support act. “Musically, my influences are mostly American folk songwriters; people like Joni Mitchell and I always liked PJ Harvey. Also, country singers like Alison Krauss, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, all the old songwriters. Then the newer ones like Bill Callahan on Anna Calvi or Maggie Bjorklund, that kind of thing.” The tour with Jack L saw her visiting many parts of the country. “I was doing that for most of 2012 and ’13. I was gigging with him in arts …

MORE than 1,000 people are expected to flock to Bunratty and Sixmilebridge for the annual Shannonside Winter Music Festival and visitors to Bunratty Castle & Folk Park will be in for some special performances as part of the line-up. The castle and folk park will play host a number of events on Saturday, January 17, from 12noon to 5pm, giving its visitors a flavour of all that the international music event has to offer. Each year, the Winter Music Festival showcases a variety of music genres and has been growing year-on-year both in popularity and in the diversity of the acts. For the fourth year-in-a-row, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park will play host to the best of this year’s talent across five venues. The acts change every hour and perform a 45 minute set each. John Ruddle, CEO of Shannon Heritage, which manages and operates Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, said, “It never ceases to amaze me how, each year, …

THE committee of the Shannon Archaeological and Historical Society visited Áras an Uachtaráin last month, taking up an invitation from President Michael D Higgins. They made the trip to Dublin on December 17 and to mark the visit, the chairman of the society, John O’Brien presented the President with a collection of editions of the society’s journal, The Other Clare and a specially commissioned silver tie pin featuring a Poulnabrone motif, which was designed and crafted by Gleeson Goldsmiths of Shannon. The society’s outings organiser, Pat Costello was one of those who travelled and he said he felt the invite arose because of the President’s interest in local history. “First and foremost, I think it was an interest in the journal, the work of the society and so forth. Many years ago, John O’Brien [the chairman] and myself would have met him and he has a big interest in County Clare. We had sent him copies of the journal to …

Kilkishen Cultural Centre is delighted to launch into 2015 with a performance by Frankie Gavin and De Dannan on Saturday January 3 at 8.30pm. For many years traditional super group De Dannan were the forerunners in the Irish traditional music world but after 33 years, 14 albums and a number of changes in the line up, the group disbanded in 2003.  A new De Dannan was formed by original founding member and world famous fiddle player Frankie Gavin which in his own words “will reflect a De Dannan of the 21st century”. The new De Dannan line up is led by original De Dannan member Frankie Gavin on fiddle, flutes and whistles, Barry Brady on accordion, Colm O’Caoimh on Guitar and Vocals, Paul O’Driscoll on Double bass and vocals and with Michelle Lally on vocals. Frankie Gavin is the most celebrated Irish fiddle player of all time and has performed and recorded with rock legends The Rolling Stones, Jazz Legend …

THE Voice of Ireland may have found an Ennis voice to represent County Clare ahead of the screening of Sarah McTernan’s audition in the New Year. The popular singing competition returns for a fourth season on Sunday January 4 on RTÉ One where the coaching panel made up of Una Foden and Rachel Stevens, Kian Egan and Bressie will determine who gets a spot in the series. Among those who are due to go on stage to perform in blind auditions in front of them is Sarah McTernan from Ennis. The 20 year old is currently studying vocals and dance at the University of Limerick and she will sing Who You Are by Jessie J for her audition. Speaking about her passion for music and reasons for going on the show, the Ennis woman says her Mum has always pushed her to sing and play instruments. However, she says she has only recently started gigging and writes some of her …

Canadian TV personality and travel writer Frank Greco has been visiting Clare and Ireland, to film for his popular show ‘The Travel Guy’, as a guest of Tourism Ireland in Toronto. The special Ireland episode, which will be seen in millions of households in Canada and elsewhere around the world, will include footage of many of the county’s top visitor attractions – including the Cliffs of Moher, Loop Head Lighthouse, the Music Makers of West Clare in Miltown Malbay, and a traditional Irish music session at McGann’s Pub in Doolin. During their time here, the crew stayed at Crotty’s Pub and B&B in Kilrush and Hotel Doolin. ‘The Travel Guy’ series is broadcast on many networks across the world including Discovery World HD (Canada), the Back9 Lifestyle Network (United States), Asia Television Network, Japan Television and U7 (Russia) – reaching millions of potential holidaymakers for Ireland. Dana Welch, Tourism Ireland’s manager for Canada, said: “We are delighted that Frank Greco …

CLARE could be tuning up for a €30 million Fleadh Cheoil windfall in 2016, after a bid to secure the return festival to the Banner County got a major boost. Efforts to host the lucrative 2016 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann competition in Ennis got a significant shot in the arm after a submission from the local branch defeated Cork City by 11 votes to nine. For the first time ever, counties have to submit their plans for hosting the event and Clare’s bid, which was in the name of the Abbey branch in Ennis, triumphed, with two votes to spare. It is expected a final decision on the current shortlist will be made next March. Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann was last held in Ennis in 1977. People always remember the 1956 Fleadh too, made famous by the Robbie McMahon song, The Fleadh Down in Ennis. Ennis is now in a three-horse race involving Sligo, who are hosting the All-Ireland showpiece …