Tag Archives: Eoin O’Hagan

Community shares ideas to make ‘heart of town beat again’ with help of state redevelopment fund AN EXPLORATORY meeting on the possible regeneration of the old Astor Cinema building in Scariff heard hopes that “the heart of the town may soon beat again”. The Zoom gathering was convened last Saturday night by community activist Eoin O’Hagan, former chair of Clare Tourism. Mr O’Hagan is the driving force behind a bid to make a large-scale application to the Department of Rural and Community Development. Earlier this month, government unveiled a plan to reinvigorate rural Ireland by transforming disused derelict buildings into remote working hubs and community venues. He outlined how the venue, if redeveloped, could even accommodate a performance stage capable of catering to audiences inside and outside of the building. “A stage that could be opened to the outdoors could cater for festivals of all kinds. This could be a truly flexible venue for all kinds of groups and events,” …

AWARD winners have been revealed in the very first Clare Drama Radio Play Festival which concluded its hugely successful run on Easter Sunday night. The initiative involved groups from around the country sending their pre-recorded short dramas to Scariff Bay Community Radio (SBCR) who broadcast a feast of radio plays in collaboration with Clare Drama Festival. Ranked in first place for their production of When I Was God was the Kilmeen Drama Group, who received the The Alan Sparling Perpetual Trophy. The Clonakilty-based group beat off stiff competition from six other short-listed companies, including the Doonbeg Drama Group and the Sliabh Aughty Drama Group. The award for direction also went to Kilmeen with Denis O’Sullivan taking that prize. The title of Best Actress went to Muriel Caslin O’Hagan from Balally Players, for her role as Marion in Pizzazz, while Best Supporting Actress went to Lasairfhíona Kennedy for her role as Tríona in Manic Monday with the Sliabh Aughty Drama Group. …

IMAGINE a typical rural shopkeeper in the Ireland of yesteryear. “I picture him wearing a brown shop coat with ballpoint pens in his top pocket,” says actor and journalist, Jim O’Brien of Ogonnelloe. “He lives over the shop, and the shop is his life.” Now imagine that his merchandise is of a very specialised variety. This shopkeeper’s trade is not in groceries or other domestic essentials. His customers come from far and wide to purchase accoutrements of every kind, from small nuclear weapons to solar-powered chainsaws. All of them are tailored to the client’s exact needs. The only thing that links them is the fact they are all ‘plot unblocking devices’. This is the kind of shop – or rather ‘emporium’ – that is at the heart of an award-winning radio play recently produced and aired on Scariff Bay Community Radio. Its writer Tara Sparling devised the fantastical plot in a post on her popular blog (Tarasparling.com) and was encouraged …

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 …

SCARIFF Bay Community Radio will broadcast a co-production with the award-winning Sliabh Aughty Drama Group at 2pm on Sunday, with a repeat broadcast at 7pm. Entitled Mr McGuffin’s Plot Device and Writer Unblocking Emporium, the play is directed by Ruth O’Hagan, written by Tara Sparling and produced, engineered and edited by Eoin O’Hagan. The play is described as “innovative and hilarious play”. It is hoped that, with the cancellation of the annual drama circuit events, this could inspire other amateur groups to write and perform plays for radio. Ahead of the broadcast Ruth O’Hagan and Tara Sparling will be interviewed on Saturday Chronicle at 11.30am. The station, which covers East Clare is available on 88.3FM and 97.2FM; online at scariffbayradio.com; and on the TuneIn app.

CELEBRATIONS will get under way on air and in-studio this Saturday as Scariff Bay Community Radio marks its fifth birthday. The station, which recently had its licence renewed by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), has been broadcasting to the East Clare community every weekend for half a decade, covering fairs and festivals, events and activities to a high standard, from studio and on location, thanks to a team of up to 30 volunteers. Said station PRO, Eoin O’Hagan, “Since our first broadcast we have grown as a station and introduced dozens of people to the joys of broadcasting. Our programming has grown from six hours on Saturday to 12 to 15 hours on both weekend days”. A diverse programming schedule includes live debate, music, sport, community news and documentary and the team is currently working on a radio drama to air shortly. “Our audience has been educated, informed and, most importantly, entertained with an eclectic mix of sports, music and …

AFTER outstanding service to the communities of East Clare during the lockdown, Scariff Bay Community Radio has been awarded a second one hundred day FM licence by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). The station is also pursuing plans to open new studios in O’Callaghan’s Mills, Tulla and Killaloe in the near future. The licence came into effect last Monday, and once again allows the station to broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am on both 88.3FM and 92.7FM, throughout the east of the county. The station will also continue to stream all shows on-line and on its website scariffbayradio.com, as well as on the Tune In app for smart devices and phones. Led by Chairman Jim Collins, the roster of 30 volunteers has continued to present its shows during the Covid-19 crisis. Using a range of remote working technologies, they have broadcast to the local communities and a wide diaspora abroad. Hosting shows and interviewing guests using social media including WhatsApp, Zoom, Facebook and …