Tag Archives: Kinvara

LOCKDOWN is seen through the eyes of an artist in a new exhibition, reflecting on the impact of the pandemic, which is to open next month in Kinvara. KAVA (Kinvara Area Visual Arts) member Christopher Banahan will present new work based on his lockdown diaries and his creative response to Covid-19. Supported by the prestigious Arts Council’s Covid-19 Crisis Response Award, ‘Lockdown Diary’ addresses themes of loneliness and the effects of social isolation during the lockdowns, particularly for the elderly and the vulnerable in rural communities. On the flip-side, the exhibition also considers the positive impacts of the lockdowns, such as the re-evaluation of the natural beauty of local rural settings and the joys of being surrounded by such ‘imprisoned splendour’ particularly with the fine weather of the first lockdown last year. “The experience of working in isolation comes naturally and productively for most artists but when the isolation is imposed by the government, it is a different experience altogether,” …

KINVARA Area Visual Artists (KAVA) is opening the doors of the Courthouse for an exhibition of drawings and paintings by Terri Kelleher, which contemplate the concept of home. The Ballinderreen-based artist and children’s book illustrator created most the pieces this year and last, and the exhibition, entitled ‘Home’, will run from July 23 to 30. “Most of us have spent so much time at home over the last year-and-a-half and it’s something that we have almost taken for granted,” Terri said. “The exhibition looks at how important this space is to us. It’s somewhere that we should have a sense of safety and be free to find ourselves. Home is usually the place where our loved ones are. It could be linked to our ancestral story and should be our anchor in this world. The drawings and paintings in this exhibition touch on the idea of our connection to familiar places and we often think of home as being a …

THREE enterprising young men from Seamount College in Kinvara will take part in the national final of the Student Enterprise Awards on Friday showcasing a project that gives new life to discarded wooden pallets. Michael Leahy along with his two friends Ciarán Bailey and Ross Valentine have named their business ‘Pallet Bros’. The boys, who are all 16, take unwanted pallets and turn them into hand-made items from signs and planters, to storage boxes, decorative pieces and even Christmas trees. They were inspired in their idea by The Student Enterprise Programme. “We take unwanted pallets and turn them into unique handcrafted designs,” they explained. “Our business recently won the senior category of the Galway Student Enterprise County Final and will be representing Galway in the national final.” The business was set up towards the end of last year and one of the first projects involved the creation of some novel and highly sought-after Christmas trees. “These Christmas trees were a …

A KINVARA-BASED artist has launched a charitable initiative to support the work of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) emergency fund, after her own experience of working with migrants. Anne Korff, who has volunteered herself with refugees on the Greek island of Chios, is making a series of images available for sale, with proceeds going to the international medical charity. Roses of Hope – Meditations is the name of six reproductions of Anne’s work, which are 25cm x 25cm in size, ring bound and with a hanging attachment, ready to display on a wall. Proceeds from the sale of the book, which cost just €20 each, will go to the MSF emergency fund. The series was created as a series of paintings during the coronavirus pandemic. “Throughout the lockdown periods of solitude and isolation, Anne wanted to share her artwork as a way of providing support, inspiration and nourishment for the soul. Each painting is a meditation using energy, colour and …

KINVARA-based writer and photographer, Irene Graham has released a new children’s book about newborn Irish hares. “I Am A Hare! Hanna and The Hop Family” is described by Irene as a “heartwarming tale of identity, sense of place and belonging”. Confused about their identity, thinking they could be rabbits, three adorable newborn hares discover what it means to be a wild Irish hare. One morning at about 7am a year ago, Irene saw a hare had giving birth to three leverets. Grabbing her camera, Irene photographed the first 50 minutes of their lives. Irene described this stroke of luck as “incredible” because hares usually give birth in long grass but this particular one delivered her leverets in her rose bed just outside her studio. After staying with the leverets for about 50 minutes, the mother hare left them and they crawled underneath geraniums, which were also in Irene’s rose bed. “The leverets are independent when they are born. Their eyes …

A SOUTH Galway wheelchair user has voiced his concern about the accessibility of vehicles on Local Link routes currently, and called on Minister Shane Ross to “cop on” and return the service to Clare Bus. Séamus Ó Donnacha from Kinvara, who works for Clare Crusaders in Barefield, has been using a wheelchair for 15 years, said the nature of the accessible buses currently on the routes removed independence from passengers with disabilities, and literally left them “stuck at the back of the bus”. “To my knowledge, there are some accessible buses in the fleet which are able to cater for wheelchair users,” Mr Ó Donnacha outlined. “Clare Bus had low-floor buses which meant that someone could get straight onto the bus. Now, what we have are vehicles with tail lifts at the back. That means that wheelchair user needs to be helped on board, and they’re left there away from everyone else and can’t interact with others. That’s an upsetting …

Gardaí are investigating a fatal road traffic incident following a car entering the sea at The Quay area of Kinvara at approximately 8pm last night. The driver and sole occupant of the car, a man in his late 70s, was taken to University Hospital Galway in a critical condition where he later passed away. Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information, particularly any motorists who may have been in The Quay area Kinvara between 7.45am and 8.15am who may have dash cam footage to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact Gardaí in Galway on 091 538000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

AS of this Monday, Stephen Warde from Kinvara, who was last seen in Malaysia on December 28, has still not been located. Mr Warde’s mother, Mary Morrissey travelled out to Kuala Lumpar,Malaysia over the weekend to help with the search for her son and is accompanied by two of her daughters. The Department of Foreign Affairs is is providing consular assistance and is co-operating with local police in the investigation to find his whereabouts. Stephen Warde (32) from Kinvara, Co Galway arrived in Malaysia alone on November 15 last and rented a unit at the Mercu Summer Suites along Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpar. He was last seen on December 28, a day before his tenancy was to expire. All of his belongings were still in the unit when searched by police. Police chief Assistant Commissioner Dang Wangi Shaharuddin Abdullah said, “Investigations are ongoing.” “He was supposed to check out from the unit on December 29, but did not …