Westport Arts Festival is under way

Fri, Oct 05, 2012

Launched on Monday evening by Minister Jimmy Deenihan, the 37th Westport Arts Festival is under way. Providing its typically quirky and diverse line-up of acts, it spans two full weeks this year, from October 1 to 14, with something on offer for all ages and tastes. If you are looking for something to do this weekend there is lots to chose from.

Gorilla Radio back to rock Brennan’s Lane

Fri, Oct 05, 2012

Gorilla Radio are a four piece rock band from Mayo/Roscommon and Wexford. Members are Noel Kenny, Paul Newell (Ballina), Seanie Walsh (Ballina), and Joey Kennedy. They have been together for a few years now and have already built up a huge following all over the country. You can catch them in Brennan’s Lane in Ballina tonight, Friday, October 5. For more info check out www.facebook.com/gorillaradiolive

Titanic show comes to Belmullet

Fri, Oct 05, 2012

A new Irish music, song, and drama show about the Titanic will be staged by the newly formed Conniras performance group in Áras Inis Gluaire tomorrow, October 6. This show is called An Emigrants Farewell and will start at 8.30pm and admission is €10. The show tells the fictional story of an American wake for four sisters from Lahardane on the night before their big journey on the Titanic. The troupe which takes its performers from the barony of Erris to the shores of Lough Conn, have been invited to represent Ireland in a trip to America in October 2012. They are staging a series of fund raising shows to promote the work of the group and to fund their trip to Boston and Pittsfield.

Branar coming to Roolaboola

Fri, Oct 05, 2012

The evenings are drawing in, Halloween is just around the corner, and there’s a buzz of activity at the Linenhall Arts Centre that can mean only one thing. RoolaBoola, the Linenhall’s annual children’s arts festival is back for its 15th year of fun and creativity over the October Bank Holiday Weekend. It is a festival that has established itself as a firm favourite not just for young people but also their families. The success of RoolaBoola is down to imaginative programming that seeks to deliver the very best experience to audiences and workshop participants.

Monsieur Lazhar next up for Westport Film Club

Fri, Sep 28, 2012

Next up for Westport Flim Club is the 2012 Oscar nominated film, Monsieur Lazhar. This film is in the French language with English subtitles. Based on Evelyne de la Cheneliere’s 2002 one man play Bachir Lazhar, Monsieur Lazhar is a touching exploration of deep and painful issues such as death, injustice, and grief, which are carefully handled by director Philippe Falardeau with a gentle sensitivity and maturity that results in a moving film. Following the tragic suicide of a popular teacher in a Montreal public grade school, Algerian immigrant Bachir Lazhar presents himself at the principal’s office as a candidate for her replacement, claiming to have 19 years’ teaching experience. Immediately likeable, with his warm smile and kind eyes, Bachir’s character is compassionate and complex, ultimately helping his class come to terms with what has happened, allowing them to develop not only academically, but also emotionally.

Des Bishop is coming back to Castlebar

Fri, Sep 28, 2012

Des Bishop is back, he likes to bang the drums, and he is not afraid to show it. Combining his love of hip hop, strong jokes, audience participation, and a new-found passion for drumming, Des has fun with wordplay in his new stand-up show.

Wilde classic come to the stage in Castlebar

Fri, Sep 28, 2012

London Classic Theatre presents its wonderful new production of Oscar Wilde’s comedic classic The Importance of Being Earnest to the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar for two special performances on Monday, October 8 and Tuesday, October 9 at 8pm.

Afternoon of classical sounds coming to Westport

Fri, Sep 28, 2012

Violinist Catherine Leonard and pianist Hugh Tinney will visit Westport on Sunday 7 October for an afternoon concert at 4pm in Holy Trinity Church as part of Westport Arts Festival. Their programme artfully combines two Beethoven sonatas (No.6 and the "Kreutzer" Sonata) with Westport born Raymond Deane’s “Parthenia Violata” and Ravel’s Sonata in G major.

Catherine Leonard and Hugh Tinney, two of Ireland's foremost musicians with highly successful solo careers in Ireland and internationally, have performed as a duo since 2000. As well as participating in many festivals, they have toured in Ireland, Finland and Sweden and in 2010, they performed to great acclaim on a Camerata Pacifica tour of Los Angeles and the US West Coast.

WhistleBlast Quartet in Ballinrobe Community School

Fri, Sep 28, 2012

The WhistleBlast Quartet – Ken Edge (saxophones and clarinet), Mary Curran (French horn), Síle Daly (oboe and cor anglais) and Andrew Synnott (piano) – return for the new school year with another series of three-day outreach/recital programmes in Mayo. The quartet has been successful in applying for a Arts Council Travel and Training grant to bring internationally acclaimed music facilitator Tim Steiner to Mayo to work with the quartet in providing secondary school and youth in-training. Tim Steiner will also be joining the quartet for its first programme of the school year with the pupils of Ballinrobe Community School.

Rhyme, Rant and Rann in Castlebara

Fri, Sep 28, 2012

Tall tales, splendid songs, and wickedly wise words. Three of Ireland’s finest performers, Theo Dorgan, Jack Lynch, and Len Graham conspire to delight you with Rhyme, Rant and Rann, an entertaining evening of great songs and heart-warming stories at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on Wednesday, October 3 at 8pm.

More than a thousand cuppas served, with many laughs, toe-taps, and fever-pitch football at the Royal last weekend

Fri, Sep 28, 2012

The Royal Hotel and Theatre enjoyed an action-packed weekend when all hands were on deck for four very successful events. For the crew at the Royal the weekend kicked off on Thursday morning when more than 1,000 cuppas were served to a large audience at the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Coffee Morning in association with Midwest Radio and The Royal Theatre. The audience were also treated to music and theatre performances throughout the morning, including a scene from the hugely popular It’s The Real McCoy.

Sense of Place to be opened next week

Fri, Sep 28, 2012

Sense of Place, a curated exhibition presented in association with Ballinglen Arts Foundation, opens on Friday week, October 5. The Linenhall Arts Centre’s annual visual art exhibition for children features the work of artists working in media including paint, photography and sculpture. The show has been curated by the Linenhall’s community arts team, from the collection at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation. Over several visits, artists Breda Burns, Marian McHale, Jodi Coyne, and Rachel McDonnell, assisted by Patricia Halligan, selected a series of works to capture the imagination of younger viewers and offer them the opportunity to explore the theme in depth. Throughout the month of October they will deliver gallery tours and workshops to school groups. Booking for these tours is essential and can be done by calling, 094 9023733.

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