Take a trip down memory lane with Gina, Dale Haze and the Champions

Fri, Oct 08, 2010

Irish showband Gina, Dale Haze and the Champions take a trip down memory lane when they play The Royal Theatre Castlebar on Saturday, October 23 with doors at 7pm and show at 8pm. Take to The Floor at the Royal Theatre is the new after show dancing experience and takes place in the main hall and is included in the ticket price on selected show nights.

The group, originally from Cork, consisted of a four-piece backing band and two lead singers (Gina and Dale Haze). Female lead Gina (real name Mary Hurley) took the vocal duties on most of the singles, while male lead Dale Haze (real name Gerdie MacKey) continued a parallel solo career. Members of the backing group were Pat Walshe, Mossey Walshe, Eddie Fitzgerald, and Tony Hornibrooke.

Niall Teague and the Fast Company launch new album

Fri, Oct 08, 2010

Matt Molloy’s in Westport will be the venue for the launch of Niall Teague and the Fast Company’s new album on Saturday week October 17. Teague is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist originally from Belfast, but now residing in Galway and since he moved to the west he has built quite a reputation in the music circles in the city.

Jools Holland is coming to town this month

Fri, Oct 08, 2010

Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra are coming to Castlebar for a special one off performance in The Royal Theatre Castlebar October 21. A composer, pianist, bandleader, and broadcaster, Jools Holland is a man of many talents. At the age of eight he could play the piano fluently by ear, and by the time he reached his early teens he was proficient and confident enough to be appearing regularly in many of the pubs in southeast London and the East End Docks.

Hardy Bucks make the step up to the small screen

Fri, Oct 08, 2010

When Hardy Bucks won StoryLand, RTÉ's drama competition, last year, the web series became an online phenomenon, with three million hits, and an instant word-of-mouth favourite. Next week, the Hardy Bucks will be moving from the computer screen to the small screen when RTÉ Two broadcast the first of a three part Hardy Bucks series on Tuesday October 12.

Filmed in Swinford, Hardy Bucks follows the lives of four lazy but likeable lads from the fictional Castletown. Hardy Bucks explores life in small town Ireland for a group of 20 something slacker lads and their attempts to find the craic wherever that may be. Despite the economic downturn, life in Castletown, Co Mayo, has not changed much for 20 something Eddie Durkan. When things start to go belly up his friends Buzz, French Toast, and Boo are there to give him advice and help him find the craic despite local drug dealer The Viper always trying to get one over on him. Written by and starring Martin Moloney as Eddie Durkan and Chris Tordoff as The Viper, and also written by and produced by Mike Cockayne, Hardy Bucks features Peter Cassidy, Owen Colgan and Tom Kilgallon, plus an eclectic cast of extras from Swinford and beyond.

Autumn colour in this year’s Westport Arts Festival

Fri, Oct 01, 2010

This year’s Westport Arts Festival sets to light up the autumn evenings with several colourful events, from October 1 to 10. The festival’s big international event is the circus theatre of Cirque Trottola. This is a first-time Irish visit for the beautiful circus company which performs to sell-out shows all over Europe.

Top songwriters at this year’s Westport Arts Festival

Fri, Oct 01, 2010

Westport Arts Festival has announced the addition of two notable music acts to this year’s October line up. Fionn Regan has already stimulated interest in Ireland and abroad, garnering nominations for the Irish Choice music award and the internationally acclaimed British Mercury music prize. Regan’s acoustic-based music has been compared favourably to Bob Dylan, both in terms of poetic lyrics and for moving from finger-plucking acoustics in his first album The End Of History, to a fuller sound in Shadow of an Empire. His abilities as a wordsmith are evident with music that is laced with metaphors and analogies. He is an accomplished performer and includes this year’s Glastonbury among his many performances.

Western Care fundraising night

Fri, Oct 01, 2010

Cáirde Crann Mór are holding a night of entertainment Irish style featuring music, singing, comedy, and sean nós dancing in the Roundfort Community Centre Saturday October 9, commencing at 8pm.

RoolaBoola 2010: The fun is about to begin

Fri, Oct 01, 2010

Sleeping dragons, Jack and the Beanstalk, a very hungry caterpillar, a man who planted trees, and a fish who wants to be human. It can mean only one thing — RoolaBoola is here again. The annual children’s arts festival is back with a vibrant programme of shows, workshops, drop-in events, and more for young people of all ages, and lots of fun for the whole family too, over the October Bank Holiday weekend from Friday 22 to Monday October 25 at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar.

Ballinrobe Musical Society reach for the stars again

Fri, Oct 01, 2010

Ballinrobe Musical Society have launch their new production for 2011, the revised world première of Come The Dawn, written and composed by Peter Kennedy. Kennedy has been with the society for some 13 years as producer/choreographer; however this will be the first time the society has undertaken one of Peter's own shows. As the society had been so warmly received and rewarded for the efforts of The Pirate Queen earlier this year, it was felt that it was important to continue telling our stories.

Republic of Loose to be let loose in the Royal Theatre

Fri, Oct 01, 2010

Republic of Loose will release their fourth album Bounce At The Devil next week.

The Grand Tour is coming to the Royal

Fri, Oct 01, 2010

It’s the show that sold out 20 consecutive nights when it first hit the circuit in January 2010 and now three of the most successful artists in Ireland have come together for another tour and it is coming to The Royal Theatre on October 20.

Double Vision at the Custom House Studios

Fri, Oct 01, 2010

Double Vision is a show of work by past and present students of art and design at GMIT Castlebar. Since it was established in 2000, the course has enriched the artistic experience of many people living in Mayo and beyond, who have taken advantage of this opportunity to engage locally with art on an academic level.

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