Finbar Hoban presents: Walter Mitty and the Realists

Fri, Sep 12, 2008

Finbar Hoban Presents Walter Mitty and the Realists, The Rumours with Inverter live at Bar Ritz next Saturday night September 20. A refreshingly uncompromising and intensely captivating sound, delivered with uncontained semi-psychotic live energy. Or maybe it’s just because they are good! Word of the Mitty Boys has spread quickly since their incarnation in late 2006. Their constant gigging has seen them share stages with many indie rock luminaries. Including the likes of UK giants Dirty Pretty Things and Icelands favourite electronic shoe-gazers MUM. Hotpress magazine has described them as "Talking Heads meets the Rapture", the Irish Independent says "These guys are essential viewing" .

September season in full swing at the museum

Fri, Sep 12, 2008

Invitation to participate in Christmas Food Fair
The museum staff are presently busy organising a Christmas food fair for Saturday December 13 from 11am to 5pm in the grounds of the Museum. The Education and Outreach Department will also run a number of public events on that day (e.g workshops in making decorations, gift wrapping, etc.). If you are a food producer and would like further information please contact the mueseum as soon as possible.

The Mayo Male Voice Choir back in rehearsal

Fri, Sep 12, 2008

The Mayo Male Voice Choir start the 2008/2009 season with rehearsals in the Galway/Mayo Regional College, Castlebar this Thursday the September 11 and every Thursday at 8pm. New members are always welcome; auditions take place on the first two Thursday evenings.With 46 members we now have a great sound and the future looks good. Our new repertoire includes some Irish favourites like “Danny Boy” and “The West’s Asleep”, with hits from the musicals and of course the great male voice coral numbers like “ Do You Hear the People Sing” from “Les Miserables” and “The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” from Nabucco, we are also rehearsing Handel’s famous Hallelujah Chorus. and many more excellent numbers to add to our already large repertoire. This gives our Musical Director Deirdre Lee a great challenge, which she has proved she is well capable of handling. We have also launched our new website, at www.mayomalevoicechoir.com. Please check it out and we would welcome comments.

Our first outing this year is at the big memorial service on Monday October 6 at the New TF Royal Theatre the evening prior to the opening of the Mayo Memorial Peace Park. in Castlebar on October 7. This concert / memorial service will be a massive affair with various choirs from Ballina, Kiltimagh, Castlebar, England and Germany as well as the Band of the Irish Guards from London, the Band of the Western Command, and Mayo Concert Orchestra as well various guest artists to make it an occasion not to be missed. Our Christmas programme has yet to be finalised, with members now from Ballinrobe, Swinford, Kilkelly, Ballyglass, Belcarra, Killasser, Glenisland, Clogher, Ross, and now Westport as well as Castlebar, we can expect to get invitations to the various carol performances around the county. This year we went to Hochstadt in Germany where we had a most enjoyable visit with performances in different town and cities in Bavaria, Hochstadt is twinned with Castlebar. We have yet to decide where we travel to in 2009 and are open to invitations. All in all we plan a very busy year, which will climax with our big double concert in the Linenhall, Castlebar in spring.

Something for everyone this September at the Linenhall

Fri, Sep 12, 2008

Irish language drama in the the Linenhall
Aisteoirí Chorr na Móna presents As Béal a Chéile, an evening of new Irish-language theatre, at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on Friday September 26 at 8pm. As Béal a Chéile comprises two newly written comedies in verse and traditional verse-dialogues on topical issues by Mícheál Ó Tuairisg. The emphasis is on the skilful use of witty rhymes and rhythms. Both plays present a new twist on classic themes - “the man who pretends to be dead” and the story of the miser - based on a play written by Plautus in 200BC. Presented by An Comhlachas Náisiúnta Drámaíochta.

The West’s awake in Ballina Arts Centre

Fri, Sep 12, 2008

The West Awake tour promises to rouse the weariest souls as four of Irish trad’s finest contemporary musicians delve into the rhythms and melodies of their native counties. The group Cora and Breda Smyth (fiddle, whistles), Pauline Scanlon (vocals) and Donogh Hennessy (guitar), can be heard can be heard at Ballina Arts Centre, Ballina on Wednesday September 17 at 8pm. Tickets are €12 /€10 and are available on Tel. 096 73593. Music Network tours provide a wonderful opportunity to see some of the world’s foremost music ensembles at affordable prices in venues around Ireland and are presented in association with The Irish Times and RTÉ Lyric fm.

Selma Makela exhibition at Ballina Arts Centre

Fri, Sep 12, 2008

Throughout the month of September Ballina Arts Centre will host New Work, an exhibition of paintings by Galway-based artist Selma Makela. In her work, Makela explores the boundless location of memory and experience. Often using weather phenomena, she describes an area that resists easy definition. The work created inhabits a place of silent ambiguity which prioritises an area beyond that of constructive reason. The paintings in the Ballina exhibition are a collection of distilled fragments which create endless suggested narratives and possibilities, both real and boundless.

Bonnie Tyler announces concert in the Royal Theatre

Fri, Sep 12, 2008

One of the most distinctive voices in the world of music is coming to the Royal Theatre, Castlebar on Sunday December 21. Gaynor Hopkins was born in South Wales where her father worked in a coal mine and her mother shared her love for music with her family of four girls and two boys. Having tried out the stage name of Sherene Davies in the early stages of her career, the talented youngster eventually decided to call herself Bonnie Tyler.

While Bonnie first came to prominence when her single “Lost in France” became a top ten hit in 1976, many regard her collaborations with Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman as her best work and this partnership resulted in “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. This instant classic spent four weeks at number one on the US Billboard charts and helped the LP Faster Than the Speed of Night sell over a million copies and debut at number one in the UK, where the title track also became a hit. Bonnie then recorded "Holding Out For a Hero" for the blockbuster Footloose soundtrack. A steady string of other hit singles such as “It's A Heartache" and "A Rockin' Good Way", a duet with her fellow Welsh national Shakin’ Stevens, have confirmed Bonnie as one of the most successful female recording artists in the world. Her live performances, therefore, are guaranteed to contain a catalogue of classic songs that very few artists can match. Tickets can be booked through www.royaltheatre.ie, www.ticketmaster.ie, any ticketmaster outlets nationwide or, for the price of a local call, the box office of the Royal Theatre, Castlebar at 0818 300000; this number is operational 24/7.

The Blizzards return to Royal Theatre

Fri, Aug 08, 2008

The Blizzards return this September with the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut album, A Public Display of Affection. The Domino Effect will be released this September and the Mullingar five piece will be touring the country showcasing new songs from the album,

Brendan Grace at the Diamond Coast Hotel

Fri, Aug 08, 2008

The greatest family comedian of our generation proudly presents 38 years in the comedy business and most of this time at the very top of his profession. Brendan's latest show features some brand new material and some old favourites'from his vast repertoire over the last 38 years. His sense of timing and ability to read an audience is without equal. A brilliant character actor, his “Bottler” character is legendary and is now featured at every performance. Apart from his obvious star quality in all aspects of his performance Brendan's drawing power is enormous and the “House Full” sign is the norm rather than the exception at his concerts.

Nowadays Brendan spends a considerable amount of time in Florida where he resides with his family. Despite this he still plays the Irish theatre circuit and major hotel venues and in fact still considers Ireland his first love. The genial Dubliner has a very special bond with Irish audiences and is much loved by young and old not least because he gives very generously of his time after each concert. The 'meet and greet' is now very much part and parcel of each show and Brendan's very down-to-earth approach is much appreciated by all. In more recent times Brendan has managed to attract a younger audience mainly because the content of his show is very 'Family' and also because of his hilarious appearance in Father Ted when he played the part of a drinking. smoking, troublemaker extraordinaire Father Fintan Stack. As always and especially nowadays it is advisable to secure your Brendan Grace ticket when he appears in your area. You can catch his new show with special guest Bernadette Ruddy at the Diamond Coast Hotel on Wednesday next August 13. Tickets available from hotel reception Tel 096 26000 and Hotshot Ballina, tel 096 21637

Emotional anniversary for Margo, the ‘Queen of Country and Irish’ in Castlebar

Fri, Aug 08, 2008

Exactly 40 years after the release of the record that launched her career, Margo O’Donnell will perform at the Royal Theatre Pavilion on Saturday, August 16. Margo’s first 45 rpm single Bonny Irish Boy/Dear God shot to the top of the Irish country scene in 1968. However, this hugely successful release was also tinged with huge sadness for the 17-year-old. As Margo herself explains “The week of its release my dad passed away suddenly on August 16 and so my life would never be the same again, you see for me my dad hung the moon.”

Lost Country exhibItion in the Custom House Studio

Fri, Aug 08, 2008

Lost Country is an exhibition exploring place, memory and the links between past and present by artist Feargal O’Malley. It focuses on construction of landscapes from childhood memories of time spent in Westport, and the day-to-day life of the artist growing up and as an adult in Craigavon, Northern Ireland. Certain memories come to mind even though we are located in completely differnt environments. Each piece reflects how stimulus from the artist's life in Craigavon can prompt memories of his childhood holidays in the west of Ireland and inform a visual portrayal of these memories. The resulting imagery can be somewhat idealistic, - given the dramatic changing landscape in both areas - a result of the recent housing boom. Feargal O’Malley is an artist based in Co Armagh. His exhibition runs until August 24 in the Custom House Studios Gallery which is located at the Quay in Westport and is open every day. You can call 098 28735 for more information.

Monoprint workshop

Jennifer Phelan exhibition at the Ballina Arts Centre

Fri, Aug 08, 2008

Ballina Arts Centre’s visual art exhibition programme for 2008 returns to more contemporary territory this month – following the exhibition of works by French post-impressionist Camille Lambert in July – with Constructed Drawing, an installation by young Irish artist Jennifer Phelan.

E-paper

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