What's On

The idea behind the exhibition is that a selection of poems were given to the artists and the artists picked a poem which they liked and used it as the catalyst in the creation of their painting.  At the exhibition the poem which inspired the artist will be displayed next to the art work.  The title for the exhibition "To be or Naught To Be is Written in Sand" is an excerpt from a Patrick Stack poem called ROTA.

Altogether there are approximately 10 poets, three women poets and the rest are male.  All of these poets and artists live in Co. Clare.

A moving story of four generations of women in one family in the midlands. Centred on the figure of The Mai, a forty-year-old woman, struggling to save her marriage and the happiness of herself and her children, the play explores how history repeats itself - no matter how tragic the results.

• Director: Paul Corey
• The Mai: Maeve Plunkett
• Mille: Sinead Finn
• Grandma Fraochlán : Rita Brady
• Robert: Jackie Scanlon
• Beck:  Saoirse Byrne
• Connie: Emer O’Flaherty
• Julie: Kathleen McMahon
• Agnes: Tara Manning

Get a sneak peek of the show here.

Ennis Players are an amateur theatre group based in Co. Clare who have been competing on both the 1-Act & Full Length festival circuits since the mid-1980s and won their first Confined All-Ireland in 1995, with Alan Ayckbourn’s Round and Round the Garden. In the 2001/2002 season Ennis Players had the distinction of being the holders of two All-Ireland trophies, for their productions of James McLure’s 1-Act play ‘Lone Star’ & Martin McDonagh’s full-length play ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’. Ennis has had a Theatre Group since the 1940s but the current Group has been in existence since the 1970s and have enjoyed considerable success with their productions at local, national and international level.

Nolan & Lambe @ glór will be open on the evening and you can opt for a 2 course supper before the event for just €16.50.  This may be booked with box office directly on online here.

"Rynne forms Notify into a raffish, lateral-thinking delight. 1980s funk intersects with freewheeling improv to often startling effect, with the concertina proving its mettle as an able dealer in a world where groove is king."
Siobhan Long, The Irish Times

This specially commissioned touring project is the result of a six month writing collaboration that will be showcased in a highly anticipated concert series at 5 selected venues in Ireland.  Recipients of an Arts Council of Ireland and Northern Ireland Traditional Arts Touring Award, Pádraig Rynne's NOTIFY and Pauline Scanlon have been funded for their ambition to contribute to the development of new, young and urban audiences for Traditional Irish Music.

The collective features:
Pauline Scanlon - Vocals
Pádraig Rynne - Concertinas & Computers
Cillian King - Guitars
Eoin Walsh - Electric Bass
Shane O'Sullivan - Drums

Singer/songwriter John Spillane will also perform on the night.  John’s performances shimmer with the magic realism that permeates many of his songs as he effortlessly flits between beautiful poetry tinged with melancholy to roguish, irreverent Cork humour.

The Ennis Book Club Festival is a wonderful social and literary gathering bringing together book club members and readers from all over Ireland and beyond. The festival includes author readings, discussions, workshops and walking tours through the narrow streets and lanes of Ennis. See www.ennisbookclubfestival.com for further information and to view the programme.

FRIDAY 6th MARCH

• Billy O'Callaghan asks 'What makes Great Writing Great?'
  Temple Gate Hotel, 3.30pm - 4pm, Free event
   
• A reading by Ying Tai Chang
  Temple Gate Hotel, 4pm - 4.30pm, Free event
   
• Launch of Frank Golden thriller, The Night Game
  Temple Gate Hotel, 4.45pm, Free event

• Ennis Book Club Festival launch and exhibition opening by RTÉ presenter and author, Evelyn O'Rourke
  glór, 6.30pm, Free event
   
• Catalpa
  glór, 8pm, €16/€14 conc.

SATURDAY 7th MARCH

• Books 'n Buns – a literary quiz over a cuppa
  Rowan Tree Café, 9am - 11am,  €10/€8 conc.
   
• Denis Sampson - reads from A Migrant Heart
  Temple Gate Hotel, 10am - 11am, €10/€8 conc.
   
• 10 Books You Should Read with Joseph O Connor and Evelyn O'Rourke
  glór, 11.30am - 1pm, €12/€10 conc.
   
• Walking tour of Ennis
  Clare Museum, 11.30am,  €8

• John Grenham asks 'Whatever happened to family history?'
  Old Ground Hotel, 11.30am - 1pm,  €10/€8 conc.
   
• Literary Lunch in the company of three of Ireland's favourite poets, Peter Fallon, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin and Michael Coady
  Temple Gate Hotel, 1.15pm - 2.45pm, €15
   
• Ones to Watch - Evelyn O'Rourke in conversation with Colin Barrett, Sara Baume and Nuala Ní Chonchúir
  glór, 3pm, €12/€10 conc.
   
• Michael Smith reads and discusses Shackleton – By Endurance We Conquer
  Old Ground Hotel, 3pm - 4.15pm, €12/€10 conc.
   
• Clare Youth Theatre present Waiting for Godot
  glór, 4pm - 4.30pm, €10/€8 conc.

• Niall Williams and Mary Costello read and discuss their work
  glór, 4.30pm - 5.30pm, €12/€10 conc.
   
• Blues & Books - browse an eclectic array of new and second-hand books accompanied by live music by Paulo Cerato and Trevor Hansbury.
  Tea & coffee served
  Scéal Eile Books, 6pm 'til late, Free event
   
• It's A Crime: Paul Carson and Val McDermid - readings and interview with Seán Rocks, Presenter of RTÉ Radio 1’s Arena
  glór, 8pm, €18/€15 conc.
   
• Festival Club
  Old Ground Hotel, 10.30pm, Free event

SUNDAY 8th MARCH

• Sunday Symposium: Politics and Pathology – life inside the political tent with former government minister and PD leader Des O'Malley, DCU’s Dr Gary Murphy, RTÉ's Katie Hannon and The Examiner's Mick Clifford chaired by Caimin Jones
  glór, 10am, €15
   
• Clare Voices - Readings by The Poetry Collective and Inis Creative Writer's Group
  Old Ground Hotel, 12.15pm, Free event
   
• Walking tour of Ennis with Jane O'Brien
  glór, 12.15pm, €8
   
• The Daughterhood - Literary Lunch
  Old Ground Hotel, 1.15pm, €18
   
• Scéal Eile Books together with award-winning bilingual poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa host a reading by the 10 Clare poets (aged 12-15 years) who were recently shortlisted in the Sceal Eile Books' Comortas Filiochta.
  The event will be streamed live online.
  Scéal Eile Books, 3pm, Free event

Evelyn O’Rourke is a broadcaster and journalist from Dublin.  After studying Drama and English at Trinity College, she joined RTÉ where she has presented and reported on a wide range of radio and tv programmes in both Irish and English.  Evelyn worked as Gerry Ryan’s reporter for eight years. She now works on Radio 1 as reporter and stand-in presenter of their daily arts programme, Arena. She also co-presented this year’s Irish Book Awards on RTÉ TV.  In 2014, Evelyn’s first book Dear Ross, detailing her treatment for breast cancer while pregnant with her second child, was published by Hachette Ireland.

A classic of modern Irish theatre, Catalpa is the story of the daring 1875 whaleship rescue of six Irish prisoners from Fremantle penal colony in Australia - all in a screenwriter’s head, the best movie never made! Catalpa is about heroes and visionaries, political intrigue and personal loyalty, with hot romance, mixed-up rebels and battles at sea. A subversive epic, a celebration of the power of live theatre.  Catalpa has toured the world to high acclaim, including New York, Chicago, Paris, Helsinki, Harare and Fringe First Edinburgh

“lyrical and passionate, satirical and very funny” Irish Times

“A soaring rip-roaring one-man adventure” 
Washington Post

An improbably beautiful show” Variety USA

Live music by Trevor Knight.

Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin. He is the author of the novels Cowboys and Indians (short-listed for the Whitbread Prize), Desperadoes, The Salesman, Inishowen, Star of the Sea and Redemption Falls, as well as a number of bestselling works of non-fiction. He has also written film scripts and stage-plays including the award-winning Red Roses and Petrol. His novel Star of the Sea was an international bestseller, selling more than a million copies and being published in 38 languages. It won France’s Prix Millepages, Italy’s Premio Acerbi, the Irish Post Award for Fiction, the Neilsen Bookscan Golden Book Award, an American Library Association Award, the Hennessy / Sunday Tribune Hall of Fame Award, and the Prix Litteraire Zepter for European Novel of the Year. Ghost Light was published in June 2010 to rave reviews internationally and spent nine weeks as a number one Irish besteller. It was chosen as Dublin’s One City One Book novel for 2011. His latest novel is The Thrill of it All, published in May 2014 by Harvill Secker.

Evelyn O’Rourke is a broadcaster and journalist from Dublin.  After studying Drama and English at Trinity College, she joined RTÉ where she has presented and reported on a wide range of radio and tv programmes in both Irish and English. Evelyn worked as Gerry Ryan’s reporter for eight years. She now works on Radio 1 as reporter and stand-in presenter of their daily arts programme, Arena. She also co-presented this year’s Irish Book Awards on RTÉ TV. In 2014, Evelyn’s first book Dear Ross, detailing her treatment for breast cancer while pregnant with her second child, was published by Hachette Ireland.

Enjoy a Literary Lunch in the company of three of Ireland's favourite poets - Peter Fallon, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin and Michael Coady.

Peter Fallon, is a prize-winning poet, and his books include The Georgics of Virgil (a PBS Recommended translation (Oxford World’s Classics), The Company of Horses and Strong, My Love (May 2014).
At the age of eighteen he founded The Gallery Press, Ireland’s leading literary publishing company, and he has edited and published five hundred books of poems and plays by the country's finest established and emerging authors.
A member of Aosdána, he held the Burns Chair at Boston College (2012-13). He lives in Loughcrew in County Meath where he farmed for many years.

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin was born in Cork City in 1942. She was educated in Cork and Oxford before spending her working life as an academic in Trinity College, Dublin where she is now a Fellow and  Professor of English (Emerita). Among prizes she has won are the Patrick Kavanagh Award, the O’Shaughnessy Award of the Irish-American Cultural Institute and the Griffin International Poetry Prize.
She is a member of Aosdána and is married to the poet Macdara Woods. 
Recent books include The Girl Who Married the Reindeer, Selected Poems  and The Sun-fish. The Boys of Bluehill was published in February 2015.

Michael Coady lives in the place of his birth, Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. His poetry and fiction have earned a number of literary prizes and distinctions, including the Patrick Kavanagh Award (1979) for poems in his first collection, Two for a Woman, Three for A Man (1980), and the O’Shaughnessy Poetry Award (2004).  Music and particularity of place are abiding elements in his work and his later collections explore an unusual integration of poetry, prose and illustration.
In 1998 he was elected to Aosdána, and in Spring 2005 held the Heimbold Chair of Irish Studies at Villanova University.  The Gallery Press has also published Oven Lane, a Poetry Ireland Choice, All Souls, One Another, Going by Water and a revised Oven Lane and Other Poems (2014).

Evelyn O’Rourke is a broadcaster and journalist from Dublin.  After studying Drama and English at Trinity College, she joined RTÉ where she has presented and reported on a wide range of radio and tv programmes in both Irish and English.  Evelyn worked as Gerry Ryan’s reporter for eight years. She now works on Radio 1 as reporter and stand-in presenter of their daily arts programme, Arena. She also co-presented this year’s Irish Book Awards on RTÉ TV.  In 2014, Evelyn’s first book Dear Ross, detailing her treatment for breast cancer while pregnant with her second child, was published by Hachette Ireland.

Colin Barrett grew up in County Mayo. His debut collection of short stories, Young Skins, was originally published by the Stinging Fly Press in Ireland, and won the 2014 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Prize, The Guardian First Book Award, and the Rooney Prize for Literature. Colin's stories have been published in the Stinging Fly Magazine, Five Dials, A Public Space, and The New Yorker.

Sara Baume grew up in Co. Cork. She studied fine art at Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design before completing a Master’s in Creative Writing at Trinity College, Dublin. Her short fiction has been published in The Dublin Re- view, The Moth, The Penny Dreadful, The Stinging Fly and the Irish Independent as part of the Hennessy New Irish Writing series. In 2014 she won the prestigious Davy Byrnes Award – its previous winners were Anne Enright and Claire Kilroy Keegan – for her short story ‘Solesearcher1’. She lives in Cork with her two dogs.  In her stunning debut novel,Spill Simmer Falter Wither, she confirms the talent so emphatically acknowledged by the Davy Byrnes Award jury.

Nuala Ní Chonchúir is a novelist, short story writer and poet. Born in Dublin in 1970, she lives in East Galway. Her critically acclaimed second novel The Closet of Savage Mementos appeared April 2014 from New Island. Under the name Nuala O’Connor, Penguin USA, Penguin Canada and Sandstone (UK) will publish Nuala’s third novel, Miss Emily, about the poet Emily Dickins.

With wit and bowler hats, Clare Youth Theatre brings you extracts from Waiting For Godot.

Two teenagers don suits and hats, and bring you the stark Beckettian atmosphere that comes with Vladimir and Estragon’s trials and tribulations. Clare Youth Theatre  present this iconic piece of theatre, using scenes that fit together to bring you a fresh insight into the relationship between these two tramps.

Niall Williams studied English and French Literature at University College Dublin and graduated with a MA in Modern American Literature. He moved to New York in 1980 where he married Christine Breen. In 1985 they moved to the cottage in west Clare that Chris's grandfather had left eighty years before to find his life in America.  In History of The Rain, set on the banks of the river Shannon, in Faha, County Clare, "where everyone is a long story", 19-year-old Ruth Swain is confined to bed with an unidentified, debilitating blood disorder. No longer able to participate in the activities of the community, Ruth becomes its omniscient recorder, although the bulk of the tale she recounts is that of her own convoluted family history. 

Mary Costello grew up in Galway and now lives in Dublin. Her collection of stories, The China Factory, was nominated for the 2012 Guardian first book award. Her first novel, Academy Street, won the 2014 Eason’s Novel of the Year award and was shortlisted for the Costa first novel prize.

Paul Carson is a doctor and novelist. He has published 15 books including seven health books, two children's books and six bestselling thrillers.  His first novel, Scalpel was published in 1997 by Wm Heinemann and became an immediate Irish Times bestseller, spending 17 weeks at number one and a total of 33 weeks in the top five.  Cold Steel followed a year later and in 2000 Final Duty hit the bookshelves. Both were Irish Times number one bestsellers. He’s had a number of Irish Times best sellers in the meantime including Ambush (2003) and Betrayal (2005). His most recent novel, Inquest (2013), which he describes as his most challenging creation as it took him into a dark side of medicine (the Coroner's Court) he'd never explored before (and doesn't wish to explore again!).

Award-winning crime writer Val McDermid is a Number One bestseller, translated into more than 30 languages, with over two million copies sold in the UK and over 11 million worldwide. She has written 27 bestselling crime novels; The Skeleton Road –her 28th – was published by Little, Brown on 11 September 2014.  In the same year she also published a retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and an exploration of forensic science, Forensics: An Anatomy of Crime.  A regular broadcaster with BBC Radio, Val’s five-part Woman's Hour drama Village SOS was broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and in 2011 Val also presented BBC Radio 4 serial The Chalet School, in which she talked about how the series of books inspired her education and career.  In 2012 she presented Pick of the Week on BBC Radio 4 and has fronted several features for BBC Two’s The Culture Show.  In July 2014 Val was voted the winner of the ‘Million for a Morgue’ campaign and Dundee University has since christened its new mortuary in her honour.

Seán Rocks presents ARENA, RTÉ Radio 1’s flagship arts, popular culture and entertainment programme. He has interviewed many major writers, actors, musicians and artists including Martin Sheen, Danny De Vito, Janis Ian, John Banville, Brendan Gleeson, Roddy Doyle, Steve Reich and Marina Carr.  Seán has been working with RTÉ Radio since 2000 and previously guest-presented The Arts Show and Spirit Moves (RTE’s ethical debate programme) and Rattlebag. He has also produced, written and presented several series for Radio 1. He previously worked with RTÉ Lyric Fm as presenter on several strand programmes including The Lyric Breakfast, Lunchtime Choice, The Lyric Pitch and CultureFile.  He regularly hosts concerts and events at major venues around the country (NCH, Áras an Uachtarán, Cork City Hall, University of Limerick) and was widely praised for his role as MC at the State Banquet in Dublin Castle during the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011.  Prior to broadcasting he worked extensively as an actor both at home and abroad.

With former government minister and PD leader Des O'Malley, DCU’s Dr Gary Murphy, RTE's Katie Hannon and The Examiner's Mick Clifford.
Chaired by Caimin Jones.

Des O’Malley’s career coincided with some of the most dramatic events in Irish political life. In his critically acclaimed memoir, Conduct Unbecoming, he offers fresh insights into the events that have shaped Ireland’s past and present – the Arms Crisis, the Troubles, the Haughey years, the Beef Tribunal and the foundation of the Progressive Democrats.  Exiting politics in 2002, O’Malley left an indelible mark on Irish public life. Remembered for his strongly held views, he has never been afraid to speak uncomfortable truths or ask awkward questions and similarly in this, his long awaited memoir, he does not hold back.

Gary Murphy is Professor of Politics at Dublin City University where he has worked for the past two decades. He is the author of five books including In Search of the Promised Land: the Politics of Post War Ireland. (Mercier Press, 2009) and The Lemass Era: Politics and Society in the Ireland of Sean Lemass (UCD Press, 2005). His latest book, a major reinterpretation of modern Ireland entitled The Politics of Triumph and Despair: Ireland since 1987 will be published by Manchester University Press later this year. He has begun work on a major biography of Charles J. Haughey. Originally from Cork city he is a prominent contributor to political debates in the print and broadcast media.

Katie Hannon is Prime Time’s Political Correspondent, having previously been Political Correspondent of the Evening Herald and the Irish Examiner and Political Editor of the Irish Mail on Sunday. She is the author of ‘The Naked Politician’, an account of the reality of life in the trenches of Irish politics, published in 2004. Since joining Prime Time as a reporter in 2004 she has covered a wide variety of issues including major investigations into the waste industry, banking, failures in child protection and vaccine trials in children’s homes. She has won the Irish Goods Council Young Journalist of the Year, the John Healy National Print Award as well as the ‘Story of the Year’ in the 2012 GSK Medical Media Awards.

Michael Clifford is the Special Correspondent of the Irish Examiner, where he also writes a weekly column. He has been working in journalism for over twenty years during which time he has covered politics, entertainment, legal and criminal justice matters.  He is the author of three non-fiction books, and two crime novels. He is also a regular contributor to current affairs radio and TV programmes.

Natasha Fennell and Róisín Ingle share the funny, poignant and occasionally heart-breaking story of The Daughterhood.

When Natasha Fennell’s mother was diagnosed with a progressive illness, her life came to a standstill. She wondered how she would cope when her mother was gone and whether she had been a good enough daughter.

After a call out to daughters in Róisín Ingle’s weekly Irish Times column, Natasha and Róisín quickly learned that other daughters had similar fears and had never spoken about them before. An impromptu, informal self-help club, The Daughterhood, was formed – albeit one that involved good food and wine – as once a month a group of women would come together to help each other navigate the most important and sometimes trickiest relationship of our lives.

Natasha is a Director at Stillwater Communications and a regular reviewer and contributor on RTE Radio 1’s flagship discussion programmes.

Róisín is Daily Features Editor and Broadcaster at The Irish Times. She writes a column in the paper’s Magazine every Saturday.

Expect musical fun and games incorporating all types of music, over 20 different Styles RnB, African, Latin, Classical, Abba, Elvis and lots more fun mixed with giggles!

Advance booking is required as capacity is strictly limited. 

For bookings and all enquiries, please contact Oonagh Minogue on 086 354 0253.
www.playandmusic.ie  /  www.facebook.com/gymboreeclare

Evelyn will take us on a whistle stop tour through the varying climates of early Earth to the beginnings of civilization and the Weather Gods on to the Age of Enlightenment and our own Robert Boyle and then to the present high-spec numerical forecast models which can predict weather about a week ahead.

This is a great opportunity to get to grip with Ireland’s national preoccupation with our ever changing weather!

A regular on RTE, and a viewers’ favourite, Evelyn has a BSc from UCD in Physics and Maths and an MSc in Physics. Evelyn also teaches forecasting at UCD, the only Irish university offering an MSc in Meteorology.  Evelyn, as Secretary of the Irish Meteorological Society, also tries to foster and promote a public interest in Meteorology and Science.  On the international front, Evelyn is Vice-Chairman of WgCEF, a working group for the co-operation between European forecasters.

Nolan & Lambe @ glór will be open on the evening and you can opt for a 2 course supper before the event for just €16.50.  This may be booked with box office directly on online here.

Long hailed as one of Ireland's leading songwriters and performers, Kieran Goss’s music has won him fans across the globe. But if his songs have made him a star, his live shows have made him a legend – live on stage is where Kieran Goss really shines. It has been 10 years since Kieran Goss last toured in Ireland but a quick look at his website will explain why: almost 200 shows a year, every year, touring in six different countries.

This is a rare chance to see Kieran performing live. Don’t miss it!

'The sense of fun is tremendous, the playing first rate and the songs are sheer quality. The encores were genuine, but only because the man is too.' The Irish Times

'Kieran Goss is one of the most gifted performers around today. He has an amazing ability to reach out to his audience and connect with them in a very special way. This guy is the real deal, and that's what makes him the star he is.' Don Williams

www.kierangoss.com       www.facebook.com/kierangoss  

Nolan & Lambe @ glór will be open on the evening and you can opt for a 2 course supper before the event for just €16.50.  This may be booked with box office directly on online here.

Finished a series and not sure what to read next? Just can’t find a book that interests you? Then the Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinic is the place to go!

Young readers of all ages are invited to drop in and meet the Book Doctor – no appointment needed, and no nasty jabs or tablets, we promise. After a chat about your favourite books, comics or things to do, the doctor will make a diagnosis and write a prescription for your next reads. This year for the first time ever the Book Doctors will be assisted by the Doodle Doctors who will do some fun drawing activities with children/families while they are waiting to see the doctor.

Every visit with the Doctors will end with the patient receiving a Reading Passport to take with them on their book adventures!

These childrens art classes will take place in the glór foyer with experienced teacher Helen Lowe.

All material is included in the class. The series of classes will touch on still life, portrait, landscape, abstract and animals. For this series of classes we will use oil pastels, watercolors and acrylic on different media. The aim is that after 5 classes the children will feel comfortable with using different media and supports. Class size is limited so please book in advance.

Cost per student €55
(€50 for 2nd child / €40 for 3rd child from same family)

Booking directly with Helen on 086 736 3320.
More information at www.facebook.com/quinart.class

An opportunity for 4-12 year olds to learn French through games, songs, rhymes, stories, role-plays and fun!
Classes start on Saturday 14th March and run for 8 weeks.

Please pre-book with Rhona Gomès at 086-8262500 as spaces are limited.

For more information about La Jolie Ronde please visit www.lajolieronde.ie

The band was formed in 1946 by Paddy Canny and PJ Hayes, their passion for traditional Irish music and their talent set the tone for the band. The Tulla Céilí Band has toured all over the world and even played in New York City’s Carnegie Hall. 

Join us for an evening of great music and lots of dancing!

We are The Speks and we sing nursery rhymes and kids' songs set to Irish music because we love Irish music!

We live on an island in the middle of the ocean off the coast of Co. Clare, Ireland. It's called Glasses Island because everybody wears glasses here. Our names are Quince, Naymon, Tommo, Pete, Ed and Rafferty and we love to sing, dance and play Irish music for kids. In fact, we're just like big kids ourselves. We never really grew up...we just grew older.

Sing along and sing aloud!

www.thespeks.com

In their most dangerous show ever The Nualas break the mould they made previously with a deluge of new songs, higher harmonies, different keys and slightly shorter dresses, if that’s possible! And there’s more – expect new Nuala revelations, harder laughs, slicker riffs, and even tighter foundation wear, if that’s possible! 

When this show pre-viewed  in Dolan’s of Leitrim at least three Gardai and a relationship counsellor had to be called. As part of their ensuing community service (six weeks scooping out litter from the Shannon) the girls were obliged, as a warning, to call this sweltering new show: Lock Up Your Husbands.  You have been warned.

Nolan & Lambe @ glór will be open on the evening and you can opt for a 2 course supper before the event for just €16.50.  This may be booked with box office directly on online here.

The Poetry Collective (previously The Three Legged Stool Poets) are a collective of poets living and performing in Ireland’s Midwest based in and around Ennis. They have been writing, publishing, recording, filming and performing poetry for 15 years and have produced impressive first collections of poetry such as’ Spirit Store’ by Arthur Watson, ‘Image and Likeness’ by Brian Mooney, ‘Voices of Clare’ by a selection of Clare Poets, ’Reality the Graveyard of Dreams’ by Brendan O Byrne, ‘Parting’ by Patrick Stack as well as Poetry Broadsheets, Calendars and Pamphlets.

In a new and challenging development the poetz, friends and audience will be working together in a more dynamic manner, using structured and partially rehearsed improvisations to investigate and express some fundamental human experiences.  They like to call these events a MUXZ. Sounds sexy like fluxz, tastes like bixz, and looks like mixz! As Poetz we seem endlessly compelled to give things names (sonnet, villanelle, haiku, Limerick etc )so we thought we’d better give this ‘form’ a name for something nameless and essentially indefinable until you’ve participated soooo…Come and experienze it.

These performances will represent spontaneous, improvised poetic explorations of universal themes involving combinations of sound, movement, music, art, costume and the spoken word….a MUXZ.

All Welcome  |  www.clarepoets.com

Mick Flannery’s songs usher us into a world which is by times emotional, romantic, dark, insightful and hopeful.  On foot of his latest album By The Rule, the Cork singer songwriter makes a much anticipated return to glór.

In 2013 Mick took a notion to go to Germany and Berlin and after a bitter cold winter he came home and then went back and settled in Berlin for seven months and went to work.  The result is his new album By The Rule.

“By the Rule”, then: the sound of Mick Flannery getting comfortable in his skin. The sound of a man at ease with his work. The sound of a master songwriter creating his best work to date.
“It’s never a chore”, Flannery says about the craft of songwriting “The creation is the nicest part, it’s something you always have and you can use it to work through stuff that’s in your head. You have to take it seriously if it’s going to be any good. It’s always my favourite thing, like putting Lego blocks together. You can make a lot of things with Lego.” “

His new album By the Rule is the work of a confident, assured songwriter, someone who knows how to turn a list of nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs into graceful, minor-key pen-pictures and poetry which will resonate with the listener.

Nolan & Lambe @ glór will be open on the evening and you can opt for a 2 course supper before the event for just €16.50.  This may be booked with box office directly on online here.

Three generations of women tell us their story of one extraordinary year. Party girl Amber has brutal indigestion that the Sambuca’s won’t shift. Lorraine loses it at work and is shipped off to see the ‘head doctor’. While Granny Kay ‘toys with the idea of Kermit’ scratching an itch that Gem no longer can.

Little Gem has swept the boards since its sell out run in the Dublin Fringe Festival, and this heartwarming tale of courage, comedy and romance returns to glór due to popular demand.

Starring Anita Reeves and Hilda Fay with Kay Gilmore.

Nolan & Lambe @ glór will be open on the evening and you can opt for a 2 course supper before the event for just €16.50.  This may be booked with box office directly on online here.

Mindfulness can help clarify every situation by focusing on the breath, allowing space and creativity to experience what is already present, bringing gentle kindness to yourself and others around you.

For booking or further information please contact Josephine Sweeney on 087 6926715 | info@serenitywithin.ie   |  www.serenitywithin.ie

“A beautifully enigmatic portrait of a man mentally and physically living on the edge”

When we are gone, what do people remember of us? Neal MacGregor, an English artist, died alone, prematurely, aged forty-four, in a stone hen-house that he couldn’t stand up in, where he lived without water, electricity or heating on a remote island. The Irish-speaking islanders on the rapidly depopulating island knew little of Neal during the eight years he lived there. Who was this stranger? Was he a British spy recording IRA gun-running routes, as some islanders thought? Was he trying to take control of the island? Was he crazy, as others thought? Or was he just seeking solitude? Neal left behind volumes of beautifully illustrated notebooks and secret diaries, and this beautiful enigmatic film pulls together the jigsaw of missing pieces and sensitively paints a portrait of a man living on the edge, physically and mentally, and the insular island community he lived amongst.

Director: Neasa Ní Chianáin
Cast: Edward Humm, Kloe Humm
Script: Neasa Ní Chianáin, Maria Gasol
Producer: David Rane

Back by popular demand with new themes to be presented on the night, this fantastic bunch of young musicians will be bringing you the most memorable themes from TV, Movies and Video Games. It promises to be a very fun night!  Guitarchestra is a Youth based guitar orchestra that take popular themes from a variety of sources and combine them with a variety of musical influences.

Featuring:

• Game Of Thrones
• Back to the Future
• Star Wars
• Indiana Jones
• Batman
• and more

Yoga is about well-being.  Yoga helps you to manage yourself - the body, thoughts and emotions - through developing awareness and learning to let go of limitations. Suitable for beginners and people with experience of yoga, this session combines physical movements, breath work and a long relaxation.   Susie is fully qualified to teach in the Satyananda tradition of yoga (recognised by the Yoga Federation of Ireland and the British Wheel of Yoga).

Practical information:

• Wear loose comfortable clothing in layers. Shoes are not worn during the practice of yoga;
• Bring a blanket or sleeping bag with you for when you are lying on the floor. Mats are provided, though you are welcome to bring your own;
• Yoga is best practiced on an empty stomach, so try not to eat a large meal for 2 hours before the class;
• If you have any health problems it is advisable to check with your doctor whether s/he considers yoga to be appropriate for you.
   

For more information or to book, please contact Susie McNaughton 086 7354461.  If a Monday session is missed, it can be made up at other yoga classes during the week, or on other Mondays over a maximum of 8 weeks.

Ever wanted to send your favourite mini figure on a space adventure?

This 2 day Brick Flicks stop motion workshop will show you how to blast off in a rocket, charter unknown space, and explore alien planets. Participants will work in small groups to collaborate and create the set, storyboard and plan their stop motion movie and then to film and edit it.

The workshop is focused on hands-on learning and all participants will receive a certificate of participation and a copy of their movie.

All materials are supplied including our mobile film studio kit of iPads so all you need to bring is your favourite Lego character.

The class looks at our best friend the chicken. To protect their young they need to build a strong and warm nest for them. The children get to develop, learn and create through model making the skills need to keep our chickens warm over the Easter holidays. The children will bring home their own  chicken and nest model.

Each child gets to design and build their own clever chicken and nest. Once built they get to paint and decorate the nest that will keep their chicken nice and warm.  The children get to bring home their new pal (which they must feed every day with chocolate bars...only kidding!) which turns into a great hiding place for all the chocolate eggs!!!!

Jane lives and works from a farm on the North bank of the Shannon Estuary.  She has been developing a visual language combining contemporary practices and sensibilities with ancient techniques in metalworking - casting, repoussé, etching, patination and gilding.

Man-made and natural features in the surrounding landscape have informed much of her recent work. She has a particular interest in the interpretation of this landscape by 17th and 18th century cartographers.  Another area of study has been the work of a number of Irish explorer botanists of the 19th century and in particular Augustine Henry. Plants identified and brought back to Ireland by this plantsman have evoked images that she translates into metal.

This is a forty minute workshop where children from 5 years of age to 10 years of age can do really quick step-by-step drawings.  They will draw cartoon characters of all shapes and sizes.  This workshop is to show that everyone can draw cartoons.

Aidan Courtney is an Ennis based former bookseller, book reviewer, cartoonist, workshop facilitator, editor, writer and publisher.  He founded Coimicí Gael to promote comics and the Irish language.  He also has worked as a cartoonist and writer for publications in Ireland, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.  He is a judge with Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year 2014.  He also teaches kids around the country how to make comics through Irish and English.

Tuesday 7th April - Comic Strip Workshop
This is an hour and a half workshop aimed at children of ten years of age and older.  This is to show kids how to tell stories through a comic strip like Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts.  This workshop will use elements of storytelling, where do ideas come from and some step-by-step warm-up drawing exercises.

Wednesday 8th April - Mini Comic Workshop
This hour and a half workshop is aimed at children of ten years of age and older.  This workshop shows kids how to make their own eight page A7 comic from a sheet of A4 paper.  It will also use elements of storytelling and also use some step-by-step warm-up exercises.

Aidan Courtney is an Ennis based former bookseller, book reviewer, cartoonist, workshop facilitator, editor, writer and publisher.  He founded Coimicí Gael to promote comics and the Irish language.  He also has worked as a cartoonist and writer for publications in Ireland, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.  He is a judge with Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year 2014.  He also teaches kids around the country how to make comics through Irish and English.

Meet Herman and Daisy. They want to make shoes for your feet. But they owe so much money they barely can eat.  Don’t worry though, because magic is always just around the corner. The Elves are here to help! And sometimes the answers are right above your head.

Fidget Feet’s The Elves & The Shoemaker is immersive storytelling with music and aerial circus for children aged between 4-8yrs and their families.

There is no stage, you will join them inside their workshop and actually help them to make the best pair of shoes ever made.  Herman, Daisy and the Elves need you!

“You are left utterly stunned. Excellent.”  - The Irish Times (on Fidget Feet)

Duration: 75 minutes

The forgotten Sugababe, the bad boy of Zumba, David O’Doherty presents a new hour of talking and songs. Take a ride into the Davidzone.

One man. One small keyboard. With batteries. And a chair. And a mic. And cables. And a sound system. And then a room, obviously. With more chairs. And a lighting rig. It’s surprising how much stuff is involved actually.

Offering dance students from all over Ireland a unique experience to excel in a competitive yet inspirational environment.

For dance students that are highly motivated this competition will help them develop their self confidence, technical ability, artistry and performance skills.  It promises to be an exciting and rewarding experience for all involved.

For entry forms and competition info contact Niamh at dinanballet@gmail.com

Acting Training and Theatremaking for Adults with and Without Special Needs.

Book directly with Marie McNamara on 087 6391409

Ballet Ireland’s Tutus & Beyond journeys from traditional classical ballet to the striking contemporary work being produced today.

Pas de Quatre, the romantic classic caused a sensation when it was created for the four greatest ballerinas of the time in 1845. Next up, Sing Sing Sing inspired by Bob Fosse, a legendary choreographer of Broadway & Hollywood throughout the 60s & 70s.  The second half of the programme features the premiere of a powerful and magical new ballet, Lost, by Ludovic Ondievla. Ballet Ireland continues its commitment to new work in presenting this compelling piece by this ‘young rising choreographer’ (The Guardian).

With lighting by award winning designer Paul Keogan, this mixed programme shows the diversity of the company following its ‘wonderful tour’ (Sunday Independent) of Swan Lake which ‘ticked all the boxes’ (Sunday Independent) and was hailed as ‘one of best productions’ the company has done (Irish Mail on Sunday).

Penelope Cruz plays one of two sisters whose lives are disturbed by the apparent reappearance of their late mother. 

Flamenco/Spanish guitar music by Javier Jimenez.  Born in Barcelona and based in Galway for the last 8 years, Javier has played in different bands mainly as a mandolin player, but always keeps to his passion for traditional Spanish music.

Topped off with a delicious Spanish menu provided by Nolan & Lambe.

Food served at 7pm, Film at 8pm

A night of music, dance and song.

An evening of dramatic extracts, poetry, mime, drama and recitals presented by talented young people from 4 to 15 years and introduced and stage managed by senior Actors and Reactors students.

Actors and Reactors, Ennis – a drama school established by Aoibhín and Doireann Garrihy – will showcase a term’s work in aid of The Clare Crusaders Children Clinic, a self funded clinic providing free therapy and specialist treatment to over 350 children with special needs in County Clare.

Written by Ger Gallagher
Directed by Caroline Fitzgerald

The Easi-Slim diet clinic in Clones town hall has just signed up a new member - upwardly mobile Val McGowan has cruised into town in her soft–top sports car. Val has reached her target weight and has only signed up to maintain, and brag about the four stone she’s lost.
Breda has been attending Easi-Slim meetings for quite some time but just can’t manage to reduce her waistline – until Val comes along and whips her into shape.  Breda becomes a disciple of the high-priestess of low-carbs and is bowled over by just how fabulous Val really is.  Breda’s gushing admiration for her new slimming buddy only serves to make Val all the more condescending and insufferable. However, when Val’s mask begins to slip, Breda is reminded that things aren’t always what they appear to be.

Weighing-In is a fast paced comedy about life, love and dieting - and how we all need to adjust the scales to find the right balance.

The Poetry Collective (previously The Three Legged Stool Poets) are a collective of poets living and performing in Ireland’s Midwest based in and around Ennis. They have been writing, publishing, recording, filming and performing poetry for 15 years and have produced impressive first collections of poetry such as’ Spirit Store’ by Arthur Watson, ‘Image and Likeness’ by Brian Mooney, ‘Voices of Clare’ by a selection of Clare Poets, ’Reality the Graveyard of Dreams’ by Brendan O Byrne, ‘Parting’ by Patrick Stack as well as Poetry Broadsheets, Calendars and Pamphlets.

In a new and challenging development the poetz, friends and audience will be working together in a more dynamic manner, using structured and partially rehearsed improvisations to investigate and express some fundamental human experiences.  They like to call these events a MUXZ. Sounds sexy like fluxz, tastes like bixz, and looks like mixz! As Poetz we seem endlessly compelled to give things names (sonnet, villanelle, haiku, Limerick etc )so we thought we’d better give this ‘form’ a name for something nameless and essentially indefinable until you’ve participated soooo…Come and experienze it.

These performances will represent spontaneous, improvised poetic explorations of universal themes involving combinations of sound, movement, music, art, costume and the spoken word….a MUXZ.

All Welcome  |  www.clarepoets.com

It’s been an incredible first year for Join Me In The Pines who unleashed four beautiful videos for tracks ‘Joy Is A Lion, ‘Golden Guilt’, ‘Should Not Roam’ and lastly ‘At First Light’ from their debut album  ‘INHERIT’ available to buy as a digital download, on CD and Vinyl. JMITP toured the length and breath of Ireland and are now delighted to announce a Theatre Tour which will kick off in February, 2015. 

JMITP’s front man is Bell X1’s David Geraghty who released his debut solo album ‘Kill Your Darlings’ in 2007, to critical and fan acclaim. The album was also nominated for a Choice Music Prize that year. 2009 saw David return with his second solo offering ‘The Victory Dance’. Both of these albums were written and recorded between stints in the hectic Bell X1 touring schedule.

It is a busy year for Mr. Geraghty as he has just completed the film score for “You’re Ugly Too” starring Aidan Gillen. The film is set to premier at the prestigious Berlin film festival in February 2015.

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have an intriguing, thrilling, riotous and unmissable comedy. The show hurtles a notorious fugitive and a spellbound blonde from a London music hall North by Northwest to Scotland’s most remote highlands. Will they save Britain from a den of devious spies?

A cast of 4 plays over 50 characters in this fast-paced tale of an ordinary man on an extraordinarily entertaining adventure. The 39 steps contains every single legendary scene from the award-winning movie — including the chase on the flying Scotsman, the escape on the Forth Bridge, the first theatrical bi-plane crash ever staged and the sensational death-defying finale in the London Palladium. Be prepared to laugh out loud!

Sit back and enjoy a variety of contemporary, commercial and ballet dance as the students take to the stage. An evening for all the family to enjoy.

This Irish Made Documentary film tells the story of  Majdal Shams, one of five remaining Arab villages in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Before the occupation there were 139 such villages, which have now mostly been destroyed. Over 130,000 Syrian Arabs were forced from their homes never to return. Families that were separated at the time remain so. Cut off from their homeland since the events of the Six Day War, the villagers fight to maintain their national identity amid political uncertainty, border disputes and the Syrian Civil War.

An impenetrable ceasefire line patrolled by the UN divides the two warring countries. The eastern edge of the village now touches this ceasefire line where a barbed wire fence separates lovers, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. Syrian soil is just out of reach, although it is a lifetime from their grasp. Separated families shout greetings to each other across the minefield dividing them. Loss and separation echo in the valley between the hills of two lands that once were one, the threat of war hanging on the horizon, closely monitored by watchtowers. 23 people are shot dead trying to cross back to their homeland. Every day is marked by the struggle to adapt and survive.

A patriotic old man tries to educate his grandchildren about the president Bashar al Assad while in school they are taught about Moses. Borders, mines and army areas corral a shepherds roaming with his herd. His only way is west. A daughter fights to cross the ceasefire line to attend the funeral of her father in Syria. Torture and solitary confinement breaks the heart of a lover. A bride crosses through a minefield to meet her groom. She will say goodbye to her family forever.

Vardens Ennis Guitar School are proud to present their annual end of year concert, showcasing our students of all ages playing guitar, piano/keyboards and singing. Our students have worked hard all year and now they want to show you what they can do. In styles such as pop, rock, blues, and many more, this is sure to be an entertaining evening that you won’t want to miss. You’ll be singing all the way home!

Back by popular demand.

Brace yourself for a night of unforgettable Irish comedy as ‘It’s the Real McCoy’ takes you on a two-hour rollercoaster of fun and laughter!

Set in rural Ireland in 1964 this production tells the story of Madge Molloy who has lived over forty years of her life wondering why her husband Tom – whom she was married to for just four months – disappeared without trace or reason.  The arrival of a new curate to the parish is about to reveal the circumstances behind Tom’s hasty exit and his wish to return to Madge to explain his situation.  What unfolds really has to be seen to be believed. 

Packed with hilarious one-liners, a gormless postman, a nervous curate, a frustrated wife, a worried husband, a timid daughter and Ireland’s two nosiest neighbours ‘It’s the Real McCoy’ will have you in tears of laughter all night long.  The question is will there be a happy ending?

Nolan & Lambe @ glór will be open on the evening and you can opt for a 2 course supper before the event for just €16.50.  This may be booked with box office directly on online here.

The Embrace Programme present a special exhibition of creative work produced by people with disabilities from throughout the county.

WIth a launch concert on May 6.

This one man show performed by Gerard Howard and written and directed by Paul Brennan is based on a hilarious and surreal romp through time with some of Clare’s most famous characters – real and fictional – and how they might have interacted had they ever met.  Pile them all into the West Clare Railway and see where they end up!  What will Mr de Valera make of Percy French?  And how will the famous clown Johnny Patterson and submarine inventor John Phillip Holland get on?

As part of the Gospel Rising Music Festival in Ennis, on the weekend of 8th-10th May 2015, glór will host the Saturday night Gala Concert.

Many different gospel choirs from around Ireland will fill the stage to perform their favourite gospel songs in front of their peers and the people of Clare. The night promises to expose you to many gospel songs you already know, and some which you will have never heard before, this is the wonder of the Gospel Rising Music Festival, a chance for everyone to hear what gospel choirs from all over the country are doing. A chance to realise there are many different styles of gospel choir music in Ireland, and unique versions of songs that you will only hear all together in one place, at the Gospel Rising Music Festival.

The Gospel Rising Music Festival is a fun, energetic and inclusive event which calls on all music lovers who are interested in this growing genre of music in Ireland. The festival is on all weekend in Ennis and gives attendees the chance to get that inside look and feel on what happens when you are 'in the choir'.

The festival consists of a series of workshops with big and small groups, these cover choir harmony singing in gospel styles, different solo singing styles and levels, choreography and big group singing. The festival also includes numerous gigs like this one in glór, all of which are included in the Weekend Festival Ticket available on www.gospelrising.com

This much-loved story, packed with great songs, magical characters and lavish dance routines, has won the hearts of millions, both young and old, throughout the world.  The Ennis Academy for the Performing Arts are putting their magical touch to this all-time favourite and guarantees a great night’s entertainment for children of all ages.  Many wonderful excerpts from  other hit shows will also be included in the evening.  This is a great opportunity to bring the kids along  to experience the magic of real live theatre.

www.ennisacademyperformingarts.com

It’s October 1978. Pope John Paul the First is not long dead, autumn is closing in and Pat Farnon has ‘some business’ to do in town. The story follows  Pat Farnon as he walks the 5 miles from his wee white cottage to town and back again and the marvels that he meets along the way. It’s a charming encounter - an ageing man still with a boundless enthusiasm for life. Hilariously funny, tender and at times downright daft. 

• Shortlisted for the Irish Times theatre Awards 2013 in the category of Best New Play.
• Shortlisted for the 2013 Stewart Parker Trust Award for Best First Play.
• Winner of the Stewart Parker/ BBC Northern Ireland Radio Drama Award 2013.

A drawing  workshop exploring ways and means of  drawing and  what is possible when we draw the line….a  range of materials and methods will be explored, from scribble drawings to large ink and egg yolk drawings and everything in between. No matter whether the last drawing you made was a map of how  to get  to glór, for drawing can be a daily discovery for everyone! 

Suitable for all.

Hazel Walker is visual artist living in Co. Clare. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and Wimbledon School of Art where she specialised in drawing, completing an MA in Drawing in 2000.  She has worked in a wide variety of art projects, taught classes and workshops both here and in Scotland.  She currently teaches at GMIT Galway and Castlebar.

The irrepressible Pat Shortt is back on a nationwide tour with stories and gimmicks that only Pat Shortt could come up with.  His new show, Selfie, tells the tales of a singing undertaker Mossey Burke along with a host of new characters as he recounts his favourite funeral. A funeral that was nearly the death of him and changed his life forever!

While his unique, comedic but somewhat universal look at everyday Irish life has cemented his place in the public hearts, along with that his work on stage and screen over the last decade have proved him to be an enduring, versatile and award winning talent. His most recent theatre role of Johnnypateenmike in the West End production of ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ alongside Sarah Greene and Daniel Radcliffe was a renowned success that subsequently transferred to Broadway in New York.

Pat’s new show is an entertaining throwback similar to that to the days of D’Unbelievables! In a quirky and humorous way Pat brings us on a journey with his new character Mossey Burke and the chaos that can happen around an Irish funeral that any and all can relate to.  Through laughs and punch-lines and hilarious one-liners Pat performs a myriad of truly Irish comedic scenarios that no matter what part of the country you are from you will have seen or heard of first hand!

Nolan & Lambe @ glór will be open on the evening and you can opt for a 2 course supper before the event for just €16.50.  This may be booked with box office directly on online here.

A delightful show for all the family, loosely based on the traditional fairy tale. With a great mix of dance styles, an eclectic musical score, creative choreography and a cast of talented dancers, this promises to be a very entertaining and enjoyable show.

This show brings together our three dance schools from Doolin and Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare and Kinvara, Co. Galway.  We will showcase all styles of dance, ranging from jazz, tap, ballet, hiphop, musical theatre and contemporary. 

A family friendly show to guaranteed to entertain all ages.  You will be dancing in you seats to all the well-known pop hits and music throughout the decades.

Pipers Union, comprising David Power, Ciarán Somers and their old friend Dónal Clancy, is a tight-knit trio, incorporating traditional and contemporary styles to deliver rousing ballads, soft love songs, lively dance tunes and haunting airs.

Award-winning musicians in their own right, Caitlín Nic Gabhann & Ciarán Ó Maonaigh are quickly becoming one of the foremost duets in Ireland today. Their music & dance is rooted in the tradition; full of spirit, soul and life. Together on fiddle, concertina and dance, they breathe fire into traditional tunes - not to be missed!

Fleadh Nua will honour the legendary singer Seán Ó Sé on this special night. Seán, a native of Bantry, Co. Cork has an instantly recognisable voice and his performance of 'An Poc ar Buille' in the early 1960's established his reputation as a well known singer.
Seán performed with Seán Ó Riada and Ceoltóirí Chualann until Ó Riada's untimely death in 1971. Over the years he has toured and recorded extensively, including a recording with the Turloughmore Céilí Band.

In 1969 and 1970, Séamus Mac Mathúna recorded the legendary West Clare fiddle player, Bobby Casey, in London. These invaluable recordings are part of the Comhaltas Archive. A CD of many of these recordings has been produced by the Cois na hAbhna Archive and will be launched at Fleadh Nua, when many musicians, including friends who played with Bobby, will perform and pay tribute to one of Clare's greatest musicians.

Sparks Dance School was created about 17 years ago by Lourdes O’Donoghue and is the longest running and most successful modern dance school in Clare. The show is great value and is always sure to be a great family night out.

Albert Lee, by common consent one of the world’s finest guitar-players, needs no introduction to Country Music & Rock fans. He has worked with some of the world's top artists, from Emmylou Harris to the Everly Brothers, Dolly Parton to Eric Clapton. Albert and the band play Country Rock as a broad term. Albert is double Grammy award winning musician, whose talents continue to be in demand.

He is joined by Gerry Hogan, Peter Baron and Dona Oxford. This multi-talented band features some of the top musicians in the UK.  Hogan's Heroes was formed by their namesake Gerry Hogan almost 30 years ago, specifically to back Albert. Their first gig took place in 1987 at Gerry’s annual festival for pedal steel guitar. They have played together on a regular basis since that time, and as a result have become one of the tightest units in music.

The Poetry Collective (previously The Three Legged Stool Poets) are a collective of poets living and performing in Ireland’s Midwest based in and around Ennis. They have been writing, publishing, recording, filming and performing poetry for 15 years and have produced impressive first collections of poetry such as’ Spirit Store’ by Arthur Watson, ‘Image and Likeness’ by Brian Mooney, ‘Voices of Clare’ by a selection of Clare Poets, ’Reality the Graveyard of Dreams’ by Brendan O Byrne, ‘Parting’ by Patrick Stack as well as Poetry Broadsheets, Calendars and Pamphlets.

In a new and challenging development the poetz, friends and audience will be working together in a more dynamic manner, using structured and partially rehearsed improvisations to investigate and express some fundamental human experiences.  They like to call these events a MUXZ. Sounds sexy like fluxz, tastes like bixz, and looks like mixz! As Poetz we seem endlessly compelled to give things names (sonnet, villanelle, haiku, Limerick etc )so we thought we’d better give this ‘form’ a name for something nameless and essentially indefinable until you’ve participated soooo…Come and experienze it.

These performances will represent spontaneous, improvised poetic explorations of universal themes involving combinations of sound, movement, music, art, costume and the spoken word….a MUXZ.

All Welcome  |  www.clarepoets.com

Winner of Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and the sell-out success of Dublin Fringe Festival, Rise Productions brings us The Games People Play, the follow-up to their international smash hit Fight Night. Described as “THE state of the nation play for the negative equity generation,” this is a radical re-working of the Tír na nÓg myth. Niamh and Oisín were sold the dream – the house, the life, the kids. But what do you do when everything you ever dreamed of still isn’t enough? The mounting pressure of balancing family and career takes its toll, and one night a series of games starts to escalate, threatening to unravel their suburban paradise. Gripping family drama meets epic Celtic mythology, presented in the trademark ‘Theatre Strong Style’ of Rise Productions.

“Riveting... both a timeless story about two people lost inside a marriage, and a very contemporary Irish horror story of debt, desire and emigration. ★★★★”
– Irish Theatre Magazine

“A sharp, contemporary joy... a genuinely accomplished and imaginative take on post-boom family destruction... An intense, convincing picture of a contemporary marriage, played extremely well by Lorna Quinn as Niamh, and absolutely superbly by Aonghus Óg McAnally as Oisin.”
– Sunday Independent

“Sincere in intent and acted with conviction”
– The Irish Times

An evening of Traditional Irish Music, song and dance from the pupils of Ceol na nÓg Music School with performances also from Bríd and her family - Seán (flute), Eibhlís (uilleann pipes), Deirdre (harp), Liam (concertina) and Sinéad O'Brien (fiddle).

Tom Crean, the intrepid Antarctic explorer and one of Ireland’s unsung heroes, is brought to life in this dramatic and humorous solo performance by Aidan Dooley.

Hear the riveting true stories of Crean’s Antarctic explorations as one of the few men to serve with both Scott and Shackleton and survive the three famous expeditions.  Crean’s story is a testament of human fortitude against all the elements of the Antarctic, his 36 mile, solitary trek to base camp during the Terra Nova expedition to rescue his comrades Teddy Evans and William Lashly has been described by Antarctic historians as “the finest feat of individual heroism from the entire age of exploration”. He was subsequently awarded the Albert Medal for his bravery.

This multi-award winning show has now played critically acclaimed sell-out performances throughout Ireland, USA, Australia, Europe and the UK.

“a remarkable and uplifting piece of theatre, gives everything and asks nothing.” 
Emer O’Kelly, Sunday Independent

“You will go to then end of the earth to find theatre this rewarding"
Murray Bramwell, The Australian

Celebrating his 80th birthday this year, one of Ireland’s most renowned actors and performers, Des Keogh, gets to fulfil a life-long ambition to play legendary Irish man of letters George Bernard Shaw.

Following the phenomenal world-wide success of his show The Love-Hungry Farmer by John B. Keane, which he also adapted, Des has devised and will perform in a hugely entertaining new play about the many ladies in the extraordinary life of one of the greatest playwrights of all time.  

Author of Pygmalion, which became the smash-hit film My Fair Lady, Shaw shares anecdotes about the loves of his life, who included leading actresses of his day like Mrs Pat Campbell and Ellen Terry, and elaborates on his forthright views on marriage and celibacy.  
Des Keogh has just completed two sell-out runs of the acclaimed revival of Moll by John B. Keane at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin. In 2014 he appeared in the world-premiere production of Dreamland by Jim Nolan, for which he was recently nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award.

Produced and directed by Patrick Talbot
Set Design by Jim Queally
Lighting Design by Moyra D’Arcy

The recipient of this year's award for Outstanding Contribution to Traditional Music in County Clare, is Eoin O'Neill.  The award will be presented to Eoin during this star-studded concert.

The prestigious annual award, named after Clare’s cultural ambassador and visionary, Muiris Ó Rocháin, is sponsored by glór and developed in partnership with Dr. Tim Collins who is an adviser to glór and coordinated the original concert in 2013.

The full concert line up will be announced in due course.  More information on MÓRglór can be found here.