What's On

An opportunity to learn French through games, songs, rhymes, stories, role-plays and fun!
Classes start on February 4th and run for 9 weeks

Viens jouer avec Matou et Tounette
for 3-5 year olds  |  €70  |  10.30am – 11.00am

Les aventures de Minou et Trottine
for 5-7 year olds  |  €90  |  11.15pm – 12.00pm

Salut Céline et Antoine
for 7- 9 year olds  |  €90  |  12.15pm – 1.00pm

Bonjour La France
for 9-12 year olds  |  €90  |  2.30pm – 3.15pm

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

VILLAGE for newborn to 18 month olds: 
10am Tuesdays (from 7th Feb) or
10am Thursdays (from 9th Feb) or
10am Saturdays (from 11th Feb)
7 week term
€95 inc. Home Materials

OUR TIME for 1.5 to 3 year olds: 
11am Tuesdays (from 7th Feb) or
11am Thursdays (from 9th Feb) or
11am Saturdays (from 11th Feb)
14 week term
€145 inc. Home Materials

IMAGINE THAT for 3 to 5 year olds: 
12pm Saturdays (from 11th Feb)
14 week term
€150 inc. Home Materials

YOUNG CHILD 2 & 4 for 5 to 7 year olds: 
1pm & 2pm Saturdays (from 11th Feb)
€160 inc. Home Materials

For more information and to enrol, please contact Kindermusik Tutor Fiona on 085 763 6233

Ireland’s award winning classics company Second Age is back with one of Shakespeare’s greatest and bloodiest plays. Expect a fast-paced thriller, with a sumptuous design, and high octane physical performances.

This Macbeth will be an arresting and heady take on one of the greatest tragedies of all time.  Fair is foul and foul is fair inside the mind of this ambitious and political Macbeth, who along with his designing wife, chooses to take destiny by the throat.

Directed by David Horan, whose Second Age production Dancing at Lughnasa was described by The Irish Times as ‘the best show in town’.Join us for an evening of deception, madness, treachery and tragedy.

Audio Described and Captioned performance on Friday 10th February at 8pm.
Facilitated by Arts & Disability Ireland with funding from the Arts Council.
For more information on assisted performances www.adiarts.ie/resources

Come and enjoy a feast of fun, drama, singing, music and dance featuring children from 3 years to 13 years.
A great night of family entertainment is guaranteed.

Early booking strongly advised.

Following a hugely successful opening and 5 week run in the Olympia in Dublin with his brand new show Keith Barry - 8 DEADLY SINS, Keith returns to glór for one night only.

After Keith’s 75 date sold out Asylum tour in 2011, Keith went immediately to LA where he filmed his first ever US Tv Series  “Deception with Keith Barry” for the Discovery Channel.  The new show delivers buckets of Keith’s familiar unique brand of outrageous, controversial and downright hilarious entertainment.

Keith Barry is now one of the world’s leading international Mentalists and the leading TV Mentalist.Keith was awarded the prestigious Merlin Award for "Mentalist of the Year 2009" from the International Magicians Society. The Merlin Award is to magic what the Oscars are to movies, with past winners of the Merlin Award being David Copperfield and Siegfreid & Roy.  2009 also saw Keith gaining the title “Best Magician in Las Vegas 2009” as voted for by the Las Vegas Review Journal show critics after he finished up an impressive 5 week residency at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino to rave reviews.

Early booking strongly advised.

Please note that this is an over 16's show.

All Welcome

Please note that this show has an age guideline of 16+

Following the sell out success of his last show, Neil Delamere returns with the national tour of his highly anticipated new show, Restructuring. Equally hilarious on and off script, don’t miss this five star comedy maestro as he performs in venues across Ireland this autumn.  Restructuring sees the star of RTE’s The Panel, BBC’s The Blame Game and Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Channel 4’s Stand Up for the Week come to terms with the changes in the country, the world and more importantly his own living arrangements! Handy hints on how to handle the UK traffic police will be dispensed as well as sage advice on why not to pour olive oil in your ears. One of the sharpest comedy minds in the Irish comedy scene today, this born story-teller takes to the stage with his original brand of razor sharp wit and hilarious anecdotes making Restructuring a must-see for any discerning comedy fan.

“If you've yet to see Delamere live, make this the year….simply put, Delamere is a master” – Scotsman
“one lean, mean comedy killing-machine” - The Herald

CLARE FM is proud to announce that Clare’s Got Talent is coming back and once again a magnificent prize of €5000 awaits the winning act.

Singers, dancers, musicians, céilí or traditional groups, choirs, comedians and novelty acts of all ages are invited to enter the event that will grip the Banner in 2012.

Clare FM is delighted to team-up again with St Francis Credit Union, Ennis as the official sponsors. Event management company, HDevents will present Clare’s Got Talent in partnership with Clare FM.

Entry forms and more information at www.claresgottalent.net

Eddi Reader was brought into the limelight with Fairground Attraction and their single ‘Perfect’ and parent album First of a Million Kisses which both topped the British charts.  However, it has been her subsequent solo albums which signalled her increasing ability to assimilate different musical styles and make them all very much her own.  From the traditional to the contemporary, Eddi brings to joyous life all forms of song and what sets Reader apart is the depth and quality of the emotional performance;  her ability not only to move the listener but to connect her experience to that of her audience. 

Her rare blend of meltingly true vocals and towering romanticism combine with an astute and pragmatic nature to make her a unique and powerful figure in contemporary British music.  She has effortlessly developed into one of popular music’s most thrilling and affecting performers.

Ennis Players make a welcome return to the glór stage with this vicious black comedy about two feuding brothers, Coleman and Valene, who have just buried their father. Their constant baiting and provoking of each other frequently spills over into a cartoonish violence which further distresses the already maudlin local priest, young Father Welsh.  McDonagh's characters may be unlikable but they're also unforgettable. Darkly hilarious and occasionally touching.

This is a tale of three strangers…a father, a mother and a son. In this poignant drama, a young man’s return from World War II becomes the catalyst for an emotional tug-of-war in which love is a prize and a weapon. As the Cleary family struggle to reconnect after years of emotional distance, the effect of the negative family dynamics become all too clear. When it comes to family, there are three sides to every story.
Founded in 1950, Corofin Dramatic Society has picked up numerous acting, production and set design awards down through the years including the 2011 All-Ireland One Act Finals.

Tá an Fhéile Scoildrámaíochta buailte linn arís. Beidh drámaí Gaeilge ar an stáitse ó Bhunscoileanna agus Iarbhunscoileanna an Chláir. Beidh dhá lá mór drámaíochta agus spraoi ann. Bígí linn.

On the above dates we have our yearly presentations of Scoildrámaíocht from schools around the county and beyond. This makes for excellent entertainment for young and old and it is also a great opportunity for children to perform through the medium of Irish.

In a career that has now spanned nearly three decades, Griffith first emerged as a writer of startling depth and subtlety, crafting sparse uncluttered vignettes that revealed a wealth of emotion even the most humble of characters and settings. With her gifts as a songwriter lending invaluable insight, Griffith has also grown into a formidable interpreter of other people's songs, as demonstrated on such albums as the Grammy® Award-winning Other Voices, Other Rooms.

Her admirers are legion (Bob Dylan specifically requested that she sing "Boots of Spanish Leather" at his historic Madison Square Garden anniversary concert), and her awards appropriately numerous: five Grammy nominations, including a win for her gracious 1993 recording Other Voices, Other Rooms celebrating other songwriters, and two more for her dazzling performances on albums by The Chieftains.  She has penned some of country music's most enduring compositions, including Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson's "Gulf Coast Highway," Kathy Mattea's "Love at the Five and Dime" and "Listen to the Radio," and Suzy Bogguss's "Outbound Plane."  And Nanci was the first to record Julie Gold's Grammy®-winning classic, "From a Distance."

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. Supported by Clare County Library, the festival includes author readings, discussions, workshops and walking tours through the narrow streets and lanes of Ennis. We offer sessions on running book clubs, advice on reading lists, poetry, events as Gaeilge, and an opportunity to compare notes and meet with other Book Club members.

The 2012 festival programme is on sale from Thursday January 26th may be viewed online by clicking here.
 

Also featuring the Cantare Choir and Dinan School of Ballet.

Patrick Gale has written fourteen novels, the twelfth of which, Notes from an Exhibition, was the Independent Booksellers’ Association Adult Book of 2008 and a Richard and Judy selection. Rough Music, A Sweet Obscurity and Friendly Fire, are beginning to win him a European following thanks to successful translations into French and Dutch. His thirteenth novel, The Whole Day Through was a Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and a Sainsbury’s Book Club selection. 2009 saw the publication of Gentleman’s Relish, his second collection of short stories. His fourteenth novel, A Perfectly Good Man, will be published by Fourth Estate in March 2012.

A literary quiz over a cuppa.
 

Sheila O'Flanagan is the international best-selling autor of 16 novels and 3 short-story collections. Her books have been translated into more than 20 languages.

In her spare time she plays competitive badminton and she is also a director of the Irish Sports Council.

Fergus Finlay is the author of four best-selling books. He has founded a number of organisations that campaign for the rights of people with disabilities, and Chairperson of Special Olympics Ireland for four years. He is currently Chair of Volunteering Ireland. He broadcasts regularly on radio and television, and contributes a weekly column to the Irish Examiner.

Pat Donlon is a former Curator at Chester Beatty Library and Director of National Library of Ireland.  She has published widely on Irish illustrators and Irish children's literature and also on the History of the Book in Ireland. She is author and presenter of a series of programmes on RTE Lyric fm 'A Spell of words and Music' which bring together in one space two of her greatest passions – poetry and music.

Sean Spellissy is a well-respected local historian. He lived in Ennis for many years but has now moved across the border to County Galway. He is the author of Clare County of Contrast; Limerick in Old Photographs; A History of County Clare and many, many more.

He was recently involved in writing the text for the Ennis Town Walking Trail display boards which you will see as you go through town.

Joseph Woods is a poet and Director of Poetry Ireland since 2001. He has lived in Japan, travelled for long periods in Asia, in particular China and India, and more recently Latin America.  Sailing to Hokkaido (2001) and Bearings (2005) were both published by the Worple Press, UK. For his first book, he won the Patrick Kavanagh Award. He has co-edited Our Shared Japan (Dedalus Press, 2007); an anthology of contemporary Irish poetry concerning Japan. Dedalus Press gathered his first two collections in one volume entitled Cargo (2010) and in 2011 published his third collection Ocean Letters.

Paula Meehan was born in Dublin where she still lives. Besides six award winning and critically acclaimed poetry collections she has also written plays for both adults and children. She has conducted residencies in universities, in prisons, in the wider community, and her poems and plays have been translated into many languages, including Irish.

Natasha Murtagh is a student of English and Philosophy at University College Dublin. Peter Murtagh is a managing editor at The Irish Times. He is co-author (with Joe Joyce) of two books, The Boss, Charles J Haughey in government (1983) and Blind Justice, the Sallins mail train robbery (1984).

Their book Buen Camino tells the story of an Irish father and his 18-year-old daughter and their 900-kilometre walk together across northern Spain along the ancient pilgrim route to the tomb of St James. Buen Camino is published by Gill & Macmillan

Professor Margaret Kelleher is Director of An Foras Feasa: the Institute for Research in Irish Historical and Cultural Traditions, at NUI Maynooth. She is the author of The Feminization of Famine and co-editor (with Philip O’Leary) of The Cambridge History of Irish Literature (2006). She was a contributing editor to the Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing, Volume IV: Irish Women’s Traditions (2002).  She has published widely in the areas of nineteenth-century Irish writing, Irish literary history, and women's writings. She is currently Chairperson of the International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures and representative for Ireland on the European Science Foundation’s Standing Committee for the Humanities.

Maureen Gaffney is one of Ireland's most respected, trusted and well-liked commentators on everything from personal development to organisational, cultural and societal change. A clinical psychologist by profession, Dr Maureen Gaffney worked for many years in Trinity College Dublin as Director of the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology. 
She has worked with companies in Ireland, the UK, Israel, and the US. Drawing on her vast experience of working with people and organisations, and on a fascinating body of recent research, Maureen Gaffney has written a gripping, stimulating and inspiring manifesto on how to flourish and why we need to. The book is called Flourishing and is published by Penguin.

Readings and interview with Sean Rocks, RTE Radio 1 Presenter of Arena

Kevin Barry's new collection of stories, Dark Lies The Island, is published this spring. His acclaimed novel, City Of Bohane, appeared in 2011, while his debut collection of stories, There Are Little Kingdoms, was
published in 2007 and awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. His stories have appeared in the New Yorker, the Granta Book of the Irish Short Story, Best European Fiction, and many other journals and anthologies.

Lynne Reid Banks is a best-selling author for children and adults. She is the author of ten acclaimed adult novels, including the ground breaking L Shaped Room, as well as many much-loved books for children. Her classic children's novel The Indian in the Cupboard has sold nearly six million copies worldwide.

Chaired by Caimin Jones.

Catriona Crowe is Head of Special Projects at the National Archives of Ireland. She is Manager of the Irish Census Online Project, which has placed the 1901 and 1911 censuses online free of charge over the last 4 years. She is an Editor of Documents on Irish Foreign Policy, which published its seventh volume, covering the period 1941-45, in November 2010. She is editor of Dublin 1911, published by the Royal Irish Academy in late 2011.

Michael Harding has worked in theatre as an actor, director and writer. Most widely known as the author of such plays as Strawboys, Una Pooka, Misogynist, Hubert Murray's Widow, Sour Grapes, and Amazing Grace, all produced by the Abbey Theatre, and more than a dozen other plays for leading Irish Companies.  He is a member of Aosdana, a columnist with The Irish Times, and the author of three books of Fiction, Priest, The Trouble with Sarah Gullion, and Bird in the Snow.

Christine Dwyer Hickey is an award-winning novelist and short story writer. She is the author of the Dublin Trilogy, The Dancer, The Gambler and the Gatemaker (1995-2000). Her bestselling novel Tatty was chosen as one of the 50 Irish Books of the Decade. Her novel Last Train from Liguria was also a bestseller and was nominted for the Prix L'Européen de Littérature. Her latest novel The Cold Eye of Heaven has already received wide critical acclaim. She is a member of Aosdana.

Jane O'Brien is the director and tour guide for Ennis Walking Tours, a company that has been running very popular guided walking tours of the lovely town of Ennis for a number of years.  Winner of the FBD ClareBusiness Excellence Award for Best Tourism Initiative in Clare and praised by Lonely Planet as the best way to appreciate the town, Jane's lively and entertaining tours through the winding streets of medieval Ennis reveal the stories and characters that have shaped the towns history.

Enjoy a light lunch and some theatre to round off your weekend in Ennis in the company of Wonderland Productions.

'Quite simply superb! Witty, wonderful, Wonderland… the most promising company since the debut years of Rough Magic ... Without any risk of overstatement, Wonderland Productions is a company that is really going places'    The Irish Times

'One of the most strikingly inventive companies to have emerged in recent years'    The Independent on The Hostage.

The show is directed by Des Henn and choreographed by Barbara Meany.

The Sound of Music tells the tale of a woman who leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower.

We are delighted to welcome some of Ennis' finest child actors and singers to the stage as the Von Trapp children.

This is a show for all the family and one not to be missed!

The students of Rice College Ennis take to the stage in glór to showcase their many talents.
Music from many different genres, singing, set, step and sean nós dancing will all be displayed on the night.
A night of the finest entertainment from some of the talented students from County Clare

Man 1, Bank 0 is Patrick Combs amazing-but-true story of how he deposited a $95,093.35 junk-mail cheque into his own bank account, as a joke,  and the story that ensued after his bank clears it. He’s rich – or is he?

This outrageously funny comedy that quickly becomes a staggering David vs Goliath-like real-life adventure, returns to Ireland  after a hugely successful tour in June 2011 and  ‘smash hit’ sold out shows internationally and has been critically acclaimed by Time Out, N.Y. as “Incredulous... gleeful...” & “Star Power”(Variety Magazine). This is a must-see one-man comedy that you’ll never forget. 

“Two hours of non stop laughter”….  .Broadway World.
Winner of “Best Comedy Award” – Montreal,  and “Funniest Show Of The Year” – HBO’s Comedy Festival.
“... the comedy value of watching a bank beg for its cash back is priceless." -Time Out NY
“....This is that rarity, a show that actually lives up to it’s publicity....an extraordinary and highly entertaining evening.....and the beauty of it is that it’s all true” 5 Stars..Irish Mail on Sunday.

Suitable for ages 8 – 12 years
Duration 65 Mins

A Murder of Crows is a dynamic and theatrically exciting work for children aged 8 and over, based on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel. The play explores themes of famine, family loyalties and personal growth.

Six actors weave a gothic story of two children's journey from abandonment and fear to ultimate survival, seen from the quirky perspective of a chorus of raucous and garrulous crows, whose boisterous antics will delight children. 

A Teachers’ Resource Pack will be provided to all teachers bringing groups to the show. This pack equips teachers with a series of practical worksheets which provide a focus for exploration and discussion of themes raised through the play.

Make sure you know what to do in an emergency. 

This Paediatric First Aid course, completed in a condensed 3 hour evening session, is a relaxed course designed to give you an introduction to the skills needed for first aid with children. This course is delivered by a qualified nurse, who is familiar with all aspects of childcare, and can cover a wide range of issues, of which she has first hand experience. You will receive a certificate of attendance upon successfully completing the course.

The course is recognised by the Irish Heart Foundation & American Heart Association.

Johnny McEvoy has always been highly acclaimed for his excellent concert shows and his return visit to glór is eagerly awaited by his legion of fans.

This nostalgiac evening of 'Song and Story' features all of Johnny's many 'Hit Songs'.  His songs are haunting, evocative and beautifully presented with many in the folk and ballad style.
Johnny also features songs from his new album. His recent recording of his No 1 'Hit' Muirseen Durkin with Sharon Shannon was very well received and got extensive airplay on Local and National Radio.

This is a two hour concert...not to be missed.

3.00 pm – 5.00 pm juniors concert  (4 – 15 years)
6.00 pm – 8.30 pm seniors concert   (15 – 99 years)

All students of Maoin Cheoil an Chlair have the opportunity to perform on stage in glór on the day. Expect a huge diversity of Irish traditional music and classical music to be performed within this springtime concert.
Not only parents will be thrilled by our student’s performance…so please come along for an outstanding musical experience in County Clare.

For more information visit www.maoincheoil.com

Screened in conjunction with the April 5th event, Barry's Norman's Favourite Films, this is your chance to see the 1942 classic on the big screen.

This American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, is set during World War II, and focuses on a man torn between, in the words of one character, love and virtue. He must choose between his love for a woman and helping her and her Czech Resistance leader husband escape from the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis.

Casablanca won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Its characters, dialogue, and music have become iconic, and the film has grown in popularity to the point that it now consistently ranks near the top of lists of the greatest films of all time.

Barry Norman is Britain's most respected and popular film critic. He became famous as the regular presenter of the BBC Film programme, starting in 1972 with Film 72; by the time he left after Film 98 he had become a household name.

He has presented many other flagship BBC and ITV documentaries and programmes, including Tonight and Omnibus. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he wrote and presented four acclaimed series on The Hollywood Greats and one on The British Greats, and the ten-part BBC series Talking Pictures, each of which was backed up by bestselling books.

In 1998 Barry was wooed and won by Sky Premiere who recognised the value to them when launching their new movie channels of securing the services of Britain’s best known and most popular film critic. He presented BARRY NORMAN’S FILM NIGHT for the next three years.

There will be a Question & Answer session at the end of the evening.

Screened in conjunction with the April 5th event, Barry's Norman's Favourite Films, this is your chance to see the 1939 classic on the big screen.

Set in the 19th century American South, the film stars Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, and Hattie McDaniel, among others, and tells a story of the American Civil War and Reconstruction era from a Southern point of view.

The film received 10 Academy Awards, a record that stood for 20 years.  The film was the longest American sound film made up to that time – 3 hours 44 minutes, plus a 15 minute intermission, and was among the first of the major films shot in color (Technicolor), winning the first Academy Award for Best Cinematography in the category for color films. It became the highest-grossing film of all-time shortly after its release, holding the position until 1966; after adjusting for inflation, it has still earned more than any other film in box office revenue.

Screened in conjunction with the April 5th event, Barry's Norman's Favourite Films, this is your chance to see the 1942 classic on the big screen.

What started out as a desire to work with each other for a once off show has now become the talk of the country!   Jimmy Buckley, Robert Mizzell and Patrick Feeney have succeeded in making country music cool and the guys continue to enjoy a massive, positive reaction where ever they go!

In 2012 they tour Australia and New Zealand following their record deal with Sony, Australia and by the end of 2013 American and UK audiences will get the chance to see what all the fuss is about!

“We would meet in 24 hour service stations as we made our way home from the gigs and it gave us the chance to talk and share stories.  Over time we realised that we had a great respect for each other.  Our musical tastes were similar and if we could find the time, a collaboration was on the cards!”  It took well over two years for the dream to be realised, “But it was worth the wait!  We hit it off instantly and the show made an immediate connection with the audiences”.

The Last Waltz, was a live show filmed and directed by Martin Scorsese which commemorates the history and music of Bob Dylan and 'The Band' and is regarded as the greatest rock and roll concert movie of all time.  To mark the 30th anniversary of the movie last year, a collective of some of Dublin's most legendary musicians under the name The Group, set about the task of recreating the 2 hour show live in tribute to the original concert. 

With a cast and crew of over 30 including a 10 piece band, full brass section, 13 amazing special guests, and stunning archive footage on a giant screen, this spectacular live re-enactment of the The Last Waltz is a must for all who love their music

Arthur Watson was born in Belfast in 1946. He has lived in Clare for 30 years. He has worked in theatre and commercial art in the UK and Ireland. He has lived in a commune in Norfolk. He helped found Raheenwood School, the East Clare Community Coop, the East Clare Men’s Group and the Clare Poetry Collective. He is a member of Dandelion Puppet Theatre and manages   Heritage Art. His poetry has been published in New Verse From Ulster, Ulster Soundings, Crow Hall Poetry, Stoney Thursday, Revival, The Three Legged Stool, Grian, Clare Poetry Broadsheet, Calendar Poets, PEN Poets.  He has given readings at the University of Ulster, Berlin University, Cambridge Festival, Ennis Festival, Mountshannon Festival, Cuisle Festival, Putney Festival, Feakle Festival, the Limerick Writers Centre, Impact Theatre, Tamong many others. He has read on RTÉ, BBC, Limerick and Clare Radio stations, Ballyvaughan Culture Festival and the Electric Picnic among many others.

A night of fun and entertainment from the pupils of Inch National School who are treading the glór boards for the first time.

Vladimir Jablokov returns for one night only.  Playing pieces from his wonderful debut CD Classical Twist: The Album, Vladimir along with his peerless band of exemplary classical musicians will perform his unique, fresh hybrid of music old and new he calls Classical Twist.  From Bach to Beatles, The Stones to Strauss – Vladimir’s superb virtuoso performances delighted national audiences in 2011.

Vladimir is one of the best young musical talents currently playing in Ireland. 'Classical Twist' showcases a dynamic band of Slovak and Irish musicians taking familiar pieces from the world of both the classics and rock-pop; and reworking them in into new, vibrant, exciting shapes.

On Monday 23rd April, Vladimir will hold schools workshops which will run for 90 minutes each.

• Trust Games by Pete Mollineux – A group of dysfunctional teenagers spend a night away…..mayhem ensues!
• A devised work by CYT member Jack Malone…… A Flann O’Brien–style tale of a writer and his many creations.
• Extracts from Sive, The Lonesome West and Dancing at Lughnasa

All performed in the unique Clare Youth Theatre style, including music, movement and physical energy.

102 years in the business, the Kilfenora has gone from strength to strength since their centenary! From village parties in the early 1900s right down to their current international profile in the new millennium, each new generation slots seamlessly into the groove of their forebears.

The group can follow its roots back into the late 1800s. At the time, music was an important feature of life in rural Ireland. Kilfenora boasted a fine brass band, which gradually evolved into a dance band. Its story is the story of Irish music itself. From village parties in the early 1900s to bigger dances in the '30s, broadcasts in the '40s, commercial recordings in the '50s, foreign tours in the '60s right down to their current international profile they have set the bar for other ensembles.

For more information on Fleadh Nua events please click here.

After a series of sold-out shows around the country last year, Des Bishop returns to Ennis with his brand new show, Des Bishop Likes to Bang.

Book now to avoid disappointment.

‘Charismatic, sincere, eloquent and always seeking the angle’ Chortle

‘Funny, erudite and effortlessly delivered’ The Scotsman, UK