The Clare People Archive

IT’S the battle of the Divas of Doo- nass and there are ten lovely “song- birds” about to take to the stage to give performances that east Clare has never heard the likes of.

And the song contest will be only a part of the show in the Angler’s Rest on Friday night, when the dresses, wigs and make-up will sort the men from the – eh – men!

The wannabee divas will be strut- ting their stuff and giving the songs socks as part of the St Senan’s Fam- ily Festival to raise money for health and safety training and equipment for the under-age GAA coaches and

helpers.

‘We have ten volunteers to perform and the audience will pay ©5 each for a voting card. Each man will be dressed and groomed by two women with make-up short skirts – the lot. It won’t be so much a case of Trinny and Suzannah warning what not to wear – more a case of what never to wear, at least in public,” Fiona McK- eown, one of the organisers said.

Paulette Egan, who came up with the divas idea said she was delighted with the response from local lads.

“People told me Id never get ten men to do it, but they came on board.”

The divas are: Miss Hot Toddy,

aka Tod; Miss Drip-Drop, a plumb- er; former Fianna Fail councillor, Michael Begley is Miss Devalora; Miss Daisy, a farmer; Miss Fortune plays for the senior hurling team; Miss Kerry-Ta-Phoney is from Kerry and works for Eircom; Miss Odette is the senior hurling captain; Paul Col- lins is Miss Caul Pollins and Miss Ju-na-Bee-Star is a junior-b hurling team member.

The entertainment will cap off the family day which was traditionally held to celebrate St Senan, the patron saint of the area.

Starting with Mass at 3pm, the day will include a townlands soccer tour- nament and fun stalls with ‘Steady

Eddie’, tin-can alley, hanging t-towel competitions and barrels of fun.

Proceeds from the afternoon will be split between the local ICA. “It was traditional that on August 15, people here would go to Mass and then go and say the Rosary at St Sen- an’s well. In the evening, they would all go to the Angler’s Rest. It had died down a bit over the years so a few of us decided we’d resurrect it and hold a family and community day on that day,” said Paulette.

No one is taking any bets on what St Senan would make of the Divas of Doonass but it’s hoped a miracle might be worked on the fundraising side of things.

THERE was music ringing around the hills of east Clare last week as upwards of 6,000 people came to the town for the six days of events.

Workshops were high on the list this year for visiting musicians sing- ers and dancers.

Gary Pepper, one of the driving forces behind the annual Feakle event, said that enquiries about this year’s musical extravaganza came from all corners of the globe.

“We had people from Japan, which has happened before as there are a couple of local people married to Japanese people. We’ve had people on from the continent and this year

we’ve had enquiries from Denmark and Holland too.”

Every other sector dealing with US visitors has reported a complete slump this year and, said Gary, the festival is no different.

“We saw very few Americans. Other years, there would be a lot of them interested in traditional music, but they don’t seem to be travelling this year,” Gary

But for foreign visitors and Irish people alike, the six days of music proved to be a huge success.

It was officially opened last Wednesday and the organisers used the event to pay tribute to renowned local flute player Paddy O’Donogue. A well-respected musician and com-

poser Paddy recently released a cd of his music with his son Cyril.

Eurovision winner Eimear Quinn performed in the community cen- tre while the concert in St Mary’s Church featured Frankie Gavin and Roisin Elsafty.

TG4 Musician of the Year and lo- cal legend Martin Hayes together with Dennis Cahill were a big draw and the gala concert featured Ceide, Tulla favourite Andrew McNamara and Rob Stein. The workshops con- tinue to be very popular and attend- ance has increased yearly.

As well as the usual classes, for the first time this year, there were four new workshops, for whistle, begin- ner’s concertina, sean nos dancing

and a one-day workshop in tradition- al song writing.

And there was plenty for those who came to listen rather than perform music, with sessions all week in the marquee and in the bars.

“It went very well and we were pleased with the turnout. We’d ex- pected the biggest numbers ever and it’s great to see that the Feakle Fes- tival is getting a name in even more countries abroad,’ said Gary.

BRINGING out children’s creative side is the aim of a series of new courses being run for after school hours in Killaloe.

On Tuesdays, nimble little fingers will learn how to make masks, pup- pets, paint glass and create wonders out of recycled materials.

And on Thursdays, older children will get to grips with still life, learn- ing observation to draw and paint, pen and pencil techniques and wa-

ter colours, all based on a simplified version of the art college’s founda- tion course.

Deirdre Grimes, who has a degree in fine arts, has been teaching young- sters since she graduated.

After working for several years full time as an art teacher in Killa- loe Boys National School as well as in Limerick and teaching art outside of that, Deirdre decided to take her teaching home.

She opened Art Farm, an after school care facility which specialises

in teaching children creative crafts.

‘A lot of parents were asking about art classes and particular courses for their children. I came up with the courses, which will start in Sep- tember and we’re going to limit the numbers so that they get lots of indi- vidual attention.”

Each lesson will be an hour and a half long and the lessons will run over six weeks, between 4.30pm and oy oye

And at the end of the course the youngsters will take part in a bigger

arts festival for young people which is being organised in the Killaloe area.

“Diane Daly who runs the Music in The Glen courses 1s putting together a festival of the arts for young peo- ple and these courses run right up to that, so they will be able to take part in the visual arts exhibition section of the festival,” said Deirdre.

For further information on Art Farm, Deirdre can be contacted on 086 2626525 or by email on artfarm. killaloe@gmail.com.

THOSE who thought that Kilkee was the preferred place of Limerick people to just “hang out” and relax were forced to think again on Satur- day last as a group from the Limer- ick Masters Swimming Club hosted a 12-hour swimathon around Kilkee er MA

The 250-mile swimathon began at Qam and finished at 9pm, as water wrinkled bodies emerged from the salty water.

The day-long event was organised to raise funds and awareness for the charity Muscular Dystrophy Ireland.

The swimathon was also organised as a training session for eight brave swimmers from the Limerick Mas- ters Swimming Club, including one from Clare, who are preparing to cross the English Channel in mid- September, weather permitting. This is also to raise funds for the MDI OitTeIA

These channel swimmers were in the water of Kilkee Bay for a total of

four hours during the west Clare part of the fundraiser.

MDI Lily O’Brien’s_ chocolates were also sold on the day.

Philip Mudge, a member of the Channel Swim Team, said all the swimmers have been training ex- tremely hard over the past year and are “100 per cent dedicated to raising as much money as possible to fund Muscular Dystrophy Ireland’s Medi- cal Research Fund.”

The two relay teams of four people will be swimming across one of the

busiest shipping lanes in the world and facing seasickness, jelly fish and severe cold waters.

Joe T Mooney, CEO of Muscular Dystrophy Ireland, added, “we would like to sincerely thank the Limer- ick Masters Swimming Club Relay Team for organising the swimathon and their remarkable commitment to high endurance training really de- serves a huge amount of admiration as they raise awareness and money for medical research into the cond1- tion Duchenne MD”.

AN annual day out in west Clare that started life as a cattle show now pro- vides numerous competitions for a variety of animals, a sports day for children and adults in the area and numerous events for a family Sun- day.

The Mullagh Agriculture Show was founded in 1995 as acattle show, but now features more than 80 class- es for horses, donkeys, sheep and of course, cattle.

As well as the usual young horse and brood mare and foal sections, the agricultural show now boasts Sections for coloured horses, ridden hunters and a registered Connemara Pony section.

While the show is top of the list with many farmers and breeders, the emphasis is on the family and a day out for the community.

As well as the ever-popular sports day, special children’s entertainment is provided while the adults are dis- tracted with the different showings.

With more than a decade of shows behind them, the organisers of the Mullagh Agricultural Show are as busy as ever planning this week’s event.

More than a 1,000 people attended the last number of shows in the com- munity sports field.

On Sunday, August 17, those at- tending can expect more of the same fun and frolics. Judging will begin at llam.

The show will feature qualifiers for the All-Ireland Yearling Con-

nemara Filly, the All-Ireland Two Year Old Filly Championship, the National Irish Draught Foal Cham- pionship, the Celtic Ross Munster Irish Draught Foal Championship, the All-Ireland Donkey Mare and Foal Championship.

The sports day will begin at lpm with events for children, teenagers and even parents.

The ever-popular dog show will begin at 2pm, with the funfair, trade stalls, face painting and bouncy cas- tle running all afternoon.

WHEN Avril Brand lived on Robin Island her home was overlooked by the old Irish cross used by exiled Irish Catholics as a place of worship in the 1800s.

The majority of these Irish expatri- ates were banished to Van Diemen’s land by the ruling British in the 19th century, with a pit stop on the South African island to be used as labour- CHa DOM BOLom OND EN ToNe

For others life in the small west Af- rican island had become unbearable due to foreign rule and famine and the boat was the best hope of surviv- al, even in another land that colonists fought and killed for.

Almost two centuries on and like many South Africans, Avril and her husband Gerhart made the journey to the native home of those exiles in the hope of finding peace and a new life.

Now settled in their west Clare cot- tage, the photo on the mantle piece is not that of de Valera but of politi- cal hero Nelson Mandela, and on the walls, vibrant paintings of native Af- rican animals replace the traditional Sacred Heart.

With reminders of their homeland peppered around the walls, their new Tullybrack house is now home and life in Ireland has quickly become the way of life for the former Robin Island tourist guide and her former prison warden husband.

Born in Cape Town, Avril and her husband moved to the wine region of

South Africa after they got married. Then for six years they lived on the world famous Robin Island.

Her husband was the prison warden on the island for six of the eight years it functioned as a “regular” prison and signed the amnesty of the last political prisoners to leave the infa- mous prison when he first arrived.

At the time Avril worked as a tour- ist guide for the prison services and later worked for the Robin Island Museum when the prison became a national monument.

It was through this job that she met Mandela numerous times as he brought friends and dignitaries on a tour of the prison he was incarcer- ated in for almost 20 years.

Looking at the signed picture that takes pride of place in her sitting room she recalled, ““What a man. He always remembered a face.

“Our greatest hope was Nelson Mandela and we had a great few years (after he became president),”’ she said.

After the election of Thabo Mbeki, Avril said that the great African hope was gone as “reverse racism” replaced apartheid.

“As an ex-prison officer, even though he worked there after all the political prisoners had been released, it was impossible for my husband to get work,’ she said.

Violence became commonplace as robberies, rape, and torture were inflicted randomly. Many of those to meet a torturous end were friends of the Tullybrack residents. Life was

becoming unbearable.

“When you start going out with a revolver and sleeping with a revolver, and you know you will have to shoot to kill, it is time to move, because you have stopped being yourself,’ she said.

In 2002 her husband saw an adver- tisement for jobs in Ireland.

‘He didn’t know where Ireland was so I had to show him on a map,” she laughed.

Always interested in history Avril recalled how she had read the history of Brian Bort: long before she ever thought of coming to Ireland.

She laughed as she recalls the re- action of friends and family to her proposed move.

‘People would say “oh you are go- ing to Ireland, that is a very danger- ous place,’ and they were having friends being killed left, right and Cons tonee

Her husband got a job with Tesco and moved to the country he was soon to learn a lot about.

Avril and one of her three daugh- ters followed soon after.

After six months in Dublin, they moved to Ennis where they lived for two years.

“Then we got the dog and decided to settle. Ireland really became home when we got the dog so we needed to get a home, and | wanted to get out of the town and into the country.”

The couple bought the house in Tullybrack and moved in with their rescued dog Butti (meaning little brother), who is probably the only

dog in west Clare that understands Afrikaans better than English and Irish.

“When we were coming to Ireland we decided to find out what Irish people are like and that we would adapt to how they live. We know a few South Africans here, but most of our friends are Irish. They find us weird and we think they are weird, but we are very similar. We have the same set of values, very similar cul- tures, likes and dislikes and a very similar history,” she said.

“T miss South Africa, but with sev- eral years passed you forget and start to romanticise. Then you hear what is happening and you realise how lucky you are.

‘The freedom you have here is in- credible. To be able to go for a walk with the dog without worrying what will happen is wonderful. Ireland is so beautiful. I don’t like driving so much because you miss the scenery and the changing of the seasons. You don’t have that in South Africa,’ she Cree

“And our neighbours are wonder- ful. They are still people in the sense that they still care and they are won- derful.”

Avril is better known in west Clare for her art. Although her first memo- ries of drawing are not necessarily happy ones, having being chastised as a child for her drawings in school, Avril is now happy to fill her days painting and introducing others to the art.

She has never had an art lesson in

her life, as art was not encouraged as a career path when she grew up.

Instead she taught herself the tech- niques needed to produce amazing paintings of wild animals and scen- ery.

Now Avril is inviting people into her home for individual lessons and one-day courses for small groups.

Those who avail of the course do not even have to bring their own materials as she provides all that 1s required for an introduction into the world of oil painting.

“I give people canvas to draw on – giving them paper is patronising – and when they have finished painting on the canvas they can take it home. They will have something for them- selves to encourage them to continue Oe RUNLn en tcame

While not everyone can draw, Avril believes that everyone can paint.

“I don’t like using photos in the class. Instead I bring them back to their childhood, to a time when you draw from what is within you. Chil- dren have no inhibitions,’ said the talented artist.

Ms Brand initially started the one- day course as a one-off experience, but it proved so popular that she is now holding introductory workshops in her home in Tullybrack during most Sundays.

Information on her art and her workshops are available from www. clareartist.com.

that the new serv- ice is taking a huge amount of pres- sure off the traditional hospital mod- el while bringing health services to the people.

The programme, which was devel- oped during the past two years and which is up and running for almost six months, is providing a range of health services close to the people of north Clare.

The team serves a population of

almost 7,000 people spread out over almost 6,000 square kilometres in- cluding Corofin, Lisdoonvarna, Kil- fenora, Ballyvaughan, Kinnonaboy, Carran, Boston and Doolin.

By ensuring services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and community nursing are close to the people it takes travelling pressure off patients.

This team of GPs, nurses and thera- pists also meet fortnightly to discuss cases and how they can improve the service to the client.

Dr Glynn explained that as general practice and primary care medicine is an area where professionals are al- ways learning from each other, these meetings are therefore a valuable as- om

The team also discuss difficult pa-

tient cases and how other disciplines may also be able to help the patient.

“This model is providing a better outcome and it is less expensive,” said Dr Glynn.

“We are finding it beneficial be- cause we are getting patients seen in a more timely fashion and we can prioritise patients,” he added.

The Corofin GP said that prior to this GPs were referring patients to faceless people in other services but now they meet the other profession- als on a regular basis and can discuss the patient’s treatment and progress.

Many of the services are based in north Clare on a full time basis with service likes the dietician service spending a number of days a month in the area.

Physiotherapy is based in Bally- vaughan with outreach in other prac-

(Coe

A new speech and language thera- pist is to be appointed to cater for the area in the coming weeks, and will be based more than likely in En- nistymon.

Although a fledging project this progressive team already have a pro- posal before the HSE for a chiropo- ohm

The basic premise behind the es- tablishment of primary care teams is that most of the extended health care needs of the members of a particular community can and should be met by healthcare professionals working in that area, removing the need for longer, costly and often tiring jour- neys to outside locations and unfa- miliar professionals. North Clare is leading the way in this new form of health care.

THREE very different artists are coming together for an exhibition which will show the character and beauty of their local area of north Clare through the eyes of the talent- ere Mba Keb ara (OLbE-N icp

“Solitary Company” is the title of the exhibition by three artists from the north Clare area in the Court- house Gallery, Ennistymon this Au- gust.

Inspired by their local landscape artists Mona Hynes, Patsy Ricks and Mary Fahy have created a di- verse show highlighting each of their unique visions.

The three were chosen after an in-

vitation from the gallery to submit work, co-ordinator Maria Kerin, said “because of their very different approaches and the way they com- pliment each other. They have three interpretations of their local space, using very different techniques and approaches.”

The exhibtion will be opened by Councillor Flan Garvey in the Court- house Gallery, Parliament Street, En- nistymon, and will run from August 7 to 30.

The gallery will be open to visitors from 12pm to 5pm, Tuesday to Satur- day and Maria will give talks about the works on Wednesday, August 14 and 21 at 1.15pm and 4.15pm.

All of the paintings are for sale and

there is free entry into the exhibi- noe

Galway born Mary Fahy has cre- ated dense landscapes highlighting the edge of things; where sky meets land, where sea meets shore, to twi- light images at the edge of day. In some paintings Mary suggests inter- action between people and environ- ment: a trace of a footprint, evidence of people having passed through.

Being an artist from the Burren, Mona Hynes expresses her connec- tion to it through paintings that are in a fluid expressive style and deal with an emotional and imaginative response to this beautiful and often desolate landscape.

Mona allows the paint the freedom

to form an initial image by dropping and pouring it onto the canvas and then she paints over this. She never knows what the final piece will look like. For Mona Hynes this process reflects the unique and mysterious quality of the Burren.

Patsy Ricks, an artist based in the Courthouse Studios, engages with everyday scenes in Ennistymon and Lahinch such as dilapidated build- ings, old stone walls, rust and even the dogs in the street catch her eye.

She feels it is necessary to record, through the medium of watercolour, the demise of buildings and their surroundings in the local area. Patsy Ricks work is her chronicle of places fast disappearing.

PREPARATIONS continue for one of Clare’s most popular public events, the Burren Ramble which takes place Od NST =) 01030010 aeA

Registration is at 12 midday at St Patrick’s church Fanore. The walk commences at lpm sharp and follows a six-mile route that takes in much of the Burren’s natural splendor.

From St Patrick’s church, walkers will head towards the Caher valley before crossing over the Caher River and into the Blackhead Mountains and the sweeping views of Galway BeM A

Organisers anticipate that the last of the walkers should have complet- ed the route by 6pm. Participants are also being urged to collect sponsor- ship cards before the event. Cards are available from Joe Queally (087

6260301) and Tomsie O’Sullivan (065 7081022). Clare FM presenter Ger Sweeney will lead out the walk.

Again all funds raised from this year’s event will go towards the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).

The RNLI provides on call, 24- hour lifeboat service to cover search and rescue up to 100 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland. The crews are made up of volunteers from all walks of life that give up their time and comfort to carry out rescues and train for them, in difficult and often dangerous conditions.

The RNLI has lifeboats stationed on the west coast of Ireland at Gal- way Bay, Kilrush and Kilronan on Inis Mor and continues to play a vital role in water safety along the Clare coast.

Last year’s Burren Ramble attract-

ed 500 people and raised ©20,000 for the RNLI.

Joe Queally RNLI volounteer and Burren ramble organizer, points to the scenic beauty of the Burren re- gion as one of the main factors be- hind the event’s growing appeal.

“In September, particularly, the Burren takes on a new life. The sea- sons are changing over. You have all these streams that would have disap- peared over the summer, re-appear- ing. People taking part in the ramble get to see the different moods of the Burren first hand. It’s a unique op- portunity”.

He added, “The route this year, will take people through some parts of the Burren that people really don’t get to see that often’. The success of the Burren ramble has contributed enor- mously to the ability of the RNLI to perform lifesaving duties.

Recent tragic events along the Clare coast, have, according to Joe, emphasised the continued need for oneaN E-v Neen

“The RNLI has received amaz- ing support from people, even those communities who wouldn’t be direct- ly linked to the sea. People recognize the importance of lifeboat services. Lifeboats go out on average 12 times a day over the year. Its not a service for anyone, its for everyone”’.

THE ANCIENT art of calico sail making will be celebrated at this year’s Cruinniu na mBad (Gather- ing of the Boats) festival in Kinvara, County Galway.

There is just one family left who hold the secrets of making the beau- tiful sails. The late Johnny Bailey from Galway had the skill and passed it on to his children, who now make the sails and tar and bark them.

Marking the festival’s 30th birth-

day, the organisers have ordered a set of the calico sails which will be presented to one of the 100 Galway hooker’s taking part.

“We will have a set made every year and down the line, every hooker will have the traditional sails,’ said Dr Michael Brogan, Cruinnia na mBad organiser.

“This year we will have two dif- ferent races, one for boats which al- ready have the calico sails and one for those using modern sails.”

Every year the festival poster cel-

ebrates someone involved with the event and this year, it features the late Tony Moylan from Kinvara, who started the festival in 1978.

The races will be for the four types of Galway hookers. They include the Bad Mor, which is the largest vessel measuring between 35 to 44 feet in length; the second largest, the Leath Bhad , has a hull length of roughly 32 feet; the Gleoiteog; and the diminu- tive Pucan. The fun starts this year on Thursday, August 14, when the boats will gather from 3pm at The

Docks in Galway near Sheridan’s Bar. They will be joined by the visit- ing Jeannie Johnson before a night of traditional music and the boats will take part in the Claddagh race across to Kinvara.

The Turf Race will arrive at the pier in Kinvara on Saturday at around Spm and the Climin (seaweed raft race) will be held on Sunday.

There will be sean-nos singing and dancing as well as trad and other mu- sic sessions all over the town for the weekend.