Audio 30: Athea's Ahern Athletes, Reviews of 2008

Full show from 12th of December 2008 featuring:
Interview with Tom Ahern who has written about the Ahern Brothers from Athea. The four brothers were outstanding athletes at the start of the 20th century. Tim won the Olympic Gold medal in 1908 in London for the hop step and jump while his brother Dan's world record for the same event stood for 11 years between 1909 and 1920. " Ahern Brothers of Athea, Olympic and World Champions" is available in most local bookstores.
Vicky O Sullivan of the Newcastle West Bookstore talks about the big books of 2008 commercial, sport and local and makes some suggestions about stockings fillers.
Donal O Sullivan talks about the best films of the year just gone, including a selection of some arthouse and foreign language films.
Brief Vox pop with audience feedback on the film "Then she found me" which played in Listowel Film Club at the Classic.
Listings

Download here (55 mins/25 mbs). You can also listen to a streamed version on the player below. To subscribe to audio pieces from the show in itunes or other podcast receivers just click here

Audio 29: Colm Keane, The Beatles, Shane Serrano, Crude 5/12

Full show from 5th December
Colm Keane on his new book "The Beatles, Irish concerts" which talks the Beatles concerts in 1963-4
Shane Serrano, editor/publisher of new bi-monthly magazine Crude taks about the venture.
Download here (59 mins/27 mbs). You can also listen to a streamed version on the player below. To subscribe to audio pieces from the show in itunes or other podcast receivers just click here

Audio 22: Kieran Herlihy, Keith O Rahilly, Jim Corbett 3/10/08

Full show from Friday 3rd October
featuring

Kieran Herlihy speaking about 'Full Stop' his exhibition currently running in Limerick Printmakers.
Keith O Rahilly talking about his new exhibition 'Inward' in Newcastle West Library
Author Jim Corbett interviewed about his book 'Not while I have ammo'
Preview of next Newcastle West film club offering.
and new contributor Georgina Downes reading extracts from 'Not while I have ammo'

Music from Brian McNamara

Download here (48 mins/69 mbs) You can also listen to a streamed version on the player below.
To subscribe to audio pieces from the show in itunes or other podcast receivers just click here

Audio 15: Kevin Barry 15-02-08

Kevin Barry's first collection of short stories "There are Little Kingdoms" won the Rooney Prize for Literature in 2007. A fantastic collection, Kevin was back in his home city of Limerick for the unfringed festival to do a reading from the book.
To listen/download click here (11 mins, 7 mbs)
To subscribe to the show's podcast click here

Some Highlights of 2007 so far

Some of the features that have particularly stood out in the show this year

Gráinne Mhaol production in Abbeyfeale; A fantastic production by the transition year students of St. Josephs secondary school in Abbeyfeale, under the guidance of Niamh Bowen and Darren Maher. Really brought the story of the Pirate Queen to life, using the convent hall in a very imaginative way, and garnering considerably more favourable reviews than the big bucks production that hit Broadway.

Interview with Liam Lynch; Author of the book A Stranger to Darkness, this interview took place back in April when Liam was promoting his book in Riordans Bar Abbeyfeale. The book, which chronicled Liams descent into blindness and ultimately dealt with it in a very positive manner, is a great read, also offering vivid portraits of growing up in Ireland in the 1940s and 50s in an unsentimental way, and the farming practices that were common back then. A tremendous man, and a person who ultimately leaves one feeling more positive about life, the interview drew positive comments from as far away as the USA

Jamalski; Legendary MC, whose freestyling performance on live radio ranked as one of the most enjoyable I did on radio, and had our sound technician rushing to try hold him on the line to do some advertisments! That didn't transpire, but what did was a memorable gig at the Underground in Limerick the following Saturday night back in April

Coverage of Festivals; Main highlight included the Kilmallock medieval festival and the Askeaton Contemporary Arts Festival, both in August. The Writers Week in Listowel yielded interviews with Colm Tóibín and the darkly humorous Patrick McCabe

Allunde; Womens singing group, based in Foynes, the group were recorded for the show back in March at Newcastlewest Library

Just a taster of some of the items that were on, some good stuff happening in the general area over the next few weeks, if you're around make sure you catch...

Dracula; Teaspach Theatre groups' production at the Belltable, running from October 30th-November4th
Kerry Film Festival, running from Oct 27th-Nov3rd

Pat O'Connor, Kerry Media Network, Listowel Film Club, the Women and more

Quick recap on the previous weeks programmes

On September 22nd we featured interviews with
-Famed Newcastlewest writer Dr. Patrick O'Connor spoke about his new publication, 'Seeing through Counties; Geography and Identity in Ireland', an ambitious new book charting the development of the county system in the county
-Clare based artist Thomas De Lohery, who spoke about his upcoming exhibition at Friars Gate, Kilmallock that payed tribute to the late Limerick actor Richard Harris
-Feedback from the play 'Outlying Islands'

On September 29th the show featured interviews with
-Ciaran Gleeson of the classic cinema, Listowel on the relaunch of the Film Club
-Tralee man Rory Kirby, who recently set up the Kerry Media Network (KYM), a voluntary organisation aiming to link all facets of filmmaking in Kerry
-The show also featured highlights from Éigse Michael Hartnett, including footage from the Abbeyfeale Drama Group, an impromptu performance from Cora Fenton and music from the legendary Cork singer Jimmy Crowley

The show on October 6th had a strong theatrical theme running through it, featuring as it did interviews with
-Darren Maher of Impact Theatre, who spoke about their take on the Stephen King story, Misery
-David Heap (Donal Maher in Fair City) who talked about his role in the Galloglass Theatre Production of the play 'Way to Heaven', that was playing at Friars Gate
-Ciarda Tobin, director of the Teaspach production of the Clare Luce Booth play, 'The Women'
-Feedback from the Richard Harris exhibition at Friars Gate

And on to this Fridays show which featured interviews with
-Limerick City Arts Officer Sheila Deegan who spoke about the upcoming Cuisle Poetry Festival in Limerick
-John Reidy, who waxed lyrical about the famed Sliabh Luachra musician Patrick O'Keefe, for whom a festival is held in his honour in Castleisland from the 27-30th October
-Paul Tarpey, who spoke about both his and Claire Gilmour's work in the upcoming exhibition entitled 'Hidden', opening this Friday at Thinkk Creative space on Cecil Street
-Feedback from the film club in Listowel, where last night the film 'Paradise Now' was shown. A film that explored the journey of two young Palestinian men sent on a suicide bombing mission to Tel Aviv, one of the most powerful films I have seen in a long time
-A feature on the Austrian artistic group Medea. Based in Linz, artists from this group travelled to Ireland in September and I met and spoke to two of the artists, Christina and Astride

That just about wraps it up, great news is that West Limerick 102FM can now be listened to live on the Internet, and we've received positive feedback from both Canada and the USA. Make sure if you're from the Abbeyfeale or Foynes/Shannagolden/Robertstown areas, to tune in Sunday week (Oct 22nd) for the senior football county final.

DJ Nuts, Dan Paddy Andy and Brendan Kennelly

A bit of Brazilian flavour on tonights show which will be featuring

-an interview with Joe Harrington, chairperson of the Dan Paddy Andy Festival taking place in Lyrocompan this weekend
-an interview with Mary Kennelly, PRO of the Brendan Kennelly Festival running in Ballylongford from 10-14th August
-an interview with Sao Paulo's DJ Nuts, who played a memorably funky gig at Mickey Martins in Limerick last Wednesday

the last 2 weeks shows were as follows

July 21st
-Interview with John Foye, the main organiser of a Russian arts exhibition in Mountcollins, featuring the work of holidaying Russian artist Naum Guerin
-Interview with Deirdre Chawke, singer and musician with the all-female group Liadan who were to play at Friars Gate, Kilmallock
-Interview with Duagh writer, Bridget McAulliffe, who compiled the excellent guide to Kerry, Uncovering Kerry
-Interview with the band Fred, who were playing in Tralee that Friday

July 28th
-Interview with Melissa O'Brien on the Australian arts exhibition taking place at the Limerick Printmakers
-Interview with Peig O'Connell, committee member of the Sean MacCarthy Festival in Finuge
-Interview with Nicolette, before her gig at the Boatclub in Limerick
-Interview with Peadar de Búrca, whose topical play Why Men Cheat was playing at St. Johns in Listowel
So tune this Friday at 6 for some local & Brazilian culture, enjoy the long weekend and try make it to the carboot sale in Newcastlewest on Sunday in aid of your community radio station West Limerick 102 FM

Aerosol artists, Con Curtin, Tadgh Gaelach O'Suilleabhán

Apologies for not updating the blog over the last few weeks, while the summer is a brilliant season for festivals, there isn't as much happening at the regular venues and it's often I haven't known exactly what will be on the show till an hour beforehand.
Anyway, for the records and posterity, here's what the programme covered over the last few weeks.

Friday June 23rd
A packed show that featured amongst other things

-An interview with Mary O'Mahoney, Chairperson of the Con Curtin Festival Committee, a traditional music festival that takes place in the North Kerry village of Brosna
-A special on the Hanna Parr project...interviews with Niamh Bowen who was involved in the drama aspect, working with children from St.Mary's Parish to stage a wonderful recreation of what it must have been like for the Norwegian Immigrants forced to dock in Limerick in 1868. Also, an interview with Deirdre Power, who photographed the children taking part in the reinactment and whose photo's were subsequently exhibited at the Belltable
-Interview with Declan McGlaughlin of the Belltable on the Open Cinema Season, featuring films from all over the world
-Interview with John Lillis, aka DJ Dubious, who spoke about the exciting line up of djs playing at the Kerryníní night

Onto the 30th of June and the show featured interviews with

-Joe Murphy of St. Johns Theatre, Listowel, on the packed schedule lined up for July
-Helen Broderick of the Listowel based 'Just Creative' Writers group, who were launching a new publication, 'Bridge of Words' at the Seanchaí Centre, Listowel, that Friday
-T-Woc, whose music incorporates electronica, hip-hop & dub reggae and who was playing at the Limerick Boat Club that weekend
-Jessica Brouder, Canadian/West Limerick artist, whose exhibition of abstract work entitled 'recent paintings' was to open in Newcastlewest Library, running for the month of July
-Actor Julie Hale, (Fair City Fame) who was starring in the Harold Pinter Play 'Old Times', that was playing at the Friars Gate Theatre, Kilmallock

Onto to the 7th of July and featured on the show was

-An interview with 'Emerald Elvis' Mark Leen from Tralee, due to play at Friars Gate, who spoke about the enduring appeal of the legendary singer
-Interview with another Tralee native, Kieran O'Herlihy, whose exhibition of Aerosol on canvas and silkscreen in Ruebens Cafe, Tralee received critical acclaim
-Interview with Maria Walsh, lead singer of Jazz/Samba group Zrazy, who were playing at St. Johns Listowel

And finally on to the 14th July, a show which featured

-An interview with Barney Sheehan of the White House Poetry Group on their upcoming quarterly publication & the bilingual poetry nights
-Interview with Peter Sommers, who alongside Michael Mcgrath co-authored the book, Golden Vale Remembered, 1948-2001
-Interview with Sr. Declan Power by Eamon Ó Líathán. Sr. Power recently wrote a book on the 18th century Gaelic Scribe, Tadhg Gaelach O'Suilleabhán, a book that was recently launched at the Halla Tadgh Gaelach in Tournafolla (a hall named after the poet who was born there)

Hope to have some of these interviews up on audio soon

Alone it Stands, Listowel Writers week, Beckett & the All-Ireland Bodhrán Championship

Apologies on not updating the blog over the last two weeks, a quick recap for those who may have missed the previous 2 shows...
The show on 12th May featured interviews with Limerick City Arts Officer Sheila Deegan on the Music in the Park initiative as well as the winding down of EVA. We also had an interview with Dan Sheehy, director of the Ray Cooney play, 'There goes the Bride', which is still playing at Friars Gate, Kilmallock, while Deirdre Griffin gave a quick rundown on Féile na Bealthaine in Daingean uí Chúis. The show also featured recorded songs from the west limerick singing club at the Ramble Inn, Abbeyfeale, where the guest singer was Gary MacMahon.

Last weeks show on May 19th featured
-Interview with Michael Collins on the upcoming county Fleadh Ceoil in Newcastlewest
-Interview with New York based writer Lisa Ramirez, whose play 'Exit Cuckoo' featured at St. John's Listowel on the same night
-Start of our Beckett series celebrating the centenary of the mans birth with a reading from Shirley O'Regan
-Interview with Brenda Woulfe, a woman with West Limerick connections who has opened a new bookshop in Listowel. Thanks to David Brown for this interview

Onto this weeks show, which will feature
-appropriately enough after last weekend, an interview with John Breen, the writer of 'Alone it Stands', which plays at the Concert Hall this week
-Feature on the World Bodhrán Championship that takes place in Milltown next weekend, with an interview with the secretary of the committee Eoin O'Shea
-Continuing our Beckett series with Shirley O'Regan
-David Brown interview with Johanna Keane Flynn & Eilish Whin of the Listowel Writers Week on the upcoming festival

Hope you enjoy the show. More audio files hopefully to come in the near future.

Audio 6: Ailbhe Keogan

An interview with Tralee author, Ailbhe Keogan, whose debut novel, Molly and the Cyclops has been receiving a lot of attention in the last week. We have also been getting a number of visitors looking for this so here it is. Interview is over ten minutes long. File is 9 mb. Apologies for some mild background noise. Download here.
Remember if you want to hear any particular piece- email me westlimerickarts at gmail dot com and we will try and put it up for you or alternatively hit the comment button below.