18-09-09:Tweak, Avatar, Culture Night

Featuring interviews with Sheila Deegan on Culture night in Limerick, James Kennedy on the new album put together with his group Avatar, Like river to ocean, and Nora Murchu previewing the Tweak festival.
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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

Micheál O Muircheartaigh, Limerick Camera Club, Askeaton, Excursions

Good mix on this weeks show, which will be featuring interviews with

-The legendary Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, who was in Newcastlewest Book Store on 13th November to promote his new book, 'From Borroloola to Mangerton Mountain'
-Paddy Cronin, Askeaton historian, who will be speaking about his new DVD 'The Old Home Town-Askeaton'
-Siobhan Hayes of the Limerick Camera Club, who will be talking about the upcoming slide show from George Spillane charting the changing face of Limerick City (Mary I College, November 29th)
-Feedback from the Almodovar film, Volver, the last film in this season at the Listowel Film Club
-Limerick City Arts Officer Sheila Deegan, who will be talking about the upcoming Excursions performance art festival in Limerick

So make sure to tune in this Friday at 6, repeats on Saturday morning at 8.

Art from the bog, the Sleeveens & Medieval Kilmallock

A bit of a mix in this weeks show which will feature interviews with

-Jimmy Deenihan, the main organiser of an arts exhibition from Kerry artists that took Irish Boglands as its main theme and is currently showing at the Seanchaí Literary & Cultural Centre, Listowel
-Margaret McKenna-Mullan, whose play The Sleeveens plays at St. Johns Theatre, Listowel this weekend
-Caoimhe Reidy, who will be speaking about the Medieval Festival to be held in Kilmallock this weekend

The show will also feature music recorded at the last seisiún of the summer at the Devon Inn, Templeglantine. Hope ye enjoy it and make sure to head to either Askeaton or Kilmallock this weekend for the festivities.

On last weeks show we featured interviews with

-Cara Trant of the Seanchaí Literary and Cultural Centre, Listowel, on the upcoming exhibition celebrating the history of the Listowel Drama Group
-Anita Price, Anthony Sheehy, and artist Michelle Hourigan (all Askeaton) on the upcoming events in the town for heritage week, as well as the Welcome to the Neighbourhood arts project organised by Michelle
-Sonia of the Odnaleziony Theatre, Poland, on the upcoming workshops to be run at Impact Theatre
-James Nelson of the Celtic Tenors, who were to open the medieval festival in Kilmallock

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

Audio 8: Frank McCourt on the banks of the Feale

Frank McCourt
Originally uploaded by periodismosanitario.


Interview with Frank McCourt recorded on the banks of the river Feale at Listowel Writers week. In it he talks about the inspirations for his books and the Ireland of today. Interview is over 7 minutes long and is 7 mb. Download it here.
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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.