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.
Download here. You can also listen to a streamed version on the player below. To subscribe to audio pieces from the show in itunes, click here or other podcast receivers just click here

27-02-09: Brother Culture, Original Rasta MC interview

From 27th February an interview with Original Rasta MC Brother Culture, who was in Limerick for a gig in Roots Factory. The MC speaks about life on the soundsystems since the 80s, recording, the prodigy and even the spice girls!
Download here (6mbs/11mins long). You can also listen to a streamed version on the player below. To subscribe to audio pieces from the show in itunes, click here or other podcast receivers just click here

20-02-09: Friel, Beckett and Jimmy McCarthy

On this full show
Elaine Hennessy (Abbeyfeale Drama Group) on 'Philadelphia, Here I come'
Henry Woulfe (Godot Company) on 'Endgame'
Singer-songwriters, Jimmy McCarthy and Vincent Fitzgerald
Newcastle West Film Club preview
Download here (26mbs/55mins long). You can also listen to a streamed version on the player below. To subscribe to audio pieces from the show in itunes, click here or other podcast receivers just click here

Audio 32: Unfringed, Synge, Fred, 23-01-09

-Feedback from film club in Listowel (Voxpop item)
-Interview with Joanne Beirne on the line up for the unfringed festival
-Interview with Jamie Hanrahan of Cork based band Fred who will be playing at the aforementioned festival
-Interview with Fiona Brennan, PRO of the Sliabh Luachra Drama group on the two Synge plays they will be doing
-NCW film review with Liam O'Sullivan


Download here (55 mins/26 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 26: Catherine Eaton, Athea, Preston Reed 14/11/08

Full show from 14th of November featuring
-Catherine Eaton, talking about her play Corsetless that played at St. Johns Theatre, Listowel
-Vox pop from the fair day in Athea
-Interview with Preston Reed, famed guitarist
-Vox pop, preview of Bernadette Soubirous, play by Glórach Players, Abbeyfeale
-NCW film club preview, Ed O'Connor on Shut up and Shoot Me

Download here (53 mins/37 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 24: Jerry Harmon storyteller 24/10/08

An interview from the October 24th show with Jerry Harmon. Deep in the foothills of the Blue Ridge/ Appalachian mountain chain in North Carolina, Jerry was born into a family rich in the tradition of story telling and music. Jerry is recognized as an accomplished guitarist with a unique style and a gifted songwriter and singer. He was in Ireland for the Lough Gur Story tellers festival


Download here (20 mins/30 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 21:Nu Killa Beats, There are Little Kingdoms 26/09/08

Last Fridays show
featuring
Kevin Barry talking about the stage adaption of his short story collection "There are Little Kingdoms"
Code talking about the long running Nu Killa beats club night and his subtle audio record label.
Preview of the Newcastle West Film club showing of "Margo at the Wedding"

Download here (47 mins/66 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




photo of Mairtin de Cogain (there are little kingdoms) by Mike MacSweeney

Audio 19: Melodica Deathship, Brahms in Castleconnell 29-08-08

This podcast is a full show. The first guest is Exile Eye, an irish rapper. He talks about the Melodica Deathship, a new EP of his, the irish hip hop scene and the influence of Bobby Sands whose track 'Back home in Derry' is reworked on the EP. Next up is Joan McKernan from the Limerick county arts officer who talks about the upcoming Brahms season in Castleconnell and the perception that classical music is elitist.

Download here (45 mins/64 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 13: Des Keogh, Flamenco, John MacKenna, Unfringed, Athea Drama

In this full show, Des Keogh talks about his one man show in the LIT theatre 'The love hungry farmer'. In this interview he talks about his respect for the John B Keane material and disdain for modern irish comics. Then we talk to John MacKenna about his play 'Corner Boys' which is upcoming in St Johns Listowel and Friars Gate Kilmallock. Set in the 60's John talks about the disappearing corner boys who in themselves were seen as quite subversive. Then an interview with Eduardo Niebla, a flamenco jazz musician who played in Listowel this week. Joanne Beirne of the unfringed festival then spoke about the upcoming events in the festival, theatre, music, comedy and readings. We finished with Oliver McGrath talking about the Athea Drama Group production 'The Cobwebs Glory'. He talks about the play which will run on 14th, 16th, 17th, 21st, 23rd and 24th of February in Athea Memorial Hall.

To listen/download click here (about 39 mbs)

This is the third of the weekly shows to be made available in complete form as a podcast. You can now subscribe to Eagsuil as a podcast and all new audio will be downloaded automatically. To add to itunes, click here. For all other podcast receivers copy the address below into receiver

http://feeds.feedburner.com/agsil-ArtsShowOnWestLimerick102

Remember as well, we are always looking for contributors to the show. So if you have a piece you would like to feature or a review you would like to contribute, get in touch. We can bring contributors into studio or take reports over the phone. Email us arts@westlimerick102.ie

Audio 10: James Kennedy -Avatar Tralee Dub Reggae Group

This interview is with Tralee bassist, James Kennedy who has already released one well received album in the dub reggae style under the Avatar moniker. James is one of the few musicians who are recording reggae in Ireland. Currently recording a second album, he talks here about jazz scene in Ireland, growing up listening to blues in Ireland, first experiences of reggae and the difficulty getting a full 9 piece band together.
Hear the full interview here. (file size 8mb, around ten minutes in length).
You can now subscribe to Eagsuil as a podcast and all new audio will be downloaded automatically. To add to itunes, click here. For all other podcast receivers copy the address below into receiver

http://feeds.feedburner.com/agsil-ArtsShowOnWestLimerick102

Audio 9: Baba Salah in Listowel

Audio from Baba Salah recent gig in St Johns Listowel. Includes post show feedback, interview with Baba Salah and music from the gig.
Over a quarter of an hour long and the file is 13 mb. Download here. Remember you can listen to other audio be clicking on the audio tab on left hand side

Baba Salah in Listowel

No better way to chase away the Autumnal blues than letting great music into your soul, and that's what a large crowd at St. Johns, Listowel decided to do on the evening of Wednesday October 10th. Advertised as the Jimi Hendrix of West Africa, Baba was much more than that, infusing virtuouso guitar playing with superb rhythms (kudos to the drummer, one of the most amazing performances I ever witnessed), and singing about issues ranging from the poverty in Mali, the status of women in that country, and European immigration policies.
Baba, assisted by his translator Elizabeth Healy(who was instrumental in bringing Baba to Ireland), gently addressed the crowd in French before most of the pieces, but it was really a night for the music to speak, and a taster of the possibilities of music from Mali (his full band couldn't travel due to the cost involved).
A share of the crowd got up to dance, and the only disappointment at the end of the night was that all the CDs of the group had been sold out at the last gig in Galway. Nevertheless, the memory of a fantastic night was embedded in everyones mind, and the hope lingered for a return gig at some stage in the future.
So off to Christies in the square for a pint after the gig. A group at the bar were extolling the virtues of Joe 'the Vicar' Murphy (who runs St. Johns). The sentiment couldn't have been more appropriate, and kept up the positive vibe in spite of the dodgy Mel Gibson film on the TV.

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.

Askeaton arts, Mozart in Limerick, Outlying Islands

just a quick recap over the last few weeks shows to bring this blog up to date

September 1st
a slightly shortened show, due to coverage of a GAA match at 6.45, the show was an Askeaton special featuring interviews with artists who had taken part in the Welcome to the Neighbourhood project, a fantastic visual feast that transformed this West Limerick Town. The artists interviewed on Sunday, August 27th were

-Limerick based artist Cal Doran
-Cork based artist Doireann O'Malley
-Swedish artist Ilja Karilampi
-Paul Aherne from Crecora, who garnered a lot of attention for his drawings on a to-be renovated building on Main Street
-Sean Lynch on his fascinating postcard project


September 8th

This show included interviews with

-Alice Kennelly of Island Theatre Company on their upcoming production at the Belltable of the David Greig play Outlying Islands
-Caoimhe Reidy, who spoke about upcoming events at Friars Gate, including the new Gabriel Walsh play, Falling Over
-Joan McKernan, Limerick County Council Arts Officer, on the celebration of Mozart (250th anniversary of his birth) in Limerick with 4 concerts in Castleconnell


September 15th

Last weeks show featured interviews with

-Joan McKernan on the upcoming Éigse Michael Hartnett
-Newcastlewest native Mícheal Rowsome, who had a debut arts exhibition opened at the Library
-Young Newcastlewest rapper Oliver O'Sullivan, aka O Money whose debut album was being launched at Cronins bar in NCW that Friday
-Declan Macglaughlin of the Belltable, who spoke about the lecture he was giving on Tuesday on the late Limerick actor Richard Harris

Apologies for not updating more regularly, hope to have it done more regularly in the coming weeks, watch this space for new audio files in the near future

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 7: North Kerry based Blues band Zeppo

An interview with John Connolly, drummer with Zeppo, a blues band based in North Kerry. Includes some live snippets of their recent gig in St. Johns, Listowel. Download here. (right click on link and then choose 'save target as') About 8 minutes long 7 mb.
To check any of the other audio archive postings just type audio into the search box in the top left hand corner and click 'search this blog'

Mamuska, Listowel Writers Week, Blues Special

Apologies for not updating the site over the past few weeks, just bogged down with editing. Just a quick recap on the previous weeks shows.

Friday June 2nd
-Interview with Ciaran Gleeson of the Classic Film Club, Listowel, who spoke about the films that were being run in conjuction with the Listowel Writers Week
-Interview with Davide Terlingo of Daghda Dance Company, who spoke about the last Mamuska night of the season
-Continuing the Beckett series with Shirley O'Regan
-Interview with James Cowden, a poet from Devon, one of many interviews done on a trip to Somerset and Dorset in February in a cross community radio project with farm radio there- a poet very much rooted in the soil, the poem he read about the devastation of the Devon countryside owing to the foot and mouth crisis in 2001 made for powerful radio

Then it was on to Listowel for Seachtain na Scriobhneóirí. The sun was splitting the stones and a feel-good factor was present throughout this wonderful North Kerry town. It proved to be a fertile ground for Éagsúil as well. On the Thursday, I managed to get an interview with Jennifer Johnstone, but the undoubted highlight of the weekend for me personally was getting to interview Limerick Born author Frank McCourt. Preparing questions for him by the tranquil banks of the Feale on a balmy Friday afternoon, who came to meditate alongside the river but McCourt himself. He subsequently agreed to do the interview there and then, a most fortunate coincidence given the hordes of autograph hunters who surrounded him after his reading from his new book, Teacherman.

The show on the 9th June was a writers week special featuring

-Footage from the Abbeyfeale drama group's litary tour on Thursday night (an exerpt from the Country Boy)
-Interview with Jennifer Johnstone
-Interview with the aforementioned Frank McCourt
-Interview with artist Mary Dillon, whose exhibition, Bloom opened on Friday at St. Johns theatre, and whose painting, Cala for Listowel, graced the cover of the programme for the weekend
-Vox pop from the audience who saw the film Capote on the Sunday, one of the many films shown at the classic cinema in conjuction with the weekend

Musical interludes throughout the show were provided via a recording from Sheahans bar, the type of pub that, thankfully still survives in the increasingly homogenised world of the Celtic Tiger. Divided into four sections (a tiny grocery shop, two adjoining bars and a smoking area) a poetry session was held in one of its wonderfully claustrophobic bar sections. Given my luck with Frank McCourt earlier on in the day, I truly landed on my feet when who should come into the bar but John Sheehan (Dubliners fame) and Michael Howard. The Marino Waltz never sounded better!

And Listowel was to provide plenty of material for the following weeks show. As well as unused footage from the writers week, I went to a blues gig at St. Johns theatre on Thursday June 8th, featuring Carvin Jones, from Pheonix, Arizona, and supported by promising North Kerry based Blues band Zeppo. Enjoyable, lively gig from Zeppo, with very impressive vocals and instrumentation, but the night belonged to Jones, whose frenetic guitar playing brought back memories of Hendrix for the crowd. Impromptu forays into the crowd were par for the course, and only once did he take a break from playing, to chat to a couple at the back! While he may not represent the future of the blues in terms of breaking a new mould for the genre, nonetheless he is a fantastic live musician whose honesty and enjoyment shone through.

Show for the 16th June was as follows

-Interview with Paul Howard (author of the Ross O'Carroll series, this was a chance meeting in JB Keanes pub on the Friday night of the Writers Week)
-More footage from Abbeyfeale Drama groups literary tour, this time a scene from Big Maggie
-Interview with John Connolly, drummer with Zeppo
-Interview with Carvin Jones
-Ending of the Beckett series with Shirley O'Regan

Also included was a snippet from the street busking in Newcastlewest as part of the county Fleadh. That about rounds it up, promise to keep this site updated more in the future and hopefully a few audio files will be on the way 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.