Entertainment
Galway is central character in new collection of short stories
Arts Week with Judy Murphy – judymurphy@ctribune.ie
Galway is the central character in a new book of short stories which is being launched in the city’s Monroe’s Pub next week as part of the Cúirt Festival of Literature.
Galway Stories from Inverin based Doire Press includes work from 20 writers, among them Kevin Barry, Mary Costello, Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Julian Gough and Olaf Tyaransen.
All the writers who have contributed to the book have a Galway connection, explains its editor, Lisa Franks who has been working on this project for the past two years. Many city locations, such as Buttermilk Walk, Eyre Square, Parkmore and the Prom feature as do places in the county including Kinvara, Carraroe and Cashel.
American-born Lisa first came to Ireland in 2003, carried here by a love of Irish literature. She undertook a summer writing course at NUIG during which she met the man who is now her partner in life and work, the writer John Walsh.
Lisa has a background as a literary editor and soon after she moved to Galway permanently, they set up Doire Press – more by accident than design.
In 2007 John got a County Council grant to publish his second poetry collection, Love’s Enterprise Zone. Because Lisa had experience in publishing he asked her to get involved and she did, so they self-published the book.
John also runs a regular literary event in the city, known as North Beach Poetry Nights and literary competitions are held regularly as part of that, so the two then decided to offer a prize of publication for the winner.
In 2010 they published No Recipe, the debut collection of poetry by former Drimcong House owner and chef, Gerry Galvin, who died suddenly last month. They subsequently published his first novel, Killer à la Carte .
“Then we started taking it seriously and we are lucky in that most of the books we have published have received City or County Council grants,” says Lisa. This year they received their first Arts Council grant, which is for this book, and there’s another in the pipeline for later this year.
Galway Stories is an attractive looking book, with cover illustrations by Holly Mullarkey, whose husband Jim Mullarkey happens to be one of the contributors. The front cover evokes a rainy day in Galway City while still managing to be warm and inviting. Initially Lisa had intended using a photo of Galway for the cover but all the ones she contemplated, while lovely were very flat, she explains. So she discussed her ideas with Holly who submitted six paintings – the first of which was perfect for the front.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Trbune.
Folk duo Niall Teague and Pádraic Joyce are launching their new album What Will We Be, a blend of folk, Americana and acoustic music, this Friday, May 19, at 8pm in An Taibhdhearc.
The success of their well-received 2020 release Taobh le Taobh, as well as recent successes at the Pan Celtic and Oireachtas Song Contests, spurred the duo on to record this new album which represents many years of collaboration and musical development.
It features Niall and Pádraic on vocals, harmonies, and acoustic guitars, Maidhc Ó hÉanaigh on double bass and Neil Fitzgibbon on fiddle. The catchy title track, What Will We Be, features contributions from percussionist Jim Higgins (The Stunning, Christy Moore, Paul Brady) and haunting, driving melodies on vocals, guitar, and fiddle.
Themes of love and hope are woven through Come Away with Me which features interplay between piano and fiddle as well as rich vocal harmonies.
People, places, and broken dreams are celebrated and lamented on Martin and Tom, Guitar Gold, Memories of You and Achill Island. The influence of David Henry Thoreau’s novel Walden features on the tracks Simple and Wise and Walden, with the beauty of nature, escape and simple pleasures at their core.
The album moves from minimalistic folk ballads such as Galway Ghost to swirling, string-laden arrangements on the song Neptune, both of which are influenced by maritime tales from Galway. Much of the work on this album was supported by the Arts Council, including work with musical arranger Eoin Corcoran and the string ensemble Treo.
The album will be launched this Friday, May 19, at 8pm in an Taibhdhearc. Tickets €22, plus booking fee at Eventbrite.ie.
Dunmore is the place to be this weekend for lovers of traditional music, as the Galway County Fleadh will take place there from this Friday, May 19, to Sunday, May 23.
It is 10 years since Dunmore last hosted a fleadh and the local Comhaltas branch, which has re-formed since Covid, is looking forward to facilitating this gathering of music, song, dance and craic.
The official Opening Concert will take place in Dunmore Town Hall this Friday at 8pm with the acclaimed Mulcahy family from Limerick. Mick, Louise and Michelle are well known throughout the country, thanks to their live performances, television appearances and numerous CDs. They were the winners of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Grúpa Ceoil Award for 2023. Tickets for their concert can be purchased on the door and a great night of music is promised.
Two days of competitions will kick off this Saturday at the town’s Community School, with more than 1,500 competitors taking part. Participants will be hoping to qualify for the Connacht Fleadh 2023, which will be held in Ballina, County Mayo, from June 23 to July 2.
Competitions for those aged Under 10, Under 12 and Under 15 will be held in a large variety of instruments on Saturday, as well as in singing and Comhrá Gaeilge. Sunday’s competitions will be for the Under 18 and Over 18 ages groups, as well as in dancing.
On both days a large entry is expected for Grúpaí Cheoil and Céilí Band competitions across all age groups.
Seventeen Comhaltas branches from across Galway will have participants in this weekend’s competitions, which will result in a large number of visitors to the Dunmore area.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the competitions, which offer a great opportunity to hear and see the talent on display. There will be sessions in local pubs over the weekend as well and everybody is welcome to attend these.
For more information on the County Fleadh, go to www.galwaycomhaltas.ie.
Music for Galway’s concert with renowned Swiss pianist Cédric Pescia which had been due to take place on April 27 but which had to be deferred, will now take place next Tuesday, May 23, at 8pm, in the Emily Anderson Concert Hall at the University of Galway.
This concert of German classics with Bach at its core, will brings the Bach element of Music for Galway’s 41st season to an end.
This world-class pianist who won the famous Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition, has a repertoire that spans many eras from baroque to contemporary and he is widely known for his elaborate programmes. Cédric Pescia describes music as ‘language and movement at the same time’.
Audiences will have a chance to experience his soft, clear touch as he performs a programme for solo piano that will include classics such as Schumann’s popular Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), a suite of nine short pieces, and the penultimate of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, No. 31. These pieces will be interspersed with French Suites by Bach.
■ Ticket for Cédric Pescia’s concert are available at www.musicforgalway.ie, or by phone 091 705962 and on the door on the night. They cost €20/€18. The price for fulltime students of all ages is €6 while MfG Friends can avail of the friends’ rate of €16.
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