Entertainment
Revolutionary times through Western eyes
Revolution in Galway, 1913-1923, is the title of a new exhibition at Galway City Museum that’s opening this Thursday at 6.30pm and running until 2023.
Acting Director of the Museum Brendan McGowan says the exhibition will highlight the role played by Galwegians in the Easter Rising. Most of the focus so far has been on Dublin, he adds, and “the Rising in Galway has been relegated to a mere footnote in the history of the revolutionary period. This is despite the fact that between 500 and 700 Volunteers, alongside 50 members of Cumann na mBan were active in Galway during Easter Week, a number greater than that of the GPO Garrison”, Brendan says.
Galway City Museum will display many significant items relating to revolutionary period. The material was gathered by liaising with individuals, communities and organisations, as well as with the national cultural institutions,
It includes a ‘green ensign’ flown from Moon’s Corner during the visit of King Edward VII to Galway in 1903; a German Mauser from the Asgard; a collection of items belonging to Liam Mellows who led the Western Rising, including a chess piece carved in Mountjoy Jail before his execution in 1922; an RIC revolver captured during an IRA ambush at Merlin Park in 1920; a biretta belonging to Fr Michael Griffin; an autograph book from Ballykinlar internment camp belonging to Volunteer Crowe from Bohermore; and a bronze bust of Éamonn Ceannt by Domhnall Ó Murchadha.
“Without Galway – and not forgetting Ashbourne, Co Meath, and Enniscorthy, Co Wexford – the Rising would truly have been a Dublin affair but the West gave it a national significance,” according to Brendan McGowan. “The Galway rebels held the greatest landmass during the Rising and in the aftermath more than a sixth of the 1,800 or so detained in Frongoch, Wales, were Galwegians.”
Galway also has other important connections to the Rising. Proclamation-signatory Éamonn Ceannt was a Galwayman, as was Thomas Clarke’s father, while Patrick Pearse had strong Connemara connections. In addition, many Galwegians were active in the capital during Easter Week.
The Museum exhibition will also include a short silent presentation about the Galway Rising, a touch-screen interactive with further information on people, places and memories of the Rising locally, and a reading of the Proclamation by Galwegians, native and adopted. Each section of the exhibition has also been reproduced as a graphic novel for younger audiences.
The organisers hope that Revolution in Galway, 1913-1923, telling the story of this period through Western eyes, will elevate Galway’s involvement from mere footnote to crucial chapter.
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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