Connacht Tribune
Spotlight on Galway pair as brightest prospects for 2017
Two Galway singer-songwriters have been included in Hot Press magazine’s list of artists tipped for success in 2017.
Though Miriam Donohue and Roisín el-Cherif have different musical styles, both are coming off the back of successful years in 2016.
The daughter of an Irish mother and a Palestinian father, Roisín el-Cherif spent time Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Morocco during her childhood, before her family settled in Galway when she was 16 years old. She wrote her first composition at the age of 18.
She gigged extensively in 2016, playing at festivals and showcases around the country including well-received performances at Body & Soul, Sea Sessions and The Battle for the Lake festival on Achill Island.
Roisín’s style is, in her own words, ‘dark, atmospheric ambient pop-folk’. Her style is equal parts beautiful and haunting, and it is clear she has been influenced by a myriad of sources.
“I like moody and edgy music and artists like Tracy Chapman, Fleetwood Mac and the Cranberries. Arabic music was played during my upbringing, and that has concreted itself into my subconscious too,” she explained.
Roisín currently splits her time between Galway and Dublin, where she has worked as in the visual effects TV/ Film industry for the past five years.
Her skills in this department are on full display in the brilliant music video for her song ‘Kerosene’, released last May. She wrote, produced and co-directed the video herself.
“I decided to release it to see what would come from it, and the reception and feedback was more than I could have hoped for,” she said.
As for 2017, Roisín has plans to release her long-anticipated debut LP in March, along with some more self-directed music videos. If the video for Kerosene is anything to go by, they are sure to be spectacular.
Galway-born, Dublin-based songwriter Miriam Donohue has earned her place on HotPress’ list.
In the past three years she has performed across Ireland and played support slots for Martha Wainwright, Nina Persson (of the Cardigans) the 4 Of Us and Jack L, to name just a few.
An assured performer, her lyricism and vocal style have drawn comparisons to the likes of Susan Vega, but Donohue’s overall sound is something unique to her.
In November last year, she released her debut LP ‘Paperscapes’, which she crowdfunded through a Fundit campaign. It has met with considerable acclaim.
Miriam, too, takes a lot of her inspiration from the world of art.
“My background is in art and I work in Costume Design, so my songs are full of imagery, almost tactile I think,” she said.
2016 was her busiest year to date, and she is understandably excited for what 2017 will bring.
“I’ll be touring/gigging the new album, around Ireland, and at some festivals, I hope to play in the UK as well. I really enjoy being on stage sharing my music and having the banter with the audience, and I want to keep developing my writing skills and collaborating with other musicians,” she said.
“I’ve so much to learn from those musicians who have gone before, and I just love the feeling that singing gives me.
“I love to share it with others – I hope that continues on, whereever it leads me,” she added.
The Galway launch of her LP ‘Paperscapes’ takes at The Loft, Bridge Street, on Saturday, February 18 at 9pm. Tickets €10
■ Miriam Donohue’s work can be found HERE and Roisín el Cherif’s music can be found HERE.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
