events.artscouncil.ie – free guide
THE Arts Council has launched a free on-line guide at events.artscouncil.ie to the national mix of activities, shows, exhibitions and performances it supports. More than 70 events in Limerick alone are already listed. The guide gives information on the wide range of events taking place and features can be selected by county, by month or by category such as festivals, concerts, opera, plays and arts for children. There are already more than 1,000 events currently detailed on the website, which will be updated constantly.
Pat Moylan, chairman of the Arts Council, believes that the guide will provide a boost for local and regional tourism and employment: “This resource has been designed to assist local communities and individuals access cultural information. We hope that tourist offices nationwide will use the website to plan around, and raise awareness of, events taking place in their locality at particular times of the year”.
The arts council chairman made the point that cultural tourism is estimated to be worth more than 5bn euro annually to the Irish economy through direct and indirect spending.
“It is through making people aware of all of our arts events, and promoting them at home and abroad, that we can assist in driving Ireland’s cultural tourism.”
Poet, academic and editor of Lota
THE White House Poetry Revival movement looks to the North for its guest poet on Wednesday August 5. Nigel McLoughlin is an Ulster poet, born in 1968 in Enniskillen. He graduated from Teach na hEigse and hold a BA from the University of London, an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing and a PhD both from Lancaster University.
His work has been short-listed twice for the prestigious Hennessy Award, placed in the equally competitive Kavanagh Awards and The New Writer Poetry Prizes.
Much published, McLoughlin has recently taken over as editor of Iota. He also reviews regularly for London Magazine and Poetry Review.
See blog http//:whitehousepoets.blogspot.com
70 workshops for Terryglass arts
RUNNING from August 19 to the 23rd, Terryglass Arts Festival has a serious focus on workshops for artisans. Featuring artists and craftspeople of both national and international repute, 70 workshops will be held over three days to provide a weekend of entertainment for all the family.
From story telling to basket weaving, hat making to clay sculptures, this year’s line up offers diverse activities to suit all ages.
Festival highlights include Streetwise Performance Ltd: Jim and Dr. Nick will hold circus workshops, street walkabout and also host their two man show during the festival.
Story teller Niall de Búrca returns for young and old with his magical and mesmerising stories.
Learn to make your own fashionable head pieces at Linda McKay’s creative workshops. A couture milliner, her is much in demand and is featured in fashion magazines.
Continuing the creative theme, skilled basket maker, Mike Kreith from Headford, Galway will demonstrate the traditional craft of basket weaving from willow. Prior to all this and more, comedian Niall Delemere gives a gig at The Derg Inn on Friday July 31. Tickets for a lot of laughs are 20euro and available at local outlets.
