Friday 22 July 2011

How the house dances died out in Ireland - John Killourhy, Liscannor

John  and Paddy KillourhyJohn Killourhy, whistle player, flanked by his brother Paddy, fiddle player, of Ballyfaudeen, Liscannor, Co. Clare, tells the story first hand of how the old Irish tradition of house dances died out, or rather was stamped out by the Public Dance Halls Act of 1935.
Click here for the video...

Paddy Glackin, Tony McMahon & Peadar Mercier - Lillies in the Field, Limerick Lassies



Paddy Glackin, Tony McMahon (from Ennis) & Peadar Mercier play Lillies in the Field & Limerick Lassies, with Olwen Fouere dancing in the background. Posted on Youtube on the 13th of April 2009 by k4hx1.

Goodbye Johnny Dear - Íon



"Goodbye Johhny Dear", written by Johnny Patterson of County Clare, performed by Íon. Posted on Youtube on the 29th of January 200 by YuusukeMiyashita.

John Philip Holland - Father of the Submarine



"John Philip Holland was the inventor of the modern submarine. He's often called the father of the submarine. He was born on the 24th of February 1841 in Liscannor, County Clare. He came up with his first blueprint for a submarine at the age of 17. He died on the 12th of August 1914 in Newark, New Jersey. He was survived by his wife and four children." Posted on Youtube on the 25th of December 2010 by PaddyBloggit.

Submarine History: USS Holland



"John P. Holland's submarine forever changed naval warfare." Posted on Youtube on the 11th of December 2008 by Peteyson.

Importance of Reading to Children

Research by the UK’s Institute for Social & Economic Research has revealed that reading to children daily could reduce the number of 3 and 5 year-olds with socio-emotional problems by 20%. Professor Yvonne Kelly studied 15,000 children at ages three and five to see what elements of the home environment help to explain the gap between the development of the poorest children and the richest children. When all the data was analysed, Kelly said: “We found that the strongest projector of childhood development, including their socioemotional development and cognitive skills, was reading to children on a daily basis. It is one of the strongest predictors of these outcomes, even when everything else is taken into consideration. There is something about the strongly transactional element of storytelling that makes it important; adult and child snuggle up close, think about the pictures together and what might happen next. It also provides one-on-one, intimate time between carer and child.”
The main findings from the research were:
• children in the highest income group were 7 times less likely to have clinically-relevant socio-emotional problems at age 3, and the size of this gap increased by age 5;
• in verbal abilities there was a 6 point difference between rich and poor children aged 3 and a 9 point difference aged 5 – a 50% increase;
• home environmental factors e.g. reading to children, family routines and mother’s mental health accounted for about half of the gap.
But the researchers point out that, with the home environment only really accounting for half of the gap, children from poorer backgrounds are still four times more likely to have serious socio-emotional difficulties than children from the highest income group.

Edna O'Brien's childhood



"Edna O'Brien talks about the community where she grew up." Posted on Youtube on the 18th of May 2008 by nemcomtelevision.

MDI Lough Derg Cycle 2011



"The annual Muscular Dystrophy Ireland Lough Derg Cycle on Saturday 11th June. We brought along a couple of GoPro cameras to capture some of the 115km cycle around the lake. Starting in Twomilegate just outside of Killaloe we then headed on to Mountshannon, Whitegate, Portumna, Borrisokane, Ballina & Killlaloe. Perfect day, great company and just another awesome excuse to get in the saddle for a great cause. Find out more about Muscular Dystrophy at www.mdi.ie." Posted on Youtube on the 4th of July 2011 by GnarlyAdventure.

Kilkee "Hell of the West" Triathlon 2011



"Albert from Gnarly Adventure headed down to Kilkee in June 2011 to compete in the Kilkee "Hell of the West" Triathlon, part of the Triathlon Ireland National Series. The event is in its 27th year and is run by Limerick Triathlon Club. On the day Albert donned the Boru Tri Club colours and got stuck into a turbulent 1500m swim, wet & windy 45km bike and challenging (yet scenic) 10km run. He captured the whole event using two GoPro HD cameras mounted on his head for the swim, handlebars for the bike and held in hand for the run. It was his first time competing in Hell of the West and he loved every second of it!! Mike Yelverton (Planet-Tri) won this year's men's event, with the women's event being won by Aoife Lynch (Base2Race)." Posted on Youtube on the 13th of July 2011 by GnarlyAdventure.

Kilkee Dive - Chimney Bay



Kilkee Wednesday evening dive, 13th Julu 2011, at Chimney Bay. Posted on Youtube on the 14th of July 2011 by WakeboardEamonn.

Lahinch Seaworld



"Meet some of the characters in the aquarium at Lahinch Seaworld." Posted on Youtube on the 13th of July 2011 by DirectVideoTours.

Friday 15 July 2011

Martin Hayes & Jim Corry - Willie Clancy Summer School 2011



Martin Hayes & Jim Corry playing during a céilí break at the Willie Clancy Summer School 2011 in Miltown Malbay. Posted on Youtube on the 10th of July 2011 by twinkletoesDINAxxx.

Martin Hayes and Jim Corry - Willie Clancy Summer School 2009



"Martin played with Jim Corry for a solo at the half time break at the céilí in the mill marquee with the Tulla Céilí Band. It was the Thursday night céilí of the summerschool in 2009." Posted on Youtube on the 28th of July 2009 by twinkletoesDINAxxx.

Cleary's Bar - Willie Clancy Summer School 2011



Posted on Youtube on the 14th of July 2011 by VisitMiltownMalbay.

Micho Russell, Noel Hill, James Cullinane, Madonna Heron, 1988



Micho Russell, Noel Hill and James Cullinane from County Clare with Madonna Heron from County Tyrone on the Pure Drop television programme in 1988. Posted on Youtube on the 26th of January 2009 by k4hx1.

Mao’s Great Famine – winner of 2011 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction.

Mao’s Great Famine by Dutchman Frank Dikötter has been awarded the 2011 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction. The book explores how Mao's 'Great Leap Forward' resulted in the deaths of 45 million Chinese people who were worked, starved or beaten to death as Mao attempted to overtake the West in less than 15 years. Chair of the judges Ben Macintyre commented, "this meticulous account of a brutal manmade calamity is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the history of the 20th century. With access to hitherto hidden archives, Frank Dikötter has created a harrowing, superbly-written indictment of Mao's disastrous revolutionary experiment that led to the unnecessary deaths of 45 million Chinese people. This epic record of human folly is stunningly original and hugely important, and casts Chinese history in a radical new light, with a devastating psychological portrait of the dictator whose ‘Great Leap Forward’ plunged China into catastrophe." He continued "this is not just an important book now, but it will become in some ways more important, as China becomes more powerful in the world and a greater part of global consciousness. To understand why China is the way it is, you almost have to read this book. If you want to understand why it's a materialistic, non-ideological place, you need to realise that just a generation ago, this appalling, manmade catastrophe was visited on its people." Jung Chang has described the book as "the most authoritative and comprehensive study of the biggest and most lethal famine in history. A must-read." Frank Dikötter wins £20,000. Each of the other five shortlisted authors receives £1,000.

The full BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2011 shortlist was:
Mao’s Great Famine by Frank Dikötter (Bloomsbury);
Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham Dixon (Allen Lane);
Liberty’s Exiles by Maya Jasanoff (HarperPress);
The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley (Fourth Estate);
Bismarck: A Life by Jonathan Steinberg (Oxford University Press);
Reprobates by John Stubbs (Viking).

Dikötter becomes the second writer giving an insight into the communist east to win the Samuel Johnson prize in two years after Barbara Demick took it in 2010 for her book Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea.

The Caher Loop Walk



"The Caher Loop Walk from Fanore, County Clare, Ireland, on July 5th 2011." Posted on Youtube on the 9th of July 2011 by Lisnalty1.

County Clare - Condado de Clare



"Pictures from County Clare, Western Ireland. Imágenes tomadas en el Condado de Clare, Oeste de Irlanda." Posted on Youtube on the 8th of July by Ozymandias1985.

The Downtown Jazz Band at Doonbeg Jazz Festival 2011



"The Downtown Jazz Band's version of Down by the Riverside at Comerfords Pub, Doonbeg" during the Doonbeg Jazz Festival 2011. Posted on Youtube on the 6th of 2011 by comerfordspubdoonbeg.

Tour de Burren Ballyvaughan 2011



"Ballyvaughan An Post Tour de Burren 2011. Music: Dog days are over - Florence + The Machine & Kick Start." Posted on Youtube on the 8th of July 2011 by Thomas9732.

Iniscealtra Music and Arts Festival 2011



"Iniscealtra Community Choir singing at the climax of the Festival's Cross-Celtic Blessing at Iniscealtra Music and Arts Festival of singing and performance." Posted on Youtube on the 30th of June 2011 by alanawaga.

Monday 11 July 2011

Inter generational gathering at Killaloe Library

nter generational gathering at Killaloe Library #1

nter generational gathering at Killaloe Library #2






















As part of the Brian Boru festival Grandparents and Grandchildren were invited to an art short story telling writing event at Killaloe Public Library. The two parties exchanged ideas and memories of school days and the combined experiences were illustrated on the walls of a 3D classroom. The classrooms will be displayed in the library for a week and them each grandchild will keep a memento.

Shannon Chess Club sporting new tee shirts

Shannon Chess Club sporting new tee shirts











Shannon Chess Club members sported their new tee shirts with the County Clare colours in Sean Lemass Public Library, Shannon, before representing Munster in the national finals of the HSE Community Games in Athlone.

Friday 8 July 2011

The funeral of Willie Clancy, 1973



The funeral of Willie Clancy, Miltown Malbay, County Clare, 26th January 1973. Posted on Youtube on the 7th of July 2011 by clarebannerman.

Sharon Shannon and Mary Custy on Jools Holland in 1994



Sharon Shannon and Mary Custy from Clare, with Trevor Hutchinson on bass and Donough Hennessy on guitar playing Retour des Hirondelles (Return of the Swallows) and Tune for a Found Harmonium live on the B BC2 TV programme Later With Jools Holland in 1994. Posted on Youtube on the 30th of June 2011 by feeliez.

Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill - ON THE SHELF



Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill playing on the internet TV programme www.ontheshelf.tv. Posted on Youtube on the 22nd of April 2011 by ONTHESHELF21.

Full Flight - Stocktons Wing



"Full Flight - Stocktons Wing at Siamsa Cois Laoi 1986. Maurice Lennon, Fiddle; Kieran Hanrahan, Banjo; Paul Roche, Flute; Mike Hanrahan, Guitar; Peter Keenan, Accordion, Fran Breen, Drums; John Walsh, Bass." Posted on Youtube on the 25th of November 2008 by stocktonswinglive.

Nuala Hehir and Liz Gaughan play some jigs



"A set of jigs from button accordion player Nuala Hehir from Ennis, Co. Clare and fiddle player Liz Gaughan, originally from Manchester, England and now living in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. They learned the first tune from Clare concertina player Gearóid O'Halloran and they associate the second with the late Joe Liddy, fiddle player and composer from Co. Leitrim." Posted on Youtube on the 10th of September 2008 by comhaltas.

Innis Óg Céilí Band play selection of reels



"The Innis Óg Céilí Band from Co. Clare took 2nd place in the Under-18 competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2007. This selection of reels was recorded at the Munster Fleadh Cheoil in 2007 where they took first place." Posted on Youtube on the 14th of June 2008 by comhaltas.

Canúintí Ceoil 1 - Regional styles in traditional Irish music



"Sa chéad chlár den tsraith nua seo labhróidh an seinnteoir fliúite Séamus Tansey ar stíleanna réigiúnacha ceoil. Casadh muid le Peter Browne, le Joe Byrne, le Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, le Gary Hastings agus le Áine Hensey. Regional styles in traditional Irish music (in Irish Gaelic with English subtitles)." An episode of the TG4 TV series broadcast in 2007. Includes references to the musical styles of County Clare. Posted on Youtube on the 25th of November 2007 by TGAgaeilge. See also Canúintí Ceoil - Contae an Chláir; Clare's Music Styles & Traditions.

The Burren Connect: Archaeology & History



Posted on Youtube on the 15th of June 2011 by OneproductionsDublin.

Dolphin chasing a flat fish in White Strand Co Clare



Posted on Youtube on the 15th of September 2009 by atlanticdivingschool.

Spancil Hill Fair Donkey Derby woodenspoon final 2011



Posted on Youtube on the 23rd of June 2011 by cowgomoo01.
See also the Spancill Hill Fair donkey derby final 2011.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Remarkable photos from War of Independence in Clare added to Foto

Devitt's Shop, Ennistymon. James Devitt's drapery shop, Main Street, Ennistymon after the sacking of Ennistymon by British Forces on September 22nd 1920.Some remarkable photographs have been donated to Clare County Library, the property of the late Mr J.J. Skerritt of Lahinch. The photographs show houses and businesses burnt by the Black and Tans in Ennistymon on 22nd of September 1920, during the War of Independence. The burnings, lootings and murders were carried out as reprisals for the Rinneen Ambush on the previous day. The collection also includes photographs of officers and men of the Mid-Clare and West Clare Brigades and a number of later photographs of Lahinch Railway Station, of which Mr Skerritt was the last station master. All the photographs are now available online as part of Foto, the library’s online collection of images of County Clare.

Links:
The photographs
The Rinneen Ambush
The War of Independence in West Clare
Memoirs of Andrew O'Donoghue
War of Independence and Civil War
John Minihan's Application for a Military Service pension

Friday 1 July 2011

Canúintí Ceoil - Contae an Chláir; Clare's Music Styles & Traditions



"An tseachtain seo tabharfaidh Áine Hensey cuairt ar Cho. an Chláir. Labhróidh sí le ceoltóirí mar Noel Hill, Mary McNamara, Joe Ryan, Kitty Hayes, Geraldine Cotter agus Peter O’Louglin chun traidisún agus stíl ceoil Cho. an Chláir a phlé." An episode of the TG4 TV series broadcast in 2007. Posted on Youtube on the 29th of June 2011 by TG4craic.

The Swell Berries - Put A Lid On It



"Swinging East Clare band, The SwellBerries, performing Put a Lid on It, last night in Scarriff... Marcus (bass), Sue (vocals), Jantien (Sax), and Paul (guitar)". Posted on Youtube on the 9th of April 2011 by akaGumboStu.

The Burren Connect: Flora & Fauna



Posted on Youtube on the 15th of June 2011 by OneproductionsDublin.

Burren Ecotourism



Posted on Youtube on the 27th of June 2011 by lahinchdreamcatcher.

Fausk' Radaran (Norway) at Cliffs of Moher



"This group of Norwegian musicians played an impromptu performance at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre on a wild & windy day. They are from Fauske in the extreme north of Norway." Posted on Youtube on the 27th of may by travellingkitty.

Summer Reading 2011

Wondering what to read on the beach this summer? There are plenty of recommended summer reading lists available to help you choose and remember that many titles are available for the Kindle if you have limited room in your suitcase.

The Bord Gáis Energy Book Club recommends
A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
The Moment by Douglas Kennedy
Solace by Belinda McKeon
The Better Half by Sarah Harte
The Absolutist by John Boyne
For more details click here...

The Irish Times listed thirty titles to tide you over summer in last Saturday’s edition. See the list here...

The TV Book Club Summer Read’s new series will run from 26 June to 14 August. Each episode will be 30 minutes long, with the presenters discussing a new title each week. The episodes will be broadcast on Sunday evenings on More4, and repeated around lunchtime on Mondays on Channel 4. This summer’s featured titles are
The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
The Night Road by Kristin Hannah
The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric
Hidden Child by Camilla Lackberg
The Radleys by Matt Haig
Grace Williams Says It Loud by Emma Henderson
For more details click here...

The Richard and Judy Summer Bookclub recommends
When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
Confession of Katherine Howard by Suzannah Dunn
The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld
The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons
The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly
The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen
For more details click here...

See also Oprah’s Summer Reading List. Happy reading!

Whitegate Festival 2011 Nature Walk



"Whitegate May Bank Holiday Festival walk with Ger Madden and Paddy Madden on 30th April 2011 in Whitegate, County Clare." Posted on Youtube on the 4th of May 2011 by aveire.

Doolin, County Clare, June 2011



Posted on Youtube on the 8th of June 2011 by capturedbykenny.

Driving in Clare, Christmas 2010



Posted on Youtube on the 28th of June 2011 by HerComesSanta.

Holy Well at Gleninsheen



"Ancient well said to be a cure for toothache". Holy Well at Gleninsheen, County Clare. Posted on Youtube on the 28th of June 2011 by kidkodkad.