The Kilfenora Set with the Glenside Ceili Band

"At the Kilrush set dancing weekend, the Glenside Ceili Band plays music for the Kilfenora Set at an outdoor ceili on the town square. The first figure of the South Galway Set appears at the end of the video, but the camera was retired from duty then because of rain. Mary Clancy is the MC." Posted on Youtube on the 26th of August 2011 by SetDancingNews.

Michael Cusack Centre, Carron, County Clare.

The Michael Cusack Centre, Carron, County Clare. Posted on Youtube on the 25th of March 2010 by hurlingtime.

Nell Galvin Festival, Moyasta, 2011

A session at the Nell Galvin Festival in Moyasta, County Clare. Posted on Youtube on the 10th of September by TheBlackbirdTune.

Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award 2011

The winner of the 7th Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the world’s most valuable short story award worth €35,000, will be announced on September 18th.The six shortlisted books are Gold Boy, Emerald Girl by Yiyun Li; Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod; Saints and Sinners by Edna O’Brien; Death is Not an Option by Suzanne Rivecca; The Empty Family by Colm Tóibín; Marry or Burn by Valerie Trueblood.

Ireland is represented on the shortlist by Edna O’Brien and Colm Toibin. It is the first year that two Irish authors have been shortlisted. Beijing-born Yiyun Li was the inaugural winner of the award in 2005 for her first collection A Thousand Years of Good Prayers. There are two young debutantes, Canadian Alexander MacLeod and American Suzanne Rivecca. American novelist Valerie Trueblood is shortlisted with her first short story collection. The award is administered by the Munster Literature Centre and funded by Cork City Council. In honouring Cork’s literary genius and its most famous short story writer, it is hoped this award will achieve international recognition for the short story and highlight Cork’s important contribution to this literary art form. The award will be presented at the culmination of the Cork International Short Story Festival on Sunday September 18th.

Bulgarian Ambassador to Ireland visits Clare County Library

Picture shows the Ambassador with his wife, Sylvia (centre), a group of people from the Bulgarian community in Ennis, Helen Walsh, County Librarian, and the Mayor of Clare, Councillor Pat Hayes.

Clare County Library was honoured to host a visit from the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Ireland, H.E. Mr Emil Yalnazov. The Ambassador visited De Valera Public Library in Ennis on Tuesday, 13th September to give a talk and presentation surrounding an exhibition currently being held there entitled 'The Power of Civil Society: the Fate of Jews in Bulgaria during the Holocaust'. Mr Yalnazov originally presented the exhibition to Holocaust Education Trust Ireland (HETI) on behalf of the Republic of Bulgaria State Institute for Culture and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. HETI has been kind enough to provide the exhibition for display in branches of Clare County Library, earlier in the year in Shannon and currently in Ennis until 1st October 2011. The exhibition demonstrates how the collective voice of the people of Bulgaria prevented the deportation of its Jewish population to the concentration and death camps of the Third Reich.

Accompanied by his wife, Mrs Sylvia Yalnazova, the Ambassador spoke to an audience that included secondary school students from Coláiste Muire in Ennis, members of the Clare Active Citizenship Network and members of the approximately 40 strong Bulgarian community living in Ennis. The Mayor of Clare, Councillor Pat Hayes, was also in attendance. Mr Yalnazov spoke about the exhibition and took questions from the audience. He then went on to give a visual presentation of modern day Bulgaria and the many attractions on offer there, including its rich and varied landscape. Afterwards Mr Yalnazov presented County Librarian Helen Walsh with a number of books and material on Bulgaria for the library service in Clare while, in turn, Mayor Pat Hayes, on behalf of Clare County Library, presented the Ambassador with a collection of books produced by Clare Local Studies Project (CLASP). Ms Walsh noted that it was an honour for Clare to host the Ambassador’s visit and a rare opportunity to receive such an insight into an exhibition being held by the library while Mayor Pat Hayes told the students in attendance that they were "privileged to have the opportunity to experience such a unique history lesson". The Ambassador said he enjoyed his visit to Clare and was delighted to return having holidayed there before.

Clare - Live the active life

"We all know the West of Ireland is a mecca for outdoor adventure and activities. Here's what you can do in Co. Clare in particular." Posted on Youtube on the 13th of July 2011 by discoverirleanddotie.

John Philip Holland (by suttler)

"College exercise - animation about John Philip Holland, Irish born inventor of the modern submarine." Posted on Youtube on the 24th of June 2009 by suttler.

Tom Lowe, big wave surfer - Aileens, County Clare

"Science in Sport user Tom Lowe and his buddies surf Aileens off Ireland's west coast." Posted on Youtube on the 4th of august 2009 by scienceinsport.

Swan in Ballyvaugan

"Swan in Galway Bay in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland, May 2011." Posted on Youtube on the 27th of May 2011 by lindarzoska.

James Patterson - world’s top-selling author

According to Forbes magazine’s annual list of the highest paid authors, James Patterson was the world’s highest paid author with earnings of $84m in the year to April 2011, selling more than 10 million books. Declaring that the golden era of books is over due to a fall of 23% in the sales of adult hardback books in the first half of 2011, Forbes attributes Patterson’s continued success to his diversification into the young adult market and his "riding the strong updraft of the fast-growing e-book category". Patterson, who has published over 80 books, is most famous as the creator of the detective Alex Cross. He signed a 17 book deal with his publishers, Hachette Book Group, in 2009 and working with a team of co-authors has published 10 books since then. He has new books planned for every month between now and Christmas. Patterson branched out into the young adult market a few years ago with his Maximum Ride and Witch & Wizard series. A film based on his Alex Cross series just went into production. In addition to all of this, Patterson has sold over 1 million e-books.

Another prolific author Danielle Steel was second on the highest earning author list, earning $35million. Horror and suspense writer Stephen King was third and Janet Evanovich was 4th earning $22m with her Stephanie Plum mysteries. Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight vampire novels, only earned $21m (half of the previous year's total) but she only published one novella last year – The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner of which 2.3 million copies were sold.

J.K Rowling, who only earned $5 million last year did not make the top ten list. The last book in her Harry Potter series was published in 2007 and the final film in the series came out this summer. However, her earnings are expected to increase as her book will be made available in e-format through her virtual online bookstore Pottermore. However, two authors for children did make the top ten list. Rick Riordan is author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series which has been adapted for the big screen and Jeff Kinney, creator of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, has earned $17million from his books and film spin-offs. Dean Koontz, John Grisham and Nicholas Sparks were the other authors on the top ten highest-earning author list according to Forbes magazine.

World's top-earning writers:
James Patterson, $84 million
Danielle Steel, $35 million
Stephen King, $28 million
Janet Evanovich, $22 million
Stephenie Meyer, $21 million
Rick Riordan, $21 million
Dean Koontz, $19 million
John Grisham, $18 million
Jeff Kinney, $17 million
Nicholas Sparks, $16 million
Source: www.forbes.com