19 minute read
Leisure
Back with a Bang!
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THE PRESENTATION CENTRE, ENNISCORTHY, HAS LOTS HAPPENING OVER THE COMING WEEKS FOR ALL TO ENJOY...
Your chance to go ‘Wild in the Country’
Enniscorthy Drama Group is delighted to be performing in public again, it will be staging ‘Wild in the Country’ – the brilliant, three-act tragic-comedy, by Enniscorthy’s own Paul O’Reilly, in the idyllic setting of Wilton Mills glamping, near Bree, on August 25th. Tickets are limited for this outdoor event and it will sell out soon so early booking is advised – contact any cast or committee member. So book your ticket, bring your own refreshments and sit back and enjoy Wild in the Country!
The show is based around a character named Rose, who is an obsessive Elvis Presley fan. When she hears he is coming to town to perform in the local hall, she gives it her all to get ready for the great event. However, when her plans to meet and seduce Elvis are interrupted by her Mozart-loving husband, a washing machine, a local election and Mother time herself, she takes things into her own hands to fulfil her destiny. The show was written by an Enniscorthy author, it features an Enniscorthy cast and is ideal summer entertainment for an Enniscorthy audience. n
Sounds of Summer
Congrats to Enniscorthy’s Tom Linneen (Ragged Blackbird) on playing a wonderful set supporting Mick Flannery in concert on Wexford’s Quay on 29th July. The show was part of the ‘Sounds of Summer’ series promoted by Lantern Presents.
Check out Ragged Blackbird on YouTube.
Countdown to Castle-Lake Arts Festival
Johnstown Castle, Saturday, August 7 2021, 6pm – 11pm
Excitement is building for the Castle-Lake Arts Festival, a new outdoor Arts Festival taking place this Saturday, August 7, on the grounds of the stunning 12th Century Johnstown Castle Estate.
Tickets sold out in a matter of days for this – the first ever Arts Festival produced by Ad Personam Cultural Events. Aileen Donohoe and Peter McCamley, the people behind the festival, have assembled an eclectic artistic programme. International singing sensation Camille O’Sullivan headlines the event which also includes the world-premiere of a short-film ‘Sequah’, written by Wexford’s own Billy Roche, which was shot on location at Johnstown Castle and celebrates the heritage and beauty of the venue. Also featuring are Corner Boy, The Ivy Sisters, Saxology, theatre, dance and pop-up events. The programme will include a variety of unique outdoor performances offering its audience an array of art forms and signals the return to major live outdoor performances. Headlining this spectacular event is singer and actress Camille O’Sullivan, named as one of the top 25 performers ever on Later with Jools Holland. Award-winning broadcaster Alan Corcoran will MC the evening. The gates will open at 6pm and the public can then meander through the park towards the main performance area whilst encountering a variety of pop-up acts along the way, including Irish tenor Ross Scanlon in the Courtyard, Shakespeare Live, an interactive croquet match, The Ballet Academy performing a masked Corps de Ballet by Dara Pierce at the castle wall, and Colclough/Alcock Dual re-enactment. Attendees are advised to bring a face mask for any indoor areas and to socially distance and enjoy the festival within their own pod. And in true ‘festival-style’, audiences are encouraged to bring their own picnics, refreshments and blankets or portable seating to maximise their ‘Festival Experience’. Catering services will also be available from Johnstown Castle for people to enjoy. n
In praise of staycations
So it wasn’t Costa Blanca for the sunshine, or Vienna for a city break, or something more luxurious like a cruise round the Greek Islands, or even more adventurous like a walk on a glacier in the Rockies, but a short three-day trip to Connemara on Ireland’s west coast with its own distinct flavour and attraction.
No, we weren’t assaulted by that welcoming blast of warm air as we drove into the West but the weather did hold, giving little or no rain for our three-day sojourn, with our blast of warmth emanating from the friendly people of the tribes of Galway. The city itself was humming as always, with dexterous street entertainers and gifted musicians, enthralling the masses. The Claddagh and Eyre Square bubbled and buzzed like Grafton Street on a Christmas Eve, making me wonder if the city had somehow been granted a Covid exemption by a benevolent Overlord who only exists on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. Connemara, far from the madding crowd in every sense of the word, has its own ancient, desolate, unique attraction, difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t been there, the mystic beauty of its desolation, with scenery that can take you back in time to a hardshipped, hungry Ireland, where the only hope was escape. Our hotel, Peacockes, almost in the centre of Connemara at Maam Cross, with easy access to a myriad of attractions and at €119 per room, per night, for bed and breakfast, a most reasonable establishment with good food, comfortable, clean, accommodation and helpful, pleasant staff.
Charming peninsulas and bays abound along the Connemara coastline – Roundstone, Spiddal, Rosmuc, Carna, and when the sun shines there is nothing closer to God’s own country. Maumturk Mountain and Killary Fjord, the only fjord in Ireland, are on Peacockes’ doorstep. Connemara’s National Park, a haven of wildlife, fauna, and flora, nestled against the spectacular Twelve Bens mountain range, provides a stunning vista of grassland, wood, heath, and bog, everywhere you look, and the renowned Aran Islands are just a short boat hop or an 8-minute flight off shore. The picturesque village of Cong, home to the famous film The Quiet Man, with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, is less than an hour away, in County Mayo, and is so worth a visit, you just have to, don’t you, when in that neck of the woods and all.
Cong and its people are due every credit for keeping the well-loved film alive for visitors for the past seventy years, you cannot but have your photo taken with the Quiet Man himself and his vixen bride, or visit the chapel where they wed, or the house of the Dying Man, or Squire Danagher’s hotel, or Cohan’s pub or the scene of the fight. It’s great fun and tours can be taken with lively, witty tour guides through the seventy-year-old film set, that somehow never seems to lose its appeal. The scenery is stunning, travelling along the shores of Lough Corrib, where a cruise of the Lake is possible for €20, which will take you past the celebrated Ashford Castle, the preferred choice of accommodation of the rich and famous.
The day we visited, there was a wedding, and I got speaking to the lovely gateman, John, who very kindly allowed us to drive into the hotel grounds to take some photographs. You can also partake of delicious refreshments at Mrs. T’s Tearooms on the grounds of the magnificent, manicured, estate.
The tranquil, majestic Kylemore Abbey, built by Mitchel Henry for his wife Margaret in 1868 and later purchased by the Benedictine Nuns in 1915, was a must-see for me knowing that the Benedictine Dames, as they were called, fled Ypres when the Germans invaded neutral Belgium in 1914 and found a new home at Macmine, Enniscorthy, through the good auspices of the Wexford parliamentarian and Home Rule activist John Redmond.
I was mesmerised by the house and gardens and once again the wonderful staff, includ-
The Quiet Man.
ing Niall who gave a most interesting talk on the history of the house and estate, but rather disappointed that there was no mention of the Irish Dames spending time at Enniscorthy. A matter that I did bring to Niall’s attention, who was well aware of the Enniscorthy period, but unfortunately, no great reference to it in the history of the house or the nuns, but an intriguingly beautiful place and at €15 per head may sound a little expensive but with the woodland walks, the walled garden, the house tour, the gothic church, the historic lecture, along with café/restaurant and the opportunity to take photographs in one of the most exquisite locations I’ve seen, it turns out to be rather good value where you can spend an entire day. The house is beautifully laid out as it would have been in the time of the Henrys, when they received a visit from the then King, Edward VII. The property was also owned for a period by the Duke and Duchess of Manchester and became the home of the Benedictine Dames in 1920, who turned it into a rather exclusive boarding, and later a dayschool for young ladies. Fourteen Benedictine nuns still reside at Kylemore, it employs 170 local people, many of them the third generation of their family to work there, and it is obvious they have a sense of ownership and pride in the property and their work.
Perhaps, after my visit, they will consider mentioning the important Enniscorthy connection, without which the Benedictine Irish Dames might never have returned to Ireland at all. n
Words and pics by Maria Nolan.
Connemara Coast.
Connemara Coast.
Ashford Castle.
The cast and crew L-R: Amanda Sheil, Karen Dunbar, Marion Murphy, Ronan Byrne, Paula Acton Dover, Jacqui Whelan, Fionn Brennan and Michael Stokes.
Above left: At Gorey Little Theatre on 7th July for ‘The Actor’s Nightmare’ were Anne Kelly, Margaret Dunne and Mary Doyle. Above right: Amy and Conor Tierney. Below left: Anne and Cathy Lee. Below right: Anne and Emma O’Connor.
Enniscorthy singer-songwriter Reuben Hester recently released a new video for his latest single, Time Of My Life, and it was the focus of substantial coverage by Hot Press magazine which reported as follows: The summer dance-pop anthem was recorded in Berlin by ENIAC aka Robert Borrmann, producer of Tomcraft’s UK No. 1 classic club crossover hit ‘Loneliness'. Mastered in New York by Chris Gehringer, who has worked on hits for the likes of Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga and Ava Max; the track calls on audiences to host the party of the century. Earlier this year, Hester’s acclaimed debut single 'Sold My Soul' racked up over 1,300 plays on Irish radio, later reaching No. 34 in the Irish Radio Charts. Back with a bang, the emerging artist's uniquely-filmed ‘Time Of My Life’ video takes us on a big night out in Berlin with Reuben and his friends. With a similar aesthetic to Calvin Harris' visuals for 2012's 18 Months track 'Drinking from the Bottle'; 'Time Of My Life' goes from dusk til dawn with Reuben at the forefront of the clip. Guitar, piano and cello player Hester left school at 16 years old and moved to Manchester with the sole intention of making music. Fast-forward a few years, Reuben boards a bus in Manchester Central Coach Station on a whim, heading to
Reuben having the time of his life Amsterdam for a spell. Settling for a time in Berlin, Reuben Hester's fabled street performances across European cities stopped traffic. On returning to Manchester, he formed new band China Lane. As the band’s focal singer and songwriter, he reached over 1.5 million Spotify streams and secured a sync placement in Netflix series Insatiable. In 2020, Reuben showcased his songwriting on BBC One Television’s Little Mix: The Search, performing ‘Sold My Soul’. The track was written in memory of his father, who had passed away following a drug overdose at the age of 55. On the advice of Little Mix – one the world's biggest girl bands – Reuben launched his solo career with ‘Sold My Soul’, which Spotify UK added to the New Pop editorial playlist. Hester is now passionately working on his live show, set to hit venues this autumn. Check out Reuben Hester's latest video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=SNmp3R1JF8U Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ reubenhestermusic
Enniscorthy singer-songwriter Orian (Joey Ryan), based in Germany for the last five years years, released a new single a few weeks ago – Before It Weighs Us Down. He also visited Ireland in July for the first time in over 18 months. Some live shows are in the pipeline which he says, “I cannot wait for.“ And Orian has even more cause for celebration – having got engaged to Elly at the end of July! Check out: https://www.facebook.com/orianmusik The world renowned tenor – Kiltealy’s Anthony Kearns kicked off the Saturday Night Live concert series in New Ross in July in the Library Park. He has also performed in various healthcare settings around Ireland this spring and summer. Over the years, Anthony has performed in the most prestigious international venues, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House, and has performed for four U.S. presidents and for Pope Francis. https://www.facebook.com/Anthony-Kearns-Official-242029807578
The Rosslare Podcast Jimi’s ‘Folk Manifesto’
https://therosslarepodcast.podbean.com
With its finger on the pulse of Wexford, listen to locals express their views, enjoy interviews with some of Wexford’s most influential people, hear discussions on Politics, Economics, Social Affairs, Art, Culture, Sport, the Environment and much more. Delight in special global features, documentaries, and short stories also. This podcast is run by Michael Freeman and Jim Corcoran. Jimi Cullen is a Gorey-based folk singer, musician, songwriter, producer and activist, well known locally and nationally.
His music has has been described as “a unique, refreshing and uplifting sound which blends elements as varied as folk, rock, punk, country, blues, reggae and spoken word.” To encompass all this, Jimi has coined the term ‘Renegade Folk’, which he feels perfectly describes his musical style, firebrand attitude and thought-provoking lyrics. To sample Jimi’s Renegade Folk, readers can now download Jimi’s fifth album entitled Folk Manifesto. It is available for Free on Bandcamp. Here's the link to stream or download it: http://jimicullenmusic.bandcamp.com/album/2021-folkmanifesto-lp A limited number of physical copies of the new album may also be available. The album is a collection of acoustic songs written and recorded over the last year that focus on many of the social issues and events that have been centre-stage during that time both here in Ireland and around the globe. https://www.facebook.com/jimicullenmusic https://twitter.com/jimicullenmusic https://www.instagram.com/jimicullenmusic/ https://www.youtube.com/user/jimicullen https://jimicullenmusic.bandcamp.com
Wexford’s Greenway potential
Co. Wexford could potentially be the Greenway ‘capital’ of Ireland. Major plans and proposals are in place and in the case of New Ross the construction of the South Eastern Greenway, named after the former Dublin and South Eastern Railway company, is already underway. The South Eastern Greenway starts at Ferrybank, Waterford, and then heads through Slieverue and Glenmore experiencing the rolling hills of south Kilkenny before heading into the inland port town of New Ross on the banks of the River Barrow. From here the greenway heads though the site of the old New Ross Station to the two highlights of the greenway, the magnificent engineering structure that is the Barrow Bridge and the monumental achievement that is the Mountelliot Tunnel.
The 180m long Barrow Bridge spans the Barrow River and its red appearance makes it an icon to the area while the Mountelliot Tunnel is 680m long and curves making it a very thrilling experience to any visitor. At the eastern portal of the tunnel, the proposed Wexford Greenway will potentially continue along the route of the former railway line to Enniscorthy while the South Eastern Greenway will loop back to New Ross along the old Enniscorthy-New Ross road. Rosslare Europort to Waterford City Greenway: Following the decision to include of the out-of-service Rosslare to Waterford railway line in the upcoming national rail review, it was decided to pause the application for planning consent for the Rosslare to Waterford greenway project pending a decision from DOT on the future of the rail corridor.
Wexford County Council will review advancing the Rosslare Harbour to Rosslare Strand section as a stand-alone project that could link to the EuroVelo and the Wexford to Rosslare Greenway project currently at feasibility stage. Wexford to Rosslare Greenway: Fehily Timoney and Company has been appointed to provide consultancy services for a feasibility study, route selection, preliminary design and environmental assessments for the development of this project. Constraints have been identified and ecological surveys are ongoing. It is planned to commence a route selection public consultation in quarter 3 of 2021. https://www.facebook.com/WexfordGreenways https://www.facebook.com/Waterford-New-Ross-Greenway-104800564899516
The potential future of Greenways in Co. Wexford...
Kiaora Mini Farm
7th July 2021: A busy day at Kia-ora Mini Farm, Gorey.
Local entrepreneur guides Holos to another major skincare award
Holos Skincare is an Enniscorthy business with an increasing national and international profile. That profile will, no doubt, be helped by a major national award – the ‘Free From Skincare Award – Overall Champion’ received last month for its ‘Get Better Butter’ skincare product. This award adds to the many awards already garnered by this progressive company.
The entrepreneur behind Holos is Niamh Hogan. Her company produces a range of luxurious plant-based skincare products that nourish skin health and helps prevent the signs of premature ageing. The products are free from allergens, additives, preservatives and fragrances and are ideal for sensitive skin.
Holos bridges the gap between natural skincare and cosmeceutical skincare by taking the best of natural skincare –the nutritious plant ingredients and putting them together with the best of cosmeceutical skincare – the scientifically proven plant actives with sustainability and the environment to the fore. Holos is a client of the Wexford Local Enterprise Office, and a spokesperson there said, ‘We would like to congratulate Niamh on behalf of the team in LEO Wexford on this wonderful achievement. As part of the national initiative “Look for Local”, we encourage everybody to support your local businesses such as Holos Skincare where possible and remember in shopping local you are supporting jobs within County Wexford.’
#LookforLocal
www.facebook.com/holosskincare www.instagram.com/holosskincare https://ie.linkedin.com/in/niamh-hogan @holosskinniamh on Twitter n Niamh Hogan –the entrepreneur behind Holos.
Obsession
Maria Nolan
This month, as autumnal August heralds the end of the summer silly season, I thought we would look at some of the fashion trending for the Autumn/Winter period, both in anticipation and preparation. Meanwhile can I remind you that you can pick up some amazing bargains at the moment on the end-of-summer sale rails in all our fantastic Enniscorthy boutiques. So do get your skates on and nab that bargain, but be warned to choose something with that timeless quality that you can resurrect summer after summer and steer clear of items just on trend for 2021. Traditionally, the darker, colder months are a time when we look forward to cocooning, but I think we all agree – we’ve been there, done that, and most definitely worn the multitude of tee shirts.
This year’s autumn/winter ‘21 fashion trends are looking a lot more vibrant than any other autumn/winter season to date, and in truth who can blame designers for embracing proper fashion with oodles of peacocking mileage, as we emerge from what has felt like a never-ending doldrum of dismal lockdown. Fashion is back with a bang. Designers are offering colour, eclecticism, and optimism with the full spectrum of sequins, feathers, ruffles, artisanal knitwear, statement outerwear and glamour.
Maria Nolan
This explosion of joyful clothing is a vaccine if you like against the comfort we’ve been wrapped in over the past eighteen months. Colours are known to lift the spirit and boost our mood causing physiological changes within us, so it makes perfect sense to find dense, saturated shades everywhere for autumn/winter as we embrace colour therapy like never before. Bright winter colours will inject a much needed sense of energy and optimism to our wardrobes and our lives. Blues, greens, yellows, pinks and oranges, are currently the top stocked brights and should they prove too much for you simply tone them down with easy neutrals or jeans. Quilted and puffer coats were the big news of 2020 and are holding their appeal for the 21 season, with perhaps a slightly more tapered or refined look, in shades of muted chocolate, mustard and eggplant colours taking centre stage. Our summer dresses have been a kaleidoscope of blooms and posies and that trend will carry right into winter with Laura Ashley type florals smattered over ruffled dresses and prim blouses. Tartan, check and plaid are also tipped strongly and as always faux fur fabrications are part and parcel of the autumn/winter range. Trouser suits are taking a prime fashion slot as people return to the workforce and discard the leggings and tracksuits of the Zoom era. I would suggest investing in key blazers styles and mixing and matching for maximum value and impact. The big news is that bags are gigantic, as we now need room for face masks, hand sanitisers, reuseable coffee cups and homemade lunches, along with all the other paraphernalia we traditionally carry. Supersized shoppers or big totes you can sling over your shoulder are the two styles currently leading the pack. In general it’s all about classic colours that won’t compete for attention despite their proportions.
I hope I have given you some food for thought as you plan your winter wardrobe and I look forward to seeing all that vibrant colour in our newly-reopened pubs and restaurants as we hopefully head for our first lockdownfree winter in two years.
– Maria Nolan
