Skibbereen Heritage Centre is delighted to issue an open invitation to the premiere of its documentary on the Great Famine, made by award-winning local filmmaker Pat Collins of Harvest Films.

The 30 minute documentary features local historians Philip O’Regan, Gerald O’Brien and Fr. Patrick Hickey as well as leading academics Dr. Larry Geary and Professor Joe Lee. In addition, a montage on the Famine Commemoration Week, made by local film-maker Danny Crowley, will be shown on the night. This will give an overview of the week of the Famine Commemoration
featuring local people who organised and attended the events. Both documentaries will be included on the DVD, which will be released at the event.

Street Parade and Official Opening of SKIBBEREEN ARTS FESTIVAL

With Skibbereen Fire Brigade, St. Fachtna’s Silver Band, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Vintage Cars and Tractors, Atlantic Sea Kayaking, Skibbereen Rowing Club, Skibbereen GAA Club Underage, Skibbereen Soccer Club Underage, Skibbereen Civil Defence and many more organisations. Fancy Dress. Everyone is welcome to dress up, come along and join in the fun!!!

STARTS ON BYPASS ROAD AND PROCEEDS TO FIELD’S CARPARK.

MURPHY’S

PRESENTS

CORK X SOUTHWEST 2009

The official festival of us

The Showgrounds, Skibbereen, West Cork

Saturday August 1^st, 2009

This coming Saturday, August 1^st, the West Cork town of Skibbereen gears up for the arrival of thousands of music and arts lovers from all over the country for the Murphy’s presents Cork X Southwest Music and Arts Festival. The weather forecast is sun, sun, sun and even if the sun gods fail to smile, each stage at the wonderfully transformed Showground’s will be fully covered and so 100% weatherproof!

The Cork X Southwest gates will open at 2pm, with the first act on stage at 2.30pm. Free stage line up and times will be handed out on-site, so festival goers can plan their day and an updated programme will be available on www.corkxsw.com in advance. Amongst the many performers heading to Skibbereen, the festival is very proud to welcome Lisa Hannigan, who has just been nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize for her See Sew album, the only Irish artist on this year’s shortlist. Lisa is looking forward to playing Cork X Southwest: “From what I have heard, the festival is like a mini Glastonbury. Having seen at first-hand what that was like, I can’t wait to get down to Skibbereen to enjoy the craic!” Jerry Fish and his Mudbug Club bring their swamp circus to Skibbereen and Jerry has been advising fans to hit Cork X Southwest with wellies and open minds: “Festivals are a great way to discover new things and new music, so bring an open mind and a good pair of wellies! I love the summer festivals and West Cork, what a great place to have one!” Conor O’Brien from Villagers is just back from a European tour with Tracy Chapman and will be playing at the De Barra’s Sitting Room Sessions, one of the huge highlights at last year’s Cork X Southwest. Conor says: “It’s our first time there but the line-up is cool and it should be a great event. Skibbereen is a cool place and the festival should be great craic.” This year’s De Barra’s Sessions will also feature comedian David O’Doherty, fresh from a storming show at the Comedy Carnival in Dublin:“It’s a really exciting line-up and should be a great day…I’m really looking forward to getting down there. I hear the place is wonderful and the atmosphere is fantastic.”

Cork X Southwest is the perfect way to spend the bank holiday Saturday, super chilled out with oodles to please whatever your tastes – you can wander between rock bands and dance DJ’s, from singer-songwriters to comedians, over to electro poppers and back to poets. Cool, creamy pints of Murphy’s will be on tap, plus the very best in fresh Cork produce - sizzling Cork hot-doggies and gourmet burgers, stellar steak sambos, mouth-watering veggie options, melt in the mouth Cork cheeses, sumptuous selections of artisan pastries and chocolates, all washed down with pints of Murphy’s, the official pint of us!

And as the sun sets on West Cork, kick back with Mike Scott and The Waterboys in rocking Cork X Southwest 2009 to a close.

Tickets for Cork X Southwest are €50 including booking fee and are available from www.tickets.ie and a number of local outlets. Camping is also available on-site at €10 per person. For further information on Cork X Southwest, accommodation, how to get there and line up, log on to www.corkxsw.com Enjoy Murphy’s responsibly – visitwww.drinkaware.ie

For info, interviews, photos, media accreditation etc… please contact

Aileen/Mary-Kate @ Entertainment Architects on 01 2194662

One of Ireland’s most successful singers ever, Dickie Rock had 25 Irish hits from 1963 to 1983, surpassed only by the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, David Bowie and the Rolling Stones. During his time with the Miami Showband, Dickie attracted the kind of mass hysteria normally reserved for the Beatles and more recently, for boybands like Westlife.

Dickie is still in great shape with the voice as good as ever and performing up to sixty concerts and shows a year. Last year, Merlin Publishing talked him into writing his autobiography “Always Me”, which went on to be a best seller. He also released an album of contemporary Irish hits by artists such as Van Morrison, U2, Thin Lizzy, Paul Brady and many more. Following two sell-out shows last year at the Olympia in Dublin, Dickie also stared in a critically acclaimed musical of his life story ‘There’s Always Me’. Dickie’s national tour will take him to Skibbereen on Tuesday July 28th where he will be playing in the West Cork Hotel as part of the Arts Festival.

Way back in 1985 Ken burst on the hypnosis scene like a rebel without a cause and 24 years later he is still at the top of his profession and is widely recognised as being one of the best in the business. Ken’s summer season at Great Yarmouth  very year since 1999 holds the record for the longest running hypnosis show in the world.

Don’t miss this his only Irish appearance of 2009.

This is aimed at people interested in or  experienced in radio, sound, film sound and music. The workshop will involve the ‘Sound  Stories’ team discussing how an episode of ‘Sound  Stories’ is made, from recording, to writing to  mixing. This will also include a Q&A session  with Chris Watson, one of the world’s foremost  sound recordists. With audio illustration from  the series, the team will explain their unique  approach to storytelling.

Places limited so booking essential.  Contact West Cork Arts Centre at 028-22090

Karl Shiels is one Ireland’s most accomplished actors. He won best Actor Award at the Dublin Theatre Festival for his role in Comedians in 1999 and has acted in Abbey productions including Beauty in a Broken Place, At Swim - Two Birds, The Barbaric Comedies and Henry IV (Part One). Karl’s television work includes The Clinic (RTE), Doctors (BBC), Any Time Now (BBCNI), Attachments (BBC2) and On Home Ground (RTE). Film work includes Get Rich or Die Trying (Directed by Jim Sheridan), Batman Begins, Veronica Guerin, Intermission, Mystics and Capital Letters for which he was nominated for an IFTA for Best Actor in 2004.

This workshop is targeted at members of amateur theatre groups. Places limited so booking essential.

Bookings for this event at West Cork Arts Centre at 028-22090

Adrian McCarthy specialises in making documentary films and is a director and producer with ten year’s experience of making entertaining and insightful documentaries with an emphasis on observational, human interest, arts and history films. His documentaries as a director include Graham Linehan: Funny Business (2007), School No.1 – A Mission to Beslan (2004), Walking The Dog (2003), Crash (2003), Living the Revolution (2002), Dead Silence (2001). As a producer he’s made The Riordans – Tea, Taboos and Tractors, Red Mist – Roy Keane and The Football Civil War and many more.

“It was as assured an hour of television as you’re likely to see all year, if you want an observational documentary, he’s about as good as they come.”

Shane Hegarty, The Irish Times reviewing ‘Graham Linehan – Funny Business’. – Jan 2008
Places limited so booking essential. Bookings for this event at West Cork Arts Centre at 028-22090.

I 1832 rinne William Hamilton Maxwell cur síos sa leabhar Wild Sports of the West ar na heachtraí a tharla dó agus na scéalta a chuala sé le linn dó a bheith ag taisteal in iarthar na hÉireann. Ba cheann de na scéalta seo, scéal faoi rón a bhí mar pheata ag iascaire i Renvyle, Conamara, a spreag Dara McGee leis an seó físiúil seo a chur i gceann a chéile. Baintear úsáid as bua an cheoil, bua na scéalaíochta agus bua na healaíona leis an scéal tragóideach An Rón Dall a insint. Is é Vinny Kilduff atá i mbun an cheoil, Darach Ó Tuairisg atá i mbun na scéalaíochta.