Below you can read our latest newsletter
Cairde na hÉireann
Friends of Ireland
Glór na gCarad
Voice of the Friends
Email:contactfoi276@gmail.com Web: https://www.friendsofireland.org.au/
October 2024
Deireadh Fómhair 2024
What’s in this newsletter?
Events coming up.. 2
Friends of Ireland. 2
Friends of Ireland Annual General Meeting 6 pm 7 November 2024. 2
Comhaltas –. 2
TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC AND SONG SESSION. 2
Around Canberra. 2
Irish Film Festival – in Canberra 22-24 November 2024. 2
Waiting for Godot – a play by Samuel Beckett at the Street Theatre. 2
Around Ireland.. 3
EDNA O'BRIEN, SUPERB IRISH AUTHOR, DIES AGED 93. 3
THE SPINC AT GELNDALOUGH.. 3
Beagánín Gaeilge/A tiny bit of Irish.. 4
Friends of Ireland Annual General Meeting was held 7 November 2024
If you would like to be more involved in FOI planning and events, if you have ideas that can assist FOI, or you just want to help, please consider becoming a FOI Committee member.
Email contactfoi276@gmail.com to express your interest, or to request more information.
Comhaltas –
TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC AND SONG SESSION
Last Sunday of each month 2pm - 4 pm at the Irish Club in Weston
Around Canberra
Irish Film Festival – in Canberra 22-24 November 2024
Some Irish Film Festival movies are also online from 17 October to 3 November 2024. Opening Night in Sydney on 3 November.
Friends of Ireland are sponsors of this event.
linktr.ee/irishfilmfestivalaustralia
Waiting for Godot – a play by Samuel Beckett at the Street Theatre
Join The Street for a brand-new production of Dublin born Nobel Prize-winning writer Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot playing from 9 – 24 November 2024.
Witty and absurd, poignant and profound, Waiting for Godot is a timeless take on what it means to be human. Beckett’s groundbreaking classic of comic play, exquisite words and enormous humanity, considered by many to be one of, if not the, most influential play of the 20th century, captured the consciousness of generations with his landmark work. You won’t want to miss this remarkable performance experience in Canberra with direction by Caroline Stacey and award-winning actors Christopher Samuel Carroll, PJ Williams, Craig Alexander and James Scott to discover or rediscover Waiting for Godot.
Bookings can be made at the link below:
https://au.patronbase.com/_StreetTheatre/Productions/WFGP/Performances
Around Ireland
EDNA O'BRIEN, SUPERB IRISH AUTHOR, DIES AGED 93
The death has occurred of the world-renowned Irish author Edna O'Brien. The celebrated writer whose literary voice profoundly shaped contemporary Irish literature, passed away at the age of 93 in London.
Throughout her career, O'Brien authored numerous novels, short stories, and plays, weaving rich narratives that often highlighted the challenges faced by women in a patriarchal society. Her works, including 'The Lonely Girl', 'A Pagan Place', and 'The Little Red Chairs', received widespread recognition and numerous awards, including the Irish PEN Award and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.
Her short story collection ‘Saints and Sinners’ won the 2011 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, which is the world's richest prize for that particular genre.
THE SPINC AT GELNDALOUGH
Glendalough is one of the most scenic places in Ireland. The amazing valley that was carved out of the landscape by a huge glacier is the dream of every Irish Geography teacher! Entering the valley from the Visitor's Centre the views can be spectacular, but can look even better from above!
The Spinc is a ridge that overlooks Glendalough Valley and many of the more popular Glendalough hikes take you up to it.
You’ll find the Spinc in Glendalough, about an hour or so south from Dublin City Centre, making it an ideal spot for a day out of town. It’s also nestled in the Wicklow Mountains National Park and guarantees superb scenery. The nearest village is Laragh and if you’re coming from Wicklow Town, it’ll take about 30 minutes to drive.
The Spinc is the name of the hill, and it comes from Irish, An Spinc, which means pointed hill. This is a fair description, and the pyramid-like hill requires some steep climbing to conquer.
The Spinc Loop takes you on a 9.5 km ramble with some steep inclines and tricky paths. There’s some steep climbing and over 600 steps near the start, but after that, it’s a little more relaxed, though there are some tricky downhill sections later. It’s a moderate to strenuous walk, with a total ascent of 380 metres. If you’re in reasonable shape, you should be okay, and most people complete the walk in just over 3 hours.
Beagánín Gaeilge/A tiny bit of Irish
To learn a language, or remain fluent, you need to use it every day
PHRASE:
Ní lia duine ná tuairim
PRONOUNCED:
nee lee-ah dinnah nah toor-im
MEANING:
Everyone has their own opinion
PHRASE:
Ní lia tír ná nós
PRONOUNCED:
nee lee-ah tear no-iss
MEANING:
Every country has it's own customs
PHRASE:
Is léir don saol é an firinne
PRONOUNCED:
iss lair dun sail a on firr-inyeh (a as in a,b,c
MEANING:
Everybody knows the truth
Cairde na hÉireann
Friends of Ireland
Glór na gCarad
Voice of the Friends
Email:contactfoi276@gmail.com Web: https://www.friendsofireland.org.au/
September 2024
Meán Fómhair 2024
What’s in this newsletter?
CANCELLATION Book Presentation ‘A Different Kind of Boy Sunday 20 October 2
Friends of Ireland Annual General Meeting 6 pm 7 November 2024. 2
TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC AND SONG SESSION. 2
Canberra Irish Club Film Society. 2
Irish Film Festival – in Canberra 22-24 November 2024. 3
Pop-up Gaeltacht Tuesday 13 August King O’Malleys. 3
Maidin Caife agus Ceol in Yass 14 September 2024. 3
Tory Island (Toraigh), County Donegal 5
Beagánín Gaeilge/A tiny bit of Irish.. 6
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Events coming up
Friends of Ireland
CANCELLATION of Book Presentation ‘A Different Kind of Boy Sunday 20 October
This event was advertised in the August Glór. Unfortunately, John Collard is unwell and is unable to present his book.
Friends of Ireland Annual General Meeting 6 pm, 7 November 2024
FOI AGM will be held at 6pm on Thursday 7 November 2024.
Important:
Some valued members of the FOI Committee are leaving the Committee this year.
If you would like to be more involved in FOI planning and events, if you have ideas that can assist FOI, or you just want to help,
please consider becoming a FOI Committee member.
Email contactfoi276@gmail.com to express your interest or to request more information.
We would love you to join us!
Comhaltas –
TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC AND SONG SESSION
Last Sunday of each month 2pm - 4 pm at the Irish Club in Weston
Around Canberra
Canberra Irish Club Film Society
Canberra Irish Club Film Society (CICFS) was established in 2019 to show Irish films (about Ireland, filmed in Ireland featuring Irish people) once a month at the Club. We are a current member of The Australian Film Societies Federation. CICFS is an important part of the Club's programme of promoting Irish Culture in Canberra and the Region.
Membership of the Film Society is open to members of the Canberra Irish Club and members may bring one guest. The published programme may be subject to change at short notice.
Annual membership is $10 which gets you and a guest admission to all screenings for the year. If you're interested email. Information about forthcoming films will be published in Glór when available.
canberrairishclubfilmsociety@gmail.com
Irish Film Festival – Canberra 22-24 November 2024
Some Irish Film Festival movies are also online from 17 October to 3 November 2024. Opening Night in Sydney on 3 November.
Friends of Ireland are sponsors of this event.
More details will be available in forthcoming issues of Glór.
linktr.ee/irishfilmfestivalaustralia
Recent Events
Pop-up Gaeltacht Tuesday 13 August King O’Malleys
This event was popular, attended by Irish speakers and beginners. Irish Embassy delegates also attended.
Maidin Caife agus Ceol in Yass 14 September 2024
This event has now become an annual event and welcomed by the organisers of the Yass Celtic Festival. The room in the café was full of people from many areas including Canberra, Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Here are some photos of the. Event.
Learning Irish
Singing in Irish
Book Reviews
Love Song for Tory Island by Saskia Levy-Rodgers (reviewed by Jo Wilson in a recent Tinteán)
https://tintean.org.au/2024/09/10/love-song-for-tory-island/ has assembled the stories of Tory Island. It’s an 80-page
long treasury in which we travel the tiny island, 12km off the coast of Donegal.
We are told, for example, about the early ‘80’s on Tory when islanders had to ‘campaign fiercely’ to continue to live on the island:
We had no electricity, only one or two hours in the evening, no running water, no gas even… The Government had no idea what to do with our island, they were planning to turn it into a high-security jail or a military base. Worrying indeed as the promise of council houses and new life on the mainland – a place anyone with health problems would be better connected. I remember a man telling how it broke his heart to leave Tory, but after a night spent holding his sick young child waiting for some transport to the hospital, he couldn’t wait any longer.
Available on kindle from Amazon S'Tory book: Stories from Tory Island for $7.57
Around Ireland
Tory Island (Toraigh), County Donegal
Tory Island is Ireland’s most northerly, inhabited island. An hour long journey North of Letterkenny to Magheroarty (with magnificent mountainous landscapes) where the ferry departs daily. Sailing times are apt to change with the weather and tides. The best thing to do is phone up the captain when you are thinking of traveling and make arrangements on the day.
Every passenger or new visitor to the island is greeted by the King of Tory, Patsy Dan Rodgers. While Tory Island is a Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) Patsy and the rest of the 100 odd islanders are bilingual and great talkers, musicians and painters. The late, great artist Derek Hill recognized their talent early on and gently encouraged and promoted their work which now hangs in some of the most prestigious galleries world wide including his own nearby at Glebe House, which he kindly bequeathed to the Irish nation. You can see where they got the artistic inspiration if you take any of the walking trails about the island, look back at the mainland and you will see the mountains of Donegal, the steep cliffs, sea stacks and crystal clear waters brimming with fish while seabirds of every kind circle above you.
As the northernmost outpost of Donegal’s thriving Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) culture, Tory is home to Iron Age forts and medieval round towers. Rare birdlife and wildflowers find shelter on the Island. The finest musicians, storytellers and dancers host sessions that linger into the early hours. Torys spectacular cliff scenery is complemented by a rich and varied history which is related in the islanders distinctive Gaelic. Colm Cille figures prominently in the history of this sacred island which he chose as a place of retreat and meditation for his monks. Shipwrecks, poitín smuggling and tales of violent storms have also been drawn into its folklore.
Ferry operator Turasmara phone number 00353 872598013 (Patrick)
Beagánín Gaeilge/A tiny bit of Irish
To learn a language, or remain fluent, you need to use it every day
Irish word: an t-eitleán
Translation: the airplane
Irish example: Cén uair a thagann an t-eitleán?
Translation: What time does the plane arrive?
Cairde na hÉireann Friends of Ireland
Glór na gCarad
Voice of the Friends
contactfoi276@gmail.com
July 2024 Iúil 2024
In this newsletter:
Pop-up Gaeltacht 7pm Tuesday 13 August King O’Malleys. 2
Maidin Caife agus Ceol in Yass 14 September 2024. 2
Friends of Ireland Annual General Meeting October 2024. 2
TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC AND SONG SESSION. 2
Seven Drunken Nights – The Story of the Dubliners, 27 July. 3
Canberra Irish Club Film Society. 3
Irish Film Festival – in Canberra 22-24 November 2024. 4
What’s happening around Australia and abroad?.. 4
THE 2 JOHNNIES are coming to Australia. 4
Irish Thriller Bodkin on Netflix. 4
Northern Irish series Blue Lights, season 2 on SBS OnDemand. 4
Hit Irish comedy The Dry on SBS OnDemand. 5
Screen Ireland's Where to Watch. 7
Beagánín Gaeilge/A tiny bit of Irish.. 7
Events coming up
Friends of Ireland
Pop-up Gaeltacht 7pm Tuesday 13 August King O’Malleys
Friends of Ireland, with the assistance of Canberra Irish Language Association, has made arrangements to have a pop-up Gaeltacht, on 13 August 2024. This will be an opportunity to speak to others in Irish if you are fluent or learning, and learn a few words if you are a beginner. The room above the bar has been booked for this event. Note that on Tuesday nights there is also an Irish music session providing the enchantment of traditional Irish music.
Maidin Caife agus Ceol in Yass 14 September 2024
Morning coffee and music at the Yass Celtic Music Festival.
This is advance notice of a fun morning of Irish language conversation and learning some Irish, combined with Irish music, conducted jointly by Friends of Ireland and Canberra Irish Language Association.
Tentative details, yet to be confirmed with the festival organisers, are:
Where: Kaffeine Coffee Shop, 1/175 Comur Street, Yass.
When: 11am, Saturday, 14 September 2023
See more information below for the Yass Celtic Music Festival “Join the Craic in Yass”
Friends of Ireland Annual General Meeting October 2024
FOI AGM will be held in October. Details will be provided in a forthcoming Glór. If you would like to be more involved in FOI planning and events, please consider joining the FOI Committee. Email contactfoi276@gmail.com for expressions of interest, or for requests for more information.
Comhaltas –
TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC AND SONG SESSION
Last Sunday of each month 2pm - 4 pm at the Irish Club in Weston
Around Canberra
Seven Drunken Nights – The Story of the Dubliners, 27 July
Saturday 27 July 2024, 7.30pm
Some reviews:
★★★★ “This is a great evening out for fans of The Dubliners and of Irish music…a heartfelt tribute to Ireland’s favourite sons which is as loving as it is lively.” – Always Time For Theatre
★★★★★ “This show uses the songs and story of The Dubliners to demonstrate how the spellbinding magic of music can lift up the human spirit…A thrilling toe-tapping, hip-shaking, energy-soaked show.” – I Am Birmingham
Buy tickets for Seven Drunken nights
Join the Craic in Yass
13, 14 and 15 September 2024
Irish & Celtic Music Festival 2024
Multiple venues in Yass town, Yass NSW 2582, Australia
Fri 13th Sep 2024, 5:00 pm - Sun 15th Sep 2024, 5:00 pm AEST
Get Tickets to Join the Craic in Yass
Canberra Irish Club Film Society
The Canberra Irish Club Film Society is back, screening on the third Sunday of each month. Between May and November, they will screen BBC & RTE production Ireland, A Television History, a 13-part series written and presented by Robert Kee looking at the complexities of Irish history. The series was made at a time when The Troubles were still ongoing, and Kee attempted to explain them against a background of 800 years of Irish history. Interviews with eyewitnesses with memories extending as far back as the 1890s helped to bring it to life.
Annual membership is $10 which gets you and a guest admission to all screenings for the year. If you're interested email,
canberrairishclubfilmsociety@gmail.com
Irish Film Festival – in Canberra 22-24 November 2024
Some Irish Film Festival movies are also online from 17 October to 3 November 2024.
Friends of Ireland are sponsors of this event.
More details will be available in forthcoming issues of Glór.
What’s happening around Australia and abroad?
Around Australia
Sydney event
THE 2 JOHNNIES are coming to Australia
WHERE: Enmore Theatre, Newtown, NSW
WHEN: 8pm, Saturday 10 August, 2024
COST: Show from $79.90
https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=JOHNNIE24
The 2 Johnnies are Ireland’s favourite musical comedy duo. From their humble beginnings publishing relatable Irish small town life sketches and self-released music videos on Facebook & YouTube, the pair have gone on to produce Ireland’s no.1 podcast, ‘The 2 Johnnies Podcast’, release 10 x no.1 Irish singles, bring live podcast shows to four continents around the world and produce three TV shows on Ireland’s state public service broadcaster RTE.
Irish Thriller Bodkin on Netflix
Starring Irish talent Siobhán Cullen, Chris Walley, David Wilmot; the Thriller series Bodkin has been in the Netflix Top 10 since its release at the beginning of the month and is definitely worth checking out. The Show follows a group of podcasters set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic Irish town. But when they start to pull the strings, they find a story much bigger and stranger than they could have imagined.
Northern Irish series Blue Lights, season 2 on SBS OnDemand
Belfast based drama `Blue Lights' follows new police recruits Grace, Annie, and Tommy, as they learn the ropes in a high-pressure environment. Grace is a former social worker who has decided to switch careers in her forties, Annie has had to leave everything she knows behind, and Tommy finds it challenging to be on the frontline. The team deal with divided communities, criminal gangs, and struggle to know who to trust, all while wondering if they have made the right choice in joining the PSNI.
sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/blue-lights
Hit Irish comedy The Dry on SBS OnDemand
Shiv Sheridan (Gallagher), a woman recovering from alcoholism, returns home to Dublin to face a family who are not terribly supportive of her sobriety. She is 35, has spent the last ten years in London trying to make it as an artist but has nothing to show for it. Having lost her job at a gallery and fallen out with flat mates who were always partying, she returns home for her Granny's funeral and asks her mother if she can stay. It is clear that the family all drink, sometimes to excess, and her brother does coke - so staying won't be easy.
sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/the-dry
Around Ireland
Skellig Islands
The Skellig Islands are 2 uninhabited, rocky islets off the southwestern coast of Ireland.
Little Skellig (Sceilig Bheag), is small and inaccessible (landing is not permitted).
Skellig Michael is known for its well-preserved early Christian monastery that was founded on the island between the 6th and 8th century and remained occupied until the late 12th century. The remains of the monastery, along with the island itself, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
The site, reached by steep steps, includes stone beehive-shaped huts, oratories and crosses. Thousands of puffins breed on Skellig Michael during the warmer months. To the northeast, the island of Little Skellig is home to a large colony of gannets.
In fact, Skellig Bheag is the largest Gannet Colony in Ireland and second largest in the World. During the Summer months every nook and cranny on this island is occupied by a range of bird species including Gannets, Puffins, Storm Petrels and Fulmars.
The uniqueness of Skellig Michael is exemplified by the fact that it was chosen as a location for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
You can only reach Skellig Michael by boat. The Skellig Michael Landing Tour departs daily from Portmagee marina between 8:00am and 10:00am. You should be ready for a rough sea journey. Note that here are no toilet facilities on Skellig Michael Island. If you are planning to land on Skellig Michael or take the Skellig Islands cruise, you may not have access to a toilet for up to 6 hours. The Lady Clare boat that many guests are aboard when landing on Skellig Michael DOES have toilet facilities. The trip on the boat takes about one hour one way.
The island is named after the archangel Michael, with "Skellig" derived from the Irish language word sceilig, meaning a splinter of stone.
To get to the top of Skellig Michael you need to be fit and have a head for heights. You'll need to be able to do a tough climb up and back down again. A visit to the monastery will entail a climb of 618 steps, ascending over 600 ft. (180 metres).
For more information Information on Skellig Islands
1 Skellig Michael
2 Beehive huts Skellig Michael
3 Puffin on Skellig Michael
4 Steps to top Skellig Michael
5 Path Skellig Michael
6 Little Skellig
7 Gannets Little Skellig
Movies shot in Kerry
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
As mentioned above, in 2014 filming of The Force awakens was on Skellig Michael.
The island was closed to the public during filming, and hundreds of sci-fi fans flocked to the village of Portmagee to catch a glimpse of the Star Wars cast.
Skellig Michael was chosen to represent a barren forgotten planet in the series.
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
In 2016 Star Wars returned to Ireland to begin work on Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. This time they chose to use 2 locations in Kerry as well as sites in Donegal, Clare & Cork. For the Kerry shoots the returned to Skellig Michael but also chose to use Ceann Sibeal on the Dingle Peninsula. On Ceann Sibeal a number of beehive huts were constructed to resemble those on Skellig Michael.
OTHER MOVIES SHOT IN KERRY
Ryan’s Daughter (1970)
The movie featured Dingle, in 1970, and there were panoramic scenes of the beach at Inch and the bluebells in Killarney. The remains of the schoolhouse built for the film still stand overlooking the Blasket Islands.
Excalibur (1981)
This movie was filmed entirely in Derrynane, County Kerry.
Far & Away (1992)
A movie about Irish peasants forced to immigrate to the United States in the 19th century. A Famine-era village was created in Dunquin, on the Dingle Peninsula.
Harry Potter & The Half–Blood Prince (2009)
The most famous Irish scene from Harry Potter was shot at the dramatic Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare, but scenes from Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince were also filmed in Kerry. Not many people know this, but after the scene at the cliffs, Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry and Ian McKellen’s Dumbledore appear on the famous Lemon Rock in Kerry. Lemon Rock is situated near Little Skellig and Skellig Michael.
Abroad
Screen Ireland's Where to Watch
Discover where you can watch Irish film and selected TV drama, animation and documentary, anywhere in the world. From films available to stream or just entering cinemas this website put together by Screen Ireland is worth checking out next time you're looking for something to watch.
Beagánín Gaeilge/A tiny bit of Irish
To learn a language, or remain fluent, you need to use it every day
Gaeilge Gach Lá
Meaning: Irish Every Day
Pronounced: /Gwayl-geh Gokh Law/
Cairde na hÉireann
Friends of Ireland
Glór na gCarad
Voice of the Friends
June 2024
What’s in this newsletter?
23 June – A talk about St Columba and the island of IONA.
2. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC AND SONG SESSION.
THE HIGH KINGS are coming to Canberra.
https://www.cscc.com.au/event/the-high-kings/
Canberra Irish Club Film Society.
4. Sydney event
THE 2 JOHNNIES are coming to Australia.
5. Irish Thriller Bodkin on Netflix
6. What’s happening around Australia and abroad?..
Northern Irish series Blue Lights, season 2 on SBS OnDemand.
Hit Irish comedy The Dry on SBS OnDemand.
Screen Ireland's Where to Watch.
Beagánín Gaeilge/A tiny bit of Irish..
Events coming up
Friends of Ireland
23 June – A talk about St Columba and the island of IONA
To be held in the Cotter room, Canberra Irish Club, 2pm Sunday 23 June 2024
Speaker: Marion Gilmour
Bookings are not necessary, but you might like to book lunch in the Bistro before the talk.
ABOUT ST COLUMBA
St. Columba is one of the 3 patron saints of Ireland, along with St. Patrick and St. Brigid. He was born 7th December 521 CE in what is now County Donegal. He was an Irish abbot and missionary. Known as Saint Colmcille in Ireland, he is credited with spreading Christianity in Scotland. Probably Saint Columba’s most memorable achievement was the founding of an abbey on the island of Iona, just off the west coast of Scotland in 563 CE with 12 companions. It soon became an important and influential centre for the spread of Christianity in Scotland and attracted attention all over Europe. It quickly became a place of pilgrimage, and it is said that 48 Scottish kings, 8 Norwegian kings and 4 Irish kings are buried there. Saint Columba’s feast day is celebrated on 9 June every year.
Marion Gilmour grew up in County Antrim and has strong family connections with Down, Donegal and Scotland. From childhood she heard about St. Columba’s journey to Iona, so eagerly seized the chance to work twice as a volunteer with the Iona Community on the island, also visiting with her husband last year.
Comhaltas –
2. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC AND SONG SESSION
Last Sunday of each month 2pm - 4 pm
3. Around Canberra
THE HIGH KINGS are coming to Canberra
WHERE: Southern Cross Club Woden
WHEN: 8pm, Sunday 23 June, 2024
COST: Dinner and Show 6pm $121.10
Show only 8pm $75.20
The High Kings from Dublin are a traditional folk group who give new life for a new generation of Irish and Celtic music fans alike and they make their triumphant return to Australia following their Sold Out tour last year
https://www.cscc.com.au/event/the-high-kings/
The High Kings are Finbarr Clancy, Darren Holden, Paul O’ Brien and Brian Dunphy who have held the position as the distinctive voice of Irish folk music across the world for the last 15years. Together they continue to sell out venues around the world to an ever-growing army of loyal fans
Having surpassed a 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify as well as 2 platinum albums, 2023 saw The High Kings celebrate 15 years together by releasing 15 new tracks, as well as the release of their 8th Studio Album ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Renowned for their captivating harmonies and timeless melodies, ‘The Road Not Taken’ is a collection of original songs that breathe new life into traditional folk music, blending the old with the new. The album is a groundbreaking collaborative effort which includes household names such as The Script, Kodaline, Picture This, Sharon Corr and a guest appearance from the legendary ‘Journey’ frontman Steve Perry
As they continue to go from strength to strength The High Kings remain firmly rooted in Irish tradition and classic folk music and their brand new tour will be a feast of well-known hits and spectacular musicianship, and they look forward to seeing you soon.
Dinner and Show
Make a night of it and enjoy a two course meal in a private dining area before the show with ‘Dinner and Show’ ticket offer. Dinner commences from 6pm. Please note all table allocations are subject to bookings.
Canberra Irish Club Film Society
The Canberra Irish Club Film Society is back, screening on the third Sunday of each month. Between May and November they will screen BBC & RTE production Ireland, A Television History, a 13 part series written and presented by Robert Kee looking at the complexities of Irish history. The series was made at a time when The Troubles were still ongoing, and Kee attempted to explain them against a background of 800 years of Irish history. Interviews with eye witnesses with memories extending as far back as the 1890s helped to bring it to life.
Annual membership is $10 which gets you and a guest admission to all screenings for the year. If you're interested email,
canberrairishclubfilmsociety@gmail.com
4. Sydney event
THE 2 JOHNNIES are coming to Australia
WHERE: Enmore Theatre, Newtown, NSW
WHEN: 8pm, Saturday 10 August, 202
COST: Show from $79.90
https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=JOHNNIE24
The 2 Johnnies are Ireland’s favourite musical comedy duo. From their humble beginnings publishing relatable Irish small town life sketches and self-released music videos on Facebook & YouTube, the pair have gone on to produce Ireland’s no.1 podcast, ‘The 2 Johnnies Podcast’, release 10 x no.1 Irish singles, bring live podcast shows to four continents around the world and produce three TV shows on Ireland’s state public service broadcaster RTE.
Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival has just kicked off with 6 Irish Films over 12 glorious days of cinema–including Australian/Irish boxing drama Kid Snow, the rude and riotous Kneecap, and the prize-winning doco The Flats.
5. Irish Thriller Bodkin on Netflix
Starring Irish talent Siobhán Cullen, Chris Walley, David Wilmot; the Thriller series Bodkin has been in the Netflix Top 10 since it's release at the beginning of the month and is definitely worth checking out. The Show follows a group of podcasters set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic Irish town. But when they start to pull the strings, they find a story much bigger and stranger than they could have imagined.
6. What’s happening around Australia and abroad?
Around Australia
Northern Irish series Blue Lights, season 2 on SBS OnDemand
Belfast based drama `Blue Lights' follows new police recruits Grace, Annie, and Tommy, as they learn the ropes in a high-pressure environment. Grace is a former social worker who has decided to switch careers in her forties, Annie has had to leave everything she knows behind, and Tommy finds it challenging to be on the frontline. The team deal with divided communities, criminal gangs, and struggle to know who to trust, all while wondering if they have made the right choice in joining the PSNI.
sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/blue-lights
Hit Irish comedy The Dry on SBS OnDemand
Shiv Sheridan (Gallagher), a woman recovering from alcoholism, returns home to Dublin to face a family who are not terribly supportive of her sobriety. She is 35, has spent the last ten years in London trying to make it as an artist but has nothing to show for it. Having lost her job at a gallery and fallen out with flat mates who were always partying, she returns home for her Granny's funeral and asks her mother if she can stay. It is clear that the family all drink, sometimes to excess, and her brother does coke - so staying won't be easy.
sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/the-dry
Around Ireland
Craggaunowen
Situated in the countryside of County Clare, Craggaunowen offers a taste of Celtic life, with a reproduction of a Bronze Age village, set beside the 16th Century Craggaunowen Castle.
Built by the MacNamara Clan on 50 acres of wooded grounds, Craggaunowen Castle dates back to 1550. Standing defiantly on a crag overlooking a lake it forms a striking centrepiece to this exhibition on the lives of the Celts in the Bronze Age.
Interpreting Ireland's prehistoric times, Craggaunowen has an award-winning example of a Crannog - a Celtic homestead, constructed of wattles, reeds and mud. Built onto a lake isle and ringed by a spiked fence to protect it from raiders, these Crannogs were how people lived in Ireland some 1,000 years ago. Demonstrations of early crafts and farming techniques are held regularly and Craggaunowen farms with rare animal breeds typical of this early period such as Soay sheep and wild boar.
The Craggaunowen exhibition also features the Brendan, the leather hulled boat used by explorer Tim Severin to sail across the Atlantic in 1976-77, re-enacting the legendary voyage of St Brendan who reputedly sailed from Ireland to America centuries before Columbus.
Craggaunowen is an undoubtedly interesting exhibition, one of Ireland's best insights into prehistoric life in the country and well worth the visit.
Abroad
Screen Ireland's Where to Watch
Discover where you can watch Irish film and selected TV drama, animation and documentary, anywhere in the world. From films available to stream or just entering cinemas this website put together by Screen Ireland is worth checking out next time you're looking for something to watch.
Beagánín Gaeilge/A tiny bit of Irish
You may never use this one, but it is becoming well known among social media users
Is fadhb é cibearbhulaíocht
pronounced: /iss fibe ay kibber-wull-ee-ukht
Meaning: Cyberbullying is a problem
