Conamara Sea Week 2007

Letterfrack Oct 19^th – 29^th

1984 – 2007

Whales & Dolphins for Sea Week

A feast of music has been laid out for Conamara Sea Week ’07 with such wonderful players such as Máirtín O Connor, Cary O Briain, Liz & Yvonne Kane, Edel Fox, Seán Tyrell, Tola Custy, Michael Hynes, Mirella Murray, Ronan O Flaherty, The Howley Girls, Deirdre Herbert, Johnny Connelly, and lots, lot more.

The week kicks off on Friday 19^th October with a special event when the children of Letterfrack National School play music for the Active Age Club. Later that night at 7.30 p.m. in Connemara National Park we have the Joe Boske exhibition entitled ‘Locals’ which will be opened by John Coyle of Renvyle House Hotel and the night will also feature the wonderful music of Joe Boske played by local children who will be joined by the amazing Mairtin O Connor and Garry O Briain. At 9 p.m. Airt O Briain will introduce his firm on Joe Boske entitled ‘Too Late For The Early House’ and the night will finish with a ‘gig’ in the Bards Den featuring Mairtin O Connor, Garry O Briain and a gaggle of players and dancers.

On Sat 20^th sees a wonderful selection of music workshops – open to children and adults, which take place in Letterfrack National School at 11.30 a.m. – teaching the workshops will be Liz Kane (fiddle), Edel Fox (concertina), Geraldine McNamara (flute & whistle), Marie Walsh (box), Ronan O Flaherty (fiddle).

On Saturday night at 8.30 p.m. in Letterfrack National School we have the ‘School House Gig’ which features the pupils and teachers from the workshops.

Sunday 21^st is Community Day with the annual Book Fair for children and adults which opens at 3 p.m. in Ellis Hall, Letterfrack. The day will also have a number of novelty events such as penalty shoot out, crazy golf, face painting and a film in the National Park for children at 5 p.m. The whole day is wrapped in traditional music with players such as Seamus Heneghan, Michael Hynes, Denis Liddy, Mary Bergin, Angelina Carberry and friends.

Throughout the week there will be a vibrant schools programme with dance teacher Carol Langstaff from America, Pete Molyneaux from Galway Youth Theatre and Niko Brown and Martin Brunsden internationally acclaimed performers for young people.

A new feature for this years Sea Week will be inputs from Scuba Dive West, who will be putting on a number of special programmes, K2 the amazing adventure centre will also be putting on a special programme as will John & Phil Monghan, who run the Oceans Alive Boat and Country Museum. These programmes are being run at a special rate to celebrate Sea Week and booking is essential. Tuesday 23^rd will feature the annual Chess Competition for U10 and U14 which takes place at Letterfrack National School at 7 p.m. Open to all young people.

One of the main events of Sea Week 07 are the annual soccer competitions for primary schools and for adults. These competitions have proved hugely popular over the last twenty years and large number of players from all over Conamara North and South take part in the competitions. These competitions have been very efficiently run by Brendan Ridge and his team. The Sea Week primary schools 5 aside soccer competition will take place on the Bank Holiday Monday October 29^th at 11 a.m. in Letterfrack National School. The adult 5 aside competition will start on the first weekend of Sea Week Saturday 20^th October with the final on Sunday 28^th October. If you wish to enter a team or you want details please contact Brendan Ridge 087 9865023.

The Bank Holiday weekend kicks off with an Oiche Chonmara in the Bards Den at 9 45 p.m. with the great Johnny Connolly on box, Mattie Joe Sheamais pipes/vocals, Marcus Hernon, flute and a blast of Sean Nos Dancers.

On Friday 26^th October in Letterfrack National School a dance Theatre Workshop entitled ‘Dancing our Surrounds’ with choreographer Carol Langstaff of Galway’s sward winning Flock Dance Company. From 8 – 10 pm. All levels of experience are welcome ages 13 and up. Admission Є10

Keiran Concannon’s wonderful documentary on Inish Shark which was shown recently in Clifden entitled “Bás Oileáin” was wonderfully received by a large audience. People were deeply touched by a sad and moving story that was beautifully filmed by Keiran and his team and produced in association with TG4 and Irish Film Board. The film will be shown at 9 pm in the AV centre in Connemara National Park. This film will be shown on TG4 later in the year.

On Saturday morning at 10.30 a.m. in Letterfrack National School Sea Week Conference opens – the theme of this years conference is ‘Whales and Dolphins and their habitat’ taking part in the conference will be Scientists Simon Berrow and Padraigh Whooley from the Irish Whale and Dolphin group as well as Joanne O Brien PhD Student from the GMIT who is currently studying small cetaceans in Galway Bay and North Conamara. The scientists will be joined by Poets, Mary O Malley & Rita Ann Higgins, musicians Deirdre Herbert, Noel Shine, Mary Greene, Photographer Kevin Griffin and film makers Dough Allen and Sue Flood who work on the BBC ‘Planet Earth’ series. The conference finishes on Monday with a short walk. Fee for the conference is Є60. Unwaged Є40.

The sean nós dance workshop with the wonderful Cunningham family is one of the most popular events of Sea Week and it takes place in Ellis Hall on Sunday 28^th at 4pm – 5.30 pm – admission adults Є10 – students Є5.

The whole weekend is wrapped in the best of traditional music - Look out for the Hostel Gig with Noel Shine and Mary Greene with great food and music all for Є20 on Sat 27^th at 7.30 pm in the Monastery Hostel Letterfrack. Great excitement also for Sean Tyrell’s one man show on the life and times of John Boyle O Reilly Sunday 9 p.m. in Letterfrack N.S.

For further information contact CEECC, Letterfrack,

Co. Galway

Phone Nos 095 41034/43443 mobile 085 1154629

email lfrack@eircom.net web www.ceecc.org

Sea week is sponsored by The Arts Council,

The Marine Institute, Galway County Council