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Displaying items by tag: music

#NYC - Here's something a little different from the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire: an evening of jazz in the company of Carmel McCreagh and her band on Thursday 17 October.

Described as having a "mellow and velvety" voice, McCreagh will be performing standards from the Great American Songbook such as 'The Days of Wine and Roses' and 'Come Rain or Come Shine', just two of the songs by Jimmy Mercer she recorded for her new album Skylark.

Tickets are just €10 per person available from the yacht club. For more see the NYC website here.

Published in National YC
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#Surfing - Two national broadcasters will base themselves in Bundoran this week ahead of the Sea Sessions Surf Music Festival at the weekend.

Today FM’s KC Show will broadcast live from the Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat Station tomorrow 19 June and Thursday 20 June, while 2FM will broadcast from the Sea Sessions from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 June, giving the seaside town unprecedented national media coverage for five days.

As part of a recent Discover Ireland promotion on Today FM, listeners were asked where to send the various shows to on their holidays. Listeners to the KC Show had a choice of sending him to Dingle or Donegal and following thousands of votes, Donegal came out on top.

One of the locations suggested was Bundoran, and the RNLI Lifeboat station at the pier was chosen as the home for the KC Show for two daily broadcasts this week complete with live musical guests Walking With Cars and new Irish act Daithi.

No sooner will Today FM have packed up than the 2FM Roadcaster will be rolling into the Main Beach car park and preparing to broadcast from the Sea Sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The national state broadcaster will give the festival unprecedented coverage with over 20 hours scheduled live from the beachfront. Jenny Greene, Cormac Battle, Ruth Scott and Paddy McKenna will all host their shows live across the weekend.

Bundoran tourism officer Shane Smyth commented: "I am thrilled that not one but two national broadcasters will be in town this week. It will be a welcome boost to the ongoing promotion of Bundoran as a destination.

"Speaking as Bundoran RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer also, I’m obviously delighted that the RNLI will benefit from two days of national coverage and I know that KC and his team are keen to find out more about the lifeboat service here in Bundoran."

Smyth added: "The guys from 2FM had a great time when they were here a few weeks ago and we look forward to welcoming them again over Sea Sessions weekend. Last time they were here they brought scorching sunshine with them – let’s hope they do the same again!”

Sea Sessions is Ireland's "biggest and best" surfing and music festival and returns for its sixth successive year in 2013. Based in Bundoran, the festival also includes surf tour events in Lahinch, Co Clare and nearby Sligo.

Published in Surfing

#MarineScience - A unique audio-visual performance intended to communicate the importance of marine science and research has been praised at a showcase event in Brussels.

The Marine Institute has collaborated with Galway-based choir Cois Cladaigh on The Longest River, in which a selection of Latin and English choral music and traditional Irish pieces from the 9th century onwards are put to a photo slideshow depicting marine scenes and species, and video footage of extreme environment under the deep ocean.

According to the Marine Institute: "The unique collaboration has created an innovative means of engaging new audiences and raising the awareness of the science of our oceans and the importance of the deep seas that support our life on earth."

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki - a co-patron of the initiative - said The Longest River "demonstrates the importance of international collaborations on ocean research".

The marine science literacy and communication event, described as "an arts, music and science fusion", was presented to an audience of over 200 people as part of the celebration of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of European Union at Eglise du Saint – Sacrement in Brussels.

The Longest River was also presented to over 100 primary school pupils at the Ecole Europeenne de Brussels IV in the Belgian capital. The children were introduced to Irish musicians Eugene Lambe and Kathleen Loughnane who spoke about the history of their instruments and played the Uillean pipe and Irish harp. 

Dr Brendan O’Connor, director of Cois Cladaigh, also taught the pupils how to perform the Rondes by Folke Rabe, a contemporary performance extending the expression of vocal sounds that cannot be found in any language, yet are possible sounds inspired from deep within the ocean.

Supporting the Marine Institute and the development of The Longest River,  Dr O’Connor said: “This event has enabled Cois Cladaigh to raise its profile amongst a wider audience as well as contribute to the ethos of evoking innovative arts and science literacy, offering better communication to a broad societal audience."

Published in Marine Science
Derry punk legends The Undertones will headline a hit music lineup to entertain the crowds at Eurosurf 2011 in Bundoran later this month.
The band best known for 'Teenage Kicks' top a weekend-long bill that includes popular traditional fusion group Kila, who will kick off the Eurosurf party on the Friday in what's often considered the 'surfing capital of Ireland'.
Dubliners Royseven will also play after the gala screening of Soul Surfer on Saturday 24 September.
The full lineup is available at discoverbundoran.com.
Eurosurf press officer Shane Smyth said: "We are thrilled with the calibre of musical acts which have been confirmed to play in Bundoran during Eurosurf.
"The Undertones, Royseven and Kíla are sure to offer visitors and spectators an exciting and complementary plan which will ensure that between surfing and entertainment, a great time and experience will be had by all."
The European Surfing Championships take place in Bundoran from 24 September to 2 October.

Derry punk legends The Undertones will headline a hit music lineup to entertain the crowds at Eurosurf 2011 in Bundoran later this month.

The band best known for 'Teenage Kicks' top a weekend-long bill that includes popular traditional fusion group Kila, who will kick off the Eurosurf party on the Friday in what's often considered the 'surfing capital of Ireland'.

Dubliners Royseven will also play after the gala screening of Soul Surfer on Saturday 24 September.

The full lineup is available at discoverbundoran.com.

Eurosurf press officer Shane Smyth said: "We are thrilled with the calibre of musical acts which have been confirmed to play in Bundoran during Eurosurf. 

"The Undertones, Royseven and Kíla are sure to offer visitors and spectators an exciting and complementary plan which will ensure that between surfing and entertainment, a great time and experience will be had by all."

The European Surfing Championships take place in Bundoran from 24 September to 2 October.

Published in Surfing

 

On 21 May the Culwick Choral Society will present a very maritime-inspired evening of music at the National Concert Hall.
The highlight of the show will be a performance of 'A Sea Symphony' by Ralph Vaughan Williams, with vocals provided by soprano Cara O'Sullivan, baritone Paul Carey Jones and the New Dublin Voices chamber choir.
The programme - supported by RTÉ Lyric FM – will also include Mendelssohn's 'Hebrides Overture' and Beethoven's 'Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage'.
Tickets begin at €15 and are available from the National Concert Hall box office at 01 417 0000 or online at www.nch.ie.

On 21 May the Culwick Choral Society will present a very maritime-inspired evening of music at the National Concert Hall.

The highlight of the show will be a performance of 'A Sea Symphony' by Ralph Vaughan Williams, with vocals provided by soprano Cara O'Sullivan, baritone Paul Carey Jones and the New Dublin Voices chamber choir.

The programme - supported by RTÉ Lyric FM – will also include Mendelssohn's 'Hebrides Overture' and Beethoven's 'Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage'.

Tickets start at €15 and are available from the National Concert Hall box office at 01 417 0000 or online at www.nch.ie.

 

Published in Maritime Festivals
Thousands of visitors are expected in the west Clare town of Miltown Malbay for the Cold Pro surf and music festival on the June bank holiday weekend.
The Irish Examiner reports that Imelda May, Peter Hook (New Order) and Jamie xx are among the acts signed up for the two-day event, which will feature live music across three stages - as well as an invitational surfing tournament with €20,000 in prize money up for grabs.
The Irish Examiner has more on the story HERE.

Thousands of visitors are expected in the west Clare town of Miltown Malbay for the Cold Pro surf and music festival on the June bank holiday weekend.

The Irish Examiner reports that Imelda May, Peter Hook (New Order) and Jamie xx are among the acts signed up for the two-day event, which will feature live music across three stages - as well as an invitational surfing tournament with €20,000 in prize money up for grabs.

The Irish Examiner has more on the story HERE.

Published in Surfing

Dublin Bay 21s

An exciting new project to breathe life into six defunct 120-year-old Irish yachts that happen to be the oldest intact one-design keelboat class in the world has captured the imagination of sailors at Ireland's biggest sailing centre. The birthplace of the original Dublin Bay 21 class is getting ready to welcome home the six restored craft after 40 years thanks to an ambitious boat building project was completed on the Shannon Estuary that saved them from completely rotting away.

Dublin Bay 21 FAQs

The Dublin Bay 21 is a vintage one-design wooden yacht designed for sailing in Dublin Bay.

Seven were built between 1903 and 1906.

As of 2020, the yachts are 117 years old.

Alfred Mylne designed the seven yachts.

The total voting population in the Republic's inhabited islands is just over 2,600 people, according to the Department of Housing.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) commissioned the boat to encourage inexpensive one-design racing to recognise the success of the Water Wag one-design dinghy of 1887 and the Colleen keelboat class of 1897.

Estelle built by Hollwey, 1903; Garavogue built by Kelly, 1903; Innisfallen built by Hollwey, 1903.; Maureen built by Hollwey, 1903.; Oola built by Kelly, 1905; Naneen built by Clancy, 1905.

Overall length- 32'-6', Beam- 7'-6", Keel lead- 2 tons Sail area - 600sq.ft

The first race took place on 19 June 1903 in Dublin Bay.

They may be the oldest intact class of racing keelboat yacht in the world. Sailing together in a fleet, they are one of the loveliest sights to be seen on any sailing waters in the world, according to many Dublin Bay aficionados.

In 1964, some of the owners thought that the boats were outdated, and needed a new breath of fresh air. After extensive discussions between all the owners, the gaff rig and timber mast was abandoned in favour of a more fashionable Bermudan rig with an aluminium mast. Unfortunately, this rig put previously unseen loads on the hulls, resulting in some permanent damage.

The fleet was taken out of the water in 1986 after Hurricane Charlie ruined active Dublin Bay 21 fleet racing in August of that year. Two 21s sank in the storm, suffering the same fate as their sister ship Estelle four years earlier. The class then became defunct. In 1988, master shipwright Jack Tyrrell of Arklow inspected the fleet and considered the state of the hulls as vulnerable, describing them as 'still restorable even if some would need a virtual rebuild'. The fleet then lay rotting in a farmyard in Arklow until 2019 and the pioneering project of Dun Laoghaire sailors Fionan De Barra and Hal Sisk who decided to bring them back to their former glory.

Hurricane Charlie finally ruined active Dublin Bay 21 fleet racing in August 1986. Two 21s sank in the storm, suffering the same fate as a sister ship four years earlier; Estelle sank twice, once on her moorings and once in a near-tragic downwind capsize. Despite their collective salvage from the sea bed, the class decided the ancient boats should not be allowed suffer anymore. To avoid further deterioration and risk to the rare craft all seven 21s were put into storage in 1989 under the direction of the naval architect Jack Tyrrell at his yard in Arklow.

While two of the fleet, Garavogue and Geraldine sailed to their current home, the other five, in various states of disrepair, were carried the 50-odd miles to Arklow by road.

To revive the legendary Dublin Bay 21 class, the famous Mylne design of 1902-03. Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra are developing ideas to retain the class's spirit while making the boats more appropriate to today's needs in Dun Laoghaire harbour, with its many other rival sailing attractions. The Dublin Bay 21-foot class's fate represents far more than the loss of a single class; it is bad news for the Bay's yachting heritage at large. Although Dún Laoghaire turned a blind eye to the plight of the oldest intact one-design keelboat fleet in the world for 30 years or more they are now fully restored.

The Dublin Bay 21 Restoration team includes Steve Morris, James Madigan, Hal Sisk, Fionan de Barra, Fintan Ryan and Dan Mill.

Retaining the pure Mylne-designed hull was essential, but the project has new laminated cold-moulded hulls which are being built inverted but will, when finished and upright, be fitted on the original ballast keels, thereby maintaining the boat’s continuity of existence, the presence of the true spirit of the ship.

It will be a gunter-rigged sloop. It was decided a simpler yet clearly vintage rig was needed for the time-constrained sailors of the 21st Century. So, far from bringing the original and almost-mythical gaff cutter rig with jackyard topsail back to life above a traditionally-constructed hull, the project is content to have an attractive gunter-rigged sloop – “American gaff” some would call it.

The first DB 21 to get the treatment was Naneen, originally built in 1905 by Clancy of Dun Laoghaire for T. Cosby Burrowes, a serial boat owner from Cavan.

On Dublin Bay. Dublin Bay Sailing Club granted a racing start for 2020 Tuesday evening racing starting in 2020, but it was deferred due to COVID-19.
Initially, two Dublin Bay 21s will race then three as the boat building project based in Kilrush on the Shannon Estuary completes the six-boat project.
The restored boats will be welcomed back to the Bay in a special DBSC gun salute from committee boat Mac Lir at the start of the season.
In a recollection for Afloat, well known Dun Laoghaire one-design sailor Roger Bannon said: "They were complete bitches of boats to sail, over-canvassed and fundamentally badly balanced. Their construction and design was also seriously flawed which meant that they constantly leaked and required endless expensive maintenance. They suffered from unbelievable lee helm which led to regular swamping's and indeed several sinkings.

©Afloat 2020