May 28th - June 5thLetterfrack County Galway

Music - Poetry Walking - Dancingand a hint of madness

Soccer Blitz – tbcThis much loved competition will take place this year on the all weather pitch in Letterfrack. We look forward to wel-coming players and supporters to Letterfrack for this most enjoyable and fun filled of competitions. Teams consist of a 5-a-side plus 3 subs. Thanks to Brendan & Virginia Ridge and Paddy Joe Heanue. Contact Brendan on 087 9865023.

Pre Bog Week Special

Wed. 24th May 7.30pm - The Courtyard Café LetterfrackA Conamara FeastCelebrating the finest foods from Conamara, juicy lamb, gor-geous mussels, plenty of crab and other delicacies. All food sourced within 30 miles of Letterfrack. Quality local food with a twist presented by local ward winning chef Jonathan Keane. Jonathan is head chef at Lisloughrey Lodge which featured in the top ten food destinations in the world. We promise a most convivial evening with one large table and sixty guests. Booking essential – www.ceecc.org Tickets € 30.00.

Welcome

A warm and heartfelt welcome to the 33rd Conamara Bog Week Festival.

Conamara Bog Week is a celebration of landscape and peo-ple. It embraces the whole community and provides a real space for expression. It’s an authentic bespoke festival that gives a window into a rural community and provides a warm embrace for the many visitors who crave a real Wild Atlantic experience.

As usual there is lots to excite, plenty of action for all ages/families and individuals. This year walking is a big feature of the festival, so don the boots/wellies and good rain gear and get out into our beautiful landscape. Daily walks/great guides – all free.

The festival is wrapped in the very best of music with great blasts of trad, jazz, blues, rockabilly etc. You will find the music in the pubs, the Gothic Church Kylemore Abbey, the National Park and out in the landscape. All trad sessions are open and encourage ‘young’ players to join in the fun. Bring your dancing shoes.

Sunday May 28th

Family Fun Day2.30pm 5km Fun Run Tullycross - Letterfrack3.45pm Community Sports - Connemara West Centre5.00pm Molly’s Bar - Trad Session The Hernon Family & Don Stiffe8.00pm Music in the Gothic Church Kylemore Abbey - featuring Luka Bloom9.30pm Veldon’s Bar - Rockabilly Session Jimmy Fitz & The Screaming Bluecats

Monday May 29th

9.30am Schools Programme begins11.00am Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National Park2.30pm Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National Park

Tuesday May 30th

9.30am Schools Programme continues11.00am Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National Park2.30pm Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National

Wednesday May 31st

9.30am Schools Programme continues11.00am Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National Park1.30pm Active Age Club Celebration - Rosleague Manor2.30pm Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National Park7.00pm Conamara Bog Week Road Race meet outside Molly’s Bar

Thursday June 1st

9.30am Schools Programme continues11.00am Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National Park2.30pm Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National Park8.00pm Talk with Gordon Darcy ‘Touching the Landscape’ AV Room Connemara National Park9.30pm Molly’s Bar – Trad Session Johnny O’Halloran & Gerry Whelan

Programme

Programme

Friday June 2nd

9.30am Schools Programme continues11.00am Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National Park2.30pm Conamara Bog Walk meet tearooms Connemara National Park9.30pm Molly’s Bar - Trad Session - Meet the Frackers9.30pm Veldon’s Bar - Blues/Jazz Session The John Conneely Trio

Saturday June 3rd

10.30am Children’s Print Workshop - Bernie’s Studio Moyard3.00pm Park Poetry & Music - AV Room National Park Michael Gorman, Conor Keane & Plunkett O’Toole 4.30pm Opening of Art Exhibition ‘Diversity’ Connemara National Park5.00pm Molly’s Bar - Trad Session Blackie O’Connell, Cyril O’Donoghue, Mirella Murray8.00pm Music in the Gothic Church Kylemore Abbey ‘Music Without Borders’ featuring Ellen Cranitch & Ann Marie O’Farrell9.30pm Molly’s Bar - Trad Session Conor Keane, Blackie O’Connell, Cyril O’Donoghue & Nathan Pilatzke9.30pm Veldon’s Bar - My Fellow Sponges

Sunday June 4th

10.30am Walking Connemara see page 142.30pm Poetry & Music - Theo Dorgan, Moya Cannon, Conor Keane AV Room Connemara National Park4.30pm Book Launch - The Letterfrack Poetry Trail Book & CD Connemara National Park5.00pm Molly’s Bar - Trad Session Michael Hynes, Gregory Daly, Plunkett O’Toole, Neansai NiChoistealbha & Mick Conneely8.00pm Music in the Gothic Church Kylemore Abbey featuring The Jimmy Fitz Trio9.30pm Veldon’s Bar - Jazz Session The Paul O’Driscoll Jazz Trio9.30pm Molly’s Bar - Trad Session Conor Keane, Plunkett O’Toole, James Donohue, Gearoid Devaney & friends

Monday June 5th1.00pm One for the Road - Veldon’s Bar - The Koko Jazz Trio .

Family Fun Day

The Conamara Bog Week Fun Run is our great annual run and has spawned Fun Runs in Roundstone and Cleggan/Claddaghduff. These 3 events raise money for Youth Projects run by FORUM. So we are asking everybody to get involved in at least one of these events; skip, run or walk but do ple-ase take part.

The sponsored 5km event from Tullycross to Letterfrack starts at 2.30pm, followed by Community Sports at 3.45pm in Letterfrack Village with various events for all ages from Running, Penalty Shoot Out, Sheaf Throwing, Wellie Thro-wing, Horse Shoe Throwing, The 56lb Weight.

There will be mighty music on the Gig Rig with some of our finest young players from all over Conamara.

Get your sponsorship card from FORUM – 095 41116/41117.

Sunday May 28th

Sunday May 28th

5.00pm - Molly’s Bar Marcus Hernon & Family with special guest Don Stiffe The Hernon Family are one of the great musical families in Conamara playing high speed exciting music – music of pas-sion, music to make the feet move. They will be joined by their great friend and mighty singer legendary Don Stiffe.

8.00pm - Gothic ChurchKylemore Abbey Concert - Luka Bloom Kildare born Irish singer/songwriter and guitarist. This is a great chance to see one of Ireland’s finest singer/songwri-ters in the beautiful and intimate Gothic Church. Luka who now resides in the beautiful Burren and has 22 albums to his name is currently promoting his new album ‘Frugalisto’. This will be a night to remember. Booking essential – www.ceecc.org Tickets € 15.00

9.30pm - Veldon’s Bar Jimmy Fitz & The Screaming Bluecats Rockabilly sessionThe Screaming Bluecats are back by popular demand with the wonderful Jimmy Fitz on guitar and vocals, and also fea-turing Jimmy Cubbard on drums and Sam Wright on double bass. Three great players that will certainly rock the venue so bring your dancing shoes.

Monday May 29th

11.00am & 2.30pm Conamara Bog Walksmeet at Connemara National Park Tea Rooms.Morning walk with local ecologist Marie Louise Heffernan. The afternoon walk will be led by a member of the staff of Connemara National Park. Both guides are experienced landscape experts. A different walk each day, Monday to Friday. Conamara Bog Week is a celebration of place and provides lots of opportunities to experience our wonderful peat lands, so the ideal way to immerse yourself in Conama-ra is to join these daily walks. Walks are FREE. Sensible footwear and rain gear necessary. Easy to modera-te difficulty. No dogs please.

Schools Programme – throughout the weekThere are hundreds of children involved. They will work in the classroom and they will walk the landscape. We pro-mise that they will have lots of fun and will learn lots of stuff about their own place. Gordon Darcy, internationally acclaimed ecologist/artist will be exploring the wonders of Conamara and helping to make the magic also will be well known ecologist Michael Jacob.

Tuesday May 30th

Conamara Bog Walks & Schools Programme conti-nues.

Wednesday May 31st

Conamara Bog Walks & Schools Programme continues.

1.30pm - Rosleague Manor Active Age Club CelebrationA stylish lunch for the older and wiser members of our com-munity in the beautiful Rosleague Manor, with good compa-ny and mighty music and song with Marcus Hernon and Don Stiffe. This will be an afternoon full of fun with Mark Foyle and the team who make everybody so welcome. A big thank you to Rosleague Manor for hosting this event.

7.00pm – meet at Molly’s BarThe Conamara Bog Week Road RaceThis challenging 13km event has proved very popular and we expect a good scattering of fit and healthy runners, men and women, to take part in this exciting event. Prizes for first three men and three women. Admission FREE. Contact Leo on 085 1154629

Thursday June 1st

8.00pm - AV Room Connemara National Park. Talk with Gordon Darcy entitled “Touching the Landscape”-Gordon is one of Ireland’s best-known environmenta-lists; he is the author of the classic book Birds of Ireland and several other titles; a brilliant artist and a passio-nate communicator regarding the natural world. Join us for a unique presentation exploring our connections with the natural world and bring a note book and pen-cil as you may wish to draw along with Gordon as he tells his story.

9.30pm - Molly’s Bar Johnny O’Halloran & Gerry Whelan Johnny from Inishbofin on box and Gerry from Water-ford on Banjo. This mighty duo are one of the big hits in Molly’s Bar, a lively and energetic gig.

9.30pm - Molly’s Bar Meet the Frackers . Two great Letterfrack fiddlers Liz and Yvonne Kane invite their friends Patsy Broderick and Sile Barry to join them in an extravagant night of fun. Sile an outstanding Clare fiddler with a new album under her ‘oxter’. Patsy on keyboards is simply an outstanding player, full of fun and a joy at any session. There’s woman power for you!

9.30pm - Veldon’s BarThe John Conneely TrioThe John Conneely Trio are John Conneely, Mark Sullivan and Eoin McCann. Playing Blues and Swing Jazz they have a repertoire spanning 5 decades. These three musicians have been playing together for 15 years and regularly sell out the Roisin Dubh in Galway as part of the John Conneely Inc Big Band. You can expect to hear music from Nina Simone, Eric Clapton, Robert Palmer, Little Walter, D’Jango Reinhardt and many more. This gig is not to be missed!

Friday June 2nd

10.30am Bernie’s Studio, Tooreen, MoyardChildren’s Print WorkshopA lovely opportunity to design and decorate your own t-shirt with well-known artist/ teacher Bernie Dignam. Spaces are li-mited so booking in advance essential.Contact Leo 085 1154629. Bring a plain t-shirt. Workshop € 8.00.

3.00pm AV Centre Connemara National ParkPoetry and Music

4.30pm Connemara National Park CentreOpening of Art Exhibition – ‘Diversity’Featuring the work of artists Angie Williams, David Keane and Tanya Doyne. The art exhibition will be officially opened by curator Margaret Flannery, Arts Director at Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust.

Molly’s Bar- 5.00pm Blackie O’Connell and Cyril O’Donoghue. If you want a blast of great Clare music this is the gig for you. High octane play-ing with a touch of madness featuring the amazing Blackie O’Connell on uileann pipes and the great Cyril O’Donoghue on bouzouki/vocals. They will be joined by Mirella Murray direct from ‘Cherish the Ladies’ one of America’s hottest trad groups. Mirella will bring her own brand of magic to the afternoon. Welcome home Mirella.

Saturday June 3rd

Exciting reading with brand new po-ems from Galway poet Michael Gor-man. Michael was born in Sligo and educated at Summerhill College and University College Galway. He has taught creative writing and worked as a literary editor and community playwright. His poetry collections include Postcards from Galway, Wai-ting for the Sky to Fall (Lighthouse) and Up She Flew (salmon). We are delighted that Michael has contribu-ted a poem to The Letterfrack Poetry Trail. The mighty Clare box player Conor Keane and young Lettermo-re flute player Plunkett O’Toole will provide great music.

8.00pm - Gothic Church Kylemore AbbeyMusic without bordersA little Bach, some trad, some new compositions.....no pass-port control. Featuring the wonderful flautist Ellen Cranitch, well known for her work on Lyric FM and Ann-Marie O Farrell an internationally acclaimed harpist and composer .Booking essential – www.ceecc.org Tickets € 15.00

Saturday June 3rd

9.30pm - Molly’s Bar Blackie O’Connell, Cyril O’Donoghue and Conor Keane, more Clare madness. This trio will certainly knock sparks off the place. Look out for Nathan Pilatzke a Canadian dancer of some style and passion – well known for his work with The Chieftains.

9.30pm - Veldon’s Bar‘My Fellow Sponges’A young and exciting group who are making big waves in the Galway music scene. The hottest ticket in town!

Walking Conamara5 Walks in different locations. Remember its possible to hop from one to another. All walks are FREE. No dogs please. Sensible footwear/rain gear/sunscreen essential.

Walk 1 – Roundstone Meet outside Vaughans at 10.30am. Walk will be led by Ned Kelly an experienced archaeologist and former keeper of antiquities in the National Museum.Duration 1 - 1½ hours.

Walk 2 – Omey Island Meet at Claddaghduff Church at 10.30am. Walk will be led by experienced local historian/archaeologist John O’Halloran. A great chance to explore this magical is-land. Duration 2 - 2½ hours.

Walk 3 – Clifden Meet at the car park at Derrygimnagh at 3.00pm. Walk will be led by John O’Halloran local historian/archaeo-logist. Duration 1½ - 2hours.

Walk 4 – Letterfrack Meet at The Country Store at 11.00am.Walk will be led by Si-nead Keane ecologist/herbalist with a passion for Conamara. Duration 1½ - 2 hours.

Walk 5 – Renvyle Peninsula Meet at Renvyle House Hotel at 2.30pm.Walk will be led by Dave McGrath marine biologist and all round ecologist, an amazing guide to the sea shore and Si-nead Keane ecologist/herbalist. Duration 1½ - 2 hours.

Sunday June 4th

2.30pm - AV Room Connemara National ParkPoetry ReadingPoets Theo Dorgan and Moya Cannon will be joined by our great friend and legendary box playerConor Keane. Moya has published five collections of poetry, her most recent entitled ‘Keats Lives’. Her work reflects preoccupations with music, landscape, archaeology and with language itself. Theo is a poet, novelist, prose writer, screenwriter, editor and translator.

5.00pm - Molly’s Bar Featuring the Irish Flute In Conamara the big instrument is the box, and this means we feature some mighty box players. However for this sessi-on we are making space for four great flute players - Michael Hynes from Clare, Gregory Daly from Roscommon, Plunkett O’Toole from Lettermore and Neansai Ni Choistealbha from Camus/Radio na Gaeltachta. Keeping the quartet in good shape is Mick Conneely, fiddler from England, his father a fine fiddler also, hails from Ballyconneely.

Sunday June 4th

5.00pm - Connemara National Park. Book Launch – The Letterfrack Poetry Trail Book A great occasion for Conamara Bog Week is the launch of our Letterfrack Poetry Trail Book & CD. Since President Michael D. Higgins opened the trail at our ConamaraSea Week Festival in 2014 there have been many requests for a publication. We are thrilled to see the work in book format and we look forward to a great launch by our good friend, the poet Theo Dorgan.

Among his recent works are ‘Times on the Ocean, A voyage from Cape Horn to Cape Town’, the novel ‘Making Way’, a collection of po-ems ‘Greek’ and hismost recent work ‘Nine Bright Shiners’

1.00pm - Veldon’s BarThe Koko Jazz TrioOne for the Road – Koko Jazz featuring Paul O’Driscoll on double bass/vocals, Conor Cantrell on guitar and Szymon Misniak on drums. Guaranteed exciting fun filled high ener-gy gig. Classical jazz standards delivered with style.

Monday June 5th

8.00pm - Gothic Church Kylemore Abbey Concert - The Jimmy Fitz TrioIn the intimate and beautiful Gothic Church we look forward to hearing some great music, some exciting Jazz and Blues from the vibrant Galway trio featuring Bertrand Huvê sax, Ger Madden keyboards and Jimmy Fitz guitar/vocals. A first for the Gothic. Booking essential – www.ceecc.org Tickets € 15.00

9.30pm - Veldon’s BarPaul O’Driscoll Jazz TrioFeaturing Ger Madden on keyboards, Paul O’Driscoll double bass/vocals and Miki Belton drums.

Molly’s Bar - 9.30pm The last hurrahConor Keane box, Plunkett O’Toole flute, James Donohue gu-itar/vocals and Gearoid Devaney Oireachtas winning sean nos dancer plus a scatter of friends will finish off the excite-ment in Molly’s for another Conamara Bog Week.

Sunday June 4th

Tania GrayArtists statementI have painted a collection of queens; from the costume and regalia of historic royalty to the glorious high camp of con-temporary drag. One enjoys the imprimatur and respect of its subjects as a birthright while the other enjoys the freedom of theatre, glitz and performance. This work was created to ho-nour the courage and enjoyment of today‘s drag performers.

BiographyTania Gray studied Graphic design in Dunlaoghaire College of Art and Design and Fine Art in GMIT, Castlebar. She gradu-ated from GMIT in 2014 with a BA in Fine Art. She is current-ly studying for a BA (Hons.) in Fine Art in GMIT. She works in printmaking, watercolour and acrylic inks. Her work is illustrative and has a geographical or contemporary narrative. She lives and works in Connemara, Co. Galway.

Angie Williams Artists StatementThis body of work is a combination of my own love of ma-terials & colour entwined with and drawn from a deep well of diverse materials my father left behind. Dipping into this well has uncovered a trove of myriad treasures. His architec-tural drawings, and his ‚drafting linen‘ has been an abun-dant wealth, a source of inspiration for me. As I trace his lines, present in some of the work, I think of him having done this before me..... 

BiographyAlmost 40 years living  in Ireland, Angela is presently wor-king predominantly with water based paints on paper, and painting on wood. The latter being her material of choice for the last 20 years as an accomplished woodturner. Her work is informed by the landscape in which she lives, Connemara, and the light, which is constantly changing, never static.Having graduated from Cluain Mhuire, Galway from 1999-2005 with a B.A. in Fine Art, she is currently in her final year in GMIT, Castlebar studying for a B.A Fine Art (Hons).Angela‘s first solo exhibition was here in the Connemara National Park during Heritage week in 2007 and as well as being a contributor in many exhibitions for Sea Week.

The Artists

David KeaneArtists StatementMy current work is landscape based. My aim is to capture an emotional response to landscape rather than any attempt at realism. My main focus is the manipulation of line and paint to elicit a response from the viewer. My primary concern is the nature of paint and its relevance in a culture of mass produced imagery.  Continuing on from my previous work this current work also explores landscape in terms of the passage of time and the transient nature of our presence within that landscape.

BiographyDavid Keane lives and works in Conamara and has an ho-nours degree in fine art specialising in painting and printing for the Galway Mayo institute of technology. A former mem-ber of Galways Artspace studios and Norman villa gallery Galway David has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions throughout the country including showing work in Dublins Kevin Kavanagh gallery. David has also worked previously curating the Conamara sea week small works exhibition.

The Artists

David Keane

Tania Gray Angie Williams

Thanks to all who support Conamara Bog Week. Special thanks to Galway County Council, The Arts Council, Connemara National Park, Failte Ireland, Rosleague Manor Hotel, Artisan House, Kylemore Abbey, Connemara Com-munity Radio, Connemara West, FORUM, GMIT, Foscadh, Rogan’s Gala, Connemara Chamber of Commerce, AIB Clifden, Renvyle House Hotel, Molly’s Bar, Veldon’s Bar, The Country Shop, Inagh Valley Lodge, Cuan Mara, Galway Social Media, Think PR. And a very special thanks to Hardy Langer and all the musicians/artists/scientists and the myri-ad of individuals who put their shoulder to the wheel.

For further information on all events log onto www.ceecc.org or see local papers and shops.Email leo.hallissey@gmail.com or call 085 1154629

These amazing musicians/artists are joining us for the festival.

LOCAL MUSICIANS/ARTISTS/SCIENTISTS

Yvonne Kane, Liz Kane, Plunkett O’Toole, Marcus Hernon, Breandan Hernon, Pronsias Hernon, Neansai NiChoistealbha, Gearoid Devaney, Nathan Pilatzke, Mirella Murray, Johnny O’Halloran, David Keane, Angie Williams, Tania Gray, Marie Louise Heffernan, Dr. Ned Kelly, John O’Halloran, Bernie Dignam, Jonathan Keane

VISITING MUSICIANS/ARTISTS/SCIEN-TISTS

Luka BloomBlackie O’ConnellGerry WhelanJimmy FitzDon StiffeMiki BeltonMoya CannonBertrand HuveGer MaddenDavid ShaughnessyCyril O’DonoghuePaul O’DriscollEllen CranitchMichael HynesAnn Marie O’FarrellMick ConneelyJimmy CubbardSam Wright

John ConneellyMark SullivanEoin McCannConor CantrellMichael GormanAnna MullarkeySzymon MisniakConor KeaneTheo DorganDonal McConnonDave McGrathJames DonohueGordon D’arcyMichael JacobPatsy BroderickSile GarryGregory DalySinead Keane