7 Things to t do this wweek...
1 MUSIC NETWORK RESIDENCY CONCERT: Triona Marshall, Tim Edey, David Power and Rithim Orchestra will perform at Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray on Friday, February 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets are €16 or €14 concession and available at mermaidartscentre.ie. Hear some stunning guitar and harp playing from leading lights of the traditional music world; music from musical stars of the future; and an exciting coming together of all the musicians. This concert is curated by Eamon Sweeney, Music Network Artist in Residence 2018/19 an initiative of Music Network in partnership with Wicklow County Council Arts Office and Mermaid County Wicklow Arts Centre. Triona Marshall has been playing the harp with The Chieftains for over a decade. Tim Edey multi-instrumentalist and singer, has toured the world and recorded with most of the major names in Celtic/contemporary roots music. David Power makes music on the Irish uilleann pipes, travels the world as a solo musician and in collaborations with many other artists. The Rithim Orchestra is a Bray-based traditional ensemble of 25 talented young musicians. 2 THE BACK DOORS: The Back Doors are back and will perform in the Hot Spot Music Club on Thursday, February 7. The all-brother Doors ‘clone’ band formed during their teens in Kilcoole. The Meakin brothers’ gigs are few and far between as their lead singer resides in Berlin. This is a rare opportunity to see Terry, Michael, Josh and John all back on stage again. Tickets are €10 and doors open at 8 p.m. The Meakin brothers have played many venues in Ireland such as The Olympia, The Quays, Dolan’s, ‘The Half Moon’ and ‘The Mean Fiddler’ to name but a few. Expect a totally authentic sound, and an uncanny accuracy in content, performance, energy and passion. 3 DONARD CEILI: Donard Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann will be staging its annual ceili in Donard Hall this Friday, February 8, where you can dance the night away until your heart is content. Music will be provided by Phil ad Liz. All funds raised go to Baltinglass Hospital. It promises to be a night not to be missed and any gifts donated toward the raffle would be much appreciated. The fun gets under way at 8 p.m. All are welcome. 4 KILTEGAN DRAMA: Kiltegan Drama presents ‘Happy Birthday Dear Alice’ by Bernard Farrell in St Tegan’s Hall, over two weekends in February. There will be three performances this weekend, starting on Friday, February 8 and continuing until February 10. The curtain rises at 8 p.m. each night. Tickets are available from the Hub, or Charlotte at 085 1615689, or Kiltegan School. Each night the proceeds will be divided between different groups. 5 BOOK READING: Author Lisa Harding visits Bridge Street Books in Wicklow town for a reading on Friday, February 8 at 7.30 p.m.. Lisa is the author of ‘Harvesting’ which is the story of two teenagers, Sammy from Dublin and Nico from Moldova, who are both thrown together by a twist of fate in a brothel. Harding was inspired to write the book through her involvement in a campaign against sex trafficking which was run by the Children’s Rights Alliance. Tickets are free and are available from www.eventbrite.ie. 6 CANDLELIT TALES: Candlelit Tales present ‘For the Love of Gods’ storytelling at the Harbour Bar on Wednesday, February 6, at 8.30 p.m. February is the month of romance. It’s a time for new beginnings, and new love, and here in Ireland, that means tales of betrayal and adultery; heroes fighting over beautiful damsels in distress; beautiful queens going to war over heroes in distress; shattered lives; broken hearts; and the worst courtship gift in the history of the human race. The ‘Candlelit Tales’ group specialise in re-telling the stories of Irish myth as they were traditionally told: accessible, entertaining, and with live musical accompaniment, in cosy settings, as well as by podcast at candlelittales.ie. 7 ECLIPSED: Tinahely Variety Group will present ‘Eclipsed’ by Patricia Burke Brogan in Tinahely Community Hall from Wednesday, February 6 to Saturday, February 9 at 8 p.m. nightly. ‘Eclipsed’ tells the story of four women and an orphan girl in a Magdalene Laundry in 1963. It explores the relationship between the women and the nuns and how society treated these women. The audience can expect to have plenty of laughs and perhaps a tear. They will meet Elvis Presley, witness his marriage and join in with some of his best known hits. When the curtain comes down, the audience will leave grateful Ireland has moved on and happy in the knowledge that we will never forget. Booking is essential. Call 085 8364244 for details.