7 Things to do this week...
1 NEW ROSS PIANO FESTIVAL: Pianists born in Germany, South Africa, America, Australia, Hungary, Ireland and the UK will descend on New Ross to entertain audiences this week. The festival - which starts on Wednesday - turns its attention to the great Hungarian tradition of piano-playing with several Hungarian musicians travelling to the town to perform a wide range of piano and chamber music, while an extra day devoted to jazz piano has been added to the festival this year. Among the pianists are award winning Klara Wurtz and Zoltan Fejervari. At 8 p.m. the main evening concert takes place, featuring K Wurtz, Fejervari and Finghin Collins on the piano, with help from Istvan Vardai (cello), Kristof Barati (violin) and Jennifer Stumm (viola). On Saturday at noon, the world renowned Kristian Bezuidenhout will be playing a specially imported fortepiano in St Mary’s Church. At 11.30 a.m., in St Mary’s Church the Hungarian musicologist Endre Toth will be talking to Finghin Collins about the Hungarian
school of music and its influences. See www.newrosspianofestival.com for details of events. 2 OUR FIGHT FOR DARREN: A night of social dancing to raise funds for Darren Corrigan takes place in White’s Hotel, Wexford on Sunday, September 24, from 8 p.m. till late. Music will be by The Heartbeats, Joe Davitt and his Band, and The Moynihans. Tickets are €15, and there will be competitive dances with lots of prizes. Doors open 7 p.m. Darren (22) from Screen, was seriously injured in a quad bike accident in June 2016. Funds are being raised to allow him to be cared for at home. Tickets are available from White’s Hotel; Leisuremax, Wexford; C&C Building Providers, Screen; Elaine Byrne for those in North Wexford on 087 2841128; or any family member. 3 A Medieval-style Leather Shoulder Bag Workshop with John Nicholl will take place at at the Irish National Heritage Park on Sunday, September 24. Following an introductory talk on medieval leatherworking, participants will engage in a workshop to make a Medieval-style leather shoulder bag with their own designs. All materials and tools provided. The cost is from: €90. Bookings on 053 9120733. 4 THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS: Gorey Library will host a screening of the awardwinning documentary, ‘The Economics of Happiness’ on Thursday, September 21, at 7 p.m. This will be followed by a discussion with psychologist Ann Walsh. The film highlights the social, spiritual and ecological costs of today’s global economy, and the benefits of a shift towards the local. This event is free. Booking is recommended. 5 GREYHOUND RACE NIGHT CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER. The annual Enniscorthy Christmas fundraising night at the dogs takes place this Thursday, September 21, at Enniscorthy Greyhound Track. Gates open at 7 p.m and the first race is at 8 p.m. The event is being organised by Enniscorthy and District Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Enniscorthy Business Association. All money raised on the night will go towards the Christmas festival events and will ensure that Enniscorthy at Christmas is magical for young and old. 6 DENI BONET: Rock violinist Deni Bonet will perform in the Wexford Arts Centre Saturday, September 23, at 8.30 p.m. Deni is a classically trained musician who had too much energy and too many great original tunes to be confined in an orchestra. She has recorded and toured with Cyndi Lauper, REM, Sarah McLachlan, The Saw Doctors and many more. Her music features elements of straight forward rock, classic-styled pop and American folk, but she takes all of this and makes it her own. Tickets are €15, and are available from the Arts Centre. For more information call 053 91 23764. 7 BATTLE OF OULART HILL TOUR: There will be a tour of the Battle of Oulart Hill to coincide with the Autumn equinox sunset at Tulach a’tSolais Sunday, September 24, from 1.30 p.m. until 7.30 p.m. This is an extraordinary weekend for Oulart, as people from far and near will visit the relics of St Therése and the Little Flower of Jesus. The tour will start at 5 p.m. at Cleary’s yard-gate, site of McGawley’s Hotel in ‘98. Brian Ó’Cléirigh will be the guide for the detailed look at what was going on in the village prior to the battle and the battle itself. By 6.30 p.m. the tour will have reached Tulach a’ tSolais, where visitors can experience the Equinox Sunset. The sun will begin to enter the passage-way around 6.30 p.m.