KANTURK SET FOR A TRULY GREAT ARTS FESTIVAL

ALONG with perennially popular events like the Kanturk Credit Union School’s Art Competition, the poetry slam, the painting workshops and the Sunday morning photography walkabout with Mallow Camera Club, recent years have seen newer additions to the Kanturk Arts Festival become firmly ensconced in the programme by virtue of their excellence and entertainment value.

The “Night of Drama” in the courthouse, the chainsaw art with Fear na Coillte and the Messy Hands children’s workshops are examples of recently added events that have become real winners.

Among the new events this year, North Cork Co-op kindly sponsored a Flash Fiction Competition wherein entries of 500 words were judged by acclaimed author Mary Bradford.

The response to this competition astounded the organising committee and Mary Bradford proclaimed the standard so high that she had a painstakingly difficult task in choosing a winner and a runner-up.

In the end, she settled on the pair of entries most worthy of prize winning, and also chose three works by national school children that were of an exceptional standard.

The winning authors will read their pieces in Kanturk Bookshop at 5pm on Thursday, March 16th and they will be awarded their prizes as well that evening.

Also on Thursday, at 7.30pm, The Lorraine O’Riordan Gospel Choir will provide the music and The Supernatural Brothers will supply the comedy in the unique surroundings of Kanturk Courthouse. Entry is free and anyone disappointed with the show is guaranteed to get their money back.

St. Patrick’s Day sees The Duhallow Choral Society perform at the 10am mass in the church of the Immaculate Conception, and after the parade, the wonderful exhibition in the library of paintings by festivalartistinresidence Siobhan Burke will be officially opened.

The “Night Of Drama” takes place in the courthouse at 7pm on St. Patrick’s night, with eight short plays by local playwrights being performed and the talented Colaiste Treasa Trad. Group providing the interval entertainment.

On Saturday, March 18th at 9am Fear na Coillte ( Will Fogarty) will set up in the O’Brien Street Park and he’ll spend until 3.30pm working on his chainsaw art. Last year, Will made the fabulous giant hare that has been such a hit with everyone since it got fixed to its’ perch in the park.

It’s a mystery what he is going to carve from his piece of wood this year, but whatever he creates will also be setting up home in the O’Brien Street Park.

Another addition to the park that will be unveiled on that Saturday of the festival are a clutch of fairy doors designed and created by Kanturk’s Men’s Shed.

These fabulous creations will be taking up permanent residence in the trees of the O’Brien Street Park and they will provide wonderment for kids of all ages for years to come.

The pastel workshop with Stephen Flynn (bookings on 0878339137) and the Messy Hands kids workshops (bookings on 0864095291) are being held on Saturday morning along with the presentation to the winners of the Kanturk Credit Union School’s Art Competition (in the Credit Union at 11am).

Between 12pm and 2pm the Lunchtime PopUp Arts Festival Trail will be taking place in six coffeeshops around the town. This promises to be really special as Polish dancers, Shakespearean actors, storytellers, musicians and poets move between the coffeeshops to entertain the customers.

People are encouraged to find a comfortable seat in their favourite coffee shop, to buy a nice beverage and to sit back and relax as the entertainment is brought to them for what should be a tremendous lunchtime treat.

The much anticipated genealogy talk with Karen O’Riordan, Local Studies and Reference Dept. Cork City Library (bookings: text TALK to 0879444523) takes place at 2pm on this very busy Saturday and from 2.304.30pm Swing Dance Cork will be giving swing dance classes in the Edel Quinn Hall.

Already there has been much rivalry on social media between competitors in the Kanturk and Newmarket Strictly Come Dancing shows about which set of dancers are the best and everyone is invited along to participate in this fun, friendly and funky dancing class where some hotstepping and scoresettling is bound to take place.

Once people have settled down after the excitement of Ireland’s draw with England in the rugby, a huge crowd is expected in the courthouse to see baritone Eoin Leahy and guitarist Noel Walsh perform classics such as “My Way”, “The Mountains Of Mourne” and “That’s Amore”. This is yet another free event where all complaints can be written on the back of a cheque made out to the Kanturk Arts Festival organising committee.

At 11am on Sunday, Mallow Camera Club have organised a photography trail around the town and this year there’s some mystery and intrigue involved. Everyone is encouraged to come along with their camera and/or phone for what is always a marvellous few hours that gives people a new perspective on the town.

The Clonakilty Jazz Collective are returning to the festival after their barnstorming performance in 2016 that got a standing ovation. They are playing in The Daily Grind coffeehouse, O’Brien Street at 2pm and patrons are advised to get there early as crowds spilled onto the street last year to hear the wonderful sounds.

At 5pm in the courthouse, The Irish Guitar Quartet will be bringing their audacious talent to wow one and all. This promises to be an immense concert with worldclass musicians performing in an intimate and aweinspiring setting. Tickets are a mere €15 and are available at the door.

This is a show not to be missed under any circumstances.

Also in the courthouse at 7pm on the final night is the Poetry Slam. Kanturk Bookshop are once again very kindly sponsoring the prizes as everyone is invited to stand in the witness box and read a poem of their choosing in an effort to impress the judge, Stephen Flynn.

This never fails to be an hilarious occasion.

The final event of the festival is not for the fainthearted or the narrowminded. Dan Guiney (grandson of Kanturk born Olympian and renowned sports journalist Dave Guiney) will be conjuring up some otherworldly effects and cacophony from a myriad of guitars and keyboards in the darkness of the courthouse at 9pm. This concert could change your life.

Overall, the ninth annual Kanturk Arts Festival is the most entertaining and diverse put on in the history of the festival. There really is something for everyone and the committee are hoping that all their efforts in organising such an impressive programme of events will be rewarded with the support of the people of the town and the wider Duhallow region.

Festival flyers are available throughout the town and more information can be found at kanturkarts.ie and on the Kanturk Arts Festival facebook page.

The festival takes place from Wednesday to Sunday, March 15-19.