The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
South Kerry displays a huge variety of talent in Portmagee
PORTMAGEE Community Centre played host to a typically impressive array of talent on Saturday evening as music, song, dancing, comedy, and everything in between had its time to shine at this year’s South Kerry Variety Show.
A huge range of acts took part in helping raise funds for the development and maintenance of Valentia Community Centre and Gym, with Celtic Vibe opening proceedings with their famed array of instruments.
Between then and the close came Sneem’s ‘Sullark’ and their tribute to late Kerry legend John Egan; the dancing of Gemma and Isobel O’Brien; local 10-year-old Abbie Courtney’s rendition of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect,’ her first public performance; and the poetry of Jake Curran and Holly Wollet.
There was also time for the multi-talented Darragh Lynch’s céilí band and guitar-playing; the comedy stylings of Sean Ó Laoghaire as ‘Madge’; Chris O’Shea on the fiddle; a performance by Trad Waves and Emmet Daly; and even a rendition of Caledonia by MC Joe McGill.
“South Kerry is truly blessed with talented entertainers,” Ursula O’Shea of Valentia Community Centre told The Kerryman.
“Joe McGill seamlessly blended the show together, while Darragh Lynch looked after lights and sound, and he found the time to perform in not one but two acts.
And even if the talent had not been enough to capture everyone’s imaginations, there were prizes to be won, with Ina O’Keeffe from Portmagee claiming top prize, a trip for two around the Skelligs.
The raffle also saw Eileen O’Shanahan and Cormac Hou- lihan scooping vouchers worth €80 for the Valentia Gym and Community Centre, while Helen Shanahan won a Fitzpatrick’s The Market House-sponsored hamper.
“We must thank everyone who donated raffle prizes and home baking, and to all the organisers, especially Caroline Lynch,” Ursula added.
“We’re grateful as well to everyone who came along and supported the event, and the funds raised will be put to good use in maintaining and developing the fine facility that we have in Valentia gym and community centre.”