Extending the pull of the singing pubs The line-up
A number of leading Wexford artists are holding exhibitions in their studios at the Creative Hub in Bullring Mall during the Opera Festival.
Among them is Helen Gaynor, a graduate of the National College of Art in 1995 whose art practice is predominantly concerned with painting, with forays into musical improvisation, mixed media and language, especially poetry.
Her exhibition opens on Thursday, October 17 at 6 p.m. Also exhibiting in the Creative Hub is Bernadette Doolan whose work explores the fragility of identity in the context of childhood and the depiction of the human self through strength and vulnerabilities. In 2019, Bernadette was selected for the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Exhibition, the UK’s only public collection of self-portraits by British and Irish artists, which represents the best of 20th century and contemporary self-portraiture.
Her exhibition will open on Friday, October 25. WEXFORD’S popular Singing and Swinging Pubs Competition is extending its stomping ground this year to include more hostelries in sports clubs and outlying areas of the town.
Among the 31 venues taking part in the 2019 competitions are Tír na nÓg in Wellingtonbridge, owned by County Vintners chairman Michael Wallace, Breens of the Dirr, Culleton’s of Kilrane, Wexford Harbour Boat Club and Wexford Wanderers’s Rugby Club while Wexford Golf Club is making a welcome return to the event.
Wexford Vintners Tourism Officer Johnny Gaynor said as pubs have closed down in the town, the organisers have sought to keep the number of entrants up by encouraging rural hostelries to take part and several newcomers are being welcomed, although past competitor Coopers Inn in Killinick has not entered this year.
At the well-attended official launch in Sinnotts’ Bar, the new Diageo rep for the Wexford area, Roisin Boyd, said the people who contribute to and compete in the event have managed to nurture and develop it since 1952.
‘People travel from all over the world to soak up the atmosphere and indulge in the ever-expanding talent that Wexford has to offer’, she said.
‘Apart from the fact that it is an over 18’s event there are no written rules behond an appropriate time period. We invite you to visit some, or all, of the pubs and hotels taking part to see if you agree with the adjudicator’s decision.’
‘Crowd participation is a very important element and members of the public can be as much a part of it as the singers and musicians’, said Róisín.
On behalf of Diageo, she wished all the competitors the best of luck. ‘I would also like to thank the people of Wexford and all the very welcome visitors for their support over the past 66 years. Let’s make the 67 th the best ever’, she said.
Once again, the adjudicator is the experienced Waterford-based singer and actor Ray Collins, who was in attendance at the launch. In a top competition tip, he advised pubs not to keep their best singers until last, as he will be judging shows on the first 30 minutes.
The results of the competition will be posted in the Bullring at midnight on the final night of the competition which runs from Friday, October 18 to Thursday, October 31.
Mayor of Wexford Cllr. George Lawlor said he was delighted to be attending the launch in an official capacity, having sung in the competition for many years in several different venues.
The Mayor and County Wexford Vintners chairman Michael Wallace paid tribute to the retired Diageo rep Brian Cantwell who was involved in the competition for 23 years and was a guest at the launch with his wife Alison.
Ger Lawlor, who attended on behalf of Wexford Festival Opera chairperson Mary Kelly, spoke about the importance of the Singing and Swinging Pubs in the fringe programme of the festival.
He recalled taking part in the competition himself with the former Bohemian Girl pub and he extended sympathy to the family of the late owner Seamus McMenamin who died recently.
The winners will be presented with their prizes over the weekend of Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2 with the winning pubs staging re-runs of their shows. At the launch of the 67th Wexford Festival Guinness Singing Pubs Competition in Sinnott’s Bar: Marty Robinson, Michael Howlin, Fred Boyd and Pascal Reck. Pike Bar, Lambert Place/Barrack St. 9 p.m. Wexford Harbour Boat and Tennis Club 9.40 p.m. Tír na nÓg, Wellingtonbridge 10.30 p.m.