Busy summer ahead for Saint George’s
A busy summer of popular entertainment events is about to commence at North Cork’s Saint George’s Arts and Heritage Centre in Mitchelstown, with performances by the Lismore Choir and Makem and Clancy in two shows within the next couple of weeks.
First up will be Makem and Clancy in concert on Wednesday, 17th May. No, not the originals who died a few years ago, but their talented offspring of the original Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, who will perform the songs, music and poetry that made Tommy Makem and the Clancy brothers world famous.
On stage in Saint George’s will be Tommy Makem’s son, Rory, and Liam Clancy’s son, Dónal, who have received glowing reviews for their show which rekindles and honours the talent and memories of their fathers. Their talent as entertainers can be seen on their YouTube videos which give some idea of Donal and Rory’s power as performers and how the legacy passed down through generations of both families is now revitalised through their music.
Both performers reveal how being immersed in music as children and teenagers became so much a part of their lives and how a love of music and son has been such an inspiration to their lives. Continuing a legacy handed down from his grandmother, the legendary source singer Sarah Makem, Rory pulls the songs of the worker, the sailor, the lovers, the fighters and the land from the pages of history and breathes life into them. For Dónal Clancy, what he learned from his father, Liam, was the importance of being immersed in music and then performing for others to enjoy.
Three nights after the Makem and Clancy concert, the beautiful surroundings of Saint George’s will resonate to the voices of the Lismore Choir on Saturday, 20th May. This will be a historic night marking the fourth anniversary of the first concert held at Saint George’s in 2019. On that first night, the Lismore Choir gave a memorable performance and are now returning to Mitchelstown where they will see how they helped inspire all that has happened at Saint George’s over the past four years.
On this occasion, they will be accompanied by tenor Frank Ryan and soprano Sarah O’Mahony, under the direction of the choir’s musical director, John Casey. The show has the theme of ‘ One Enchanted Evening’ and will include popular pieces from musicals and light opera.
The 35-member Lismore choir is a mixed choir of all ages. They usually perform two major concerts a year at Lismore Castle and also Lismore Cathedral, as well as performing at various community functions around Munster. The choir and its director have won numerous choral competitions including Cork International Choral Festival, Limerick Church Music International, An t-Oireachtas, Slogadh and Feis Maitiú Cork with his choirs and ensembles having performed on both national and international radio and TV.
All concerts at Saint George’s commence at 8pm and this year, light refreshments will be served. The ambiance of the centre has been enhanced over the past four years by a small voluntary board whose members are Bill Power (chairman), Mervin Hodgins (vicechair), Andrew Dineen (secretary), Anne Morrisson (treasurer) and Tom Hyland (entertainment co-ordinator). Proceeds from all events are going towards helping to reduce the loans on the project, which currently stand at just over €130,000. To date, the board has spent close to €750,000 on refurbishing the building, almost equally divided between grants and fundraising from the general public.
The big investment this year will be the installation of a new heating system before the autumn which is expected to cost approximately €90,000, most of which is being grant aided by the Department of Rural and Community Development, under Minister Heather Humphreys.
The concerts include refreshments, and audience members are reminded that they can also bring their own drinks, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Tickets are €20 and are available through Eventbrite, and from Reidy’s Kitchen Market, Roche’s Spar and The Favourite or by calling 0878113611.