Dancing Thru The Ages Leaving Youghal
by Christy Parker
Dispute sends top show to Cork this summer
Youghal’s highly acclaimed Dancing Thru the Ages has withdrawn its summer show from the town following a dispute over performance dates. Since its inception four years ago, Dancing Through the Ages has run at the mall Arts Centre on Wednesday and Thursday nights through July and August. This year Ceolta Si (Youghal Comhaltas’s performance group) also applied for use of the venue on the Thursday nights, resulting in a major disagreement. A meeting to attempt mediation was cancelled after Dancing Thru the Ages announced it was moving to the Firkin Crane in Cork.
There was much angst amongst councillors at the March Town Council meeting when the matter was discussed. Cllr Sammy Revins laid the blame at the dancing feet of Youghal Comhaltas. “They are supposed to be helping promote Irish culture and that’s not happening,” he stated. “We gave them a headquarters at Bru Na Si and that’s where they should be performing unless invited elsewhere. Rules are being broken here.” Cllrs Linehan-Foley called the decision “a total disaster” for Youghal as, generally, the meeting came down against Comhaltas.
Michael Farrell, President Youghal Chamber, RTE Fair City Actor Gerard Byrne (Malachy) and Cllr.Sammy Revins at last years gala opening night.
Comhaltas view
Unsurprisingly, Youghal Comhaltas Chairman Micheal de Buitleir is at pains to clarify matters. He says that, ‘when Youghal Town Council submitted the application for Government funding to construct the Mall Arts Centre, it included a letter from Comhaltas -amongst submissions from other Art groups- outlining its commitment to performing at the Centre, including its then established Thursday evening Ceolta Si Seisiun.’ He adds that ‘the Business Plan for Brú na Sí presented to then Mayor Mary Linehan Foley in 2003 shows that the Mall Arts Centre was always viewed as an integral part of the vision of Comhaltas.’
Mr de Buitleir says alternatives to Thursday nights were and remain unsuitable for his group due to other established commitments in their summer schedule. He recalls that in its inaugural year of 2004, Ceolta Si booked the Centre for Thursday nights through July and August with Dancing Thru the Ages taking Tuesday and Wednesdays. ‘When we went to re-book Thursday nights for summer 2005, the Council said they were establishing a management committee, in which we asked for inclusion. Unfortunately that never happened.” Dancing Thru the Ages subsequently commanded Thursday nights through 2005 and also through 2006 and 2007 as the Council introduced a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
The Centre’s theatre doubles as a courthouse and bookings for 2008 were dependent on court dates being set. Micheal de Buitleir says his group only booked Thursdays after checking through September, November and December that no bookings for July and August 08 had been lodged. He adds that, “the Business Plan for Brú na Sí presented to then Mayor Mary Linehan Foley in 2003 shows that the Mall Arts Centre was always viewed as an integral part of the vision of Comhaltas.”
Fair City Actor Gerard Byrne (Malachy) and Paula Goulding with the cast of Dancing Thru The Ages
Dancing in the dark
Dancing Thru the Ages spokeswoman Phyllis Foley says she was informed on Dec 1st that the court dates still hadn’t been decided. “I was told not there was no real rush and I understood no dates would be set before Christmas.’ On January 25th she discovered Comhaltas had booked their dates. “Nobody bothered to tell us the court dates had been set. Nobody in the Council returned my phone call of inquiry in January,” she says. On Feb 20th Dancing Thru the Ages booked a delighted Firkin Crane, whose management had previously invited them to book for a Christmas season.
Ms Foley estimates Youghal benefited to the tune of €80,000- €100,000 per summer from her production, which is, literally, professional. At March’s Council meeting Cllr Barbara Murray spoke of one business alone considering potential losses of €25,000 and hoped Comhaltas would “deliver the goods” in turn. More pointedly she rounded on the sheer lack of authority and management at the Mall Arts Centre, whereby “even water to make tea has to be got from sinks in the toilet.”
Circus
It’s a point ironically shared by all parties to the current dispute. Ms Foley recalls sourcing and sourcing a seating system yet to be installed. She cites installing a lighting system that requires technical expertise to use that other groups don’t have and which needs to be regularly removed to facilitate other activities. She berates the lack of booking facilities, the lack of supervision, the disruption of fixtures and fittings by everything from court hearings to small amateur groups. “You can’t rehearse during the day, while the council offices are open. Its like a circus down there,” she declares. “You simply can’t facilitate two major groups there simultaneously under its current construction.” As Cllr Murray remarked, “There are big lessons to be learned here.”
Pictures from Dancing Thru The Ages Opening Night At The Mall Arts Centre Last Year 2007
Photo Michael Hussey (Youghalonline.com)
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What is it with the council…they seem to be driving people out of the town instead of welcoming them with open arms. Reading this article just makes me sad for the town. Its a beautiful town with so much to give, but nothing seems to be done correctly.
I thought the mall arts centre was a community venue, where public bookings could be made etc. If they don’t want that to be, they should do something drastic with the Community Centre so the venue can hold various events with proper staging, lighting and a lick of paint!!! Get the people interested in the town and the goings on of the town, rather then moaning and finger pointing. Dancing Thru the Ages was an asset to the town….the mind boggles.