This Saturday 21st August 2010 brings a very special gig to Youghal. Manhattan Meets The Emerald Isle a double bill featuring New York City’s Harrison Roach & Ireland’s Nicole Maguire Live at The Gate, Youghal at 10:30pm Read more

Sunday, May 30th 2010 at 8pm   Emmet Place,  Youghal, Co. Cork

Concerts at the beautiful 13th Century, St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Emmet Place, Youghal, have become very popular in the last few months with artists such as Mick Flannery, Kila and Declan O’Rourke to mention a few, performing there and these concerts have been greatly supported by the people of Youghal and the surrounding areas. Pic: Youghalonline.com

Slowly but surely we have been upgrading this beautiful ancient church with the addition of cushions in the pews, replacing old carpets and replacing the plastic partition in the chancel with a beautiful blue velvet curtain. The Church unfortunately doesn’t receive any funding whatsoever, therefore we rely totally on donations and income from the rental of the church.  Only recently grant aid has been approved for the acquisition of a mobile stage and the three extra doors in the building are currently being repaired and will be open in the next week or so making concerts safer in the event of a fire.

In an attempt to continually improve the comfort of concert goers, we plan to install a heating system as it can be extremely cold during the winter months.   A fundraising concert will be held on Sunday May 30th  in the Church to raise funds towards the installation of said system.

Participation from community groups and individuals at this event has been so great that there will be 17 acts performing on the night from children’s dance groups to church choirs, from theatre groups to Michael Jackson impersonators to individual solo singers.  Acts include Harmony, Youghal Choral Society, Chatterbox Dance Studio, Colin Lee, Terri McCarthy, The Blackwater Academy of Performing Arts and many many more great local singers and dancers.

It promises to be a great family evening out with a vast array of live performers in this beautiful setting.

Tickets on the door for only €10.

Parking available at the rear exit of the church on Raheen Road,  at Fairfield car-park (next to Berties Pub) or behind Super Valu.  No parking allowed in the grounds of the church.

Please come along and support our rich local heritage.

For further information call 083 360 6507.

Tickets are on sale at Scott’s, 137 North Main St, Youghal [Tel: 024 90333] and the Tourist Office, Market Square. Price €18 / €20 at door.
mick-flannery-to-play-at-st-marys-collegiate-college-youghal

Kate Walsh is making a special appearence at Mick Flannery’s gig on Thursday 26th of November in St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Youghal. The Essex singer/songwriter will support Mick Flannery in what is sure to be an entertaining evening following  the recent success of the John Spillane gig.

Calling Kate Walsh a singer songwriter is like saying Van Gogh was a cartoonist. Kate is, er, different. A 26-year-old from a sailing town in Essex who’s been likened to Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and Jane Austen, she’s ferociously independent…in every sense. She adores Debussy, studies cello, listens constantly to Classic FM (and little else), bemoans the demise of vinyl and CDs (she finally got an iPod when iTunes gave her one after her last album ‘Tim’s House’ knocked Take That off the top of the download chart but rarely uses it), is entertainingly scathing about the conventional music industry (”it’s fickle, selfish, impersonal and backstabbing”) – and has established her own cottage industry to do it her way. And when she sits down to write a song you’d better lock up your hearts for you instantly become Kate’s close personal confidante as she bares her soul with shocking candour.

You almost believe her. She’s currently single, lives in Brighton, though ’stupid men,’ do still run amok on her beautiful third album ‘Light and Dark’ (”yes, I do have a light and dark side – we all do, don’t we?”) The title track is particularly poignant, a guilt-ridden reverie on a love triangle that opens enticingly…’I left you for another man and he doesn’t deserve me…’

“It’s the saddest song I’ve ever written. It’s about two men and they both heard it independently and knew it was about them,” she grimaces. “There was a lot of trouble…it was awful going through it, but it’s a great song! I think it’s one of my best songs ever.” One of the first times she sang it in public – at London’s Union Chapel – it upset her so much she barely made it to the end. It happens. “When you’re singing it makes all the sentiments so real again. I sing mainly with my eyes shut and I feel every word. I try to make an instrument of my voice, like playing a wonderful, emotive piano piece, lilting on certain words and phrases…”

Listening to the very real pain and fragility of her music you imagine the author must be a quivering wreck permanently teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Far from it – chattering away ten to the dozen like she’s known you all her life, Kate Walsh is warm, funny and likeably self-deprecating, fully recognising the self-indulgent nature of the confessional songwriter’s art. “Nooooo, I don’t think I’ve had a terrible life at all,” she giggles. “I just mope and wallow more than anyone else. Maybe a part of me deliberately creates havoc so I’ve got something to write about – we like a bit of mayhem us songwriters. But now I’m changing all that and other things are becoming more important to me than some man who’s done the dirty on me. I’m not giving stupid men the time of day any more.”

She insists she’s not ambitious for fame or glory, but is immensely proud of the bigger sounds that characterise ‘Light & Dark’. And, now writing songs on piano rather than guitar, insists that ’stupid men’ will no longer be tolerated in her songs… or personal life. “For the first time, I feel happy about myself. Do you know what? I think I’m growing up…”

RedTV.ie presents: The Grip – The Reunion Gig
It’s been over 18 years since these local musicians have performed together. Back in the early 90′s The Grip were a hugely popular band with a unique style, covering popular classics while making them their own.

A lot of sweat and convincing brings them back together for this one off event!

The line up is as follows:
Jason Byrne – Keyboards/Vocals
Paul McCarthy – Lead Guitar/Vocals
Brendan Clohessy – Bass Guitar
Kieran McCarthy – Drums
& guest vocalist John Davis aka Johnny Blue

Venue: Youghal Rugby Football Club Pavilion

Date: Saturday, August 22nd 2009

Time: 10:30pm till late

Admission: €7

Please support local live music!

By Michael Twomey | Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)

Morrissey At The Marquee Cork City

Love him or loathe him once you accept Morrissey into your heart you can always forgive him, and there is always something to forgive. Such is the treasure of his back catalogue you don’t know which gem you want to choose. All Morrissey gigs are tinged with regret and this performance at the Marquee on Thursday evening was no exception, only because he can’t possibly play all your favourites.

Morrissey On Stage At The Marquee- Cork City 2008

A people pleasing dynamo he is not, that’s Bruce’s job. How many gigs have you gone to where the performer can hold the crowd in his hand singing ‘life is a pigsty’? Morrissey’s ambivalent love affair with himself and his audience was captured in essence when he called us ‘sophisticated’ and then asked ‘what, what did I do now? I’m just trying to sing a song.’ It was all taken in good dark humour. For those with Read more