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'Derryquay in December' by Marian O'Flaherty

The Dingle News archive: November - 2010

30 November 2010

Dingle Film Festival offers €5,000 prize for Irish language short film proposal

The Dingle Film Festival is delighted to announce ‘Físín’, a call to filmmakers to submit a short film proposal in the Irish language. The competition has a cash prize fund of €5,000 and €1,000 worth of lighting equipment hire sponsored by Cian de Buitléar’s company Teach Solais. Five filmmakers will be selected to travel to the next Dingle Film Festival which opens on St. Patrick’s day 2011. Each of the five will be treated as festival guests and will be given the opportunity to pitch their proposal to a panal and a live audience in The Phoenix Cinema during the festival. A wonderful panel has been put together, including the iconic Eamon de Buitléar, writer Louise Ní Fhiannachta, writer Marina Ní Dhubháin and Director of Ealain Na Gaeltahta, Micheál Ó Fearraigh. The opportunity has been put together by the festival to encourage writing of film scripts in the Irish language. Tor Cotton, one of the festival sponsors came up with the idea. “As an ardent supporter of the Dingle Film Festival I asked Maurice (the director) why he wasn’t screening much, if ever, ‘as gaeilge’ in order to reflect the festival’s location in the Corcha Dhuibhne Gaeltacht. The reply I got saddened and alarmed me, it couldn’t be true. Were there really virtually no films being shot through Irish? There must be some and I am sure there are some, only a few mind.” Tor went on to say “Just as I am shy to speak and thus progress my Irish, it may be that others are cautious about taking the risk to develop their films through Irish. However unlike my toe in the water of the language, the risk of making a bad film is equal in either tongue, I hope to speak more Irish and to see more films ‘as gaeilge’. It seemed a logical conclusion to be constructive rather than critical and set up a competition to encourage film making through Irish.” The competition is aimed at people who combine a special interest in film alongside a commitment to the Irish language. The festival is keen to see proposals from all local dialects. This opportunity is open to any individual or group from Transitional students right through to professionals. The application is available to download at www.dinglefilmfestival.com or you can email fisin@dinglefilmfestival.com. The closing date for entries is January 31st 2011. The winning pitch at the festival will receive €3,000 cash prize and €1,000 worth of rental lighting equipment and will return to Dingle with their finilised film in 2012. . Four of the pitches will receive a cash prize of €500 and each filmmaker will receive a personalised commemorative leather notebook designed by Conor Holden. The Dingle Film Festival, established in 2007, home to The Gregory Peck Award and who’s guests have included Gabriel Byrne, Cillian Murphy, Jim Sheridan, Sir Alan Parker, Saoirse Ronan & Sarah Miles, will have its 5th edition next March opening on St. Patrick’s Day, the 17th March and running until Sunday the 20th March 2011. For further information please contact Festival Director, Maurice Galway: on 00 353 (0) 87 9139962 or email maurice@dinglefilmfestival.com. Pictured: Stephen Frears (oscar nominated director of Tamara Drewe, The Queen, Dangerous Liasons, High Fidelity & many others) being interviewed at the 2010 Dingle Film Festival. (Image © DingleFilmFestival.com)

Local Councillor calls on Kerry General Hospital to reduce parking fees

The HSE has been urged to reduce car parking fees at Kerry General Hospital by Fine Gael County Councillor for Mid and West Kerry, Brendan Griffin, who is a member of the HSE South Regional Health Forum. Cllr. Griffin raised the matter at this month’s meeting of the forum, asking what is the annual revenue generated by car parking fees at Kerry General Hospital, including details of overall income and outlays and what is done with the surplus of this revenue. The HSE responded that the annual revenue generated by car parking fees at Kerry General Hospital is approximately €678,129, after 21% VAT has been paid to the Revenue Commissioner. The annual outlay for the car park is approximately €296,000. This is mainly accounted for by staffing costs and car park maintenance. The HSE went on to say that car parking forms part of the income of the hospital and that after the above outlays are provided for, car parking monies generated are utilised to provide direct patient care at the hospital. However, Cllr. Griffin has since written to Mr. Ger Reaney, Hospital Networks Manager for Cork and Kerry, urging the HSE to review parking fees in view of the substantial profits being made. In his correspondence to Mr. Reaney, Cllr. Griffin said that the figures provided suggest that a net profit of €382,129 is generated by the HSE for car parking fees at the hospital and that he had issues with the fact that sick people and relatives and friends of sick people are, in effect, being forced to contribute over €2,350 every day of the year for a service that they are already being heavily taxed for (Total Revenue Generated (€858,391.14). He added that of this daily figure, over €1,000 is clear profit for the HSE (€1,047) and almost €500 goes directly back to the State in the form of VAT (€493.87 per day, €180,262 per annum) and that ultimately, the combined profits for the State and HSE from KGH Car Parking fees is well over half a million euro per annum (€562,391). Cllr. Griffin said that he sees this as an unfair tax on the sick people of Kerry and their families and that he has received numerous complaints from members of the public about excessive fees for car parking at KGH, which range from €3 per hour to €12 per day. He said that he accepts the need for a regulated parking system at the hospital, but would argue that there is room for a substantial reduction in fees.

New book to document the work of Liam O'Neill

A new book entitled Corca Dhuibhne is set to provide a unique representation of the art of local artist Liam O’Neill side by side with examples from the literary heritage of the Dingle Peninsula. In 2008 /2009 a research project supported financially by Ealain na Gaeltachta succeeded in locating, photographing and cataloguing the works of Liam O’Neill, which had of course been scattered to many purchasers both nationally and internationally. The ambitious project also involved research by Brenda Ní Shúilleabháin in cooperation with the artist into the literary heritage of Corca Dhuibhne – the subject region of O’Neill’s paintings. Following the completion of this project, Brandon embarked on the publication of this book. Part of the cost been funded by private sponsorship, part by support from Foras na Gaeilge; the publishers are grateful to all who have made this book possible. The result is an exquisite production featuring a hundred of Liam O’Neill’s paintings, a representation of his work of a kind that has never before been attempted. Published as a limited edition in hardback and slip-cased, great care has been taken to achieve the finest possible reproduction of the paintings. Each copy of the book is signed by the artist and editor and is individually numbered. For more information click on: www.greenlanegallery.com/images/Corca%20Dhuibhne%20Leaflet_.pdf

Extreme caution urged on West Kerry roads as bitterly cold conditions persist

Kerry County Council is warning people to drive with extreme caution on all routes throughout West Kerry and the rest of the county this evening. The council are expanding the number of roads they are treating overnight, particularly school, business and hospital routes. Motorists should be cautious on all local roads, as temperatures are expected to drop again tonight. Motorists are also asked to take extra time when travelling to work tomorrow. Kerry County Council says that the pass between Aughills and Camp has now been closed. Road crews from the county council will be working throughout the night clearing routes, particularly at the Gleann na Gealt area between Camp and Annauscaul. The Inch to Castlemaine road has also been cleared. Traffic is moving on the county bounds and people travelling are asked to be careful on higher grounds all around the county. Meanwhile Bus Eireann says all bus routes in and out of Kerry are operating as normal for the time being. Kerry Airport is advising passengers that all flights in and out of Kerry are operating, passengers are asked to be at the airport in plenty of time. There was snow on the N86 from Annascaul to Camp last night which was treated by council staff. The Conor Pass route from Dingle to Cloghane was closed yesterday because of snow and ice on the route. Listen to Radio Kerry for continuing road and weather updates or visit www.radiokerry.ie/news. Met Éireann has said that the cold snap will last for the rest of the week and probably into next weekend. It will be very frosty, with further snowfall in places and a risk of icy stretches on untreated surfaces.The weather forecast is as follows: Tonight: Widespread severe frost again this evening and tonight with hazardous driving conditions. Much of the country will be dry and clear, but snow showers will occur too, mainly across coastal counties of the north, south and east, with new accumulations in places. Risk of thunder too. Minimum temperatures -2 to -8 degrees, but as low as -10 degrees over snow fields. Some freezing fog in places too, with just light northeasterly winds. Tomorrow: Bitterly cold again on Monday with frost and icy conditions persisting on untreated roads and pavements. Heavy snow showers over the north and northeast will move further inland to affect parts of north Connacht and east Leinster later in the day too. Maximum temperatures just -1 to + 2 degrees, in a light to moderate east to northeast breeze. For more visit www.met.ie/forecasts/

Dingle artist gaining a stream of admirers world-wide

From a gastro-pub in in Dublin, to the centre of Paris, to the walls of Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan, the work of Dingle artist Kelly Hood is gaining admirers worldwide. This month is busy for Kelly Hood, with a number of exhibitions and private commissions, as well as working with the various galleries, in which she is represented, to satisfy Christmas gift demand. The stylish new Wild Boar Pub and the Box Tree Restaurant in Stepaside, County Dublin, owned by well-known restaurateur Eamonn O’Reilly of One Pico, is the latest showcase for Kelly Hood’s uniquely realistic monochrome paintings. Kelly was commissioned to create the distinctive and very appealing Wild Boar image that is central to the gastro pub marketing, and her vivid paintings adorn the dining room of the new Box Tree Restaurant. Parisians can enjoy Kelly Hood’s artwork at the Greenlane Gallery in Paris, on Ile Saint Louis in the heart of the Seine, which is opening a month-long exhibition on November 28th. Hood’s monochrome oil paintings feature uniquely Irish images, capturing a nation, and its traditions and culture, in realistic and engaging representations of animals, people, landscapes and nature. The fact that Kelly’s paintings are regularly mistaken for photographs indicates the realism and attention-to-detail involved. Living in Dingle has heavily influenced Hood’s work, with the beauty and sometimes unforgiving nature of the Dingle Peninsula brought to life on canvas, in bold, black and white. ‘I want people to feel they are in the moment, when they view my paintings, absorbing the simplicity and beauty that surrounds us’, Kelly says. Closer to home, Rogers Antiques in Navan, County Meath, will host an exhibition of recent works by Kelly Hood, also opening on November 28th for one month. For those in Northern Ireland who want to see Hood’s distinctive work, Kelly has a number of paintings in a special Christmas exhibition, entitled ‘Ireland’ which is being staged by Carrie Neely Contemporary Art, at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, for the month of December. Kelly takes her own photographs as reference for her paintings, and draws from her own experience of the image, as well as referencing the photo at the easel. She typically uses a monochrome palette, working in oil and mixed media on linen canvas. Her photo-realist paintings are built in layers of thin glazes, made from water based oil paint and a zinc flake medium. This gives the subtle blending that helps create three-dimensional effects on the flat surface of the canvas. The resulting painting usually has a clean, smooth finish, in which the brushstrokes are not visible, and the final layer of varnish seals the painting, adding smoothness which reinforces the likeness to the original photograph, rather than an oil painting. Her West Kerry background provides Kelly with much of her subject matter, with a variety of human types including men saving the hay, fishermen with their lobster pots, men bringing home the turf, fiddle playing, drinking, and old men engrossed in story telling. The momentum of Dingle Horse Races, and Kelly’s varied imagery of animals, from noble horses to inquisitive cows, and other farm livestock, all demonstrate meticulous attention to detail. Having graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design in 1999, Kelly Hood also works as a freelance graphic artist. Kelly’s work can be viewed online at www.kellyhood.com and is also represented in many major Irish galleries including Kilcock Art Gallery , Kilcock, Co. Kildare, the Bad Art Gallery in Francis Street, the Sandford Gallery in Ranelagh, The Greenlane Gallery in Dingle & Paris, Castle Art Gallery, Lisburn Co. Antrim, N.Ireland, Rogers Antiques, Navan, Co. Meath, Buckley and Associates Fine Art Gallery, Clonakilty, Cork, Leinster Gallery, Dublin. Kelly Hood's work is to feature in two new shows in Tralee and Killarney over the next month: ArtSpace @ Reubens (Ashe St Tralee), opening Dec 2nd & Back Lane Gallery, New Market Lane, Killarney opening Saturday, 4th December.

Met Éireann issue severe weather warning as temperatures plummet

Irish motorists are being advised to take extreme care on the roads this weekend as temperatures are set to fall as low as -5C at night with snow and icy conditions expected from this evening. AA Roadwatch has said road temperatures are below zero on the N2 in Co Monaghan. The Sally Gap in Co Wicklow is impassable due to icy conditions and motorists are advised to avoid the area. Meanwhile, recent snowfalls around Letterkenny and Glenties in Co Donegal are causing wet and slippery conditions. There are also reports of snow around Dunmore in Co Galway and sleet showers around Ballymote in Co Sligo. The wintry weather is forecast to hit this evening with snow showers expected in northwestern counties and parts of Leinster giving accumulations of 3cm to 5cm at times. The accumulations will occur mainly at night time, with occasional thawing likely by day. Met Éireann is warning temperatures could drop as low as -5C overnight at the weekend. The Road Safety Authority has urged drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to be extra vigilant. The RSA is advising people to watch out for black ice, use dipped headlights, leave plenty of space to brake and be prepared for breakdowns. In Britain, up to 15cm of snow fell yesterday; the earliest snow for November in almost two decades. Source: RTÉ News: www.rte.ie/news/2010/1126/weather.html

Other Voices confirms more acts; plus seven local venues to host live streaming as the shows take place

by Marian O'Flaherty
Other Voices, which will be recorded in Dingle this December 4th - 7th, have confirmed the addition of Ellie Goulding (pictured) Everything Everything, Anna Calvi, James Vincent McMorrow, John Smith and Ryan Sheridan to this year's stellar line up. Tickets for Other Voices sold out in ten minutes last weekend and those lucky enough to get a ticket can look forward to the addition of even more acts to this year's amazing line-up which already includes The National, Jarvis Cocker (Pulp), Richard Hawley, Marina and The Diamonds, Laura Marling, Smoke Fairies, Cathy Davey, And So I Watch You From Afar, The Minutes and O Emperor. But all is not lost for those who didn’t manage to bag a golden ticket! This year, for the first time ever, Intune Networks, will undertake a world first by providing nightly live high definition screenings of all the action from St. James’ Church to seven venues across Dingle. Music lovers will still be able to take part in the Other Voices recordings and enjoy each and every performance from the comfort of a nearby bar-stool, pint in hand – a ‘one-up’ on the churchgoers, who must wait ‘til post show to enjoy a pint in Dingle's famed watering holes. Intune Networks live screenings will be held in Benners Hotel, Foxy John's, McCarthy's, Currans, Adams and Geaney's, while fans will be able to watch all the performances via WiFi streaming on their phones and laptops in all the venues plus Ashes Bar and Restaurant, all on the main street in Dingle. Other Voices will take place from Saturday December 4th to Tuesday December 7th. Wednesday December 8th will see the closed recording of the IMRO Other Room, where the Irish Music Rights Organisation will showcase some of Ireland’s brightest new music talent including Jennifer Evans, Lisa O’Neill, Planet Parade, The Danger Is and General Fiasco. During Other Voices week, Dingle will be awash with musicians and music lovers alike, all soaking up the special festival atmosphere - ticket or no ticket - so people are invited to come along and be a part of it. The brilliant vibe in Dingle this winter will be hugely heightened thanks to Intune Networks live multi venue screenings, so fans should make their travel plans without delay and you never know which of your musical heroes you might bump into while in town. Updates will be announced on DingleNews.com as they happen - you can also stay tuned in via www.othervoices.ie and www.facebook.com/OtherVoices .

Dingle share the spoils with Mastergeeha

DINGLE BAY ROVERS 3 - MASTERGEEHA FC 3
MATCH REPORT: David O'Neill
In a very exciting game played on Sunday, Dingle shared the spoils with a strong Mastergeeha team. In ideal conditions both teams started well end-to-end, with Dingle drawing first blood. A mix up in the visitors defence let Sean 'coco' Connor through one on one with their keeper and he cooly slotted the ball home. Dingle looked the stronger team now but were unable to capitalise and it was Mastergeeha who equalise against the run of play on 40th min with poor marking by Dingle left Mastergeeha through with a free header. The second saw Dingle start brightly but it was the visitors who scored to take the lead for the first time with a deflected shot to the back of net. Now with Dingle facing defeat they had to react and react fast they did when mikey geaney squared the ball to james coffey who scored from close range.Dingle now in control of the game search for the winner and a great pass from Pete Flannery found Cathal Murphy who then set up Coco for his second to put Dingle ahead with 10mins left. Dingle now should of seen the game off but credit to the visitors who never gave up and got a late dramatic eqaliser. TEAM:TOMMY PEARSE, JAMES COFFEY, MARK O'SULLIVAN, ALAN DEVANE, PATRICK NEYLON, PETE FLANNERY, DONNACHA HIGGINS, MIKEY GEANEY, OWEN MURPHY (PAUL WHELAHAN), CATHAL MURPHY (PEARSE LEAHY), SEAN OCONNOR.

Dingle's Phoenix Cinema launch new website

Dingle's Phoenix Cinema has launched a fantastic new website giving a weekly schedule of upcoming movies. The Phoenix, located on Dykegate Lane, is a family-run cinema that can seat 150 people. Tuesday Night is their Film Club or "Art Film" Night which has remained a popular events over the years. It is also the location for many aspects of the annual Dingle Film Festival. Films currently being screened at the Cineama include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Despicable Me and Tamara Drewe (Film Club). For more visit the website www.dinglecinema.com/. Pictured: Michael Fitzgerald (Phoenix Cinema), actor Cillian Murphy and Maurice Galwey pictured at the Phoenix Cinema earlier this year (picture courtesy of Elaine Kennedy).

Concerns over future of Dingle Ice Plant raised today during Ministerial visit

Minister of State with special responsibility for Fisheries, Sean Connick TD is to raise concerns about the future of Dingle ice plant with the Finance Minister Brian Lenihan. Minister Connick today met with members of the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation during an official visit to Dingle. Staff at the plant are on temporary contracts which need a sanction from Finance Minister Brian Lenihan to be extended. Among the other issues discussed was a review of harbour dues. Speaking on Radio Kerry earlier today IFPO chief executive Lorcan Ó Cinnéide says any changes will have to be carefully considered: According to local Councillor Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald Dingle's Ice-Plant was facing closure last year but got a last minute reprieve following strong political pressure prior to the 2009 local elections. According to the Councillor, renewed fears have emerged about the future of the Dingle BIM Ice-Plant, following the response received to a letter which Udaras na Gaeltachta sent to B.I.M’S C.E.O Jason Whooley outlining their concerns. Mr. Whooley’s reply stated: “I am sure you will understand that I am not in a position to guarantee the BIM will operate the Dingle ice-plant indefinitely. In recent times, significantly reduced ice sales means the Dingle Ice Plant is unprofitable, however, BIM continues to operate it for the benefit of the local seafood industry. For the moment, BIM has deferred total network closure as recommended in the Bord Snip Report, though some plants have closed through negotiating alternative ice supply solutions with local community based industry groups such as co-operatives.” According to Cllr. Cosaí Fitzgerald, its closure would mean that trawlers may have to travel to Castletownbere to get their ice. “This would be disastrous for the fishermen, the Dingle fishing port and the whole local economy” he added. Commenting on the future of the ice-plant, a worker involved in the local fishing industry also said that those alighting in Dingle to use the ice-plant add greatly to the local economy, through their expenditure in local shops, pubs and restaurants. "While this is not immediately evident from official figures, the amount they bring into the town is very significant and it would be a great blow to Dingle if the ice-plant was to close" he told DingleNews.com.