LOCAL drama groups joined forces last week to organise a special Mass at which John B Keane was commemorated in Listowel.
John B was patron of the Listowel Players and Gertie O Keeffe, who chairs the group, organised this coming together of the main drama groups in this celebration of his life.
Listowel Drama Group and Lartigue Theatre Company joined the Play-ers at the service, which was also attended by Mrs Mary Keane, her son Billy and his wife Elaine.
The reading and bidding prayers involved participants from each group Oliver O Neill, Bernie Daly, John Broderick, Owen McMahon and Danny Hannon.
Two of the original Sive cast took part in the offertory procession; Nora Relihan recited some verses from John B s best-known poem "The Street" while walking to the altar to present a rare signed first edition of his collected poems.
John Cahill played the Sive song, using the signed bodhr·n from that opening in February 1959.
Marie O Callaghan presented an original typed script of Sive while Cathal Fitzgerald carried a copy of the Bodhr·n Makers.
The bread and wine were presented by Anne and Laura Keane, granddaughters of the playwright.
The celebrant, Fr Teddy Molyneaux, home on holiday from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, spoke of his late friend, while Gertie O Keeffe chose "Memories" for a final reading.
The Listowel Church Choir under the direction of Sister Consolata, provided choral and organ accompaniment at the ceremony in St Mary s.
All hands on deck for Fleadh
FLEADH Cheoil Na h…ireann, Ireland s premier cultural event, takes place from Friday, August 23, until Sunday, August 15, and will bring up to 10,000 musicians to Listowel for what promises to be the biggest-ever event held in the region.
With such a mass of people coming to Listowel it takes over 200 voluntary stewards to take up duty at the various competition venues throughout the town during the forthcoming festival.
It s no wonder that the chief steward, Cllr Tom O Leary, is sending out a final SOS for volunteers to come forward now and join with him and his band of merry men and women.
If you can spare some time please contact Tim at the Fleadh Office at 068-23036 or 068-23037.
The highlights of the week during the Fleadh include Scoil Eigse, which runs to this Friday, August 23.
A storytelling event takes place on Saturday, August 24, and Sunday 25, while there will be a fireworks dis-play on Saturday at midnight.
On Sunday a marching bands competition kicks off, with the participants parading through the town afterwards.
The popular céilí band competition will be run this Sunday 25 at 8pm.
Add the music and the craic on the streets and you ll see why it s the premier festival.
Listowel family centre scoops top programme award
THE Presentation Family Centre Ltd Listowel has a lot to celebrate following the news that it was a recipient of the AIB Bank Better Ireland Programme Award.
The centre, which runs and after-school scheme funded under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, submitted a project entitled "Education and Poverty Children".
The award, which consists of 10 Dell computers and 5000, will greatly enhance the service. The computers are for the use of children attending the service and their parents.
The 5000 will go towards activities outside the centre in which the children will participate in during the year.
Approximately 38 children will profit from this award.
The project employs an after-school supervisor, Patricia Lyons, and assistant Jacqui O Neill along with contract tutors and volunteers who are transition-year pupils at Presentation Secondary School, Listowel.
The management committee and staff of the centre are delighted with the award and are very grateful to AIB and especially the local branch manager Finbar Mawe.
