Friday, 17 August 2007

July 24 - Guess Where!!

Yes!! Tráigh Mhachaire Rabhartaigh Arís!!













We met Nan for a bite to eat in the Cafe at Magheroarty later on. The chowder was delicious and Caoilte and Cobhlaith gave the soup a big thumbs up too :)



Nan agus Noelle indiaidh an béile in Caife Mara Machaire Rabhartaigh

Beach Photos - July 22



Another beautiful day but I wasn't feeling the best so we headed for the beach again. Isn't the beach at Magheroraty just beautiful!! We met Marie and Danny here today - looking forward to their wedding on 3 August. It was also Odhrán's 3rd birthday - Happy Birthday Odhrán :)






Thursday, 16 August 2007

An Cosán Glas - Loinnir 2007

Another Part of the Errigal Arts Festival - For two weeks from July 2 - 13 An Cosán Glas held environmental art and craft workshops for children which included lantern making, painted banners and buntings, wind socks, plaster casting sculpture using recycled materials. Working with professional artists they created large-scale sculptures using willow, bamboo and paper and recycled materials. Themed around the 'Flight of the Earls' the pieces created formed part of the outdoor sculpture trail Loinnir. Ríonnach took part in the workshop and was very excited by the time 10pm came round on the night of July 21st. Sorry the photos aren't the best - I'm not sure how to photograph at night!

An Cosán Glas collaborating this year with guest visual arts company Walk the Plank (UK) created an outdoor night time exhibition that included large scale illuminated sculpture, projected images and music. The spectacular surrounding landscape of mountains together with miles of beaches, sand dunes and sea made for an inspiring and dramatic open air gallery. In their work, nine professional artists explored the elements of water, wind, fire and light combined with video, colour, and live music to create a night time adventure.

The trail was located anong the path from the car park at Machaire Rabhartaigh Beach. It was illuminated from 10pm til 12 midnight on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd July.


This photograph was taken earlier on on the Saturday evening as Caoilte and I went for a walk after visiting the Whale (see post below). This is the entrance to the trail, and Ríonnach told us later that she helped to make the yellow and purple windsock on the right and the Red Shield that we passed on the right as well. I didn't get a good photograph of this scene at night but it looked beautiful - the four stone pillars all had fires on top of them and the towers were illuminated from behind too, the children who attended the workshops made all of this sculpture with some help from the artists, Annjo, Deirdre, Mickey, Cathal and Billy (and Seamus and Danielle too!!)



Another daytime photo here, Caoilte and I thought that these (there were 4 of them) looked like Dragons. They were sculpted by the Walk the Plank artists. At night they were filled with wood and fireworks and set alight - awesome sight!! I might have a pic further down.



These were Cathals Sailing Boats (and Ewan's Blue Sculpture), the little lights to the left were tins strung on posts and lit from within - not sure how, but very effective.



I loved this sculpture by Mickey Mc Fadden. It was called Storm in a Paper Cup and if you went up to the cup you could hear the storm inside - fantastic!!



This was one of my favourites. I could have stayed at the sculpture all night. It had such a tranquil feel about it. I'm still not sure what exactly it was - but it was by Deirdre Brennan. I must ask her about it next time I see her.



Cathals Sails again.



One of the dragons on fire!!

Tuesday, 14 August 2007

Falcarragh Festival





Just a few photos from the Falcarragh Fesitval

Some of Ríonnach's friends and cousins amongst the dancers - Róisín, Sinéad, Katie, Siobhán

Whale




Look at what washed up on Magheraroarty Beach on Saturday July 21!!

Funnily enough from the pier it did look like a real whale at first and I'm sure quite a few people were fooled!!

But it was The Whale by Circo Rum Ba - as part of the Errigal Arts Festival

Caoilte and I managed - by the skin of our teeth - (and thanks to the Fish Wife) to make it to the final show. Here's the blurb!!

Part work of art, part theatre, The Whale is an extraordinary 50ft tur to life (inflatable) sperm whale, guarded by a nosy Fish Wife, who leads the brave land lubbers into it's belly revealing the stunning seascape of it's lavishly decorated interior. Once inside they encounter a shipwrecked Pirate and a treasure-hoarding Mermaid and hear their extraordinary fishy tales.