NoCrows, the Sligo based folk and world music quartet, will take a break from recording their next CD, to perform a concert upstairs at Tobergal Lane Café, on Friday 4th December (11pm) the first of TLC’s Christmas party series.

NoCrows have had quite a year, with three trips to Belgium and hugely successful dates in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK as well as their appearances at two of Europe’s biggest festivals, Glastonbury (UK) and Dranouter (Belgium), where the band has found a large and willing audience, having performed live to one million listeners on Belgian national Radio 2 in October. The group have already confirmed two visits to Belgium in 2010 including an appearance at Labadoux festival in May.

The group that formed out of a regular Wednesday night session in Shoot the Crows pub is becoming one of the most travelled acts from the region, but are now settling in back home for a busy festive season of preproduction and recording their third CD in Urs Lanz’s Doolittle Studios in Doocastle. The Swiss engineer/producer, renowned for his excellent acoustic sound production, which can be heard on NoCrows’ most recent recording Magpie, will be at the helm again as NoCrows record many of the tunes they have written over the past year and a half. The great variety of influences from Irish traditional to Greek, Chinese and Japanese music, will be prevalent in the band’s writing once again. “On Magpie we had some great guest spots, and I’m happy to say we will have our share of special guest appearances on this CD”, says violinist Steve Wickham. “Our friend Sharon Shannon is coming up in a couple of weeks time to play on one of my own tunes. My friend, French singer-songwriter Cali, is lined up for a guest vocal and our regular collaborator, Russian violin virtuoso, Oleg Ponomarev, of the Irish multicultural group Yurodny, has written a great Russian Hora especially for us, Oleg will guest on some tracks too. Each member of the band has written some original material, all in all we are very excited about the material – the only problem we have is a healthy one:  some tunes might not make it onto the album, such is the wealth of material we have”.

NoCrows, comprising Steve of Waterboys fame on violin and vocals, Anna Houston on cello, mandolin, and vocals, Felip Carbonell on guitar and vocals and Eddie Lee on double bass, have played two concerts in the Sligo region since returning from their November travels in Switzerland, making lots of new fans in the process: for 700 very enthusiastic Ursuline College students and then as special guests at the recent Sligo International Choral Festival.

NoCrows take their special mix of folk, trad, gypsy, and swing to Tobergal Lane Café on Friday 4th December at 11pm. Christmas party diners will get free admission to the after-dinner concert upstairs, otherwise the admission for non-diners is €10.

46 choirs from across the Country and abroad came to Sligo to compete in the 22nd Sligo International Choral festival. The weekend event was an a complete success and Chairperson, Joe Kelly explains how they organised the festival. We also have a chat with two singers from the Baldonnel choir….

Sligo’s got talent began two months ago with 26 contestants and now there are only 8 acts left. Last week saw Jamie Callaghan eliminated after he faced Martin Lawrence in the bottom two. One of the favourites, Dean Mahon chats to SligoTV after his performance and lets us in on his plans for the competition.

Dear Mayor McGarry

I write this again as I don’t recall getting a response to my previous mail of 30/09/2009, and after hearing you on George Hook today attempting to defend your council’s decision to reopen O’Connell Street, I have some important points to make:

Re: your interview on The Right Hook today:

Do you think your “silent majority” might stand up? I was in the Glasshouse last night and I didn’t see or hear one of them. Not one! Its obviously an invisible majority too.
Or perhaps its a figment of your imagination. In fact, the entire room of over 100 people was in favour of keeping O’Connell Street pedestrian.

Your dismissal of the petition with 2850 signatures was interesting, considering that you went public in the Irish Times in September to say the council’s decision had been made – all BEFORE THE END OF THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCESS which is obligatory in the 2000 planning act AFAIK. So this reopening of O’Connell Street could be illegal then, then couldn’t it? In fact our MEP Marian Harkin has stated as much and has petitioned the minister of the environment to look into it.

I would like to inform you that the facebook page “Walking Down O’Connell Street” www.facebook.com/oconnellstreet now has…. 2,192 fans – More votes than you ever got. & Its growing by a couple of hundred a day.

All this talk about O’Connell Street being dangerous after dark is complete spin. Surely its your job to make sure the street is properly lit! And it is far from crumbling! What you said is a total fabrication. Yes it is quiet, since it is mostly daytime shops rather than pubs now. But its not dangerous or crumbling. And we have three businesses that have tables on the street (for which they have paid substantial rates incidentally), Bistro Bianconi, Hargadons, Café Fleur and shortly McGarrigles will reopen with food and drink again too. A pedestrian environment is essential for these businesses, and the street, to survive and encourage other similar business to open on that street, enhancing our city’s night-time atmosphere further.
Also, re: your point that you and the other councillors were elected earlier this year – as if that gives you the mandate to ignore our present “rebellion”: We voted you in before we realised that you were going to completely ignore us with regards to O’Connell Street.
I am an east ward resident please so don’t believe those who will tell you that all east ward residents want O’Connell Street open because they are suffering more than anyone else in the current traffic system. I would rather my journey take a little longer than have no pedestrian centre in town. You and the other councillors are just deflecting from the fact you copped out of making the right decision on an eastern bridge route.
The re-opening of O’Connell Street will only move the current rush hour tailbacks a few metres one way or the other. If anything, it will make the problem worse, creating a new junction where 2 busy streets will meet, O’Connell Street and Wine Street.
If the reopening goes ahead it will also make the street a very dangerous place for pedestrians during the busy Christmas period.
I love Doorly Park, the area where the proposed eastern bridge was mooted. I walk and cycle there with my children there daily. But I still believe that an eastern bridge is the only long term solution to east Sligo’s traffic problems.
So Sligo councillors, I demand you stop deflecting from the real issue and FIND A ROUTE for the bridge. It is your responsibility to find a solution.

Yours sincerely,

Eddie Lee

Collette Sheerin opens her first solo exhibition, Quilting, at Teach Bán Nua, Artists Gallery, Drumcliffe, County Sligo. The exhibition runs from the 27th of November until the 11th of December, with a reception on Friday the 27th at 8 pm. The exhibition features a collection of vibrantly coloured wall hangings and quilts .

Collette first began the craft of patch working whilst still in primary school in her native County Offaly. Over the years this work has evolved from simple hand stitching to elaborate designs using various types of fabrics and materials to create a myriad of warm colour, textures and designs based on the practical and decorative principals of patch work quilting.

Teach Bán Nua,
Tom on 087 7549 760
www.teachban-art-gallery.com

Summerhill College took home the coveted title of most talented school in the fundraiser organised by the Sligo Musical Society. The competition held in the Sligo Park Hotel saw three acts from the Mercy College, the Ursuline Convent, the Grammer School and Summerhill College, compete to win a €500 cash prize. Andrew McGarry and Keith Phillips were crowned the winner’s making Summerhill proud.

I102-104 presenter Mary McGill was a guest judge on the night, and of course SligoTV had a chat with the italk host to find out more about this fascinating lady and we also caught up with the winner’s of Sligo’s most talented school.

On Saturday, November 28th, Northwest Connects is hosting a “grow your business in the Northwest” seminar at the Innovation Centre at IT Sligo. The free event is organised by the volunteer group behind Open Coffee Sligo. There will be a mixture of groups attending, including those in start-ups, retail, food services, professional services, the arts, design, film, marketing and web development.

The major sponsors include AIB, The Innovation Centre, LookWest.ie, The Sligo County Enterprise Board, and Infacta.

At this event we’ll be sharing information, expertise and advice about growing a business in the north west: no matter what type of business that might be. We feel that while the represented sectors are diverse, the attendees will find they have quite a bit in common. We hope to see some business to business opportunities arise out of the event.

To find out more about the event log on to http://northwestconnects.ie

Sligo’s first ever Santa run will take place on Sunday, December 20th at 10am. The aim of the fun run/walk is to have participants spread Christmas cheer by dressing up as Santa Claus. The costumes are provided to each runner as part of the admission fee and they endure the 5k run as Santa to raise money for the Special Olympics. SligoTV talk to the organisers, sponsors and benefitors to find out more…..

The world reknowned Blue Raincoat’s, are engaging and energethic in their unique take on At swim two birds. The Sligo based theatre company present a world-premiere stage adaptation of Flann O’Briens, 1939 metafictional masterpiece. 

Blue Raincoat actors, Kellie Hughes and Ciaran McCauley tell SligoTV, how they manage numerous, quick character changes. The play runs in the Factory Performance space until Saturday, November 15th.

Blue Raincoat Theatre Company promise to trill, engage and surprise you with their movement theatre and unique take on At swim two birds. The Sligo born theatre company presents a world-premiere stage adaptation of Flann O’Briens 1939 metafictional masterpiece. Starting Tuesday, November 3rd and running until Saturday 15th, you have no excuse to miss this entertaining and liberating performance.

Adapted for stage by Jocelyn Clarke. Directed by: Niall Henry.
Designer: Jaimie Vartan.
Blue Raincoat Ensemble: John Carty, Kellie Hughes, Ciaran McCauley, Fiona McGeown, Sandra O’Malley.
Sound Design: Joe Hunt.
Lighting Design: Michael Cummins.

Nov 3rd – Saturday 15th, 2009.
(Excl 8th & 9th).

Shows nightly at 8 pm.

Booking (071) 917 0431