Welcome

Over 300 school children attended the workshops on Friday and Samhlaiocht brought in a magician, stilt walker and face painters to brighten up the proceedings further. The weather on Saturday tried its best to make a damp squib of things but those that braved the rain had a wonderful time.

And while the weather did its worst, Tralee Town Council did its best providing entertainment, music, guided walks, gardening workshops and recitals for both adults and children ensuring that people left with a smile on their face.

You sometimes hear an artist say they find art therapeutic and when you visit Eileen Kennedy's intimate little studio, it's easy to see why! Eileen, who is married to local music legend, James Kennedy, and has two children, Clare and Ciaran, has a delightful studio behind her house in Ashgrove in Tralee. Access to the studio is by way of a meticulously kept garden that features statues of the Buddha and is soothing to the senses from the first moment of entry.

"Before we built the studio, I used to paint in an upstairs bedroom and when I was preparing the dinner I'd move the easel down to the kitchen and place it next to the cooker," laughs Eileen, "so it's nice to have a space that's dedicated to Art."

Eileen, who is from Tralee originally, studied art at Crawford School of Art and Design where she was awarded Student of the Year by the Cork Arts Society. She is a born painter, sculptor and print-maker and finds inspiration in life but also in the tactile interaction with the materials she uses. In fact one of her earliest memories is of asking her grandfather to show her how to paint at the extraordinarily young age of two! "I love the freedom and sense of discovery every time I create something," she says, "and it's a feeling that I have loved for as long as I can remember."

And while Eileen works primarily from her painting studio at home she also travels to Cork Printmakers on a regular basis. Her work has been shown extensively in Ireland and she has exhibited in Belgium, China and right across the U.S.

One exhibition currently running in America was organised by Jimmy Deenihan, TD for Kerry North. The exhibition, titled, A Different Land: Irish Bogland Interpretations, opened in New York in March of this year at Magnan Projects and features Eileen's print, Windblown Cotton, as well as work from another 26 Irish artists. "Jimmy has been a huge help to me and many other Kerry artists," said Eileen, "not just for this but for all the work he puts into the annual art exhibition in Finuge, during The Sean McCarthy Weekend, and much more besides."

Another two of Eileen's prints were selected for a touring exhibition in the U.S., Prints from Ireland, and, as you read this, are on route to Hawaii.

"Eileen's last show was a sell-out success," said Trish Thompson, Gallery Coordinator of Samhlaiocht, "and we're delighted to have her back for another exhibition. Her prints flow with an energy that mirrors life and while some are imbued with painterly vigour that belie the formal structure of the printmaking process others are implicitly adherent to the process. It's a wonderful combination and the work is both free flowing and immediate, yet, at the same time, structured and considered."

Eileen elaborates saying, "I relate to Art that is honest and real and reveals life with all its perfections and flaws. There is a beauty and rawness to life and Nature that I seek to express in my work."

This beauty and rawness resonates with the viewer and is surely, at least, partly responsible for Eileen's success to date. Not only are her exhibitions successes but her work features in a wide range of privately held Art Collections including those of AIB, Kerry County Council and Kerry Education Service while she has also been short-listed to design collectors' coins for the Central Bank.

Success aside, you get the feeling that if all sales were to dry up tomorrow Eileen would still paint and print in her little studio. "Sometimes when I feel exhausted that exhaustion is equally evident in the work and results in pieces that are softer and, somehow, more human," she says.And it's that honesty, that willingness to put herself into her work, which makes it so appealing both to Eileen as an artist and to the viewer.

The exhibition opens on Thursday, July 10th, and runs until Friday, August 1st, in the new Samhlaiocht Gallery which is located in the Old Presbytery on Lower Castle Street in the heart of Tralee. The Gallery is open from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, is free to visit and all are welcome.

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to http://www.samhlaiocht.com/

KFF ISSUES A CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE 9th ANNUAL KERRY FILM FESTIVAL

Kerry Film Festival to offer a e5,000 cash prize in Best Director Competition

The Samhlaiocht Kerry Film Festival, which is celebrating nine years of bringing film to the people of Kerry, has issued a call for entries for the Kerry Film Festival 2008, which runs from November 1st to November 8th.

"The Kerry Film Festival is committed to playing a leading role in providing a forum for emerging talent in film," said Jason O' Mahony, Artistic Director Kerry Film Festival. "This dedication is evidenced by both the quality of the films screened and the prizes on offer, with a top cash prize of e5,000 for KFF's Best Director, as well as a number of prizes in other categories including Best Irish Short, Best International Short, Best Documentary Short and Best Animated Short."

All prizes including Best Director will be selected by a jury of internationally renowned film professionals. Past adjudicators of the Kerry Film Festival Short Film Competition have included such luminaries as Mike Leigh, Jim Sheridan, Neil Jordan and Gabriel Byrne. John Carney, director of ONCE, has agreed to adjudicate this year with more adjudicators to be announced shortly.

"We're delighted to have such an amazing filmmaker as John onboard to help adjudicate the shorts," said O' Mahony. "Short film is a compelling format with much of the work displaying a freshness and originality that is lacking from more formulaic studio releases, so it'll be interesting to see what John thinks of the films."

When asked what makes KFF special he said, "I think having so many of the filmmakers on hand to speak about their films and their creative journey ensures a rewarding film festival experience for both the filmmaker and the audience. One of the advantages of KFF, I suppose, is that it's such an intimate little festival but the quality of the films and quality of the adjudicators consistently punches above its weight."

While the main focus of the festival will continue to be on shorts, this year sees an extension of the programme. "Last year was our most successful Festival so far," said O' Mahony. "We screened more films to more people in more venues that ever before and this year we're hoping to top that!" The 2008 edition of the Festival will see an expansion of the feature programme which proved so successful in 2007, KFF 2008 will also see more Education screenings, more active retired screenings and a larger workshop programme.

Kerry Film Festival will work in conjunction with the Cork Film Centre to bring a top notch film workshop programme to Kerry, Cork Film Centre will also curate an experimental film programme. "The Cork Film Centre is delighted to be working with the Kerry Film Festival," said Chris Hurley, Cork Film Centre. "We are pleased to be collaborating in presenting an eye-opening programme of contemporary Irish experimental film, curated by Maximilian Le Cain. Additionally, we will sponsor a cash prize of e500 to be awarded to the winner in the Best Animated Short category."

For more information on the Samhlaiocht Kerry Film Festival please log on to http://www.kerryfilmfestival.com/ or to download application forms please log on to http://www.kerryfilmfestival.com/Application_Form_2008.pdf

For more info on Cork Film Centre please log onto http://www.corkfilmcentre.com/

Live @ Number Eight is a monthly event in Bar Number 8, Galway City, Ireland. Each month, the organisers curate an evening of screenings, music, performance, installation and sound.

The event provides an opportunity for artists and audience to come together to engage in new work in a relaxed and supportive environment.

World Wide Knit in Public Day is a day for knitters, who generally work alone, to get together and show the general public that this craft is alive and thriving!

Sol y Sombra Live Presents

Lisa Hannigan and Band

Lisa is no stranger to Killorglin, having played in Sol y Sombra for the Donal Dineen Month of Sunday concert as part of the Kerry Film Festival in November 07. As part of her first ever tour, she is playing Sol y Sombra on Thursday 19th June with her full band.
Sol Y Sombra expects the concert to sell quickly so please let them know if you need tickets.

Thursday 19th June

Tickets e15. Tapas Served from 17:00 - 19:15 (last orders)
Places limited. Reservations Essential
For Tickets Call 066 9762348 or email info@solysombra.ie