H ap p y St . Br i gi d 's Day an d W el com e t o t h e I r i sh Season !
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Feb r u ar y ~ Feab r h a
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CILLIAN M URPHY, B) Pg 9
Ir ish Oscar Nom in ee f or " Oppen h eim er "
DEREK WARFIELD (Cen t er ) an d Th e You n g Wolf e Ton es
See story on page 10
Feature and interview...See page 4
Ir ish Sain t s an d Sch olar s Febr u ar y 1st m ar k s t h e st ar t of t h e " Ir ish Season" See Publisher's Letter on Page 2 to start our coverage
In side Th is Issu e Cillian M u r ph y Pu t s Ir ish Film Talen t In Wor ld's Spot ligh t ...
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I r i sh Ar t s & En t er t ai n m en t
Irish Arts & Entertainment Th e opin ion s expr essed by ou r w r it er s ar e t h eir ow n an d do n ot n ecessar ily con vey t h ose of t h is m agazin e, ou r pu blish er or st af f .
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Let t er Fr om THE PUBLISHER Dear Friends and Readers The I r ish Season is now upon us as Febr uar y 1st. is St Br igid's Feast Day. We continue the celebr ations from the land of Saints and Scholar s through St. Patr ick's Day on M arch 17 in I reland. The I r ish Season continues on till the end of M arch in the US as here all of M arch is designated I r ish Amer ican Her itage month by Presidential Proclamation. I r ish Amer ican Her itage M onth began as a recognition of the contr ibutions of I r ish immigr ants and their descendants to the United States. The tr adition tr aces back to 1991 when Congress officially declared M arch as I r ish Amer ican Her itage M onth. The proclamation was signed by President Geor ge H.W. Bush. Since then, each year, the President of the United States issues a proclamation to honor the achievements and contr ibutions of I r ish Amer icans to the countr y. This recognition aims to celebr ate the r ich cultur al her itage and the impact I r ish immigr ants have had on var ious aspects of Amer ican society. M eanwhile, we have Febr uar y to enj oy too! So Happy Groundhog Day. One of our favor ite I r ish Amer icans, Bill M ur r ay's film by the same name by the way, so tr y to watch that! Finally, since we love all of our reader s and subscr iber s:
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Traditional Irish Music At Its Best
DEREK WARFIELD & Th e You n g Wolf e Ton es Set For Th r ee Calif or n ia Con cer t s K er r y I r ish Productions is proud to be the West Coast presenter of one of I reland's living legends. I t's been many year s since Derek War field has been on this side of the countr y, so you can be sure these concer ts will sell out. Derek War field and The Young Wolfe Tones br ing the old tr adition of I r ish ballads into a new age! A special group of I r ish men and women who tell the stor y of I reland without apology!
Derek War field is an iconic name in the I r ish music wor ld ? a master balladeer, stor yteller and ar tist who over the year s has brought the I r ish musical tr adition for war d with a reverence for I reland?s past to the ener gy and optimism of a new gener ation of I r ish musicians. ?? ..fresh and invigor ating ? .master ful? ? ------ Rock ?n Reel Magazine
We are very fortunate to present to our readers an interview (Q & A) conducted just this week with Derek Warfield I r ish Ar ts and Enter tainment (I A& E): Derek, we cer tainly appreciate your time. We know you are always busy and on the go. Going back to the star t, when did you realize that making I r ish M usic was going to be your life and career ? Do you remember your ver y fir st public per for mance?
Derek: I grew up in a family where music was ver y much par t of our lives. M y mother and father both played the piano and my dad also played the mandolin. M y father ?s mother (my gr andmother War field nee M cDonough) gave me my fir st instr ument and I also liked to sing, my M am and my gr andparents all taught me songs, and I probably knew over fifty songs by the age of seven or eight. I would sing on tr ains, buses, family outings and par ties. M y mam also liked to sing and was ver y proud of my passion for singing and encour aged me to do so, she would say ?Derek will sing a song?and I did not have to be asked twice. I would stand up sing and away with it. I would always receive a pleasant and gr ateful response from those gathered and sometimes received little gifts of appreciation (which I was told to refuse!) but insistence always won out. I was deemed a per for mer at a young age. When in my ear ly teenage year s, I tr aveled around I reland playing and singing at I r ish music festivals Fleadh Cheoil?s playing to anyone who would listen. I co-founded the Wolfe tones in 1963 along with and our fir st
paid gig or public per for mance was for Canadian television in K illar ney and at the oldest pub in Dublin ?The Br azen Head?. At family gather ings ever yone was expected to sing or play an instr ument. And without any wor ds said or wr itten, unbelievably, most of the ballads and songs were I r ish or with I r ish sentiment. M y M ams ?par ty pieces? were ?Teddy O?Neill ?and ?The L ittle gir l milking her cow? and she had some lovely I r ish recitations, M y dad sung and played Piano ?That?s how you spell I reland? All my aunts and Uncles sung I r ish songs. M y M ater nal Gr andfather Cunningham was a great singer and it was always said of him that he should have been on stage such was his talent. He was master of family gather ings and his reper toire was immense, he had some great patr iotic songs ?M ick from Car r ick Byr ne?. ?The Rising of the M oon ?M aire M y Gir l? ?Dar lin Gir l from Clare? were some of his favor ites and all of my aunts and uncles sung I r ish songs and ballads. M ost impor tantly, I lear ned all the family songs from listening to them singing. But per haps the impor tant aspect was that I lear ned was that our songs and ballads told the stor y of our r ace and histor y. L astly, when I visited some homes of my fr iends I was shocked that there were Families with no music. However, it is also tr ue that the Dublin I nchicore community in which I grew up there were many homes and families like our s it was a great neighbor hood for music and song. When in my young teenage year s, I tr aveled through the countr y I found our Family circle was not unique there were many that held music and song as an impor tant par t of their lives around I reland. Continued on page 5
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There was and still is in I reland a great value for our I r ish musical culture and tr adition of song. I r ish people love to sing and per for m, we are a nation of singer s and musicians. The Young Wolfetones sing and play I r ish music and car r y on the tr adition of per for ming and enter tainment that did not star t in this gener ation. We stand on the shoulder s of gener ations of musicians like the Clancy Brother s, Tommy M akem who did likewise and they brought the simple songs and ballads that we sung around the firesides in I reland to the greatest concer t halls of the wor ld with great acclaim .When in my young and youthful days their success and achievements were inspir ing and ver y encour aging.
I A & E: Again, why back when. How did you get interested in Amer ican Histor y? Did it stem from the I r ish Contr ibution?
DEREK : I produced three CD?s ?Sons Of Er in? ?Clear the Way? and ?The Bonnie Blue Flag? on the I r ish music and song of Amer ican Civil war and two on the I r ish songs and music of the Revolutionar y war ?Washington?s I r ish? and ?The Dawns Ear ly L ight? (latest to be released shor tly). All CD?s include a booklet with the stor ies, wor ds, histor y and or igin of the music and songs. When researching for the songs and music, I discovered
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when our exiles left I reland they brought their music with them and it enr iched the communities in which they went to live. I discovered a power ful musical tr adition that was tr anspor ted from I reland and one that embr aced the exper ience of our immigr ants who sur vived through those awful year s of The Great Hunger and The Civil War. Our disper sed and deposed exiles to their eter nal creative credit addressed in song and music ever y aspect of life, social, political and militar y. All I r ish exiles to Amer ica were deter mined that the oppression that they suffered in I reland under English r ule would not follow them to the United States and that is why you will find I r ishmen in ar ms to defend the promise of Amer ica in ever y gener ation. The I r ish regiments campfires through those year s of both revolutionar y war s of 1776-1783 and 1812-1815 plus the Civil War of 1861-1865 is where musicians and singer s and lover s of music of ever y nationality gathered in j oy and sor row to play and sing.
I A& E: Amazing lesson and per spective. Thank you.
On to the Young Wolfe Tones. How and why did you for m this cur rent band and get it going?
You r Hu b f or LIVE Spor t s! Never m iss a gam e! w w w.h ar pin n .com / spor t s
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DEREK:
The Young Wolfe Tones are
When the old Wolfe Tones split and broke up in 2001, it was a time of peace and change in I reland and we had differences. The Wolfe Tones were the musical response and resistance dur ing the conflict with English author ity the so- called ?troubles?, I talked to my good fr iend Eamon M ac Thomais who was also from my neighbor hood I nchicore and he said to me something that resonated with me. Do not have a public row you?re a bar d of these times and our her itage and tr adition of music and song is greater, and I always took his advice ser iously. I got on with my new mission. Dur ing, those days as L eader and front man of the Wolfe Tones, I sought and received his advice on many occasions when to sing and per for m patr iotic ballads and songs of remembr ance dur ing that per iod of conflict brought acclaim but also had a cost.
?The Patriotic spirit of I rish Music?.
Our music and song are our monuments to our people and their histor y. Our music of remembr ance was attacked. Some saying if we stopped singing of our Patr iots all would be gr and. This was a lie. The reality and cause of the conflict with English Colonial author ity is that used and abused I reland and our people, and they par titioned I reland without any consider ation of the consequences but their own str ategic self- interest and the limitation of I reland?s r ise as an independent Nation. I reland is the most clear ly defined Nation in Europe. I was always confident and fully aware of our ancient histor y and the par t that our music poetr y and song played in ever y per iod. Our musical remembr ance and tr ibute our so called ?rebel songs? is an ancient response and tr adition. I believe that our music was the reason we were not
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Reminding our audiences of these facts and pointing out that that most Nations across Europe could and do remember those who defended their countr y in platfor m, field and for um with great monuments of stone in great palaces and cenotaphs. We could never do that in I reland under Colonial r ule our response was in our poetr y, music and song and this culture was designated treasonable, and seditious by English author ity. We must remember that all our culture, tr aditions and her itage were attacked by English author ity though our histor y. Our liter ature, our Bar ds, our poets our language and music and song all at one time or another were the obj ect of destr uction and oppression to prevent their propagation. Our resistance to the attempted conquest of our countr y was in our music and song , and they are our monuments. Fur ther more, our music, songs and ballads could never be taken away from the I r ish people for they cost nothing except the lips of those who would sing and the ear s of those who would listen. When peace came I did not want to change the patr iotic ethos of the Band I had founded. So. I looked at what I could do, and after giveng my future a lot of thought; The Young Wolfe Tones were bor n, so to could pass on the value of our her itage of song and music to a younger gener ation and the Young Wolfe tones are ?The Patr iotic spir it of I r ish M usic?. The Young Band car r y the name of the father of I r ish freedom and L iber ty Patr iot Theobald Wolfe Tone, He inspired me with his beliefs and he in tur n was inspired by the success and achievements of Geor ge Washington seven year ?s war for liber ty from England.
Th is except ion al ban d is com pr ised of Der ek War f ield in t h e cen t er , An dr eas Du r k in Keyboar d an d vocals, Br en t Hopper Baas an d Vocals, Eddie Kean e Gu it ar an d Vocals, Dan Fost er , f iddle an d Dam ar is Woods Ban jo,
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I r ish Ar ts & Enter tainment
Over 20 young musicians and singer s have played and per for med in the band since its inception and many have gone on to have successful solo musical career s, many like singer guitar ists Peadar Hickey and Padr aic Allen who now have successful bands.
A&E: They are an incredibly talented group. I t seems to an outsider that you play mostly for the love of the music. What makes you so dynamic with them? Do you dr aw ener gy and inspir ation from the band....the band from you or a combination?
DEREK : Well in answer to your question, all who have per for med with The Young Wolfe Tones would have a deep love for our I r ish musical tr adition. The band member s lear n from the sentiment of the poems, songs and ballads that our her itage of music has car r ied the hopes and dreams and the aspir ations of the I r ish people in ever y gener ation, our music has defended and inspired our people through the wor st per iods of oppression. And it is fair to repeat what the great I r ish Patr iot Thomas Davis said of our songs and ballads. ?That there is no par t of our her itage that can boast of higher claims or greater influences than our music and song?
sentiments of the songs and ballads and their patr iotic spir it. Brent Hopper on bass has an I r ish ancestr y that goes back to County Antr im. He can play any instr ument and is at home singing the songs of his native Carolina or the ballads of M ayo.Brent Hopper lives in Cleveland, Ohio & has been playing music and tour ing for more than 25 year s across the United States with sever al different musical configur ations that included Folk, Bluegr ass, I r ish & Blues sounds. His inspir ation in music has always been dr awn from his strong passion for histor y & the people of var ious cultures. The songs he sings tell the stor ies of their plights for freedom, liber ty, love, and the j oy of coming together through music.His ancestr al her itage comes from County Antr im and he per for ms with his wife Br ittany O?Reilly in their duo ?Achill Crossing? when we are not on tour. I relands national emblem is ?The Har p? and we are the only Nation that has a musical instr ument as a national emblem. We do not have the Har p in the lineup of the Young Wolfe Tones but we have an instr ument that has played old and ancient Jigs and reels for hundreds of year s the tr aditional Fiddle.
ED NOTE: COMI NG NEXT MONTH A concert preview, more from Derek Warfield and profiles on the members of The Young Wolfe Tones
The young I r ish M usicians of today mostly are musically well tr ained and they have a high standar d of musicianship, however the quality and standar d of singing was lost through the troubles, when many young were discour aged from singing our I r ish songs. This has changed now with the younger gener ation in I reland who live in an I reland of peace and oppor tunity. They now want to sing and play and be hear d. This is a timely renaissance and it is reflected by our audiences at home in I reland and young people sing our songs with pr ide. The ?Baby? of the band is young Guitar ist and Vocalist Eddie K eane from County K ildare. The community from which Eddie was bor n has a long tr adition of music and song. He comes from near ?The Bog of Allen? one of the lar gest and most iconic and beautiful bogs in I reland. I t is a distr ict and community of great tr adition and her itage. I t fits the wor ds that my gr andmother off times uttered to me ?that the best of I r ish people who loved and fostered our tr aditions lived in or close to the bog or up the side of the mountains of I reland?, Eddie sings with a commitment and passion, that reminds me of my own youth. This young balladeer has a real love of I r ish songs and music and he developed that enthusiasm in his ear ly teens. He sings the ?Galtee M ountain Boy? with such commitment that ever y wor d to him is an impor tant par t of the stor y. K eyboar d player and vocalist Andreas Dur kin from County Cavan. He comes from a great and renowned musical family and all Andreas ever wanted to do in life was to sing and per for m. County Cavan has all the folk customs of Ulster, the ballads, music and stor ies are par t of ever y community and music has been cher ished, loved and passed on in ever y gener ation .No County can match the var iety of musicians and singer s that have come this land of song. Andreas has an appetite for musical per for ming that has seen him play and per for m all his life, and he has a power ful voice that can go where no other singer s can. I t is tr ue to say that we all dr aw ener gy from the emotional
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Cillian M u r ph y Nom in at ed f or Best Act or f or His Leadin g Role in Oppenheimer Cillian M ur phy is an I r ish actor bor n on M ay 25, 1976, in Douglas, a subur b of Cor k, I reland. He developed an interest in per for ming ar ts dur ing his school year s and later studied law at Univer sity College Cor k. However, his passion for acting led him to switch his focus, and he attended the Presentation Brother s College in Cor k to pur sue a dr ama cour se. Cillian M ur phy's acting career began on the stage, and he gained recognition for his wor k in var ious theatr ical productions. He made his film debut in the movie " Disco Pigs" and continued to build his career with roles in films like " 28 Days L ater," " Batman Begins," and " I nception."
Cillian M ur phy as Thomas Shelby in the acclaimed TV ser ies " Peaky Blinder s"
"When Murphy auditioned for the role in Peaky Blinders, his intense performance as the cunning and charismatic gangster leader, told the producers immediately that he would become a defining element of the show's success." Peaky Blinders premiered in 2013 and concluded its run in 2022 . ...I A & E, July, 2022
About the film: OPPENHEIM ER Oppenheimer is an epic biographical t hriller film direct ed by Christ opher Nolan and st arring Cillian M urphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, t he American t heoret ical physicist credit ed wit h being t he ?fat her of t he at omic bomb? for his role in t he M anhat t an Project . Oppenheimer t ells t he st ory of t he W orld War II undert aking t hat developed t he first nuclear weapons. The film is based on t he 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and M art in J.Sherwin. Oppenheimer premiered at Le Grand Rex in Paris on July 11, 2023, and was t heat rically released in t he Unit ed St at es and t he Unit ed Kingdom and Ireland on July 21 by Universal Pict ures
The st ory predominant ly focuses on Oppenheimer?s st udies, his direct ion of t he M anhat t an Project during W orld War II, and his event ual fall from grace due t o his 1954 securit y hearing. The film also st ars Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer?s wife ?Kit t y?, M at t Damon as head of t he M anhat t an Project Leslie Groves, Robert Downey Jr. as Unit ed St at es At omic Energy Commission member Lewis St rauss, and Florence Pugh as Oppenheimer?s communist lover Jean Tat lock. The support ing cast included Belfast nat ive Kennet h Brannagh. M uch more on OPPENHEIM ER online including Screenings, St reaming & BlueRay/ DVD: www.oppenheimermovie.com
Cor k n at ive, Oscar n om in ee
CILLIAN M URPHY
Januar y, 2024
I r ish Ar ts & Enter tainment
Cillian M u r ph y Film s & Aw ar ds Cillian ...pr on ou n ced Killeen ...M u r ph y is a pr olif ic act or w it h an im pr essive lin e u p of st age an d m ovie r olls an d h on or s f or h is ach ievem en t s.
M u r ph y 's pr of ession al debu t w as in En da Walsh's 1996 play, Disco Pigs, a r ole h e lat er r epr ised in a f ilm by t h e sam e n am e in 2001. Som e of h is ear ly f ilm cr edit s ar e: 28 Days Later. (2002), Hor r or Intermission (2003), Dar k Com edy Red Eye (2005), Th r iller The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Ir ish Tr ou bles an d Civil War Ed Not e: An excellen t f ilm t h at w e cover ed ext en sively at t h e t im e an d it ser ved as ou r in t r odu ct ion t o h is w or k .
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Sunshine (2007). Scien ce Fict ion t h r iller Breakfast on Pluto (2005) He played a t r an sgen der Ir ish w om an in t h e com edy-dr am a, w h ich ear n ed h im a Golden Globe Aw ar d n om in at ion . M u r ph y began h is collabor at ion w it h f ilm m ak er Ch r ist oph er Nolan in 2005, playin g Scar ecr ow in t h e The Dark Knight trilogy (2005?2012) as w ell as appear in g in Inception (2010) an d Dunkirk (2017). In 2011, M u r ph y w on t h e Dr am a Desk Aw ar d f or Ou t st an din g Solo Per f or m an ce f or Misterman. In 2020, The Irish Times n am ed h im on e of t h e gr eat est Ir ish f ilm act or s of all t im e.
On the right:
M u r ph y as Oppen h eim er
M or e on ACCLAIM ED FILM M AKER CHRISTOPHER NOLAN?S
OPPENHEIMER GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO THE CAST AND FILM M AKERS WITH M ORE THAN THREE HOURS OF SPECIAL FEATURES THAT TAKE YOU BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE M AKING OF THIS EPIC FILM
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?CHICAGO SUN-TIMES Un iver sal Cit y, Calif or n ia, ?Fr om celebr at ed w r it er an d dir ect or Ch r ist oph er Nolan com es t h e m u st -see cin em at ic m ast er piece abou t t h e m an an d t h e m om en t t h at ch an ged t h e w or ld f or ever . As it con t in u es it s dom in an t global box-of f ice r u n , OPPENHEIMER is also f or sale on 4K Ult r a HD, Blu -r ayTM , & Digit al as of Novem ber 21, 2023, f r om Un iver sal Pict u r es Hom e En t er t ain m en t . Delve deeper in t o t h e u n par alleled f ilm m ak in g beh in d OPPENHEIMER w it h an ext en sive collect ion of special f eat u r es, in clu din g t h e global debu t of ?Th e St or y of Ou r Tim e: Th e M ak in g of Oppenheimer.? Th is 70+ m in u t e im m er sive piece sh ow cases exclu sive beh in d-t h e-scen es f oot age an d ext en sive in t er view s w it h Nolan an d h is cr eat ive collabor at or s, of f er in g u n r est r ict ed access in side t h e pr ocess, per f or m an ces, ef f ect s, m u sic an d ar t ist r y r espon sible f or t h is ext r aor din ar y f ilm . Addit ion al f eat u r es in clu de t h e NBC New s com pan ion docu m en t ar y, ?To En d All War : Oppen h eim er an d t h e At om ic Bom b,? as w ell as a ?Tr in it y An n iver sar y Pan el Discu ssion? f eat u r in g a pan el m oder at ed by Em m y®-w in n in g jou r n alist Ch u ck Todd,
w it h Ch r ist oph er Nolan , Nobel®Pr ize w in n er Dr . Kip Th r on e; w or ld-r en ow n ed ph ysicist Dr . Car lo Rovelli; Dr . Th om M ason , dir ect or of t h e Los Alam os Nat ion al Labor at or y; an d Kai Bir d, t h e Pu lit zer Pr ize-w in n in g co-au t h or of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, on w h ich t h e f ilm is based. OPPENHEIMER, t h r u st s au dien ces in t o t h e m in d of t h eor et ical ph ysicist J. Rober t Oppen h eim er (Cillian M u r ph y), w h ose lan dm ar k w or k as t h e dir ect or of t h e M an h at t an Pr oject ?s Los Alam os Labor at or y cr eat ed t h e f ir st at om ic bom b. An u n pr eceden t ed cin em at ic even t , OPPENHEIMER f eat u r es an all-st ar cast of t alen t ed aw ar d w in n in g act or s
Nolan?s f ilm s besides Oppenheimer m ak e h im on e of t h e best in h is cr af t of all t im e! Th ey in clu de: Ten et , Du n k ir k ,In t er st ellar , In cept ion an d Th e Dar k Kn igh t t r ilogy. Alt oget h er , h is f ilm s h ave t ak en in m or e t h an $6 billion at t h e global box of f ice an d h ave been aw ar ded 11 Oscar s® an d 36 n om in at ion s, in clu din g t w o Best Pict u r e n om in at ion s.
Febr u ar y , 2024
I r i sh Ar t s & En t er t ai n m en t
February 1 Marks the Feast of St. Brigid St. Brigid of Ireland, also known as St. Brigid of Kildare, is one of Ireland's patron saints, alongside St. Patrick and St. Columba. St. Patrick is generally considered the primary patron saint of the country . Here are some key points about St. Brigid: Marriage: St. Brigid is traditionally said to have taken a vow of perpetual virginity and is considered one of the early Irish Christian saints who chose a life of celibacy. Connection with St. Patrick: While there are legends of St. Brigid and St. Patrick having interactions, it's essential to note that much of the information about their relationship comes from hagiographies and later traditions, which can be a mix of history and legend. Fighting Druids: There is no historical evidence to suggest that St. Brigid fought Druids. The stories about her challenging Druids are often considered more as hagiographical legends rather than historical facts.
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Birth and Death: St. Brigid is believed to have been born in the mid-5th century, around 451 AD, in Faughart, near Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. She is said to have died on February 1, around the year 525 AD. Burial: The exact location of St. Brigid's burial is uncertain. Tradition holds that she was buried in Kildare, and there have been various churches and monastic sites associated with her in that area. However, specific details about her burial place are not well-documented. Literacy and Written Record: While there are many stories and legends associated with St. Brigid, there is no direct evidence that she was literate or left a written record. Most of the information about her life comes from hagiographies? biographical accounts that often blend historical facts with legendary elements. These accounts were typically written long after her death. St. Brigid is particularly revered in Ireland for her charitable works, piety, and role in spreading Christianity. Her feast day, February 1st, is celebrated in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The stories and traditions surrounding St. Brigid have made her an important figure in Irish culture and folklore.
w w w.yeooldek in gsh ead.com
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I r i sh Ar t s & En t er t ai n m en t
Feabr ha
I rish Arts and Entertainment Exclusive
OWEN DARA Profile and Q & A Owen Dar a was bor n in Cor k, I reland. While in his ear ly twenties, he left his native countr y and began making his living as busker, singing and playing his guitar on street cor ner s throughout Europe, par ts of the M iddle East, Asia, and Austr alia. While living in M elbour ne, he star ted per for ming stand-up comedy and soon became a headline act on the comedy circuit. Dur ing the following sever al year s, he per for med his comedy in var ious par ts of the wor ld and appeared as a comedic guest on a number of TV shows. After an almost decade-long career as a comedian, Owen chose to take a break from stand up in or der to explore his other creative passions. He moved to the United States and began per for ming his or iginal music in bar s and clubs around L os Angeles while also taking classes in wr iting, acting, and filmmaking. Dar a has since wr itten and recor ded sever al songs, published a Ow en Dar a on set in Ir elan d memoir, and has wr itten, directed, and star red in three feature films. dir ect in g a scen e in " Th e Holy Fail" . He released a CD of or iginal songs " M oments I K eep" in October 2021. Owen has also wr itten and per for med a one-man show based on his memoir ?White Hor ses: An I r ish Childhood? which premiered at the Acme Comedy Theater in Hollywood, CA and went on to do a sold-out r un in New Yor k City.
PUBLIC SERVICE & IRISH COM M UNITY
Each of his feature films, " The Holy Fail" and " Choosing Signs" have won multiple awar ds. I n 2020 four of his or iginal songs made the Oscar list of j ust 75 songs in the r unning for an Academy Awar d for " Best Or iginal Song" . Dar a is cur rently per for ming live and wor king on post-production for his thir d feature film.
Q& A I rish Arts and Entertainment (I A & E): What would you like our reader s to know about you?
Owen Dar a: I am pr imar ily a filmmaker and musician. M y two feature films that are available to view on Amazon and other platfor ms are: ?Choosing Signs? and ?The Holy Fail?. M y thir d feature film ?A L esser Gift? will be released sometime this year. I per for m ever y Tuesday night at club in Pasadena called the 1881 Club. I have also wr itten some plays, a childhood memoir, and per for med a one-man show. M ost of my days are cur rently spent wor king on post-production for my latest feature film.
I A & E: What were the qualities or skills that most helped your j our ney? Any advice for other s on a similar path?
Owen Dar a: I would say the most impor tant aspect is to have a strong desire to do something. I f you have a passion for what you're tr ying to pur sue, you are much more likely to put in the required wor k that will br ing about success.
LINKS an d LISTINGS
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Cell: 951 216-1493 Em ail: Ir ish m issive@gm ail.com
Febr u ar y , 2024
I r i sh Ar t s & En t er t ai n m en t
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Ow en con t in u ed : For me, I knew that there was nothing that I would wor k har der at than being a creative. I cer tainly had doubts and concer ns about my skills and talents, and I think what helped me was the ability to be able to identify my weaknesses and subsequently focus on improving those areas. I f someone is willing to offer feedback or advice, sometimes that is the best way to move for war d, especially when somebody is star ting out. I have listened to feedback from not only professionals I respect, but also from people who don?t have exper ience with per for ming, wr iting, or filmmaking. I consider anyone who sees my shows or watches my films as a par tial representation of my audience in gener al. I f one per son points out something that doesn't resonate with them, there's a good chance they are not the only one. From there, of cour se, it's up to the creator whether or not to modify based on the feedback, but I would advise people to always listen. Nuggets of advice and guidance can be found in the most unexpected places. and we all need other eyes on out wor k.
I A & E: Are there any challenges that you are facing now?
Owen Dara: The biggest challenge for me at the moment is to keep going on a proj ect that I have been wor king on for a couple of year s. I ?m near ing the end of post-production on my latest feature film, and I find myself getting tired of seeing the same scenes over and over again as I am editing and tweaking. I can no longer view it with fresh eyes, and the excitement of having created
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Ow en Dar a on locat ion in Ir elan d dir ect in g a scen e f or h is t h ir d f ilm , "A Lesser Gif t " something new has long passed on this proj ect. For tunately, I have some help, and I ?m handing over the sound editing wor k to somebody this week, which will be a relief. I ?m ready to star t somethi n g n ew , bu t t h is f ilm isn't r eady t o set m e f r ee ju st yet . Wh at k eeps m e goin g is t h at each day I w or k on t h e f ilm , I?m on e day closer t o bein g able t o st ar t a n ew pr oject . I'm alw ays at m y best an d m ost f u lf illed w h en I'm st ar t in g som et h in g n ew.
a r e all bein g sou gh t f or t h e Ju ly BIG IRISH FAIR. M or e excit in g det ails f or t h e all n ew an d bigger t h an ever Ir ish Fair an d M u sic Fest ival t o be h eld in Tor r an ce (Sou t h Bay of f t h e 405) w ill be det ailed in ou r M ar ch issu e!! In t h e m ean t im e please click below f or ou r n ew ven u e an d LIKE & SHARE on Facebook :
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w w w.bigir ish f air .com Film in g on set in Cor k in 2023; Ow en Dar a is t ot ally f ocu sed on capt u r in g t h e m om en t in a "A Lesser Gif t "
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I r i sh Ar t s & En t er t ai n m en t
Feabr h a
Fir st pu blicat ion ever of t h e post er f or "A Lesser Gif t : t o be r eleased lat er t h is year . "A Lesser Gif t " t ells t h e st or y of an Ir ish cou ple w h o ar e f acin g ch allen ges af t er h avin g t h eir f ir st ch ild. Th eir sit u at ion is f u r t h er com plicat ed w h en an Am er ican w om an en t er s t h eir lives. Set in pict u r esqu e Ir elan d, w r it t en an d dir ect ed by Ow en Dar a. His t h ir d f eat u r e f ilm is cu r r en t ly in post - pr odu ct ion in Los An geles For More on Owen Dara and his films may we suggest the following links and digital resources:
w w w.ow en dar a.com Owen Dara on...
A Lesser Gift on
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Jan u ar y , 2024
I r i sh Ar t s & En t er t ai n m en t
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY Use Of f er Code HEART t o SAVE 20% on Ticket s On ly good t h r ou gh 2/ 16
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