Danny Meehan.
THE Donegal County Council Cultural Services Regional Cultural Centre is presenting two exceptional outreach events on Sunday, July 27 to mark the end of this year’s Earagail Arts Festival.
Following a series of great Earagail concerts in the RCC over the past two weeks the Centre is organising the launch of an architectural installation at Ards Forest Park and presenting a gala fiddle concert at An Grianán Theatre.
Jeffry’s House by architect Thomas O’Brien, artist Emily Mannion and thatcher Ivor Kilpatrick will be Officially Launched by Councillor John Campbell, Cathaoirleach Donegal County Council at Ards Forest Park, Creeslough on Sunday, July 27 2014 at 3pm.
Ireland’s first architectural installation in a forest park, ‘Jeffry’s House’ is a folly/shelter made from thatch on a wooden frame. It is commissioned by Donegal County Council Public Art Programme in partnership with Coillte, the Irish Architecture Foundation and the Earagail Arts Festival.
Jeffry’s House stands at the edge of the forest, offering shelter and views of the sea, sand dunes and mountains beyond. Sensitive to the natural beauty of the landscape around it, the structure combines traditional thatching with a slender geometric form and is designed to allow for nature to reclaim the ground beneath.
The vision for this groundbreaking project is to demonstrate the exciting potential of asking artists and architects to create interventions in the natural landscape.
Donegal County Council, Coillte and the Irish Architecture Foundation hope to initiate further commissions like this in the future.
Everyone in invited to attend the Official Launch of this magical structure at Ards Forest Park on Sunday at 3.00 pm. Jeffry’s House can be quite easily found by following the Sand Dune Trail from the main car park.
The Launch is taking place outdoors so appropriate clothing for a Donegal summer’s day is recommended. If you require further information please contact the Regional Cultural Centre Letterkenny on 00353 749129186 or email rcc@donegalcoco.ie.
A Donegal Fiddle Feast
Later that evening the Donegal Master Fiddlers gala concert, a celebration of the lifetime achievement of three of the county’s greatest living traditional fiddlers.
The Donegal Master Fiddlers concert at An Grianán Theatre Letterkenny on July 27 will provide a rare opportunity to see several generations of leading Donegal fiddlers on stage at the same time. In addition of having a chance to witness the larger than life personalities and distinctive fiddle style of Vincent Campbell, Dinny McLaughlin and Danny Meehan there will be a host of other Donegal fiddlers who have been influenced by them.
Each Master Fiddler will be introduced in turn by a younger renowned fiddler, Vincent by Martin Mc Ginley, Danny by Aiden O’Donnell and Dinny by Roisin Harrigan.
This feast of traditional Irish music will also feature the Campbells (Vincent, his brother Jimmy and nephew Peter), Dinny McLaughlin’s group and Aidan O’Donnell and Damien McGeehan from the renowned group Fidil.
The opening performance of this incredible night of music will come from an even younger generation of musicians drawn from Paul Harrigan’s Ceol na Coille music school.
The concert will be held at An Grianán Theatre Letterkenny at 8pm. Concert tickets priced €15 and €12 concession can be booked at An Grianán Theatre Box Office on 00353 74 9120777 or online at www.eaf.ie