Kilkee Civic Trust – Marcus Keane and Fr. Michael Meehan: Two Figures from Clare’s Famine Landscape – Dr. Ciarán Ó Murchadha

Speaker: Dr. Ciarán Ó Murchadha

Talk Title: Marcus Keane and Fr. Michael Meehan: Two Figures from Clare’s Famine Landscape

Talk Synopsis: Dr. Ciarán Ó Murchadha is an independent scholar and a leading historian on Ireland’s Great Famine. Author of three major works on the Great Famine; including the internationally acclaimed book titled; The Great Famine: Ireland’s Agony 1845-1852 (2011). He was also one of the principal organisers of the National Famine Commemoration held in Kilrush in 2013.





Radio Beams – More Fleadh 2017

From the 4 corners of Clare. Full of colour, life, fun, human stories of conquests, and achievements. From all walks of life in Clare.
Dermot brings a unique inside to people activities and life in Clare.
Not afraid to challenge the norms, asks the hard question and bring humour to the story.
Dermot covers stories that never may get air time on any station and his relaxed way of finding out the issues that bother people. Listeners from all ages and back round find his tones easy listening.
You can tune in each Tuesday at 3.30 and repeated on a Friday.


RCB Sports Show 28/08/17

On this RCB Sports Show we review the Clare Senior Hurling Rd 3 & Relegation semi-final games played over the weekend plus hear from Conor McGrath after Cratloe’s win over Doora-Barefield, James Sexton gives us the local athletics results, Robert Clancy will round up the local Clare Soccer results & we round up the sporting week
You can also leave any comments or opinion on our Facebook page RCB Sport or on our twitter account @rcbsport


Reflections 27/08/17

A weekly 30-minute space for Christian prayer, song and devotion. It is presented by the Kilkee Prayer Group led by Anne Haugh and Kathleen Ryan and joined in by Donnie Dillon, Anne Marie Harte and Antonio Cebas. It is an invitation to engage in Christian worship through prayer and song, as well as to reflect on the lives of the Saints whose feast day we celebrate. All listeners at home are invited to add their own prayers and petitions and together with those of the group offer them in unison to the Grace of the Lord and our Blessed Lady.


What’s On Wk/end 27/08/17

A 30 minute live Thursday broadcast highlighting some of the main events taking place
around the county and beyond. Live interviews, sports analysis,
entertainment news, good banter and more. Donnie Dillon, John O’Boyle,
Suzanne Dillon and Antonio Cebas, assisted at the desk by Padraic
Griffin, will keep you entertained and informed with what’s going on.


Radio Beams – Fleadh 2017

From the 4 corners of Clare. Full of colour, life, fun, human stories of conquests, and achievements. From all walks of life in Clare.
Dermot brings a unique inside to people activities and life in Clare.
Not afraid to challenge the norms, asks the hard question and bring humour to the story.
Dermot covers stories that never may get air time on any station and his relaxed way of finding out the issues that bother people. Listeners from all ages and back round find his tones easy listening.
You can tune in each Tuesday at 3.30 and repeated on a Friday.


RCB Sports Show 22/08/17

On this RCB Sports Show we review the Clare Senior Football Rd 2 games played over the weekend plus hear from Enda Coughlan of KIB after win over O’Curry’s, Robert Clancy will reflect on the opening round of the Clare Soccer season & we round up the sporting week.
You can also leave any comments or opinion on our Facebook page RCB Sport or on our twitter account @rcbsport


Martin Bourke presents the “Richard Tauber” Profile:

Written and Presented by Martin Bourke.
Part of The Kilkee Civic Trust Summer Talks Season recorded at Culturlann Sweeney in Kilkee.


Richard Tauber 1891 – 1948

“One of the best loved singers, Tauber was a talented composer and conductor but singing ‘was his hearts delight”
Few singers straddled the world of grand opera and light operetta like the Austrian Tenor, Richard Tauber. Long before Lesley Garett or Pavarotti, Domingo & Carreras collectively as ‘The Three Tenors’ made the “crossover” to popular songs and ballads, Richard Tauber had done it all in far more difficult times. He was frequently criticised and reprimanded in public for denigrating his art by singing such ‘dross’ as “You are my Heart’s Delight” and “Vienna City of my Dreams”. But he became so successful in the popular song that the composer Franz Lehar (he of the ‘Merry Widow’ fame) wrote his operettas with Richard Tauber specifically in mind. That partnership brought international fame to them both.

Richard Tauber was born in the Austrian city of Linz on the river Danube in May 1891. Both his parents were Viennese and though not married to each other, they worked in the theatre business, she a singer and his father an actor and theatre manager of some repute. His upbringing was somewhat unconventional in that for the first 9 years of his life Richard’s existence was unknown to his father. Reared initially by his mother, then foster parents and finally by his father from the age of 9, Richard grew up with a happy disposition, which lasted throughout his life. His musical talent began to manifest itself and through his father he received a thorough education in all aspects of musicianship. Despite initial opposition from his father, Richard got his wish and began studying voice with a prominent teacher in Germany and emerged 3 years later as a superb singer of opera particularly Mozart and lieder art songs. Indeed, it is incomplete to describe him as a tenor because he also sang baritone, conducted symphony orchestras, played the piano and was a successful composer and filmmaker. His own musical “Old Chelsea” ran in London’s West-end for over 600 performances in 1942/43.

Because of his Jewish ancestry, Richard had to flee Germany after being beaten up by a group of Nazi vigilantes and he became stateless with the annexation of Austria in 1939.

His relationship with women was complex but charming “give me a piano and a beautiful girl and I’m in heaven.” He led a colourful life and in the end while on his deathbed he was comforted by both his wife and his mistress together.

Richard Tauber was by nature a jolly, happy and exuberant man not given to temperamental behaviour, as is often the case in his profession. He was extremely generous with his talents, his wealth, his knowledge and his time.

As a vocal artist, he was technically very good but this was never allowed to interfere with the feeling, the mood, the passion being expressed in a melody. His voice was so distinctive that he is instantly recognisable in any of his 730 professional recordings.

In 1948, and a few short weeks after performing the lead tenor role in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, Richard Tauber died of lung cancer at the age of 57. He had in fact sung the performance on one lung, giving of himself to the very end.

This is the 4th Profile Martin Bourke has presented in Kilkee for KCT; the previous ones were on Stephen Foster, Mario Lanza and John McCormack. The audio-visual presentation will include a generous selection of music and photographic slides recounting the story of a very interesting life. These Profiles, undertaken on a pro-bono basis, in aid of Kilkee Civic Trust, are devised, researched, scripted and presented by Martin Bourke. Martin has had a lifelong interest in the career and vocal art of classical and light classical singers collecting recordings and biographies of these artists.

What’s On Wk Ending 27/08/17

A 30 minute live Thursday broadcast highlighting some of the main events taking place
around the county and beyond. Live interviews, sports analysis,
entertainment news, good banter and more. Donnie Dillon, John O’Boyle,
Suzanne Dillon and Antonio Cebas, assisted at the desk by Padraic
Griffin, will keep you entertained and informed with what’s going on.


Kilrush and Districh Historical Society Weekend Events.

Kilkee Civic Trust Newsletter

Our “sister organisation” in Kilrush; namely Kilrush and District Historical Society; have two very interesting events over the coming days, and, with their kind permission we are bring them to your attention.

Firstly; on Saturday next, 19 August, starting at 2pm – in Kilbaha at the Five Pilots Memorial – A re-enactment of the Fenian rising which took place on Shrove Tuesday 1867, 150 years ago.

Secondly; on Frances Street, Kilrush on Tuesday 22 August at 7:30pm, film scholar Dr. Harvey O’Brien, of Moyne, Kilrush and University College Dublin, will unveil a plaque on the site of the Mars Cinema. He will then deliver a lecture on the history of the Mars Cinema in the Teach Ceoil, Kilrush at 8pm.

Radio Beams – Community drives Clare Bus

From the 4 corners of Clare. Full of colour, life, fun, human stories of conquests, and achievements. From all walks of life in Clare.
Dermot brings a unique inside to people activities and life in Clare.
Not afraid to challenge the norms, asks the hard question and bring humour to the story.
Dermot covers stories that never may get air time on any station and his relaxed way of finding out the issues that bother people. Listeners from all ages and back round find his tones easy listening.
You can tune in each Tuesday at 3.30 and repeated on a Friday.


The 2017 Kilkee Bay Swim – 19th August

Kilkee Bay Swim 2017 & Kilkee Civic Trust have joined forces to invite Boherbuoy Brass & Reed Band to enhance the occasion of the Small Bay & Big Bay Swims on Saturday next, 19th August 2017, for two performances at 3pm and again at 5pm at Kilkee Bandstand.


Kilkee Civic Trust – The Edmond sinking in 1850 in Kilkee Bay

Speakers: J. J. Hickie & Tommy McGrath

Talk Title: The Edmond; Hopes Lost & Human Impact of Kilkee’s Famine Time Shipwreck

Talk Synopsis: Representing Kilkee History Group; J. J. Hickie & Tommy McGrath; two well-known Local Historians; who have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Kilkee’s life and times over recent centuries; will tell some of the personal stories of dashed hopes and dreams for those on board the “Edmond” which foundered on the rocks below Sykes House on Tuesday night 19th November 1850.



The Sports Show 14/08/17

On this RCB Sports Show we review the Clare Senior Hurling Champ Rd 2 games & preview next weekend’s Senior Football Rd 2 games, James Sexton will give us the local athletics results & we round up the sporting week.
You can also leave any comments or opinion on our Facebook page RCB Sport or on our twitter account @rcbsport