Starry panel for book festival

TICKETS are on sale at Glór for the 2010 Ennis Book Club Festival, taking place from Friday March 5 to Sunday 7.

Supported by Clare County Library, the three-day programme of events is expected to attract hundreds of Book Club members and book lovers from all over Europe and North America. The festival programme features author visits, readings, lectures and workshops, exhibitions, walking history tours, musical entertainment and chocolate tasting in various venues around Ennis.

It also includes Ireland’s first Book Club of the Year Award and a professional development workshop for library staff.

Among the contributors to the fourth annual festival will be Lionel Shriver, Joseph O’Connor, Diarmuid Feriter, Paul Howard and Fiona Looney.

And radio broadcaster Joe Duffy and leading Irish economist David McWilliams have just been confirmed for the line up, taking place in the Clare County capital.

Celebration, by wheelchair association

ARTISTS with the Irish Wheelchair Association in Limerick are holding an exhibition, Celebration, at Dooradoyle Library until February 13.

The art exhibition is showing the work of IWA service users who have produced paintings through funding from the County Arts Office for the exhibition and through funding from the VEC for tutor hours.

All comers are welcome to Celebration during its final week of show.

Piano men at the bar

THERE are more free evenings of entertainment, full weekends of them in fact, running at The Locke Bar & Restaurant.

Nick Carswell and Dermot Bowden, two Limerick based musicians, are bringing on back the good times at Georges Quay for the month of February.

“If you enjoy a good old sing-a-long to the music of the 60’s, 70s’ and 80’s plus contemporary songs then you’re bound to enjoy weekends at the Locke,” we’re told. “Starting at 9.30pm on Friday nights, Nick Carswell is first up to tinkle the ivories and the music continues Saturday and Sunday with Dermot Bowden from 4pm to 7pm”. 

If you’re a music fan, join them every Friday, Saturday and Sunday/No cover charge, visit www.lockebar.com.

Molly Keane Writing Award

THE Arts Office of Waterford Co. Council is accepting short stories for the 13th Molly Keane Memorial Creative Writing Award. 

The late writer Molly Keane lived in Ardmore until her death in 1996. Her first ten novels and four plays were published under the pseudonym MJ Farrell.  In 1981 ‘Good Behaviour’ became a publishing sensation for which she was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. 

There is no entry fee to the 2010 award, no age limit and no restriction on the subject matter, other than have your (max) 2000 words in by March 25.

A prize of €650 will be awarded to the winner at a special ceremony during the IMMRAMA Literary Festival in Lismore, Waterford, June 10th – 13th.

Full details and an entry form can be downloaded from www.waterfordcoco.ie  or by contacting the Arts Office on 058-41416.