Toes tapped, backs slapped

On The Town: Skilled pipers, fiddle players and singers were among those who gathered on Monday night for the announcement of…

On The Town:Skilled pipers, fiddle players and singers were among those who gathered on Monday night for the announcement of the traditional music awards, Gradam Ceoil TG4 2007.

Robbie Hannon, member of the judging committee, announced piper Liam O'Flynn as the recipient of the top award, the TG4 Gradam Ceoil.

"Mar phíobaire mé féin, tá lúcháir an tsaoil orm a chur in iúl daoibh gurb é an píobaire iomráiteach Liam Ó Floinn as Contae Chill Dara a roghnaíodh mar cheoltóir traidisiúnta na bliana seo," said Hannon delightedly announcing a fellow piper as the winner.

"He is quite simply unique - for his loyalty to the piping tradition that he came from, for his own distinctive piping style . . . for the huge influence he has had on the development of piping and pipers at home and abroad," he said.

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O'Flynn and his manager, Tom Sherlock, were both at the event in the Village on Wexford Street for the announcement.

The TG4 young musician of the year, accordian player Fiachna Ó Mongáin, was joined at the event by members of his family from Doohooma in the Gaeltacht area of northwest Mayo, including his mother, Síle Uí Mhongáin, his twin brother, Oisín, his aunt, Anne Dollard, and his cousin, Gráinne Dollard.

The iconic broadcaster Ciarán Mac Mathúna, who was honoured with the musicians' award, Gradam na gCeoltóirí, was joined by sons Ciarán and Pádraic and his daughter, Deirdre. Fiddle player Paddy Cronin is the year's Gradam Saoil (Hall of Fame) recipient; Jim McGrath from Co Fermanagh is the composer of the year and Dara Bán Mac Donnchadha is amhránaí na bliana (singer).

The awards will be presented at a special concert in the Cork Opera House on Sunday, April 8th, to "artists who adorn our lives and bring a bit of beauty into them", said Pádhraic Ó Ciardha of TG4. This is the 10th year of the awards and "the heart of the music is beating strong still", he said.

Gradam Ceoil TG4 2007 will be presented at a special concert on Sunday, April 8th in the Cork Opera House. For more information visit www.corkoperahouse.ie or call 021-4270022

Prints charming in Temple Bar

The Black Church Print Studio marks a quarter of a century in existence this year with a show called Hung, Drawn and Quatered, which went on view in Dublin's Temple Bar on Thursday night.

There's something very mysterious about printmaking, said artist Aoife Dwyer, whose work is part of the show.

The studio, which moved to purpose-built premises above the Original Print Gallery in 1994, provides technical support and a fully equipped and managed workspace for its members. "Because this [the three-storey building] is so central and convenient, it's a great location," said Dwyer.

In printmaking, "you can layer and get subtlety within those layers," said fellow exhibiting artist Mary Fitzgerald. "That subtlety is quite unique to print. By using multiple plates you can build up a range of tones."

Jan de Fouw, a founding member of the studio, said artists love printmaking because of the "challenge to get an idea out of an unforgiving medium like zinc or copper or, in the case of lithographs, stone. It's an ancient process."

The work of 13 artists is on view at the gallery, including prints by chairwoman of the BCPS Kate Betts, Fiona McDonald, Tom Moore, Margaret O'Brien, Sinéad O'Reilly, Louise Peat, Alison Pilkington, Piia Rossi, Naomi Sex, Michael Timmins and Stephen Vaughan.

The show, which was curated and opened by Fiach Mac Conghail, director of the Abbey Theatre, shows "the gamut of different printmaking techniques", adding that print work "is quite an accessible medium for the public".

Choosing works for the show was "a personal journey for me", he said. "Go maire sibh go mbeidh sibh caoga," he said, wishing the Black Church Print Studio as long a life again, until it reaches its 50th year.

Continues until Sun, March 18

Dramatic kicks through the night

It was still early in the night of The Irish TimesIrish Theatre Awards when Camille O'Sullivan sang Peggy Lee's cheeky song, Is That All There Is?But the winners and the dining, the dancing, the romancing, and the speeches were still to come.

There were gorgeous gowns, thrilling tributes and dramatic drum rolls at the event in Dublin's Burlington Hotel last Sunday night. They came from all corners of the Irish theatrical world - from Galwegians to Corkonians to Jackeens - to attend.

"I'd like to thank everybody at the Abbey," said playwright Tom Murphy, who won the award for best new play, Alice Trilogy. "It is my continuing fortune and privilege to be working there . . . God bless the box office and all who sell in her."

The night's compere, Pauline McLynn, reminded guests that The Playboy of the Western World"still excites controversy" around the world. In one production last year, Chinese authorities were outraged at the scantiness of the girleens' skirts, with further outrage in Bulgaria over another production, she said.

But Aaron Monaghan, from Cavan town, who is off to Tokyo to play Christy Mahon next month, did not seem worried. He'll play opposite Cathy Belton in Druid's production of Synge's play.

Among those at the awards was Fergal McGrath, formerly of Druid, and now managing director of Magma Films. Also present was Ciara Higgins, artistic director of the two week Music in Great Irish Houses festival, which will begin on June 8th; the actor Sara Kestelman, who was nominated three years ago for her role in Thomas Kilroy's play The Shape of Metalat the Abbey; and her friends, including Ingrid Craigie, who received the special tribute award, and Fair City producer Paul Cusack and his wife Elma Cusack.

Thirteen awards were presented and then the dancing started. The 10th Irish TimesIrish Theatre Awards continued late into the night.

Mid-life crises at the cinema

Director Edward Burns and his wife, supermodel Christy Turlington, were in Dublin for the midweek screening of his film The Groomsmenat the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.

Costing just $3.2 million (€2.4 million), "it's a very small, indie budget film", explained the film's co-producer, Aaron Lubin, who was also present at Dublin's Cineworld. "It's about men and their struggle to be men," he said.

"It's a little bit of a return for Eddie to his original film, The Brothers McMullen," said Turlington, before posing with Burns for the cameras.

"I was trying to take an honest look at the early mid-life crises that young men seem to be at, who are confused about where they are at in their lives," said the director and writer, Burns. "I definitely pulled a couple of things that happened to me with my groomsmen to inspire the film."

Burns wrote, directed and acted in the film. "I'm guilty of being a control freak," he said half apologetically.

Siobhán O'Donoghue, chief executive of Media Desk Ireland, fresh from chairing a packed event for writers called From Script to Screen, also attended the screening.

Actor Feidlim Cannon, who played the skinhead Robbie in Studs, which opened the festival here last year, said the Irish-made film will close the Craic Festival in New York next month.

Others at the screening included Adelaide-born Brad Scrivens and his partner Mary Murphy, Laois woman Petrina Vousden and her boyfriend Ian Head, and bus driver John Keane and his girlfriend, art director Ciara O'Donnell.

Afterwards, following a Q&A session in the cinema, the celebrity couple and Lubin were joined by Bono, Guggi, Simon Carmody and Gavin Friday at the post-premiere party in the Clarendon Cafe.

Other festival guests included the writer and director of Someone Else, Col Spector, actresses Orlaith Hannon and Amy Huberman, and Anna Lavery of Paramount Pictures.

The fifth Jameson Dublin International Film Festival runs until tomorrow