The magic of mayo
THE people of Co. Mayo know that there is always magic in the air in this beautiful county in the west of Ireland, a county which has the longest stretch of coastline along the Wild Atlantic Way.
But the same people will also tell you that the magic of Mayo is not just about its natural beauty; it lies deep within the people themselves, within communities, within parishes, within GAA clubs, within homes.
There is a wonderful sense of community that has been passed on from generation to generation, and although the county has progressed with the times, it maintains old traditions with pride and the concept of the 'meitheal' has most certainly never died.
On the opening night of the 40th Westport Arts Festival this evening (Wednesday, September 30), the people of Mayo are in for a real treat as they will get an opportunity to look back at where these traditions came from, and yet this special performance will provide something new that will warm the hearts of all in attendance and give hope for the future.
Draíocht Mhaigh Eo will combine the old with the new, tradition with innovation, and it will capture some of the 'magic of Mayo'.
Archival film footage from Co. Mayo has been obtained from the Irish Film Institute. The film footage is silent, and with funding received through DEIS, the traditional arts funding scheme of the Arts Council of Ireland, a new piece of music was commissioned to accompany the film. This music has been composed by two Westport residents, Achill native and pipe major of the Clew Bay Pipe Band, Des Cafferkey, and Bartholomew de Boer, originally from Poland, who is producer and engineer at Clew Bay Recording Studio.
The archival film footage includes a variety of scenes and dates from the 1920s up until the 1970s. It includes 'Turas na Cruaiche', a pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick in 1959, pilgrims to Knock in the 1950s, a number of gatherings in Westport and its surrounding areas, a market day in Westport, a Corpus Christi parade, currach racing at Old Head, and much more. It shows footage of Mrs. Morrison carding and spinning wool on a spinning wheel in Thallabawn in 1977. The film finishes with 'Whaling Afloat and Ashore' - the oldest surviving fully-crafted documentary made in Ireland, which was made in Mayo.
The film footage will be projected onto a big screen and will be accompanied by the newly composed music, which will be performed live by a band of local musicians.
This promises to be a very special event, and anyone who lives or has lived in Mayo, who has visited Knock or climbed the Reek, will be guaranteed to enjoy this wonderful production.
The show will be performed in the Town Hall Theatre, Westport, at 8 p.m. tonight, with tickets on sale at a special rate of €10. The show will also be performed on the closing night of Westport Arts Festival - Sunday, October 4 (8 p.m.) - with tickets at €15/12 for the final night's showing. They are available through the Town Hall Theatre box office on (098) 28459.