The Museum of Country Life in Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo has been selected as museum of the year by the Gulbenkian Foundation and the Heritage Council. The award comes just 11 weeks after the new branch of the National Museum of Ireland was opened by the Minister for Arts, Ms de Valera.
The award scheme is run in association with the Northern Ireland Museums Council and is open to all museums in Ireland.
Source Foxford is a new photographic gallery and picture library in Foxford Woollen Mills in Co Mayo. Its collection dates to the early 1970s, when a group of press, creative and documentary photographers pooled their collections to form a picture library. Exhibitions were mounted in Dublin and travelling shows toured libraries and schools.
Its founder, Tom Kennedy, has published work widely, and has taught creative photography. Source Foxford is at (094) 57802.
Letterfrack National School in Connemara has proposed that every national school in the area host an inter-generational day this Christmas. Each year Letterfrack invites grandparents and older friends to the school. Each child makes an invitation card for an older friend and parents and older children bake. eventually we have a mighty spread," says school principal Leo Hallissey.
The senior class plays host, pours tea, cuts cake and hugs the grandparents. There is singing and dancing afterwards and the highlight of the afternoon is when candles are lit, carols are sung and hands are held around the room.
Liamy McNally of Mid West Radio was recent joint winner of the ESB National Media Award along with colleague Theresa O'Malley - the first local radio station win in the national radio category. A passionate reporter on regional issues, McNally is to give a talk on his journalistic experiences in the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, on Wednesday at 1.10 p.m.
In the Linenhall, on Thursday, the author of a new history of the Irish navvy, Ultan Cowley, will perform a one-man show. On the Shovel is a multi-media presentation of the Irish in Britain from the railway age to the Channel Tunnel. It takes place at 8.30 p.m. More information from the Linenhall at (094) 23733 or e-mail:linenhall@anu.ie
Athenry Writers' Group in Galway has produced its first publication, Where Free Birds Fly, billed as an "eclectic mix of poetry, song, short stories, verse and work in progress". It was put together with assistance from tutor Maire Holmes and NUI, Galway.