Community Matters 17sept2024

The transcription is about a report on historical sexual abuse in schools run by religious orders. The report reveals shocking details of abuse, with nearly 2,500 allegations across 308 schools and involving 42 religious orders. One in four, an organization that supports adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, welcomes the report and the government's approval for a commission of investigation. The report also highlights the failure of teachers and religious order members to address the abuse. The survivors may have felt shame and self-blame, making it difficult for them to disclose the abuse. The report contains detailed descriptions of abuse and is available for download, but it may be distressing to read. One in four supports the recommendations for a statutory inquiry with the power to compel witnesses and documents, a report that is accessible to the public, and the establishment of financial redress for survivors. Community Matters is kindly sponsored by Cunnamara Credit Union Ltd, incorporating Clifton, Solicross and Carna branches. Cunnamara Credit Union is here to serve the people of the Cunnamara area. Main office, Clifton and Solicross branch, 09521101. Good evening and you're very welcome to this week's Community Matters. I'm Marion Harriot and I'll be here with you for the next hour. We have a lot of interesting interviews and interesting guests lined up for you, so I do hope that you're going to find something to enjoy. I'm delighted to have on the line with me Naomi Gold, who's the Advocacy Director with one in four, and the reason for that is something which I'm sure you've all been reading about in the papers and seeing on the national news and so on, which are the Scoping Inquiry Report into the investigation into historical sexual abuse in schools run by religious orders. That came out quite recently and there are various recommendations that have been made on the foot of that, so I'm sure that Naomi will be able to tell us a bit more about the recommendations and so on. One in four, of course, is an organization set up to provide support for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, which is where this comes under. So, Naomi, first of all, you're very, very welcome to Connemara Community Radio. Thank you very much for having me. So, yes, as I say, this report came out and recommendations for a commission have come out. What's the general feeling in one in four? We've been hearing about the sorts of sexual and other abuse in schools and then religious run institutions going back over the years, but this is the first one that was done specifically into schools run by religious orders and it's pretty shocking. That's correct. I mean, the report that was published nearly two weeks ago, now look at details, a scale of which I think was very shocking and distressing for most of the population. You know, nearly 2,500 allegations of abuse across 308 schools with respect to 42 religious orders. So, certainly in one in four, I mean, our work is to provide support, information and therapy services to people who have been affected by historical childhood sexual abuse. We can't say the number that's particularly shocking because we deal with men and women every day who speak to us about this. But what we do know from the report was just that a lot of the information is very distressing and that it involved a great deal of courage and bravery on behalf of all of the participants in the scoping inquiry. In one in four, we absolutely welcomed the publication of the scoping report and particularly the government's approval since the report has been published for a commission of investigation to be established to further delve into the allegations of sexual abuse that were widespread across the country. Well, indeed they were and because you're used to hearing of so many cases, you don't find it particularly shocking in the sense that you expected it. But I think for the rest of us, it was very, very shocking. I didn't make a note there. How many, you said there were how many cases of complaints that were actually made? In the report, it's noted that there's 2,395 allegations of sexual abuse, so it is a huge number. And I think in the report it also mentions, or I haven't read the report, so I may be incorrect, but I mean, the complaints were made to the headmasters or teachers or whatever in the schools and nothing was really done about it. Yes, that's correct. And that was, I think, one of the aspects of the report that was deeply distressing and harrowing for a lot of people to read was the acknowledgement that knowing what we know from listening to survivors who took part in the scoping, that abuse occurred, I guess, in the presence of other children, other pupils, but also in the presence and or knowledge of other professionals. So, like that, teachers, headmasters, members of the religious orders who perhaps were aware of the abuse that was going on and did nothing to stop it. I mean, did they do nothing because were they afraid themselves? And it just seems extraordinary that anybody, a teacher or anybody else, could see a child, for example, being abused and stand by and do nothing. It's very difficult to even comprehend both the scale of the abuse that is covered in this scoping report and the understanding of the, I guess, awareness that the abuse was happening from lots of other professionals. And I mean, it's not the first time that we've seen something like this, where it speaks to a systemic culture of abuse and violence. This is widely reported in terms of the Ryan Report, when that was published, that there was, I guess, a kind of a policy, oftentimes, of protecting the religious order, perhaps of protecting the community, protecting the professionals involved, which stops people perhaps confronting the issue at hand. So, it was a protection of reputation as much as anything else. But, I mean, with these children involved, would they have felt able to go to their parents? I mean, presumably some of the complaints came from parents, it wasn't all just from the students themselves. But was it just that in the times that were in it, the parents felt, well, maybe my child's lying, I can't believe that the brothers would do that, or the sisters or whatever it might be. I don't know if there's enough evidence to kind of support, I guess, any assertion that maybe parents disbelieved the children necessarily. I think what we can see from the survivor testimony in the scoping report is that there was certainly that culture of violence that made it very difficult for people to challenge the authority, particularly when there was, when physical violence was routine, when humiliation and emotional violence was routine in the schools, it was very difficult then to challenge perhaps some of the sexual abuse that was occurring. We can also see in some of the survivor evidence, and we know in one and four from, you know, men and women speaking to us about their own personal experiences, is that unfortunately childhood sexual abuse can lead the survivor to feel quite a lot of shame and quite a lot of self-blame. And that can sometimes render them silent in terms of being able to maybe disclose what is occurring for them. And it can keep that shame and that silence for many, many years. Certainly in some experiences, people did speak out and, you know, obviously reports were made to the religious orders, which then informed some of the data in the scoping report. But I guess there would be, there's probably a myriad of reasons, both personal and cultural, that influenced perhaps the non-disclosure of sexual abuse at the time. Right, so now as well as, obviously, you know, describing, and in quite detail, and I know that they do say that the report says, yes, please note that this report contains detailed descriptions of sexual abuse, physical violence, and references to suicide. It may be distressing to read. Let's be honest, however distressing it is to read, it must have been an awful lot more distressing to be at the end of it. But so, I mean, really, it does go into a lot of detail. And it's a huge report. I mean, there can't be that many people who are actually going to read all through it, other than people who will be involved professionally. I'm not sure, to be honest, I can't speak to that. I know that a lot of the, I guess, the people that we've been speaking with in the last couple of weeks have certainly seen maybe various aspects of it. Of course, it is available on the website to download. And I guess what we know is that it certainly is a very comprehensive document. It's, I think, close to maybe 800 pages. And we know from previously speaking with some of the participants who took part in the scoping inquiry that they felt the process that was, I guess, headed up by Senior Counsellor Mary O'Toole and her team was very survivor focused and respectful and considered. And that's very important. You know, we need to acknowledge when a process has, I guess, taken that survivor lead. You know, and I guess we would commend Senior Counsellor Mary O'Toole and her team on that. We hope that that tone, that kind of survivor focused tone that has been established through the scoping inquiry, be certainly be continued into the commission of investigation because we know from survivors that what they are saying that they want is something that is, you know, compassionate and as non-adversarial as possible. Right. Yes, that's obviously very, very important. Now, I know that there have been recommendations made and that one in four is supporting a certain number of them. I would just like to go through those sort of a few recommendations which you are supporting to take to government and to continue to further the whole thing, really. The participants of the scoping kind of outlined several key recommendations and all of that certainly, there are all of that one in four would support. So, I guess the main one has been that a statutory inquiry, you know, be set up. That has, the government has committed to doing that and we would support that. I guess it's important that that, you know, that any commission to investigate has the power to compel witnesses and documents, you know, that the report that would come out at the end would be accessible and public but I guess a commission that would also give survivors the opportunity to give evidence in private and as I said previously and in a way that is survivor focused and non-adversarial as possible. So, another recommendation that came out of the scoping inquiry was the establishment of financial redress which the state and the religious orders would be, you know, accountable for financing. We know in one and four that, you know, the impacts of child sexual abuse can be lifelong, they can be devastating and we know from our work and we know from previous, I guess, redress schemes that financial redress can't undo any of the harm that's been caused by child sexual abuse but it can absolutely provide recognition of that harm and accountability from the state and from the religious orders and I guess even practical support for survivors who have been harmed. So, you know, a redress scheme that is fair and inclusive and, you know, established swiftly is something that one and four would absolutely support and I guess finally there was some valuable discussion in the scoping report in relation to the establishment of, I guess, a survivor engagement program and what that means, I guess, in this context would be an avenue for survivors who either cannot or do not want to engage with, you know, a statutory process like the Commission of Investigation that has been committed to but that they still want to share their experiences and have, you know, have their voice heard, have that validation piece and that's something that we think is very important, you know, to allow people to share their experiences in their own way, in a way that might benefit them the most and certainly in a way that is not going to add to any re-traumatization. Okay, well I'm pretty much going to have to leave it there, unfortunately, but I do want to mention, just before I do, first of all, if anybody does want to read the report, it can be read on gov.ie and you'll find that it's called the Scoping Inquiry Report, you'll find it there. Now, obviously, also there is possibly a need for people to have further counselling, one in four offer counselling services, I know, and that's, you can get information there on oneinfour.ie. There are also quite a number of other counselling services available, they are also actually on the gov.ie, you know, where the report is, you'll find also names of other counselling and support agencies. So, really, I think that's probably as much as we can do here today, but Naomi, thank you very, very much for joining us, for telling us about it. It's, oneinfour are doing great work and I do hope that you'll be able to continue helping the people who you do help. Thank you very much, Marion, and absolutely, I would encourage any of your listeners who may be affected by what they have heard or seen or read in the last two weeks in relation to the Scoping Inquiry to absolutely reach out to us. We are there to provide support and information to anybody who might be affected. Okay, do you have a free phone number? We have a Dublin number, which is 016624070. Okay, 016624070. If anybody would like to speak to somebody at oneinfour, particularly if you've been disturbed by anything you've been hearing here today or on the news and so on and so forth, it's been all over the national news as well. So thank you very, very much anyway, and well, good luck with your future work. Thank you very much, Marion. Thank you. Did you know Irish CityLink accepts the free travel path on all our routes, including Clifton to Galway and Galway to Dublin City and Airport. To ensure your seat, book online at citylink.ie. That's citylink.ie. 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When I got up this morning the house was really freezing. I checked the oil tank, it was empty. That must be the reason. So I called up Sweeney Oil, a truly local company and took my order for some oil and delivered straight to me. Sweeney Oil are at your service, friendly, helpful and they care. There are many easy ways to pay, now that's what I call fair. They deliver oil to homes all over Galway and Surround and Sweeney Oil's prices are the very best around. For the best value home heating oil in Galway, call Sweeney Oil today on 1-800-555-999 or visit sweeneyoil.ie. Sweeney Oil, the warmer way to heat your home. Well I'm delighted to have on the line with me Sean Nee from Ballyconeely and Caroline Rush who is the Secretary of Parkinson's Ireland Galway branch. Now regular listeners will remember I'm sure that Sean gave a very interesting interview with Ronan Tierney back on Community Matters back in March I think it was and at that time they were talking about the Nee Family Six Bends Challenge which they had done in 2023 and which raised over 20,000 euros. So really we're continuing on from that because we've got great news just recently which is of course that Sean has won a People of the Year Award and we're all delighted to hear that and many many congratulations Sean. So I am speaking to Sean at the moment. You must have been absolutely thrilled that your work was recognised in such a way. It was unexpected. I didn't expect it. I'm happy to accept it but there's so many people involved I feel a bit guilty taking it myself because the community and family and there's so many people who supported us and I just feel a bit guilty. Oh you certainly shouldn't be feeling guilty. I mean they obviously you're from what you're saying I mean you're obviously going to share the kudos with them anyway and that's the important thing. Yes with almighty support. Once people knew the money was going local they were happy to support. Well I think that's great and have you at the moment got plans for any further fundraising events? Could I interject there? You definitely may Caroline. Mark Tapperlam in here but actually Sean and his wonderful sister Bernie who I have to say now is a fantastic support to both Sean and to our associates. She is a fantastic person and and she along with Sean we're having we're climbing Diamond Hill on the 20th of October. Then we're heading yeah so this is lovely it's going to be yeah we're climbing the diamond on the 20th of October 2024 and then we're back to the lovely Ross League Manor. Thank you to Mark he's inviting us back to his hotel and providing refreshments for us and we have a raffle for absolutely beautiful prizes. There's a lovely one for one night B&B in Ross League and another in at the Abbey Glen. Wouldn't we all love that and then the station house who are very good to us. We'll talk about that in a moment giving us a one night B&B also or a one year adult gym membership. Now there's lots more prizes but there are a few that and then five euro for a ticket a book of five for 20 euro. And where are the tickets available Caroline? Now the tickets will be available from the wonderful Bernie and we'll also put up on our our our Facebook page where we where we can but Bernie and and Sean will be the main people behind it. Okay well people obviously Malachinili area will know where to go and for the rest of us yeah we usually say it'll be on Facebook because obviously well it will be it will be might be available in in some of the shops and you know the little grocery shops and so on around the area as well which would be good. Yeah yeah yeah yeah that's it so the tickets have they're only getting out to to Bernie this week so um we'll we'll get them out to her and we can start selling. So that'll be a lovely day out in the Ross League manner. Yeah yeah yeah it'll be a lovely day out climbing the diamond as well providing the weather's good. So sorry for interrupting there now because that man is too too modest. Keep going there Sean. Well just before I say any more Sean I would just like just I should have asked you right at the beginning really how are you these days? I'm good I'm the physio in town do help a lot we do that every Wednesday and I meet up with people and it's fantastic we have a cup of tea sometimes afterwards and it's just just fantastic absolutely fantastic and of course thank you to the physio who does mighty motivations and regards them to the people of physio in Clifton. But I think we have to also say there that that the physio classes came about as a result of your fundraising last year. Yes that's why they're there there was no physio classes before that and now I know that the other thing and maybe I'll come to Caroline here is that looking now and I presume maybe maybe the the raffle and so on it has to do with it is to get a speech therapy for Clifton as well. That is very very true and we are working hard my my other colleague Marie Cahill it's it's it's just so difficult to find but we are we are very positive at the moment that we will have one in the next I won't say weeks but I will say months and because it's a priority again like the physio was a priority last year thanks to Sean certainly speech classes is another priority for us to give to the people of Connemara. Is the problem there a lack of a lack of funding for it or is it just a lack of speech therapy? It's a lack of funding we do the same in Galway City and we were just finding it extremely now we have we've once a month in Galway City we have it for the whole city and county and but we're just finding it extremely difficult for the last year and a half so we've a lovely lady called Rebecca and if she's got working with her we will try and get the service out to Clifton we really are trying working very hard on that. Right so there's a shortage of speech therapists basically is it? There is a shortage of speech therapists so look if anybody's out there listening to this and they can help us out and I mean that and please I'll give our numbers at the end and myself or Marie if they would like to um and you'll give a class to our members absolutely we'd be we've been trying but we just haven't been successful but you never know somebody might be listening in that you know you could even do it on a Saturday you know you don't if you're working during the week and it'd just be an hour and you know an hour and a half on a Saturday maybe but it has to be somebody who's been trained and qualified to do this. Oh you know I mean I mean qualified yeah you know but they would like you know if they could help us out. If there is somebody like you know who out there who might be interested what number should they call Caroline? I have your mobile here but I don't know if that's the right number or it's another one. Yes I will give you Marie come on it's our chairperson okay it's 087 yes 77 83 825. Okay I'm going to say that again now just in case anybody didn't get it so hopefully you've got your pens and papers out 087 778 3825 and that will get you through to Marie who is the chairperson of Parkinson's Ireland Galway branch. Am I right in saying Caroline that it's completely voluntary organization? It is indeed completely voluntary it is now the likes of Sean and there's a lot more Sean's out there are very good to us in Galway and I should also on the night of the people of the year award which Sean will be presented with his uh plaque and the proceeds of the night are going to uh Galway Parkinson's and Gorth Cancer Care. All right. So um just yeah so thank you Ali and Robinson and his team for for selecting our charity for that night. What night is that Caroline? That's actually on the 22nd of November in the Galway Bay Hotel. Yeah so we'll have a we'll have we're going to have a marvellous night yes. And that'll be a great night for you Sean you'll be there and I'm sure your sister and all your family will be with you. Oh the whole lot yes the whole time. They are they're a great family yeah. Well they obviously are and doing doing great work. I have to leave it there unfortunately but it's been lovely talking to both of you. Sean I'm delighted to hear that you're you're doing well and you're you're keeping going good. I'd like to thank you for giving us support and publicity all the time. Well we're very very happy to do so. Yeah may I say as well if there's anybody now out there that um would like to contract us um Sean was you know took the bull by the horns and contract contracted us to over two years ago. Yeah so if there's anybody out there we are so willing to help. We really are we're a brilliant branch because of our members and we will try and help them in any way we can. So if they want to contact again Marie or my or my number um is 086 25 666 55. We get a membership form out to them and then they'll be part of our group and uh you know we also do I should pay if you don't mind me mentioning the physio which is going a bomb in the station house hotel every Wednesday uh with Sarah but Dana also does um home visits which is another vital uh you know service that we provide. So like that if there's people with Parkinson's out there that feel oh look I won't be able to get into classes please you know contract contract us we will get our physio uh Donna Kate is her name out to visit you you know. Okay Caroline thank you. But I'd love me I'd love you anybody out there please do contact us. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Well thank you both of you very much and all the best to you. God bless you. Okay bye bye. God bless you too. Community Matters is kindly sponsored by Connemara Credit Union Ltd. Incorporating Clifton, Holy Cross and Carna branches 195 2101. I'm delighted to have in the studio with me uh Yvonne Donoghue who is the coordinator with YouthReach here in Letterfrack and of course this time of year we've just just started back a lot of new students coming come out of school and uh started their YouthReach courses. So how are things going so far Yvonne? Yes we're very busy at the moment thank God and we have our two programs up and running. So we have the lead and certified program and we have a QQI level four or five mixed program. So um we have recently increased to 30 place centre and um we're almost full at the moment. There's still a room to recruit but the numbers are good. Well that's important because if there's anybody listening maybe who maybe didn't get the leaving results they wanted um maybe want to do the leaving cert again which obviously they can do there with you as YouthReach. Yeah our leading certified program it's a it's a two-year program and um it's primarily for anyone that's kind of early school leaving or hasn't engaged in school um our QQI program then we'd be looking at students that may have not progressed on after leaving cert and we do that in conjunction with the adult education here in the FRAC. So um we kind of come up with individual kind of lives tailored courses with the horticulture and communications with different courses that are on in the adult ed and that we have our tangible as well and we kind of see what suits best the need of the individual in front of us and we tailor a program for them. So they get a bit of the adult ed and they come to YouthReach then from some of the practical skills. But what sort of breakdown is there between people doing the applied leaving and the other course? I find that it's 10 10 and 10 so that's how I broke down the certificate entry so the leaving certified two-year program so there's 10 in each of that so that's 20 students and there'll be 10 then in the in the blended um adult ed and youth education course. I mean if if a person doesn't have much idea of what they want to do because an awful lot of people do leave school and they don't have a clue what they want to do um can they can they sort of come in and try things out? Yeah and further education in the area in Clifton and out of practice so many things going on I'm sure you would talking to CERC as well on another program and everything from special needs to uh horticulture business and you could even sample we'll say some of the courses that are on offer like that as kind of like a an introductory for the year and be better set suited then for next September to apply to TTI or to apply to what course you want to progress on which it can be very very useful as a stepping stone and it keeps you in kind of the mode of education I think it's sometimes people have these ideas of taking a year out but the year out can also I suppose you're stepping away from academics and yes and it can be hard to go back it can be very hard to go back so it keeps you kind of in tune with uh deadline dates and like and you're also doing assignments and it keeps you in tune with academics by by keeping on a course. Is it completely free to students? Uh usage? Yes. Yes so if you're over 18 there's a training allowance of 232 euro and if you're over 16 it's 45 euro so um there's a traineeship allowance kind of uh that it's based on. Okay. And it's attendance based so obviously if you're not in you don't get paid. Okay so not only it's free in the sense that they don't have to pay any fees they are actually paid to attend. Yes. Yeah that's a nice one. Yeah it was established in 1989 and it was a response to um immigration and I suppose there wasn't a lot of employment at the time so the department of trade and employment and education came together and created this course that was an apprenticeship model so it was trying to re-engage people with trades and skills and um to try and get them back in so that they would progress further uh into skills and trades and so many years later I think there's 107 new teachers all over Ireland and we were one of the first ones and we're still in existence. Right. Credit to the staff that are there. Are you just opening to people from this locality? Are they all local or do you take if somebody decides we'll say coming from I don't know Sligo or somewhere would would they be able to come to this one or would you say to them well no go to one in your own area? Well I'd look at I suppose the accessibility from forest so if they had moved to the area and like and they were living here now of course I'd look at them but the nearest youth reach to us at the moment is in Galway City and the next one is I think it's uh like so we don't have yeah well that's the other side but so we've got yeah there's one in Galway City, one in Ballast Slope, Tumna. Right. Um yeah so well you mentioned a couple of cities there I mean you said Kilchemaugh but not Castlebar for example. Not Castlebar no yeah. Yeah it's kind of strange they put it in the more rural area. In the more rural yeah they're all under ETBs well majority of them and I know my courses are up on fetchcourses.ie. That's where people want that can apply. Yeah to apply so can you just give that again? It's fetchcoursesonline.ie. So even if you do FETCH. FETCH.ie. Yeah so if you do the fetch courses it should be the top of the list. Right. All actual uh further education and training courses within your area should be on it whether it be Galway City, let it rack you can kind of refine the search and it'll tell you what's in your locality. Yes because presumably they vary a bit from from one place to another. Yeah. Yeah but hopefully they'd find something that's suitable here for them. Yeah for us our age range is 16 to 20 but on the FETCH.ie. if you were kind of over 20 and you wanted to know what were the added education courses on in the area they should be up there as well. Right well I said obviously I don't know an awful lot about the individual courses and so on what I do know is that I've met a number of people who have done the course here over the years and including people who now have degrees. Yes. And they've gone on you know just from starting there with the early school leavers decided to go back and do the the leaving and so on and then went on into college did degrees and have now got good jobs and it is a very very good way particularly for somebody who perhaps is not brilliantly academic at school but then I mean some people develop at different stages. Yeah it's lifelong learning really that's the way I say it and the road might be a little bit longer you might have to do a PLC or like instead of going directly into a university program but sometimes that year or two extra gives you the better sense of who you want to be and what you want to do and like the longer road. And you're a bit more mature at that point. You have a better idea of where you're going. Yes definitely and even like the subjects we have we're very lucky there to do metalwork, woodwork, cookery, art. So the choice in the subjects in the centre is quite broad. So through the two years on the program they do three stages on work experience. So they engage with employers so if you had somebody that knew they wanted to be an apprentice wanted to do trade they didn't know what trade they wanted to do because they've never had experience plumbing or carpentry or so I'd encourage them over the two years to go to different businesses and areas that they'd have an interest in and by the end of the two years to have an understanding of what trade they want to do. Right yes yes that makes an awful lot of sense. Yeah I know it is I mean I think a lot of people have done very very well from going to university. I'm sure it isn't a success for everybody but it does seem to be for quite a lot of people and I think we're very lucky to have you here. Thank you very much. I have to leave it there I think but don't forget that it's fetch.ie. Yes if you want to if you want to contact me on 095 418 93 095 418 93 and then we have a Utrecht Facebook page as well so if anyone wants to message but 095 418 93 and ask for Yvonne and you'll be speaking to Yvonne who I'm speaking to now. So if we managed to get that information out to you there so well you know if you've still if you have got people perhaps either left school early or people who haven't done it got the the the the results they needed at school and so on it's an option and it's something to look at. Yvonne thank you very very much indeed. Thank you. Now you may very well have recognized that piece of music. I didn't introduce it before because I I wanted to to just play it for you. It was a part of The Road West by Martin O'Connor and the reason of course I played it and the reason why it's familiar to you is that we use it as a signature tune on Arts on Air and Arts on Air of course is our broadcast from the studio in Clifton during the the whole of the Clifton Arts Festival and of course that is coming up very very soon. So that is why I played the music just to remind you. I'm absolutely delighted now to have on the line a co-presenter on the radio with me here and that is Brendan O'Scannell but the reason I have him on at the moment you've probably been seeing the brochures for the 2024 Clifton Arts Festival around the place and do pick one up. I mean they're absolutely gorgeous actually it's a lovely publication and Brendan is the chairperson of the Clifton Arts Festival Committee so I'm delighted to have him on. So hi Brendan how are you? Hi Marion how are you? And yeah it's a lovely it's a lovely brochure it looks really well. Yeah there's a huge amount of work got into it obviously over the last year basically in fact even farther because we start booking things from one year to the next in a way you know people who want to get on to this year's festival we say look no space we put you on next year so we actually try to have things in advance like that but it is an awful lot of work getting all the different parts together and getting the different sections of it and I suppose what you know we're very proud of all the time is that we have such an array of pieces there that there's literally something for everyone you know not everything is going to suit everybody but that's the nature of the game so I think we've fairly covered most aspects of arts between the visual arts you know poetry readings and of course the music and theatre as well so really I think there's you know something that everybody should be able to find an interest in. Well I've just got hold of the brochure today actually so I'm kind of been leaping through it very briefly but as you say I mean there's loads of art exhibitions and there's the what do you call it the one where all the paintings are in the shop windows I love that one the art trail yeah yeah I love that because you can just wander around the town and then and you sort of get the you feel that the festival's there because of those it really does bring it right out into the streets which I think is great. Yeah well I think the arts trail is something that's really I wouldn't say that's unique to Clifton but it's certainly very unusual to have something like this because it really is kind of an open-air gallery that people can go from shop window to shop window and have a look and of course there's the arts trail is mentioned here on it so you can see which places have the different pieces of art in the window and also I suppose it also gives people an opportunity to you know not feel too threatened about looking at art because sometimes people don't like going into galleries and into spaces like that they kind of you know would be interested so I think it works really well as also of course gives a great opportunity for school kids and every year we do kind of art trail walks around the town with different students from different schools and they would be kind of given a personal tour and talked about the different pieces so we always try to bring the education aspect into it as well as just for people to enjoy it and of course you know they get to see so many different types of art as well but that all helps as well well it does and then there is an awful lot of different kinds of art as I say I mean I'm just leafing through the brochure now but I can see you know all sorts of different characters you've got your sort of traditional kind of landscapes and you've got some very modern abstract and almost surreal types of artists everything's there yeah well we actually have a surreal section this year which is interesting because it's uh you know it's kind of surreal art in Calamara the Clifton Surrealism and of course it features a very well-known piece of people Gavin Lavelle and of course Joe Boskey you know they're quite surreal the way they do things but that's just part of it but I mean we have stuff from the Upter Arts group coming out as well and then there's art exhibitions as they say and bus tours as well and the ones to Ballina Haynes for Seth and I they're completely full but there's still I think spaces on the plan is off Pleggan one but people have a chance on Saturday the 21st Wednesday the 25th and Saturday the 28th to go on a bus tour to visit three different sections of art or four different sections of art and to just kind of experience something that they may not be able to get out to see so it kind of opens all that up to them as well which is important you know yeah that's right at the beginning of the brochure too where people can kind of see what's happening and then yeah it's a great idea because obviously people don't always want to get the cars out anyway so and I have to imagine that the bus the bus trip is sort of part of the whole experience it is because you're sharing with people a guide on the bus talking to you about various things as well and things like that but yeah it's a lovely opportunity for people to get a chance to to see you know different areas of Cannabis as well too you get quite a few people who arrive out by bus from Galway and you know have a day or two days here but they don't have a car and it just gives them a chance to get out and see other stuff so we like to try and move it out and I think a lot of the events this year are you know farther afield a little bit out and there's a great one out in Lough Aina, the chenotes are in Lough and there's also pieces in Joyce's Craft Shop and Recess and the Aina Valley of course and you know different places like that and the idea really is to get stuff out and of course play games and things so yeah I mean I think the more we can get out into the community because you know it's a Clifton community it's also a Connemara community so we're very happy to have more and more people you know taking part in it and that's really good we finish bottled field trips and things as well which are great you know. Well it's great for somebody who's coming down for a few you know a few days and they're going to be in and around town most of that time but to be able to have a little trip and see a bit more of Connemara is a good thing too. So we've been talking mostly sort of there up to now there about the art but then you come into the next bit of the brochure and we're on to the well all sorts of different things I mean talks, poetry, readings and so on, drama, music, I mean there is just so much going on. Yeah there is there's a huge amount of different events for people to get a chance to explore you know different forms of art and things like that or music and so on and that and you know we try to have I suppose in a way something for everyone so like you know there's lots of traditional music which is great there's music coming from Atalanta there's you know music from modern pieces in the centre there's a wonderful group from the Cork area called the Burma who are very popular in that area and they've won all sorts of awards they're superb and of course there's lots of other bits and pieces the you know lots of that and then at the very last evening we have Rod Strong as well in the square and that would be fantastic as well so that should be you know good but there's a load of other pieces there for people and we try to cover almost everything we have you know as I say a great concert with Michael English and that would be very popular with an awful lot of people he's a very well-known performer and he's you know very popular with people so the big thing of course for people is to book their tickets because even though you know we often say or they often say to us well there should be loads of space there but on the evening it may be fairly full so it's a good idea to go online and book the tickets or to go into the booking office which is there on Bridge Street just kind of next to or beside the Arrhenius Optician. Yeah and is the booking office open sort of I don't know what 10 till 6 or whatever? Yeah it's pretty much open all day usually from like 9.30 until 5 or 6 and then on Saturdays for a few hours and Sunday even for a few hours so yeah it's there quite a lot and people can come in and just book directly and it's you know it's quite busy all the time and it's nice then as well because you can talk to people about you know what you think of this one and what would you like and I would just recommend that one so like it's kind of nicer than just going through the book and saying I wonder what that's like yourself so it's really good to try and kind of get people to have a you know have a chat with people about it but there really really is so many different things for people to pick that's you know as I say it's just great that they have a chance to do that and as I say by selecting these pieces or by you know picking whichever one you think you want that you can talk to people as well so you're getting your tickets and all that as well as having a conversation you know. But I should just take that make that into the wider thing of the same thing you know just the fact that you're here in Connemara and we're living here year round you know those of us who live here you know to see any of the most of these people you know we'd have to travel a long way and there's very very few small towns in Ireland or anywhere else that puts on something this encompassing every year. Well that's true yeah I mean we're probably the largest community art festival in the country you know the other ones like the kind of Galway Kilkenny and these kind of ones are all the big professional ones but that's a completely different ballgame in every sense of the word but of community festivals we would be probably the the largest and certainly the longest running I mean this is our 47th year of the festival I mean it's amazing to think that it's that long of a go and I've been here for nearly all of us unfortunately but that's okay but yeah it's just like I mean it is the fact that this is all available just here and generally very reasonably priced I mean if you were to go to Galway and go to let's just say Hermitage Green who are on this you know 8 o'clock on Saturday the 24th you're probably paying 40 or 50 euro for for tickets but I mean like here it's it's so reasonably priced so I think it's it's a matter of you know people should be appreciative of that type of idea that you know they have a chance to go to something that they would be dreamy about if they're as you say somewhere else in the country but we have it here and it just would be lovely for people to come out and support it because again without support of everybody this festival you know can't and won't continue if people don't make any effort to support us now luckily we haven't got that problem that people are supporting in a huge way there's never has been that problem really has there I mean it's through all those 47 years um maybe maybe the couple of Covid years of things were difficult and so on but generally speaking through those 47 years and there's always been I told there is a certain um events which perhaps don't get terribly well attended but the majority of them pretty much fill up oh yeah most of them do and I mean that's the great thing we don't you know as I say we don't worry too much about it in a sense we're very happy but it's just a matter now of kind of trying to uh you know the the booking just kind of makes well it makes the committee feel much better when they see that there's actually bookings because generally speaking of the night it's going to be fairly busy anyway but at the same time it's nice to see in advance well the only thing that you expect to be popular then you you know you'd be foolish not to book because you don't be turning up there and find you can't get in yeah yeah absolutely as I say there's so many different you know I mentioned one or two there but I one of the things that should be very interesting is the fidget seats uh big go session off at the school in Clifton and that's kind of an unusual uh piece to say the least but it's going to be the fidget seats at the aerial acrobatic people and whenever they put on their shows they really are spectacular the way they do it I mean I think anyone who's been to see them uh they were at Connemara National Park a few years ago doing a show and they're you know they always take part in or have been in the past taking part in the final uh parade part and it's just so spectacular to see them kind of coming out in the sky and circling around and doing all sorts of things but this is a kind of a uh drive-in bingo show uh with aerial dancers and you know all sorts of other people including Elvis is going to make an appearance there as well and it's it's a really lovely kind of a family get-together thing and this you know there's tickets uh there for you know people on the road or people with uh cars driving in and all that kind of stuff so anyone that wants to kind of look at that one as I say that's going to be on on uh the uh Saturday the 21st uh at 2 p.m but I think it's also on uh Sunday and things as well so there's quite a few other bits and pieces with that particular one and it should be very exciting for for kids and things like that so they actually have a 1 p.m and 4 p.m show on Sunday the 22nd so I think you know it'll be an interesting one and uh as I say I will uh you know recommend that one because I know that people really enjoy them when when they get to them if you know what I mean so it's just they might be looking at what they've got this about I don't think it really matters what it's about it's the same as when we had uh Luxy doing the things out on the beaches and do different things like that that people just go and they just say wow these are unbelievable when you get there I mean they may not sound like anything as such but when you have some people you know people coming out of the sky from 40 feet above your head coming down dancing above your head and doing all sorts of crazy stuff it's really spectacular and I think people would be very you know very sad to miss it so I would recommend people that they look at that one as well because it's something very different. Indeed it is and unfortunately I'm going to have to leave it there Brendan I know we're going to be talking again uh and well you'll you'll be talking more about it and the other presenters will be talking about it and of course you're going to have Arts on Air there as always uh so uh you know we will be talking to you from Clifton as well um if people want to book tickets it's if they just go if they just google Clifton Arts Festival they'll get taken over the page. CliftonArtsFestival.ie is the website. That's it yeah and that will give you the access there but if they're in town just call into the office on Bridge Street and people there would be delighted to help there's always two or three people there they don't have to wait very long or anything like that. That's great thank you very very much for joining us Brendan and uh good luck with the festival you're all on centre hooks at this point okay bye bye bye bye see you bye. Well that brings me to the end of this evening's program I do hope you have enjoyed it. I'd just like to say some thank yous before I leave I'd like to thank first of all all the guests who were on of course uh that was Naomi Gold, Sean Nee and Caroline Rush, Yvonne Donoghue and lastly there Brendan O'Connell. I'd also like to say thank you to Pat Coyne who's here on the desk with me and to Breed O'Malley who did the research for the program but for me for this evening that's it with percussion news coming up now with Bernard Lee that's followed by CIC and finally Colin Wolfe will be here with his music and that'll bring us up to nine o'clock and the end of today's programs so that's for me that's it good night.