Balor Arts Center

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One-Eyed One Irish legend recreated by talented Donegal drama group in Falcarragh

Ever heard about Balor of the Evil Eye?

It’s an ancient Irish legend about the nasty, one-eyed mythical tyrant of a King on Tory Island in Donegal who’s killed by his grandson, Lugh – and there’s no better way to enjoy this suspense-filled story of life and death than when it’s hosted by the Cloughaneely Players, a delightful drama group in the local town of Falcarragh.

As part of its ongoing community service programme, this amiable band of actors and friends put on a wonderful outdoor show recently that had schoolchildren and adults alike both enchanted and enthralled. 

And it took place, most appropriately, beside a 16-foot pedestal, a white limestone boulder with red veining atop a pillar known as the ‘Cloughaneely Stone (Cloich Cheann Fhaola)’, the red veining symbolising the petrified blood of a chieftain called MacKineely (Cian mac Cáinte) beheaded on the stone by Balor after he discovered he planned to kill him after he’d stolen one of MacKineely’s prized cows – Glas Gaibhnenn.

Under the astute direction of Murray Learmont and led by narrator, Joe Kelly, a leading folklorist, the actors had young schoolchildren jumping up and down like excited kangaroos just out of their pouches during the entire production (and a few adults too, though I dare not say who they were less I embarrass them).

Organiser of the event was Mark Boylan, co-manager of the Cloughaneely under 11 Irish GAA football team, with Kevin Scanlon, chairperson of the Cloughaneely Minor Board, giving a short speech to kick-off the evening. 

A stellar cast, one with the creative ability to slip off-script and concoct amusing dialogue spontaneously, included Denis Doohan in the lead role of Balor (I particularly liked his joke about Balor having more defenders than Jim McGuinness, the recently-named manager of the Donegal Irish senior GAA football team. 

The intrepid, Mickey McHugh, showing off his dainty, Lionel Messi-like legs and dressed in a costume that looked like it was woven from the hair of a banshee, acted as MacNeely. Insiders say Mister McHugh was specifically chosen for the role due to his lifelong, hard-won, cow-milking abilities which he displayed with tremendous exuberance – by spraying the entire audience with his own brand of the liquid. 

(l to r) Yanto and Rohan as the forever-giving milk cow, Mickey McHugh alias Lionel Messi and Denis Doohan as the face-decorated Balor consider their options.

Lugh, Balor’s grandson, was played wonderfully by Pierce Butler, especially impressive with his warlike cries and deadly sword fight with his grandfather, leaving his foe prostrate among a crowd of enthusiastic youngsters.  

Legendary cow, Glas Gaibhnenn, receives a wee bit of attention off-stage.

Kudos also go to Maggie McKinney, a native of Castlewellan, County Down, who played not one, but two roles – the screeching witch, Biróg, who predicts Balor’s downfall, as well as the bold and brassy, what-are-ye-waiting-for-let’s-have-sex, Eithne, Balor’s daughter, who – in what must be Guinness World Record time – ‘enjoys relations’ with MacNeely and produces not one but three babies, one of which was Lugh. All done and dusted in thirty seconds.

‘Prepare to die’ says Lugh (Pierce Butler) to Balor (Denis Doohan) – but only one will emerge alive.

Mention must also be made of the cow – the beloved animal that was at the center of the entire conflict. As one who has never tried imitating a member of the bovine community, I can only presume that acting the role of a cow is not easy by any means. So many congratulations to Yanto and Rohan, members of Youthreach, for doing so.

Birog the witch (Maggie McKinney) confronts MacNeely (Mickey McHugh).

Next on the dramatic circuit for the talented Cloughaneely Players is a production of the classic story, Casablanca, which I’m reliably informed may be staged sometime in November.

Photographing the entire dramatic proceedings on the evening was Annamarie Coyle, so watch out for her excellent images capturing one of the most tantalising struggles in Irish legendary history.

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‘GAA Jersey’ should be modern-era anthem for Irish native sport

If versatility is a sign of artistic talent – painters turning their skills to oils, watercolors and acrylics, landscapes as well as portraits; writers penning cross-genre, including poetry, short stories and novels – then musician-singer-songwriter Pat Gallagher can rightly claim membership of this rare cadre of gifted people.

As amply displayed this weekend at the Balor Arts Center in Donegal, Gallagher – supported by his outstanding group, ‘Goats Don’t Shave’ – can soften the hardest of hearts with poignant songs of lost lives and lost loves as in ‘The Volunteer’ about the 1916 Irish Revolution with its sad but uplifting refrain, ‘Close your eyes my little darling, may the angels keep you safe tonight, tomorrow in the new light you will rise,’ while also setting hands clapping and feet tapping boisterously with the dynamic ‘Crooked Jack,’ about an Irish gigolo, enlivened by mesmerizing fiddle and banjo playing by Stephen Campbell and Gallagher respectively.

As for musical genres: west Donegal-based Gallagher seems to have mastered them all (bar, perhaps, early 17th century flute-based Baroque sonatas, though he’ll probably achieve that too soon). Gospel, listen to ‘Strange Star, Middle Earth’ and ‘Dance For The Crowd.’ Blues, the homespun tune reminiscent of his home county, ‘Turf Man Blues.’ Country, ‘When I Grow Up.’ Traditional, ‘Evictions.’ Folk, ‘God Takes Visa.’ Rock, ‘Let It Go.’ Romantic, ‘She Looked My Way.” Celtic rock, ‘Arranmore.’

To cap it all, Gallagher and his multi-faceted band have just been traipsing the hallowed ground around Dublin’s Montrose House playing on one of Irish TV’s most popular entertainment programmes, ‘The Late, Late Show,’ with yet another creative musical invention – a lively, winning number combining hip-hop and Celtic rock performed with Letterkenny-based group, Phat Kiidz, entitled ‘GAA Jersey.’ So popular is the song it went viral, notching up around hundred thousand views on YouTube and media outlets nationwide and had the Balor audience rocking in the aisles as the hip-hop group emerged side-stage in psychedelic lime green jersey and fur-rimmed hoodie.

If the often less visionary elites of Ireland’s native national sport don’t play this song – repeatedly – during pre-match entertainment at Croke Park before this Saturday’s much-awaited football final replay between Dublin and Mayo, they deserve to be garroted with nylon guitar strings.

One catchy lyrical phrase alone ‘skinny jeans with the GAA, with the GAA jersey’ may set an enduring fashion trend, as well as return to the fold many young players whom some executives of the Gaelic Athletic Association complain have drifted off to ‘foreign’ soccer fields. And if anything is to put an end to the enduring curse that plagues the Mayo team, it could well be this inspiring song.

Who knows, maybe one day, a Platinum album will hang proudly on the wall of the ‘GAA Museum’ reflecting the song’s soaring sales. With lucrative proceeds from two 80,000-plus capacity crowds for the football final and replay (an estimated 8.5 million euro from ticket sales alone), the GAA could easily afford to buy enough copies of the record to move sales beyond platinum into the realm of diamond.

Can anyone think of a better, more timely musical gift for friends and supporters of the nation’s largest sporting organization both in Ireland and abroad? After listening to the rousing rendition at the Balor Arts Center concert last night, it had better hurry and place its order – they could all be sold out soon.

Dressed down-home in white T-shirt and dark waistcoat, his red hair flecked with gray or gray flecked with red, or whatever, with a baldheaded drummer, guitarist in ‘pink pyjamas,’ bass player in check shirt, fiddler intriguingly discreet in the shadow of a felt hat and mandolinist under a flickering crimson light, Gallagher and the Goats featured powerful voice backed by powerful musical prowess.

Such was the evening’s musical feast, even Conor Malone, manager of the Balor, joined in, the sweet notes of his saxophone wrapping themselves naturally around Campbell’s fiddle tones like a loving couple lingering late in bed on a Sunday morning – specially on the song ‘The Killer,’ about a Scottish boxing champion.

Then there was ‘Mary, Mary,’ an amusing tongue-in-cheek take on one of Ireland’s oldest talent contests and the swaying rhythms of ‘Drinking My Money,’ ‘The Glasgow Bus’ and, of course, the rousing standing ovation from the hand-clapping, merry swaying throng that greeted the ageless ‘Holy of Holy Hymns From The Goats’ – the pulsating ‘Las Vegas In the Hills of Donegal.’

The band were joined on-stage for a grand reunion by Malone, the lovely Donegal-based singer, Jacqui Sharkey, accomplished harmonica player, Dermot Donohue, singer-guitarist, Dean Maywood, who was the support act for the Goats, and the Phat Kiidz.

Kudos then for a riveting musical evening to Gallagher (vocal, guitar, banjo), Mickey Gallagher (drums), Patsy Gallagher (lead guitar, mandolin, vocal), Odhran Cummings (bass), Shaun Doherty (guitar, vocal) and Stephen Campbell (fiddle), as well as guests, Malone, Donohue, Maywood, Sharkey, and the Phat Kiidz comprising Jay Kay, DoDa and Hapz.