Entertainment « Thurles Information

Mid-West Region Will Celebrate Easter At Bunratty & Craggaunowen.

More than 15,000 people from counties Tipperary, Clare and Limerick’s Mid-West Region are expected to pass through the gates of Craggaunowen and Bunratty Castle & Folk Park this Easter Bank Holiday Weekend.

**Lady Longbottom and Madame Bloomers will be judging the Easter Bonnet Competition at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park this Easter**.

The popular County Clare visitor attractions are hosting a comprehensive programme of family-friendly activities and entertainment for all ages.

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park’s Easter events will be held on Friday, April 18th, Saturday, April 19th, and Sunday, April 20th from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.

The public is invited to step back in time with reenactors from Clan Life and Tercio Irlanda, who will bring 16th-century Gaelic Ireland to life, through engaging displays and talks on the era’s chieftains, warriors, and culture.

The traditional skills of the past will also be on display. Visitors will be able to witness the art of traditional Irish ironworking with live blacksmith demonstrations, showcasing the history and craftsmanship passed down through generations.

At 2.00 p.m. daily, the Bean an Tí will showcase the art and traditions behind Irish baking as the aroma of freshly baked griddle bread fills the interior of the Golden Vale Farmhouse.

**Easter Bunny** & **Chick will be appearing at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park and Craggaunowen this Easter.**

Along with getting the opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny and Chick, there will be plenty of children’s entertainment throughout the visitor attraction, as well as live traditional Irish music.

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park is calling all young designers aged 12 and under to showcase their creativity using recycled or upcycled materials in the Easter Bonnet Competition. The judges, Lady Longbottom and Madame Bloomers, will announce the winning bonnets and hats on the village street at 2.30 p.m.

The Wobbly Circus will keep visitors entertained outside the Tea Rooms with a showcase of fire-juggling, unicycling and circus skills, while Garry Rossiter will be combining juggling, comedy, audience participation and danger through knife juggling, fire eating and stilt walking.

Guests can hop on the Bunratty Express and travel through the Folk Park past the elegant Georgian design of Bunratty House and the reconstructed Ardcroney Church, and through the Fairy Trail, woodland trails and paddocks, with their vast array of indigenous Irish animal species from Kerry Bog Ponies to Irish Red Deer and Bunratty’s resident Irish Wolfhounds Rian and Mide. The 10-minute train ride departs from the Red Barn, located behind Mac’s Pub, from 10.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

A fun and interactive Clue Trail, designed for younger visitors and their families, will lead participants through the folk park’s scenic woodland trails. Along the way, they will meet lively characters such as Mike the Seanchaí, the School Master, and the Village Policeman, all while uncovering fascinating stories from Ireland’s past.

Ms Marie Brennan (Events Manager at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park), said, “The Easter bank holiday weekend will be filled with various family-friendly activities and entertainment suitable for all ages. Visitors can expect a diverse range of attractions, including circus performances, storytelling sessions, train rides and living history reenactments. The programme aims to offer a blend of fun and educational experiences and is an opportunity for everyone to join us in a true Easter celebration.”

The Easter Bunny makes a quick leap from Bunratty to Craggaunowen, where more exciting activities await on Easter Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Tony Baloney will entertain with his puppet show, while The Wobbly Circus provide fire-juggling, unicycle and circus tricks.

Craggaunowen will celebrate Ireland’s ancient crafts with talented artisans hosting woodworking, blacksmithing and weaving demonstrations.

There will also be an opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny at the popular East Clare visitor attraction, which has undergone significant investment and upgrades during the past year.

See www.bunrattycastle.ie and www.craggaunowen.ie for Easter Event 2025 ticket details. Early booking is advised.

Beardy Buck In A Long White Gown.

The great Leitrim native Seamus O’Rourke, writer, director, actor, poet and independent producer (Big Guerilla Productions) has a chance meeting with “The Beardy Buck in the Long White Gown”.

Look out for that “Buck in the Long White Gown”.☻☻

Death Of American Singer & Songwriter, Johnny Tillotson.

The 60s American singer-songwriter, Mr Johnny Tillotson, has sadly passed away at the age of 86 years. His wife Nancy has stated that the singer died on April 1st, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease, while at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.

Announcing his death on Facebook she stated: “It is with a broken heart that I write to let you know that the sweetest, kindest man I ever met Johnny Tillotson, left earth for Heaven yesterday. He was my best beloved, champion of my realm, knight of my heart. Someone said, that sometimes right in the middle of an ordinary life you get a fairy tale. The day I met him I got mine. He was funny, generous and kind. A gentleman through and through. He loved and was grateful to his fans, as he once said, they made every dream, I ever had, come true. Once again on his behalf I say thank you for that”.

One of his songs/lyrics, “It Keeps Right On a Hurtin” was recorded by numerous artists, including Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Conway Twitty and Bobby Darin.

The singer and teen idol was a two-time Grammy nominee, and in 2014, he was inducted into America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame.

Mr Tillotson is survived by his wife Nancy of 45 years, his son John and John’s wife, stepdaughter Genevieve and his grandchildren, Nia, Jackson, Georgia and Gwyneth, his brother Dan and sister-in-law Virginia

Send Me The Pillow You Dream On.

Lyrics: American country music singer and songwriter, the late Hank Locklin (1918 – 2009)
Vocals: American singer and songwriter, the late Johnny Tillotson (1938 – 2025)

Send Me The Pillow You Dream On.

Send me the pillow that you dream on,
Don’t you know that I still care for you?
Send me the pillow that you dream on,
So darling, I can dream on it, too.
Each night while I’m sleeping oh, so lonely,
I’ll share your love in dreams that once were true.
Send me the pillow that you dream on,
So darling, I can dream on it, too.
I’ve waited so long for you to write me,
But just a memory’s all that’s left of you.
Send me the pillow that you dream on,
So darling, I can dream on it, too.
So I can dream on it, too.

END.

Every Day Should Be Fool’s Day – Not Just April 1st.

Short Story From Pen Of Thurles Author Tom Ryan:

Fool’s Day has arrived and it’s nice to know that the world still celebrates folly, throws wisdom to the wind and embarks on a riotous orgy of devilment and idiocy.

Mind you, we have been making fools of ourselves all year round, but April 1st is open season for all sorts of lunatics and twits. We can all make absolute asses out of ourselves without any fear of reprisal on that day and get away with it ,as convention puts the stamp of respectability and indeed reverence on the Day of Fools.

The whole concept is a very healthy one; indeed if I had my way every day should be officially Fools Day. The people whose company I enjoy best in this valley of error and terror are the stupid ones who in reality are really the wise ones, for they are aware of their shortcomings, but absolutely revel in their folly.
They chuckle at themselves at least ten times a day in the mirror as they flounder from one unholy and unfortunate occurrence to another.
And happy the man who, when told that his cattle have strayed ten miles up the road, replied that he deliberately left the gates open to provide an excuse to go for a ten miles jog!

We are all fools but humanity will never accept that incontrovertible fact and thus is the sad, sorry and shameful condition of mankind.
The Shakespearian character who cried : “Let me play the fool”, was no fool at all. He knew himself and far from conning himself in the matter, was quite content in being a confounded eejit.
If only we could see ourselves as others see us – poor blundering awkward amadans, then surely life would be that much more tolerable and far less tormenting.
But pride, vanity, status-seeking and silliness of convention, even in our educational system, lauds the wise and brainy and extolls the merits of these folks. There is only scorn and derision for the fool. What a ridiculous sense of values we have to be sure.
Folly is always jolly and I’m sure some of our leading comedians would agree.
Power rarely belongs to the wise who only write about it. No, it is the eejits who waste their lives in hassling and hustling in a blind ambitious frenzy that is the hallmark of the fools who are the plutocrats of earth, whatever about heaven.
I see little advantage in being a knowledgeable individual. If you are the essence of wisdom ,you will probably write a book about your climb to success and sure as water runs and grass will grow some wise scoundrel will write another book to call you a liar and a fool.! And they would probably be absolutely correct.
True also that the fool is always an attractive character. The self-styled wise, fearing no assault from a fool leave the poor eejit to enjoy the world at his leisure; he poses no threat to them. The cute man will ponder long and deep over the seemingly insurmountable problems.
The fool will not even bother to consider them, and will go upon his stupid way, joyful and unperturbed.
In recent years the countryman has been the most successful fool of all. For under the guise of folly, he elicited the paternal and maternal solicitude of us all .
Arra ‘tis ludicrous. Here we all are pretending to be little fools around All Fools Day, when really, we are “amadáns” all year round.
Go on, tell some ‘gom’ his shoe lace is loose, when it is not and laugh like a hyena at the result.
But you are fooling nobody. You just know that you, me, and all of us, are unvarnished idiots and are destined to be such. Go on, avoid the reality and tell yourself how wise and prudent you are and so avoid coming face to face with yourself.
As the world celebrates the International Feast of the Fool today, why not repent? Repent of your wisdom and rejoice in your folly. You’d be a fool if you didn’t.

Joy For Thurles & Suir Productions At Tipperary Drama Festival.

Tom Ryan Report:

County Tipperary Drama Festival chiefs have paid tribute to the invaluable contribution made by each and every community, town and county, since the inauguration, in 1952, of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland.
Mr Martin O Neill and Mr Donald Duggan, (Chairman and Festival Directors respectively) of the Tipperary Drama Festival addressed audiences at this year’s most enjoyable 9 day festival; latter arbitrated by the multi-talented and highly experienced Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, adjudicator Ms Irene O’Meara, in St Michael’s Community Centre, Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Nine top groups, from around Ireland, including two from Co. Tipperary (Thurles Drama group and Suir Productions), enthralled full houses for the nine nights, at what was described as the most successful festival ever, in the Abbey-side village of Holycross.

It was truly a great tribute to the dedicated organising committee which comprises, (in addition to Martin O‘Neill and Donal Duggan), Rev Celsus Tierney (President), Tommy Lanigan (Treasurer), Claire Ryan (Secretary), Geraldine O’Neill (PRO), Claire Ryan (Sponsorship), Diana Lacey (Raffle), Marty O’Neill, Paddy Connolly, Peg Ryan, Elaine O’ Dwyer, Jim Finn (Photographer), Ger O’Dwyer, Malcolm Shadwell, Michelle Dwan, Andy Slattery (Box Office), Aisling Henchion and Sean Gleeson (Sub Committee).

For Thurles it was a festival to remember. They had come from a victorious night in Clare-Galway, where they had won a number of awards, to receive an enthusiastic standing ovation at Holycross.

Thurles Drama Group Director, Mrs Margaret McCormack, once acted on the professional stage with the great Siobhan McKenna, in Synges “Playboy of the Western World”.
Thurles Drama Group, who have reached the All-Ireland Finals in Athlone on a number of occasions in the past, saw Geraldine Delaney (Sandra), Derek Doherty (Ray), Sarah Feehan (Dairne), Paula Drohinan (Linda), Ken Murphy (Eddie), Dean Rossiter (Lighting), Dick Ryan (Sound), Geraldine Morrisey and Mary Slattery (Stage Managers) and Greta Murphy (Make-up); take to the stage with “Rathmines Road”, by Deirdre Kinihan.

Those in attendance throughout the week included Pat and Anna Wall, Mary Condron (Thurles), Jacqui Lacey (Holycross), John Glasheen (Borrisoleigh), and Archbishop Emeritus Dr Dermot Clifford.

The Tipperary Star Cup for best group in the confined section went to Clann Machua, Mayo for “The
Snapper” by Roddy Doyle, with 2nd and 3rd places going to “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” by Flavour of the Month, Productions, Co Limerick and “Amongst Men“, by Wayside Players, Wexford, respectively.

The Dr Morris Trophy, presented for Best Tipperary Group, went to Thurles Drama Group for “Rathmines Road”.

The Tipp FM Trophy for best group in Open Category, went to Ballyduff Drama Group “The Blackwater
Lightship”, by Colm Toibin, with 2nd and 3rd places going to “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” by Clontarf, Drama Group, Co Dublin and “The Weir” by Brideview, Co Waterford, respectively.

Lisa Shanahan of Suir Productions, Knockavilla, was deemed ‘Best Actress’, in the roll of ‘Phil’ in “A Living Will”.