She stands

On the shore

Watching

Her ship burn

Her two horses

In the water

Stand

Like two pillars

Strong

The promise

Of swift

Departure

The mountain

Unmoved

Like a giants

Table

Covered…

Hard to hear the lyrics in the next scene. So here's one I prepared earlier. "The Queen" from The Last Torch…

This is the first act of the new ceoldrama "The Last Torch," which we produced as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival in October 2014. We accomplished this in six weeks, with the intention of seeing what needed to be changed, fixed, etc. It was such a difficult process that I…

"Shane O’Neill – 'The Grand Disturber' of Elizabethan Ireland" is Brian…

This is the prologue to the following posts about my trip to Ireland to present my musical "The Last Torch" at the Celtic Fringe Festival, Sligo. I have been writing them backwards as things are best understood this way. It means the reader can read…

Saturday was busy. I was still jet lagged, but I had no choice. Today was a big day. Everyone was walking to Streedagh Strand to pay tribute to the Spanish Sailors and later the festival marquee would rock some music. Triona arrived mid morning and we rehearsed in the hall. We decided that she would sing Eleanor’s aria and I would do the Lament. Two really sad songs, I would have to cheer everyone up with a video from the show “Feed the Queen”. Triona commented about my calmness. There was…

The Last Torch is set in 16th century Ireland, where survivors of a shipwreck from the…

It’s now the third and final day for me at the festival.

The Sunday morning after the night before with all its festivities was tricky. I was so tired I managed to sleep through a giant party in the pub downstairs. Anytime I did stir, I listened to the band downstairs and marvelled at their harmonies and the tightness of…

It was Monday morning and I was having trouble packing. I woke with a brass band in my head, as Jim says.  After sitting in the shower for a while, I took a panadol, drank some water and went back to sleep. I woke an hour later and slowly started to get ready to go.

It was very, very difficult. I called mum, I felt…

(Sligo street art)

I was stranded for a second day in Grange. When I woke up, I had breakfast on my mind and enjoyed an Irish breakfast with a beautiful view. I had to be out by 11 a.m. as the painter was coming and the owner had to visit someone in hospital.

Having tried the…

The whole day that I spent in Belfast and the evenings on either side really need more than one blog post. That day we went to so many places and I was shown so many things. It was mind-blowing and at times very emotional. Belfast is a lovely place and I was certainly shown a good time.  We started with breakfast, as…

No trip to Ireland is complete without a trip to Newgrange, a prehistoric monument in County Meath, located about 1 km north of the River Boyne. As I drove from Belfast, there were places I wanted to stop that…

My last night in the homeland was spent at Bunratty Castle, a 15th-century tower house in County Clare, on the Ratty river. Caisleán Bhun Raithe meaning Castle at the Mouth of the Ratty. On the grounds of the castle is a folk park, which is just lovely. I unfortunately was wandering through at closing time so didn't get to…

The Last Torch Preview

You can imagine my surprise when I saw a large piece of wood washed up on Streedagh Strand recently. (For more information on the ongoing discoveries at Streedagh Strand go to Grange Armada Development Association …

Book Review

"Belfast Days: A 1972 Teenage Diary," by Eimear O’Callaghan

Merrion Press

Copyright 2014

"Belfast Days: A 1972…

Clonmel: July 16^th, 1843

"My dear Wife, I have received your kind and welcome letter of the 20^th of March which is the greatest happiness I have enjoted ever…

Elvis believed it written by angels. It was heard at the wake of a Princess and the funeral of an American president.

“Danny Boy: The Ballad that Bewitched the World” is a documentary that takes you on a journey from a lone fiddler in Ireland playing an ancient Irish melody,…

The Last Torch - Overview