A heartfelt and humorous tribute to Ireland’s beloved master storyteller Eamon Kelly, this show brings his timeless tales to life.
Pakie O’Callaghan’s A Celebration of The Stories of Eamon Kelly honours the work of Irelands greatest storyteller. O’Callaghan takes Kelly’s best known stories including “The mirror”, “The looking glass” and “The woman who married the Blacksmith” and intersperses them with the haunting music of Sliabh Luachra, beautifully played by Aileen Collins and Catherine Frost to create an evening of spellbinding theatre. The stories capture the life, times and happenings of rural Ireland in more innocent times and will evoke evoke memories of a world that moved at its own pace dictated only by the weather and the seasons. O’Callaghan has been described by the Sunday Times as “Peerless at what he does”.
Presented By: Pakie O’Callaghan
Duration: 90 mins. No interval.
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Pakie O’Callaghan
In a long career Pakie has worked on stage, with Everyman Theatre and Cork Theatre Co. in radio and on television. In the mid-nineties Pakie featured in the RTE radio sketch series Shortt Circuit and subsequently played a lead role in the TV series Bull Island in which he is remembered fondly for playing, among others, the then minister for Finance Charlie McCreevey. In 2004 Pakie joined Joe Duffy’s Funny Friday Show as a writer/performer and has been there ever since. With the late and much lamented Frank Twomey Pakie co-wrote and starred in the hit stage show Santa Ponsa or Bust which spawned two follow up shows, Surviving Santa Ponsa and Life after Santa Ponsa. Following sell out shows at the Everyman Palace Frank and Pakie toured the Santa Ponsa Trilogy to every corner of Ireland. Pakie has written and performed three one man shows, In the National Interest, The Last Brown Envelope and No more Brown Envelopes, all of which toured nationally. Following a sell out run at The Cork Arts Centre last August, Pakie, accompanied by Aileen Collins and Catherine Frost, is currently touring his critically acclaimed “A celebration of the Stories of Eamon Kellly”.
Musicians:
Catherine Frost (Concertina)
Having qualified with a BA and BMus from UCC she taught music and languages for many years and recently retired from Colaiste/Gaelcholaiste Choilm in Ballincollig. There she loved to organise ensembles and choirs and was musical director for over 30 musicals, which include Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, Miss Saigon, West Side Story. The school performed at many prestigious events.
She particularly loves accompanying singers and musicians. She also loves to sing and sang with her sisters, The Janeczek Sisters and is now a member of the acclaimed Madrigal 75. Catherine is also a member of Comhaltas na Duglaise.
Aileen Collins (Fiddle)
Aileen, a native of Rosscarbery parish in West Cork has a passion for Irish music. She plays the fiddle and is a member of Comhaltas na Duglaise with whom she has toured extensively. As well as myriad sessions around Cork City and County, she has performed at Fleadh Ceoil na hEireann and as far afield as Galicia, Spain and Rennes, France.
Aileen is a devoted primary school teacher who works at Gaelscoil Ui Riada where she encourages her pupil’s music participation and love of traditional Irish music. She had the joy of having them perform as a folk orchestra in the National Concert Hall last year.
