Kinvara FM

‘Revisiting Brideshead Revisited’ & other radio

Karen J McDonnell

Things were beginning to return to normal practice as we eased out of COVID late last autumn: one sign being that studios spaces re-opened to those of us who normally visited occasionally.

Although live shows are still not happening at Kinvara FM – where I’m a volunteer radiohead – some of us who didn’t have equipment at home were able to access the studio again at the end of 2021. Sanitisation all the way of course, and our own mic covers! I pre-recorded some Western Skyline shows and then in the end of January I headed off to have an operation. I had a few shows of a ‘general nature’ in the bag and they went out as I gradually began to potter around on crutches. They haven’t been podcast yet, but once I get access to them I’ll share the links as I was doing before the pandemic closed us down.

After my most recent visit to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre I arrived home with a radio essay for RTÉ’s Sunday Miscellany about the 40th anniversary of the TV serialisation of Brideshead Revisited. I was delighted when they accepted it, and we got it recorded pronto to tie in with the anniversary last October. It was so nice to drive into Galway and meet John in the RTÉ studios again.

Here’s a link to the recording: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22024357/ – click on the URL or the highlighted text and you should get to it. Hope it brings back some memories!

UTV Times – October 1981 with Anthony Andrews as Sebastian Flyte – and Aloysius the bear
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The Western Skyline Podcast – Winter Podcasts

Karen J McDonnell

NOVEMBER 2019

In the run up to Christmas on this podcast of the Western Skyline we look at Christmas events and concerts, and suggest a few gifts for the arts lovers in your life. There’s music from The Cranberries, The Cure, Sigrid, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Doobie Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, and -well, we just had to! – Joni Mitchell

[For some weird reason this podcast uploaded on to the mixcloud of one of the Kinvara FM gang – but it’s still Kinvara FM radio work!]

 

DECEMBER 2019

On the last Western Skyline of 2019 we look at New Year’s customs around the world, there’s news of local arts events, & music from The Travelling Wilburys, Carly Simon, Taylor Swift, ABBA, the Beatles, and Aimee Mann. Here’s to 2020!

JANUARY 2020

On the first Western Skyline of 2020 I was joined by well-known artist Christopher Banahan, who has just published two children’s books which he both wrote & illustrated. Chris’s Zurich Prize shortlisted self-portrait is also on exhibition at the moment in Cork. News of theatre in Galway – as Gaeilge ‘s Bearla – and local art exhibitions. Two tracks from David Bowie (Chris’s choice and also used in the soundtrack of Jo Jo Rabbit – a must-see film). Music too from Lynard Skynard, Buffalo Springfield, & Nina Simone,

The Western Skyline Podcast – Summer podcasts

Karen J McDonnell

Dearie me! Where has the summer gone? I hope it has been just peachy for all of you.

Time to get up to date with the podcasts from The Western Skyline. Due to writing and life commitments, the show is being broadcast on a monthly basis since June. Here’s what we’ve been getting up to this summer:

13 JULY 2019

Some arts info on this mid-summer Western Skyline, but July’s show is mostly about the music: Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, One Republic, Fleetwood Mac – and it wouldn’t be summer for me without a does of the Spencer Davis Group.
Enjoy. I’ll be back in September as my August slot is during the Cruinniu Festival – and I’ll be working elsewhere!

15 JUNE 2019

Eilis Haden-Storrie dropped in on The Western Skyline for a chat about her book launch. Spotlight is on this year’s Galway Intl Arts Festival, with music from ABC, David Bowie, Kim Wilde, Howard Jones, Joy Division, Blue Oyster Cult, and The Hothouse Flowers. Plus more local arts news.

 

18 MAY 2019

On the show I was joined by four members of The Poetry Collective – poets based mainly in counties Clare & Galway.
Patrick Stack, Knute Skinner, Mary Ellen Fean, & Fred Johnston discuss, and read from, their work. There’s some arts news, and the music is from the Middle East and Africa: Senegal, Egypt, Libya, Palestine and Jordan. A wee change from the Eurovision, which happened to be on that night. Ahem.

 

04 MAY 2019

On The Western Skyline we looked at Fleadh na gCuach as it happened in Kinvara, the forthcoming Galway Theatre Festival, and committee member Tonii Kelly dropped by to chat about the new HEART of Gort Festival taking place on 17/18th May. Plus lots of great music, and news of an arts opportunity for young Co Galway people!

The Western Skyline Podcast – 20 April 2019

Karen J McDonnell

News from KAVA artists group, and of a poetry reading in Galway by the Seven Sisters poets, an Easter egg hunt in the Burren Sanctuary, Classical music for Easter by Handel, Bach, Vaughan Williams, Taverner, Morley, and some Orthodox chant. A poem, ‘Aubade’, and a dedication to murdered journalist, Lyra McKee

The Western Skyline Podcast – 06 April 2019

Karen J McDonnell

On The Western Skyline – a film music special:

Most featured composer: Thomas Newman. Music also from films by Quentin Tarantino, and composers Gabriel Yared, Hans Zimmer. And, a Mozart aria sung by Renée Fleming & Cecilia Bartoli, and a Verdi theme arranged by Jean- Claude Petit.
Some local arts news, and new of the Cúirt International Festival of Literature.

This is one to enjoy by the fire with a cuppa, or a glass of wine.

The Western Skyline Podcast – 09 March 2019

Karen J McDonnell

Here, I’m joined on The Western Skyline by Aoife Reilly, a writer living and working in Co. Galway. Aoife chats about her writing process and reads poems from her pamphlet ‘Lilac & Gooseberries’, which is published by Lapwing Press.  You can read more about her here: https://aoifereilly.com/ It was great to have a live reading in the studio!

Some Arts news also on the show, and music from Coldplay, Keith, The Monkees, Bruce Hornsby & the Range, Carole King, and Bob Dylan.

The Western Skyline Podcast – 23 February 2019

Karen J McDonnell

This was a first for me on the show – featuring a complete musical work. I hope you enjoy the result.

A special on The Western Skyline – a programme devoted to Gránuaile, or Grace O’Malley. Featuring the Gránuaile Suite composed by Shaun Davey and sung by Rita Connolly, with a 32 piece orchestra, Donal Lunny and Liam Óg O’Flynn. The suite takes us through Grace’s life from childhood to the meeting with another great woman of her age – Elizabeth l – to an ending, back on the coast of Mayo.
Check out this site run by Grace’s biographer, Anne Chambers: http://www.graceomalley.com/

The Western Skyline Podcast – 09 February 2019

Karen J McDonnell

Mags Brehony came into studio to chat to me on The Western Skyline about Kinvara’s mini festival in solidarity with the poets and people of Nicaragua. Also on the show: music by Anastacia, Big Country, Destiny’s Child, Sigrid and others. Plus some arts news. Keep informed – check out what’s happening in Nicaragua; what caused the cancellation of their poetry festival for the first time in its history.

 

The Western Skyline Podcast – 29 December 2018

Karen J McDonnell

 

A special to welcome in 2019: a mix of new year songs and comedy clips relating to Hell, technology, needing your Ma when the weather and the flu sets in, The Great War, the British & the EU. The featured album is David Bowie’s Hunky Dory, but there are also tracks from ABBA, Cat Stevens, Ella Fitzgerald, Dan Fogelburg, U2, & Taylor Swift. There’s a mix!! Thanks for listening in 2018. Here’s to a great 2019 for us all.