Community unites for West Cork for Gaza events

From Mick Flannery to Gemma Hayes, from poetry readings to astrology, drama and comedy, West Cork is the place to be this month as a three-day festival in support of Gaza kicks off across the region.

Across towns like Bandon, Kinsale, Clonakilty, Schull and Skibbereen and rural villages like Rossmore and Ballydehob, musicians, poets, historians, writers, and actors are taking to the stage as a single powerful voice: West Cork in support of Gaza.

Running over the weekend of November 28-30, the West Cork for Gaza Festival brings artists of every kind to venues large and small, raising funds to alleviate some of the unimaginable suffering inflicted on the people of Gaza.

Headline events include a night-time concert at the renowned Rossmore Theatre on Saturday, November 29 featuring a string of well-known artists like Gemma Hayes, Hank Wedel, Fiona Kennedy, and Molly O’Mahony and an all-day ‘Palooza for Palestine’ on the Sunday at De Barra’s Pub in Clonakilty with singers, writers and comedians such as Mick Flannery, Louise O’Neill, Maeve Higgins, and David O’Doherty.

Festival organiser, Kieran Doyle, a writer, historian and teacher from Clonakilty, said: “A lot of good people have been doing things for Gaza over the last few years, and we wanted to join in.

“We felt it makes for a stronger message if we came together as a region, so we hit on the idea of a fund-raiser by the whole of West Cork.

Doyle is driving the event with Moze Jacobs, from Ballydehob, and Barth Harrington, from Clonakilty.

“We felt this would be a powerful voice in support of Gaza so we’re coming together to make as big a splash as we can about it!” he said.

Since work on the festival began in early autumn, a star-studded list of singers, writers, comedians, performers, and activists have thrown their weight behind it while local communities throughout the region have organised a whole rainbow of events.

These include literary nights, table quizzes, cycling fundraisers, music performances, history talks and even an astrology night, all of it supported by an army of volunteers.

The renowned Clonakilty Brass Band is putting on a performance in the town on the Saturday, followed by a stream of literary and musical events.

Over in Bandon, the Cycling Club is setting off on a fund-raising trip, plays are being staged by drama groups from both Gaggin and Kilmeen, and a Table Quiz in O’Donovan’s at The Shambles is being held on the Wednesday beforehand.

Meanwhile, Skibbereen is holding musical performances, an astrology event and history talks; there are public information sessions about Gaza and its history in Kinsale while in Schull local writer and activist Karen Minihan is lining up some colourful entertainment.

And that’s only a taste of what’s in store.

“I was blown away by the response of musicians to our call-out for performers at the fund-raising concert in Rossmore Theatre on the Saturday night,” declared musician Barth Harrington.

The recently retired principal of Clonakilty’s Scoil na mBuachaillí has put together the Rossmore event which boasts more than 20 individual acts (tickets €25 at rossmoretheatre.com or westcorkforgaza.com) .

“It’s very much a community event which has attracted an incredible number of household names from the music industry.

“We have also had an extremely positive response to our request for volunteers to help out on the night.”

In a delightful mix of local and professional expertise, Barth has drafted in three of his former SnB students, Liam McCarthy, Matthew O’Regan and Ewan Brooks Griffin, to assist the sound-crew at Rossmore. All three are highly experienced in sound engineering - despite none being older than 13!

“The hallmark of this festival is that it’s about live gatherings of people in support of other people - and it’s garnering huge interest and massive support,” said Kieran Doyle.

“It’s been incredible. The objective is to help Gaza through the arts and what has emerged is one community, the community of West Cork, coming together to do something for a generation of Gazans who have suffered starvation, unspeakable violence and mental health issues as a result of two years of genocide.

“Every single event is in aid of a chosen charity for Gaza; there are so many needs there from food aid to health and education.

“Anyone interested in seeing how the money will be used can read about it on the website or contact the organiser of an individual event.”

The teacher at Clonakilty Community College paid special tribute to the army of people behind the scenes working to support the different events.

“They’re turning the wheels. They’re on the doors, in the Green Rooms, selling raffle tickets or offering up their premises for staging different events.

“We couldn’t do this without the generosity of the volunteers and the people offering their premises.”

While there will be some ticketed events and events that must be booked in advance online, he emphasised that for the most part, donations will be taken at the door - so prepare to give generously!

Remember, as festival team-member Moze Jacobs declared, those “men, women, and children in such distress, subjected to famine, bombing, torture.

“This is about helping to keep them alive and alleviating suffering - but it’s also about taking a stand against colonialism, and against the inhumane treatment of ‘others’, without a shred of compassion.”

For more details visit www.westcorkforgaza.com

Anyone who would like to stage an event in support of the festival can contact Kieran Doyle at kierandoyle@yahoo.co.uk