Bog Exhibition

Kerry County Council Arts Officer, Kate Kennelly and Jimmy Deenihan

Bogs give us turf and turf burns with a wonderfully warm feeling. That friendly feeling was captured perfectly in Finuge on a recent Thursday evening for the opening of the Bog Exhibition, at Teach Siamsa. The homely atmosphere of the thatched cottage only compounded the tone of the evening where young and old mingled, looking at the amazing art and listening to the superb speakers.

Any event of significance in North Kerry could not be completed without the telling of a few stories and both Jimmy Deenihan T.D. and Kate Kennelly, Kerry County Council Arts Officer, delighted the crowd.

Jimmy remembered a comment from John B. Keane, who, regarding the bust of Sean McCarthy, turned to Jimmy and said, "Jimmy, you'll have us all busted before you're finished." The crowd duly bust out laughing.

Kate Kennelly, Kerry Arts Officer, who officially opened the exhibition spoke about the significance of the bogland and how it apparently takes over a century to produce just one inch of bog. "Our boglands are a unique part of our heritage, we need to preserve them," said Kate before mentioning that her husband judges a person by the firmness of the hand-shake before announcing, if he's suitably impressed, "I'd take him to the bog with me."

The Bog Exhibition was only the first event in a weekend of activities to celebrate the Sean McCarthy Memorial Weekend 2007, a festival now in its 14th year.

Sean, who was born in Listowel in the early 1920's, was from a family of ten children. He was an accomplished, much-loved character and played a huge role in promoting The Rambling House on Radio Kerry, while his best known songs include such classics as Red Haired Mary and Highland Paddy.

All in all, the Sean McCarthy Memorial Weekend provides a fitting tribute to an individual who will always be remembered for his kindness and generosity.

For more information on the Sean McCarthy emmorial weekend please log onto www.finugeweekend.com