Fool’s Day has arrived and it’s nice to know that the world still celebrates folly, throws wisdom to the wind and embarks on a riotous orgy of devilment and idiocy.
April Fool’s Day
Mind you, we have been making fools of ourselves all year round, but April 1st is open season for all sorts of lunatics and twits. We can all make absolute asses out of ourselves without any fear of reprisal on that day and get away with it ,as convention puts the stamp of respectability and indeed reverence on the Day of Fools.
The whole concept is a very healthy one; indeed if I had my way every day should be officially Fools Day. The people whose company I enjoy best in this valley of error and terror are the stupid ones who in reality are really the wise ones, for they are aware of their shortcomings, but absolutely revel in their folly. They chuckle at themselves at least ten times a day in the mirror as they flounder from one unholy and unfortunate occurrence to another. And happy the man who, when told that his cattle have strayed ten miles up the road, replied that he deliberately left the gates open to provide an excuse to go for a ten miles jog!
We are all fools but humanity will never accept that incontrovertible fact and thus is the sad, sorry and shameful condition of mankind. The Shakespearian character who cried : “Let me play the fool”, was no fool at all. He knew himself and far from conning himself in the matter, was quite content in being a confounded eejit. If only we could see ourselves as others see us – poor blundering awkward amadans, then surely life would be that much more tolerable and far less tormenting. But pride, vanity, status-seeking and silliness of convention, even in our educational system, lauds the wise and brainy and extolls the merits of these folks. There is only scorn and derision for the fool. What a ridiculous sense of values we have to be sure. Folly is always jolly and I’m sure some of our leading comedians would agree. Power rarely belongs to the wise who only write about it. No, it is the eejits who waste their lives in hassling and hustling in a blind ambitious frenzy that is the hallmark of the fools who are the plutocrats of earth, whatever about heaven. I see little advantage in being a knowledgeable individual. If you are the essence of wisdom ,you will probably write a book about your climb to success and sure as water runs and grass will grow some wise scoundrel will write another book to call you a liar and a fool.! And they would probably be absolutely correct. True also that the fool is always an attractive character. The self-styled wise, fearing no assault from a fool leave the poor eejit to enjoy the world at his leisure; he poses no threat to them. The cute man will ponder long and deep over the seemingly insurmountable problems. The fool will not even bother to consider them, and will go upon his stupid way, joyful and unperturbed. In recent years the countryman has been the most successful fool of all. For under the guise of folly, he elicited the paternal and maternal solicitude of us all . Arra ‘tis ludicrous. Here we all are pretending to be little fools around All Fools Day, when really, we are “amadáns” all year round. Go on, tell some ‘gom’ his shoe lace is loose, when it is not and laugh like a hyena at the result. But you are fooling nobody. You just know that you, me, and all of us, are unvarnished idiots and are destined to be such. Go on, avoid the reality and tell yourself how wise and prudent you are and so avoid coming face to face with yourself. As the world celebrates the International Feast of the Fool today, why not repent? Repent of your wisdom and rejoice in your folly. You’d be a fool if you didn’t.
County Tipperary Drama Festival chiefs have paid tribute to the invaluable contribution made by each and every community, town and county, since the inauguration, in 1952, of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland. Mr Martin O Neill and Mr Donald Duggan, (Chairman and Festival Directors respectively) of the Tipperary Drama Festival addressed audiences at this year’s most enjoyable 9 day festival; latter arbitrated by the multi-talented and highly experienced Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, adjudicator Ms Irene O’Meara, in St Michael’s Community Centre, Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Nine top groups, from around Ireland, including two from Co. Tipperary (Thurles Drama group and Suir Productions), enthralled full houses for the nine nights, at what was described as the most successful festival ever, in the Abbey-side village of Holycross.
It was truly a great tribute to the dedicated organising committee which comprises, (in addition to Martin O‘Neill and Donal Duggan), Rev Celsus Tierney (President), Tommy Lanigan (Treasurer), Claire Ryan (Secretary), Geraldine O’Neill (PRO), Claire Ryan (Sponsorship), Diana Lacey (Raffle), Marty O’Neill, Paddy Connolly, Peg Ryan, Elaine O’ Dwyer, Jim Finn (Photographer), Ger O’Dwyer, Malcolm Shadwell, Michelle Dwan, Andy Slattery (Box Office), Aisling Henchion and Sean Gleeson (Sub Committee).
For Thurles it was a festival to remember. They had come from a victorious night in Clare-Galway, where they had won a number of awards, to receive an enthusiastic standing ovation at Holycross.
Thurles Drama Group Director, Mrs Margaret McCormack, once acted on the professional stage with the great Siobhan McKenna, in Synges “Playboy of the Western World”. Thurles Drama Group, who have reached the All-Ireland Finals in Athlone on a number of occasions in the past, saw Geraldine Delaney (Sandra), Derek Doherty (Ray), Sarah Feehan (Dairne), Paula Drohinan (Linda), Ken Murphy (Eddie), Dean Rossiter (Lighting), Dick Ryan (Sound), Geraldine Morrisey and Mary Slattery (Stage Managers) and Greta Murphy (Make-up); take to the stage with “Rathmines Road”, by Deirdre Kinihan.
Those in attendance throughout the week included Pat and Anna Wall, Mary Condron (Thurles), Jacqui Lacey (Holycross), John Glasheen (Borrisoleigh), and Archbishop Emeritus Dr Dermot Clifford.
The Tipperary Star Cup for best group in the confined section went to Clann Machua, Mayo for “The Snapper” by Roddy Doyle, with 2nd and 3rd places going to “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” by Flavour of the Month, Productions, Co Limerick and “Amongst Men“, by Wayside Players, Wexford, respectively.
The Dr Morris Trophy, presented for Best Tipperary Group, went to Thurles Drama Group for “Rathmines Road”.
The Tipp FM Trophy for best group in Open Category, went to Ballyduff Drama Group “The Blackwater Lightship”, by Colm Toibin, with 2nd and 3rd places going to “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” by Clontarf, Drama Group, Co Dublin and “The Weir” by Brideview, Co Waterford, respectively.
Lisa Shanahan of Suir Productions, Knockavilla, was deemed ‘Best Actress’, in the roll of ‘Phil’ in “A Living Will”.
Lyrics and Vocals: American singer, songwriter, and musician Vincent Grant Gill.
Go Rest High On That Mountain.
I know your life, On earth was troubled, And only you could know the pain. You weren’t afraid to face the devil, You were no stranger to the rain. Go rest high on that mountain, Son your work on earth is done. Go to heaven a-shoutin’, Love for the Father and the Son. Oh, how we cried the day you left us, Gathered ’round your grave to grieve. Wish I could see the angels faces, When they hear your sweet voice sing. Go rest high on that mountain, Son your work on earth is done, Go to heaven a-shoutin’, Love for the Father and the Son. Go rest high on that mountain, Son your work on earth is done. Go to heaven a-shoutin’, Love for the Father and the Son. Go to heaven a-shoutin’, Love for the Father and the Son.
Lyrics: American country singer Mirriam Johnson, known professionally as Jessi Colter. Vocals: American rock band Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show.
Storms Never Last.
Storms never last do they baby. Bad times all pass with the wind. Your hand in mine stills the thunder, And you make the sun wanna shine.
You followed me down so many roads, baby. I picked wild flowers and sung you soft sad songs, And every road we took lord knows our search was for the truth, And the clouds brewing now won’t be the last.
But storms never last do they baby. (they don’t last, no, no). Bad times all pass with the wind. Your hand in mine (your hand in mine) stills the thunder, (Stills the thunder, stills the thunder, yeah). And you make the sun wanna shine. (shine, shine, shine).
Storms never last (storms never last) do they baby. (They don’t last, no, no). The bad times, the bad times, the bad times all pass. Your hand in mine (your hand in mine) stills the thunder, (Stills the thunder, stills the thunder, yeah). You make the sun wanna shine. (shine, shine, shine).
Storms never last (storms never last) do they baby. (They don’t last, no, no) Bad times all pass with the wind. Your hand in mine stills the thunder, (Stills the thunder, stills the thunder, yeah). And you make the sun wanna shine. (shine, shine, shine).
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