We had a very successful trip to Birr, a small Georgian town in County Offaly, in the Irish Midlands. Two buses left Swansea on Friday 26th and arrived late in the evening, with just enough time to check into our accommodation and visit a local hostelry.
Saturday saw an early start with a visit to the very impressive Birr Castle. Although we were unable to enter the castle itself (it is the current home of the seventh Earl of Rosse), the grounds are extensive and also feature the “Great Telescope”. This was followed by a rehearsal in St Brendan’s, Church of Ireland, and also at Birr Town Hall, where we performed our concert later. We had a great reception from a packed hall which culminated in an encore following our last piece, a medley of Sinatra songs. A standing ovation followed the singing of the Welsh national anthem and The Soldier’s Song. Although we sang this in English it was great to hear the Irish words sung by the audience! After the concert, a barbecue had been arranged for us at Kelly’s bar and further singing took place into the early hours of Sunday morning. There appeared to be some confusion here as two of our members turned up in fancy dress. Elvis didn’t leave the building that night. Well, not until very late.
On Sunday we sang at the church for their harvest celebration. Again, we were well received by the congregation who burst into applause, following a rousing performance of Cwm Rhondda. After the service we were treated to a reception at the town hall and a number of presentations were made. We must thank the Birr Stage Guild for their part played in the organisation of the weekend and also the Birr Lions Club, who covered our costs of entry into the castle and the monastery at Clonmacnoise, which we visited later in the day. We also gave a short performance there, in a restored part of the monastery where the acoustics were brilliant. In the evening we attended a ‘grand’ buffet at The County Arms, which was, indeed, ‘grand’!
The weekend ended with a trip to Dublin on Monday and our return to Swansea in the early hours of Tuesday morning. A big thank you must go to Paul Smith, whose idea it was to visit Birr, and to Alan Clewett who organised the weekend so efficiently. Also to the performances of our musical team Nick, Rhian, and Steve, who added the organ accompaniment for a number of items at both venues. Finally, thanks to Tony and Margaret Hogan, our contacts in Birr, who organised the various trips, entertainment, and concert venues throughout the weekend.
More photos from this trip can be viewed at the gallery.
