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ROCK RISING (UNIVERSITY LIMERICK)

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  Great Gig Ignites Musical Memories By Kieran Beville There are few things more reliable than the cathartic power of a great guitar riff. On Thursday, 30th October, at the University Concert Hall in Limerick, that truth was on full display when Rock Rising: The Supreme Classic Rock Show rolled into town. The audience was a cross-section of generations: grey-haired veterans in tour t-shirts from the 1980s sat beside students who might have first heard these songs through Spotify algorithms rather than vinyl sleeves. But once the opening chords tore through the hall, it didn’t matter who was from which decade. The music — the eternal language of melody, and shared memory — levelled everyone into a single, roaring congregation. The Concept Behind the Sound Rock Rising isn’t a band in the conventional sense, but a curated collective of top-tier Irish rock musicians dedicated to resurrecting the spirit of the greats. Conceived as a live theatre production rather than a mere co...
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The Human Cost of Unrestrained Capitalism

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  The Human Cost of Unrestrained Capitalism Power, Profit and the Erosion of Human Dignity By Kieran Beville The triumph of profit over people Capitalism has shaped the modern world more profoundly than perhaps any other economic system in history. It has generated extraordinary technological advances, raised living standards for many and fuelled remarkable innovation. Yet alongside these achievements lies a darker reality that is often overlooked or deliberately ignored. When capitalism operates without meaningful limits, social responsibility or democratic oversight, it can become a force that concentrates wealth, undermines communities and places profit above human wellbeing. Economics without ethics The issue is not commerce itself. Trade and enterprise have existed throughout human history and remain essential to economic development. The problem emerges when the pursuit of profit becomes the dominant organising principle of society. Under such conditions, human ...
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SELECTIVE OUTRAGE OR SELECTIVE DEFLECTION? Why Attempts to Redirect Criticism Away from Gaza Miss the Point

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  SELECTIVE OUTRAGE OR SELECTIVE DEFLECTION? Why Attempts to Redirect Criticism Away from Gaza Miss the Point By Kieran Beville The argument we keep hearing Over the past several months a particular argument has become increasingly common in Irish public discourse. Whenever discussion turns to Gaza and the immense suffering that has unfolded there, somebody invariably shifts the focus. The conversation ceases to be about Gaza itself and instead becomes a discussion about those who are expressing concern.      We are told that Ireland suffers from "selective outrage". We are asked why there are demonstrations about Gaza but not equivalent demonstrations about Iran. We are asked why Qatar's treatment of migrant workers does not attract the same level of public anger. We are asked about Saudi Arabia, China, Sudan and a long list of other states with troubling human rights records.      The implication is obvious. If Irish people are not protesting every i...
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Blood and Bone

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  Limerick Musician Releases Powerful Anti-War Single in Aid of UNICEF By Kieran Beville Peter Donnelly – aka Peter O’Malley (portrait by Kieran Beville)   A Limerick musician is using the power of music to support children affected by conflict around the world with the release of a new charity single. Peter O’Malley will release his latest track, Blood and Bone , on June 11, with all proceeds from downloads being donated to UNICEF to help children impacted by war. The song is a deeply personal project for O’Malley, who wrote, recorded, performed and produced the entire track himself from his home studio. Demonstrating a true independent spirit, he played all the instruments featured on the recording and oversaw every stage of its production. Speaking about the release of this poetic song, O'Malley said it was inspired by the devastating impact that armed conflicts continue to have on innocent children across the globe. “ Blood and Bone’ is my small way of t...
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Simply the 'Second' Best - Rebecca O’Connor Brings Tina Turner’s Fire to a Packed Dolans Warehouse

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  Simply the 'Second' Best Comes to Limerick Rebecca O’Connor Brings Tina Turner’s Fire to a Packed Dolans Warehouse By Kieran Beville On a humid and damp Saturday night in Limerick, the Warehouse at Dolans became a cathedral of rhythm, sequins and rock-and-roll spirit as Rebecca O’Connor rolled into town with her acclaimed Tina Turner tribute show. By the time the lights went down, every corner of the venue was packed. The crowd ranged from lifelong Tina devotees to younger music fans eager to experience the songs that helped define several generations. What unfolded over the next couple of hours was not simply a tribute concert. It was a celebration of performance itself, delivered with energy, commitment and a genuine affection for the music that made Tina Turner one of the most electrifying entertainers in popular culture. For Limerick audiences, who have long embraced live music in all its forms, it felt like exactly the kind of night that Dolans does best. The v...
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  Brendan Markham The Enduring Journey of a Limerick Musician By Kieran Beville In Limerick, a city known for its musical grit and lyrical honesty, certain artists stand out not because they dominate headlines, but because they simply keep going. Among them is Brendan Markham, a musician whose story stretches from the rehearsal rooms of Rathkeale to the stages of Europe and back again, built not on showmanship but on endurance, craft and a deep-rooted sense of place. His career, spanning decades, offers a rare window into what it means to sustain a musical life long after the noise of youthful ambition fades. Markham’s path begins in the quiet streets of Rathkeale, where he first shaped his musical identity. Like many artists raised far from the major music capitals, he drew from what was around him: small venues, friends with guitars, the urgency of creating something new. The early band he fronted evolved into The Driven, the group that would come to define the first ma...
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The Story of Tuesday Blue - From Limerick to Montreux

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  From Limerick to Montreux The Story of Tuesday Blue By Kieran Beville From a poster given away with the  RTE Guide In the history of Irish rock music, the spotlight inevitably falls on the bands who achieved international fame. Yet the full story of Ireland’s music scene is also shaped by the groups who came close — bands who built strong reputations locally, attracted industry attention and, for a brief period, stood on the edge of something much larger. One such band was Tuesday Blue , a Limerick group whose career during the 1980s carried them from local rehearsal rooms to one of the most famous recording studios in Europe. Formed in Limerick in the early 1980s, Tuesday Blue progressed steadily through the Irish music circuit. Their rise saw them release records nationally, sign to a label founded by members of U2 , and eventually travel to Montreux in Switzerland to record their debut album at Mountain Studios , a recording facility owned by Queen and used by...
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