Venues for the East Cork Early Music Festival

East Cork Early Music Festival 2004

Artistic Director: Sarah Cunningham

Wednesday 15th to Sunday 19th September 2004

Booking for the Festival will open in early May 2004

Booking for the Festival is
by E-mail at: [email protected]
by Telephone at: (021)463 6761
by Post or in Person at:
East Cork Early Music, 95 Main Street, Midleton, Co. Cork.

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The Venues

St.Colman's Cathedral, Cloyne
Fota House, Carrigtwohill
St.John the Baptist Church, Midleton
The Mall House, Youghal
Sirius Arts Centre

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St. Colman's Cathedral, Cloyne
Cloyne Cathedral

St.Colman's Cathedral, Cloyne dates from around 1250. It was built on older foundations and has undergone many changes through the centuries. Up to the year 1706 there were battlements on the walls of the nave which were then thought to be too heavy and were taken down, thus depriving the building of its original noble appearance. There is evidence, too, that there was at one time a tower at the intersection of the transepts.

A number of notable personalities have been associated with Cloyne down the years. Frederick Hervey was Bishop of Cloyne from 1767 to 1768. He was a noted eccentric. In January 1768 he was having a game of leap-frog with other clergymen of the Diocese (the mind boggles!) when they were interrupted with the news that he had been translated to Derry, he is reputed to have exclaimed "I will leap no more, I have beaten you all, for I have jumped from Cloyne to Derry".

George Berkeley (1685-1753), one of the world's great philosophers, was Bishop of Cloyne from 1733 until his death in 1753. He was also musically inclined and performances of various kinds were a part of his domestic life. He had in his collection of music amongst much else the famous collection of musical settings of 50 of the Psalms "Estro poetico-armonico" by Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739) and these were regularly performed in his home.

There must have been a decent choir of some sort in the Cathedral in the 18th century for the Cathedral choirs of St. Fin Barre's Cork, St. John's, Cashel and St. Colman's, Cloyne frequently joined forces to give performances in Cork.
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Fota House, Carrigtwohill
Fota House

Fota House, formerly an 18th century hunting lodge, was the centrepiece of an estate which covered the whole of Fota Island, some 780 acres. Early in the 19th century it was enlarged, for John Smith Barry by Richard Morrison and his son William Vitruvius, architects of some of Ireland's finest buildings, including Ballyfin, Lyons House and the court houses at Carlow and Tralee.

As well as providing a permanent home for the Smith Barry family, John embarked on a programme of work to turn the island into an estate of parkland, woods and pleasure grounds. He built the sea wails and enclosed the demesne with a stone wall punctuated by gates and lodges and built a huntsman's house together with kennels, stables, stone barns, walled gardens, glass houses and numerous other outbuilding.

In the eighties the Cork businessman, Richard Wood, was responsible for a magnificent restoration of the House, which maintained the integrity of the original design and layout. He very generously used the house to show his magnificent collection of 18th and 19th century Irish art. It is due to his work that Fota House has survived.

Today the house is owned by Fota Trust Company, a charity dedicated to the preservation of the house and its gardens for the enjoyment of successive generations. The gardens and arboretum are the responsibility of Dúchas, the heritage service. The Trust in cooperation with the OPW has embarked on a major conservation programme to preserve the house itself.

To date, the spectacular principal rooms on the ground floor and most of the kitchen wing have been restored. They reflect not only the architectural style and craftsmanship of the Regency period but something of the quality of life on both sides of the green baize door which divided the family's, private rooms from the servants' quarters.
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St. John the Baptist Church, Midleton

This will be a new venue for the Festival. St. John's is a Church of Ireland Church situated in Church Street and on the banks of the Owennacura river. The church was built in 1825 on a very ancient ecclesiastical site. A very striking feature of the church is its elegant spire while internally it is beautifully appointed and the acoustics are wonderful.

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The Mall House, Youghal

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Sirius Arts Centre
Sirius Arts Centre Cobh

Sirius Arts Centre, a non-profit company with charitable status, was founded in 1988 to acquire and renovate the derelict building in Cobh known as the Old Yacht Club and to give it a new life as a centre for contemporary art and culture, serving the Cork Harbour area. Sirius Arts Centre is the only arts centre in East Cork and has become an integral part of the cultural life in Cobh, East Cork and the Harbour Area. Cobh continues it's development as a heritage town and Sirius Arts Centre is an important part of that plan.

This magnificent Italianate building was designed by Anthony Salvin and built in 1854 by James Smith Barry of Fota for the Royal Cork Yacht Club. The Royal Cork was founded in 1720 on Haulbowline island and is probably the oldest yacht club in the world. Anthony Salvin (1799-1881) was a distinguished English architect. Much of his work was medieval in style and he referred to a variety of periods. He was an expert in fortified architecture and was involved in the restoration of many castles including the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. Salvin was elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1836, became vice-president in 1839 and in 1863 the Institute conferred it's gold medal on him.

Though his practice was wide and included designing the clubhouse at Cowes, this building in Cobh is the only example of his work in Ireland. The combination of its beauty, position and special yachting associations gives the Old Yacht Club a unique significance in our heritage. The building served as the home of the Royal Cork Yacht Club for over a century until its move to Crosshaven for better moorings. It was sold to University College Cork in 1969, the intention being to establish a marine research centre but this plan was never realised and over the following twenty years the building fell into disrepair and became derelict.

In 1988 the Old Yacht Club was purchased by Sirius Commemoration Ltd., formed to buy and restore it and develop activities suitable to the building. The results are that major basic construction work has been carried out: the East Gallery has been restored and temporarily rented out as offices, the Centre and West Galleries have been restored and used as the residency studios, for exhibitions, seminars, music recitals and for community activities and the west side at garden level has been converted to an apartment for the artist in residence.

T o the Top

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East Cork Early Music reserves the right to
amend the programme as necessary.

Booking for the Festival is
by E-mail at: [email protected]
by Telephone at: (021)463 6761
by Post or in Person at:
East Cork Early Music, 95 Main Street, Midleton,
Co. Cork.

East Cork Early Music Festival 2004 Artistic Director: Sarah Cunningham Wednesday 15th to Sunday 19th September 2004 Booking for the Festival will open in early May 2004 Booking for the Festival is by E-mail at: [email protected] by Telephone at: (021)463 6761 by Post or in Person at: East Cork Early Music, 95 Main Street, Midleton, Co. Cork.
	Back to Festival Homepage The Venues St.Colman's Cathedral, Cloyne Fota House, Carrigtwohill St.John the Baptist Church, Midleton The Mall House, Youghal Sirius Arts Centre Back to Festival Homepage
	St. Colman's Cathedral, Cloyne St.Colman's Cathedral, Cloyne dates from around 1250. It was built on older foundations and has undergone many changes through the centuries. Up to the year 1706 there were battlements on the walls of the nave which were then thought to be too heavy and were taken down, thus depriving the building of its original noble appearance. There is evidence, too, that there was at one time a tower at the intersection of the transepts. A number of notable personalities have been associated with Cloyne down the years. Frederick Hervey was Bishop of Cloyne from 1767 to 1768. He was a noted eccentric. In January 1768 he was having a game of leap-frog with other clergymen of the Diocese (the mind boggles!) when they were interrupted with the news that he had been translated to Derry, he is reputed to have exclaimed "I will leap no more, I have beaten you all, for I have jumped from Cloyne to Derry". George Berkeley (1685-1753), one of the world's great philosophers, was Bishop of Cloyne from 1733 until his death in 1753. He was also musically inclined and performances of various kinds were a part of his domestic life. He had in his collection of music amongst much else the famous collection of musical settings of 50 of the Psalms "Estro poetico-armonico" by Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739) and these were regularly performed in his home. There must have been a decent choir of some sort in the Cathedral in the 18th century for the Cathedral choirs of St. Fin Barre's Cork, St. John's, Cashel and St. Colman's, Cloyne frequently joined forces to give performances in Cork. T o the Top Back to Festival Homepage
	Fota House, Carrigtwohill Fota House, formerly an 18th century hunting lodge, was the centrepiece of an estate which covered the whole of Fota Island, some 780 acres. Early in the 19th century it was enlarged, for John Smith Barry by Richard Morrison and his son William Vitruvius, architects of some of Ireland's finest buildings, including Ballyfin, Lyons House and the court houses at Carlow and Tralee. As well as providing a permanent home for the Smith Barry family, John embarked on a programme of work to turn the island into an estate of parkland, woods and pleasure grounds. He built the sea wails and enclosed the demesne with a stone wall punctuated by gates and lodges and built a huntsman's house together with kennels, stables, stone barns, walled gardens, glass houses and numerous other outbuilding. In the eighties the Cork businessman, Richard Wood, was responsible for a magnificent restoration of the House, which maintained the integrity of the original design and layout. He very generously used the house to show his magnificent collection of 18th and 19th century Irish art. It is due to his work that Fota House has survived. Today the house is owned by Fota Trust Company, a charity dedicated to the preservation of the house and its gardens for the enjoyment of successive generations. The gardens and arboretum are the responsibility of Dúchas, the heritage service. The Trust in cooperation with the OPW has embarked on a major conservation programme to preserve the house itself. To date, the spectacular principal rooms on the ground floor and most of the kitchen wing have been restored. They reflect not only the architectural style and craftsmanship of the Regency period but something of the quality of life on both sides of the green baize door which divided the family's, private rooms from the servants' quarters. T o the Top Back to Festival Homepage
	St. John the Baptist Church, Midleton This will be a new venue for the Festival. St. John's is a Church of Ireland Church situated in Church Street and on the banks of the Owennacura river. The church was built in 1825 on a very ancient ecclesiastical site. A very striking feature of the church is its elegant spire while internally it is beautifully appointed and the acoustics are wonderful.
	T o the Top Back to Festival Homepage The Mall House, Youghal T o the Top Back to Festival Homepage
	Sirius Arts Centre Sirius Arts Centre, a non-profit company with charitable status, was founded in 1988 to acquire and renovate the derelict building in Cobh known as the Old Yacht Club and to give it a new life as a centre for contemporary art and culture, serving the Cork Harbour area. Sirius Arts Centre is the only arts centre in East Cork and has become an integral part of the cultural life in Cobh, East Cork and the Harbour Area. Cobh continues it's development as a heritage town and Sirius Arts Centre is an important part of that plan. This magnificent Italianate building was designed by Anthony Salvin and built in 1854 by James Smith Barry of Fota for the Royal Cork Yacht Club. The Royal Cork was founded in 1720 on Haulbowline island and is probably the oldest yacht club in the world. Anthony Salvin (1799-1881) was a distinguished English architect. Much of his work was medieval in style and he referred to a variety of periods. He was an expert in fortified architecture and was involved in the restoration of many castles including the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. Salvin was elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1836, became vice-president in 1839 and in 1863 the Institute conferred it's gold medal on him. Though his practice was wide and included designing the clubhouse at Cowes, this building in Cobh is the only example of his work in Ireland. The combination of its beauty, position and special yachting associations gives the Old Yacht Club a unique significance in our heritage. The building served as the home of the Royal Cork Yacht Club for over a century until its move to Crosshaven for better moorings. It was sold to University College Cork in 1969, the intention being to establish a marine research centre but this plan was never realised and over the following twenty years the building fell into disrepair and became derelict. In 1988 the Old Yacht Club was purchased by Sirius Commemoration Ltd., formed to buy and restore it and develop activities suitable to the building. The results are that major basic construction work has been carried out: the East Gallery has been restored and temporarily rented out as offices, the Centre and West Galleries have been restored and used as the residency studios, for exhibitions, seminars, music recitals and for community activities and the west side at garden level has been converted to an apartment for the artist in residence.
	T o the Top Back to Festival Homepage
	East Cork Early Music reserves the right to amend the programme as necessary. Booking for the Festival is by E-mail at: [email protected] by Telephone at: (021)463 6761 by Post or in Person at: East Cork Early Music, 95 Main Street, Midleton, Co. Cork.