Drawing of a fancy dress costume late 15th – early 16th Century Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) A.E. Popham “The Drawings of Leonardo” Wikimedia Commons
Friday night was Fancy Dress night for Kinvara Carnival and the dancing marquee was crowded for the parade. About 60 contestants took part in the competition which was judged by Mr. Martin Dolan and members of the Premier Aces Orchestra. The judges paid tribute to the excellence of the costumes and to their ingenuity. The following were the prize winners: Most Original:
1. “Retired to Roundstone” – Mr. and Mrs. Kieran Moylan, Kinvara.
2. “If you Drink, don’t Drive” – Miss Anna Fogarty, Tubber.
3. “Mise Lemass – in Dev’s Boots” – Mr. Brendan Nolan, Kinvara.
Most Humorous:
1. “The Joys of Marriage” – Mr. Vincent Byrnes, Kinvara.
2. “What Type will win the Battle for Man” – Mr. Thomas Byrnes, Miss Bridie Quinn and Miss Maureen Muldoon, Kinvara.
3. “Kinvara Marquee Fire Precautions” – Miss Eilis Gleeson, Kinvara.
Most Topical:
1. “Shake Hands with the Devil” – Mr. Brendan Forde and Miss Philomena Forde, Tubber.
2. “Dame Margot Fontaine” – Mr Sean Nolan, Crushoa.
3. “Patterson and Johannson” – Mr John McDonnell and Mr. June Lundon, Kilcolgan.
Mr. Kieran Moylan N.T., Kinvara, has many memories and mementoes of a versatile and full career as a teacher, entertainer and businessman. Among his most prized souvenirs is a little book entitled “My Village in Ireland.” It was written by two young people from New York, Sonia and Tim Gidal of Mount Vernon, and was published in New York. What makes it appeal especially to Mr. Moylan is the fact that on a flyleaf is a personal dedication of the book to him by the two authors: “our friend and constant source of information in gratitude for his unwavering co-operation.”
The book is one of a series specially written to bring before American youth a true picture of the life, customs and manners of the young people of other lands. In this particular book, an Irish boy, Patrick, tells in simple language the story of his home, school, work and play – in other words, a complete picture of life in the Irish countryside.
For their view of a typical Irish countryside the authors chose Kinvara, one of the loveliest stretches of countryside we have. They wrote about the children, the postman, the Parish Priest, Mr. Moylan in his school, the potato diggers in the field, fowl keeping, turf-cutting. etc.
During their stay they received invaluable assistance from Mr. Moylan, one of the county’s best known characters. An authority on the area, he is a prominent contributor to pantomime. His accordion is a land-mark (if I may put it that way) and no festive occasion in the whole area would be considered complete without Kieran and his music.
A New Zealand holiday party in Ireland during the summer had a chat with Mr. Ml. Leech of Kinvara, who gave them information about the district and about North Clare into which they were then travelling. The holiday makers then went on their way. Now Mr. Leech has their thanks in verse – in twenty lines of verse, penned by one of the party. Here are the last four lines:
And gentle-voiced people with warm, friendly smile,
With strangers chat kindly should they idle a while.
Life’s unhurried, has meaning and peace that is rare,
In lovely Kinvara near lone County Clare.
The Queen of the Carnival at Kinvara with two attending ladies left to right Miss Concepta Callanan, Caherglissane, Miss Kathleen Forde, Ballybuck (Queen) and Miss Annie Nolan, Crushoa. Connacht Tribune 1959
Sunday evening was Carnival Evening in Kinvara, when large crowds, including many visitors, watched the Fancy Dress Parade and the Crowning of the Queen of the Carnival. The town was en fete, decorated with flags and bunting. The Carnival is run jointly by the Kinvara Guild of Muintír na Tíre and the Kinvara Club G.A.A., one of its principal objects being the development of the G.A.A. pitch recently purchased. There were over two hundred competitors in the Fancy Dress Parade.
The Parade Marshall rode in front on horseback, followed by the Tulla Pipers’ Band. There were at least three “Tom Dooleys.” “Mr. de Valera” passed by holding out a pair of boots with the caption, “Who’ll fill Dev’s boots now?”. A boy and girl festooned with authentic exam papers, bore a card calling for the abolition of the Primary Cert; “Padraig O’Conaire” drove by on his ass and card; “Liberace” escorted his “Mum.” There were several editions of the Dalai Lama, Billy the Blacksmith was a “Museum Piece,” a tiny pair with costumes made up of the “Noughts and Crosses,” portrayed the “Referendum on P.R.”.
Others included – “The Queen of the Shear”; “Christy Ring”;”No Council Houses for Kinvara”; a “Sultan”; the “Four Seasons”; the “Latest Fashions”, including Onion Line, Sack Line, Balloon Line and 1960 Line; the “Result of the Bantry Explosion.” The magnificent Puck Goat drawing a tiny car and driver was among the cowboys and other foreign gents in fancy costumes.
At the quayside the Mayor of Kinvara, Mr. Michael Leech, and his aide de camps awaited the State Coach bearing the Royal Party. The “messenger” riding a penny farthing bicycle, arrived to announce to the M.C., Mr Tom Donnellan, the election of the Queen and her imminent arrival.
The election of Miss Kathleen Forde of Ballybuck, Kinvara, was greeted with acclamation. She arrived in her coach, attended by her four ladies in waiting, the Misses Annie Nolan of Crushoa, Concepta Callanan of Caherglissane, Rosemary Silke and Mary Keane of Kinvara .Having welcomed all visitors the Mayor took the crown from the hands of the “Court Equerry,” Kieran Moylan and crowned Kathleen I. The new Queen, in her “Coronation Speech”, promised that all taxes would at once be doubled but would be payable to the Royal Treasury for such worthy projects as the repair of the roads around Kinvara and the extension of the fishing limit to twelve miles.
Galway County Council decided,on the proposition of Senator R. Lahiffe, to approach Bord Failte with a view towards; (a) giving a grant towards the building of a promenade along the convent road from the quays at Kinvara and the erection of a swimming pool opposite Seamount College; (b) giving a grant towards the development of the beach at Traught, Kinvara.
The Burren and Beyond 