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Entertainment

Wales features prominently among the Last Voices of the Irish Revolution

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THE IRISH CIVIL WAR ended in 1923. The yearlong conflict had been fought between those who opposed and supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921 – a key component of which was the continued partition of Ireland and the fact that dominion status rather than an Irish republic had been achieved in the south (it would become known as the Irish Free State). Between 1919 and 1921, the Irish War for Independence had taken place followed by a twelve month truce period.

Eighty years after the end of the civil war, author and documentary-maker Tom Hurley wondered if there were many civilians and combatants left from across Ireland who had experienced the years 1919 to 1923, their prelude and their aftermath. What memories had they, what were their stories and how did they reflect on those turbulent times?

 
In early 2003, he recorded the experiences of 18 people in Ireland, conducting two further interviews in the United States in 2004. Tom spoke to a cross-section (Catholic, Protestant, Unionist and Nationalist) who were in their teens or early twenties during the civil war.

The chronological approach he has taken to his book spans fifty years, beginning with the oldest interviewee’s birth in 1899 and ending when the Irish Free State became the Republic of Ireland in 1949.

Among those interviewed for the book was Mai McMahon, born in 1902, in County Clare. She was a neighbour of a man named Art O’Donnell who was arrested after the 1916 Rising which was an attempt to overthrow British rule in Ireland and establish a republic.

The rising failed and O’Donnell who worked as a teacher and was sent to Frongoch Internment Camp in Gwynedd along with hundreds of other Irish rebels. He was released some months later.

Another interviewee is George Cooper, born in Dublin, in 1910. His uncle had also participated in the 1916 rebellion and interestingly in 1922 his older sister Harriet Maud Victoria, married Corporal Baden Percy Lawrence of the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment, in a Dublin registry office.

The author also spoke to William Geary from County Limerick who was aged 105 at the time. He recalled his friend Patrick O’Sullivan who was killed in 1917 during the First World War.

He had enlisted in the British army in Cardiff in 1915. The name of David Lloyd George from Llanystumdwy is salient throughout the book which isn’t surprising as he served as British Prime Minister from 1916 until his resignation in 1922.

He had therefore played an important part in the negotiation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. There are numerous other references to locations, landmarks and personalities connected to Wales contained in the book also.

100 years after the Irish Civil War ended, these 20 interviews recorded by Tom Hurley come together to create a unique oral account of the revolutionary period and the tensions that were brewing in the run-up and aftermath.

Together, theirs are the Last Voices of the Irish Revolution.

Last Voices of the Irish Revolution by Tom Hurley is available in bookshops throughout Ireland and the UK and can also be ordered online. It is published by Gill Books.

Entertainment

The authentic sound of The Rolling Stones… with the world’s premier Jagger lookalike

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CAPTURING the authentic sound and spirit of The Greatest Rock n’ Roll Band In The World, NOT THE ROLLING STONES have played festivals, theatres and private gigs throughout Europe, the middle east and the UK. This May, they will appear here on the Torch Stage in Pembrokeshire!

Featuring the best Mick Jagger lookalike you will ever see, truly international tribute act in demand all over Europe as well as the UK, will take you back to the Golden Age of The Stones- from Satisfaction to Sympathy for the Devil… You won’t believe it’s not Jagger!

Based on the Rolling Stones, an English rock band formed in London in 1962 and active for over six decades, they were one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the rock era and pioneered the gritty, rhythmically driven sound that came to define hard rock, and Not The Rolling Stones carry on that legacy today.

They have the unique asset of a ‘Mick and Keith’ who stagger audiences with their authenticity, also attested by the many TV and film credits they have between them.

Backed by a superb group of professional musicians that love the music they are playing; they convey their enthusiasm for the work of the world’s greatest rock and roll band.

Not the Rolling Stones will be on the Torch Theatre stage on Friday 16 May at 7.30pm. Tickets are £25. Visit the website for further details www.torchtheatre.co.uk or phone the Box Office on (01646) 695267.

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Entertainment

Radio 3 celebrates Easter with live broadcast from St Non’s Chapel

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A musical pilgrimage to one of Wales’ holiest sites

BBC RADIO 3 will mark Easter 2025 with a special series of live broadcasts exploring themes of music, landscape, and pilgrimage—culminating in a live Easter Sunday programme from St Non’s Chapel in Pembrokeshire.

The broadcast, part of Easter: A Seasonal Journey, airs live on Easter Sunday morning (April 20), with presenter Sarah Walker joined at the ancient cliffside chapel—believed to be the birthplace of St David, the patron saint of Wales—by renowned musicians including harpist Mared Pugh-Evans, the official harpist to His Majesty the King, and Filkin’s Drift, the popular Welsh folk duo.

Set just metres from the sea near St Davids, the location provides a powerful backdrop for a programme that explores the spiritual and cultural resonance of Pembrokeshire’s rugged coastal landscape. The event follows a Holy Saturday broadcast from the island of Iona in Scotland.

The live programme runs from 9:00am to 12:00pm, and will include music, interviews and reflections from this iconic Pembrokeshire site.

Other highlights of Radio 3’s Easter programming include:

Choral Evensong from Newcastle Cathedral

Sunday 20 April, 3:00pm – 4:00pm

A special Easter Day service featuring celebratory music by Howells, Paulus, and Vaughan Williams.

Record Review of the 21st Century

Monday 21 April, All day

A day-long celebration of the best classical recordings from the past 25 years. Host Andrew McGregor is joined by guest contributors, including celebrity classical fans Stephen Fry, Cathy Newman, and John Suchet. The day concludes with a full performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony (7:30pm).

Located on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path near St Davids, St Non’s Chapel is one of the oldest Christian sites in Wales. Tradition holds it to be the birthplace of St David, Wales’ most revered saint. Today, the chapel ruins remain a place of quiet pilgrimage, with sweeping views over St Brides Bay.

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Entertainment

Join TV and radio presenter Hester Grainger live at the Torch

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THIS June, the Torch Theatre welcomes ADHD coach, speaker and former Wright Stuff presenter Hester Grainger to the stage with her powerful and uplifting show, ADHD: Unmasked.

Expect an evening of open conversation, laughter, and refreshingly honest insights into life with ADHD. In a supportive and inclusive space, Hester invites everyone—whether living with ADHD, supporting someone who is, or simply curious—to share stories, connect, and feel seen.

A well-known voice in the neurodivergent community, Hester is a regular podcast guest and media contributor. Her appearance on ADHD Chatter with Alex Partridge went viral, with clips from the episode racking up over 22 million views.

ADHD: Unmasked is an interactive, dopamine-filled evening where Hester shares how to embrace a fast-paced mind, practise self-compassion, and tap into the strengths of neurodiversity. She’ll also speak candidly about family life—raising two autistic/ADHD teenagers and living with her autistic/ADHD husband—as well as navigating ADHD in the workplace, friendships, relationships, and late diagnosis.

Audience participation is welcome, with opportunities to ask questions throughout. Whether you’ve received a diagnosis or are just starting your journey, this event offers connection, laughter, and a sense of belonging. You’ll leave feeling empowered, informed—and most importantly—reminded that you are not alone.

Hester began her media career on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, going on to work with Loose Women and Today with Des and Mel. She has featured on BBC Radio 2, Radio 4, Radio 5 Live, and hosted her own show on BBC Radio Berkshire.

She has appeared on leading podcasts such as ADHD Chatter, The Hidden 20%, and ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Podcast, and her writing has been published by HuffPost, Evening Standard, Reader’s Digest, and Arabian Business.

Alongside her husband Kelly, Hester co-founded Perfectly Autistic, a neurodiversity consultancy providing training, talks, and coaching to support neurodivergent employees. Both were diagnosed with ADHD in their forties, after Kelly’s earlier autism diagnosis.

Hester says: “I’m so excited to tour the UK talking about ADHD—something I’m truly passionate about. Being diagnosed in my forties finally gave me the answers I’d been searching for my whole life. With growing awareness, so many people have questions and want to understand more. This evening will be fun, entertaining, and honest—and nothing’s off limits.”

ADHD: Unmasked comes to the Torch Theatre on Friday 6 June at 7:30pm.
Tickets: £26
Book online at www.torchtheatre.co.uk or call the Box Office on (01646) 695267.

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