Variety club beats recession blues

WITH the nation in the grip of recession, and misery stamped on so many lives, how refreshing it was to find a haven of joy, talent, celebration and musical enchantment in the midst of economic doom and gloom.

I’m referring to this year’s variety show in my native town of Callan in Co Kilkenny — an annual event that has brought credit and first-class entertainment not just to the townspeople, but also to folk within a 40 or 50-mile radius who converge in their droves on the town to savour this wonderful occasion.

What a perfect antidote to those recession blues it was to see all those gifted people, ranging in ages from about 12 to 80-something, perform so beautifully on the stage at the local Mercy Convent. Who could think of the budget from hell, the cutbacks, or any of the direful promises of more to come when a magnificent cast were singing of better times, of love and romance, of sunshine and holidays and patriotic deeds.