Unwrap your 'Christmas Presence' in Daghdha in December

DECEMBER is to kick off with a weekend of superb live music and comedy in the atmospheric surroundings of Daghdha Space, St. John’s Church, as Eightball.ie present ‘Christmas Presence’. The local promoters have assembled an eclectic and exciting line-up for the first weekend in December, featuring high-profile comedian Andrew Maxwell, Irish troubadour Damien Dempsey and the Limerick-leg of Today FM DJ Donal Dineen’s ‘Fresh Air Festival’, featuring Katie Kim.

Mr Maxwell gets proceedings underway on Friday, December 4, with support from Limerick’s own Karl Spain, who recently hosted his own RTE tv show. Maxwell is best known in Ireland through his weekly appearances on ‘The Panel’, and now lives in London and is a regular on UK TV including guest slots on ‘Have I Got News For You’, ‘Argumental’ and ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks.’

On Saturday night, Dubliner Damien Dempsey comes to Limerick as part of his first solo Irish tour in six years to headline the Christmas Presence weekender. Dempsey, a two-time Meteor Award winner in recent years, is something of a beat poet for modern times, a social commentator chronicling life in his hometown, and more recently, putting his own slant on old traditional favourites on his ‘Rocky Road’ album. In a live setting the statuesque Dempsey is a sight to behold, and his recent live DVD went to the top of the charts in its first week of release.

Finally, DJ Donal Dineen returns to Limerick as part of his month long gig-series around Ireland - which only consists of three dates outside Dublin, and will conclude in Limerick on the Sunday night, December 6. Dineen has hosted a number of Irish and international musicians on his nightly radio show on Today FM, allowing them to curate and play their own music and their favourite tunes. Taking this show on the road, Dineen is joined by Waterford’s Katie Kim, who released critically acclaimed debut album ‘Twelve’ last year.

Joining Kim and Dineen on the night will be Scottish musician James Yorkston, making a rare Irish appearance.

Daghdha Space - St. John’s Church - has proved itself to be an exciting and versatile venue, playing host to Oscar winners The Swell Season and Lisa Hannigan in the last 12 months. A cosy but exceptional space with superb acoustics, the church seats in the region of 250 plus and is one of the best venues in the city. ‘Christmas Presence’ takes place on December 4,5,6. Tickets are on sale now and are available from the UCH box office on 061-331549 and from or www.uch.ie. Full information on www.eightball.ie.