FINUGE and its hinterland celebrated one of its most colourful characters with an annual festival in his honour over the bank holiday weekend.

The unpretentious Sean McCarthy Festival, now in its 16th year, is run in honour of songwriter, storyteller radio broadcaster and columnist with The Kerryman, Sean McCarthy. Who remembers McCarthy's Women on the back page of this paper almost a generation ago?

Sean was born in Listowel on July 5, 1923, one of a family of ten children. He attended Listowel Primary School, where his teacher for a time was Dr. Bryan McMahon who once said of Sean : "He was always a special person, I'll even go so far as to say he was unique."

Included among his best known songs are 'Shanagolden', 'Red Haired Mary', 'Highland Paddy', 'Murphy's Volunteers', ' Step it out Mary', 'Mountain Tae' or 'The Hills of Connemara' and ' In Shame Love, In Shame'.

Over the years Sean entertained and delighted thousands of listeners to 'Sunday Miscellany' and 'Thought for the Day' on RTE Radio 1. He played a major role in promoting The Rambling House show during Radio Kerry's formative years and this is now continued at Sheahan's Thatched House in Finuge over the winter months.

There too, in the picturesque village, you'll find a great likeness of the man .himself in a bronze bust as he surveys all he mastered.

The Sean McCarthy Memorial Weekend provides a fitting tribute to an individual who will always be remembered for his kindness and generosity.

This year's festivities got under way on Thursday evening with the opening of the now traditional art exhibition by Listowel publican and writer Billy Keane. This year's featured artist is Shaun Johnson who is based in the Abbeyfeale / Kilmorna area.

The highlight for those in tune with their environment was the talk and walk on the local bog by Ireland's leading wildlife filmmaker and environmentalist, Eamon de Buitlear with Catherine Farrell of Bord na Mona.

Close on 100 walkers gathered in the village for the event under the leadership of local man, Jimmy Deenihan TD. They then set out on foot and in cars towards Kilacrim where the tour was led down into Ennismore Bog. The party included members of the Listowel twinned area of Panissieres in France and they were accompanied by an interpreter and hosts.

Mr de Buitlear took listeners back 10,000 years in the batting of an eyelid and left them in no doubt that humankind will have to change its habits if the trees and the bogs are to be allowed to do for the planet just what they've been designed to do.

If an example of the type of ignorance we need to educate our population away from were needed, it was provided by a load of domestic and building rubble which was illegally dumped along the route of the otherwise scenic bog road in very recent days.

Leading the walkers through the bog, Deputy Deenihan could have ignored the eyesore and walked on. Instead, his leadership qualities asserted themselves and he climbed onto the side of the heap. With a hint of an apology and more than a dash of anger he explained to local and visitor alike exactly the mentality it takes to carry out an act of environmental vandalism such as this.

The weekend also included music sessions, concerts, crossroads dancing,; childrens' magic workshops, singing and storytelling. Finuge is perfectly appointed for the hosting of a festival of this kind. The community has the culture of the area at its heart, it comes naturally from its inhabitants and they're proud of their writers, footballers and even of their politician.

Sean McCarthy's songs are available at the Literacy Centre, The Square, Listowel, Tel: 068 - 22212.

- JOHN REIDY