There was no stage fright in evidence in Fermoy Youth Theatre recently when the pupils of Presentation Convent, Doneraile, trod the boards with gusto for the annual Coirm Festival!  Organised by Gael Linn, Coirm is a festival at which primary schools present a twenty minute variety show ‘as Gaeilge’.  Up to 500 talented pupils from schools in counties Cork, Waterford and Tipperary participated in this one-day event on Wednesday, 8th February last.  Each school can choose a theme for their show, and incorporate the musical and dramatic talents of pupils from one class or from different classes in the school!  By providing a platform for the arts in an Irish speaking environment at Coirm, Gael Linn aim to promote the use of Irish among primary school pupils. While Coirm Gael Linn is not a competition, each show is reviewed by a guest adjudicator and special merit awards are presented for outstanding performances. These awards may be given to individuals or groups, and the adjudicator may award as many as he/she feels are deserved on the day.  On this occasion, Liam Mac a’Mhaoir complimented teacher Éamonn Ó hArgáin on his great direction of the Doneraile show, ‘An Lollipop Draíochta’ (The Magic Lollipop!).  He rewarded the young cast with two prizes – firstly for the energetic and natural acting skills portrayed by the main characters in the show and secondly for the team work displayed by those in minor roles in their line delivery and articulation. Each child who participated in Coirm Gael Linn was also given a little memento of the occasion to take home. To add to the festival atmosphere, Giggles the clown entertained the large audience between each show. Now in its eleventh year, Coirm Gael Linn is a popular event on the school calendar, and a total of nine festivals will be held at various venues nationwide over the coming weeks.