Dr. Margarita Cappock, an art historian, curator, and writer, will deliver an illustrated lecture on the early life of renowned artist Francis Bacon (1909-1992) and his complex relationship with Ireland, his birthplace.
Celebrating older persons’ contribution to arts and culture in the community. Lunch will be followed by dance and song with some local musicians.
Explore the history of this 200-year-old town in the company of local historian Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill. Take in the town’s early industrial sites, the railway station, the 19th-century Bridewall (gaol) and the Catholic and Protestant graveyards. Hear stories of famine, war, religious conflict, street riots and political rallies. Learn about John D’Arcy, the founder of Clifden, and Alexander Nimmo, the 19th Century Scottish engineer who designed the Connemara road system that is still in use today.
Tour duration: Approx 90 mins
Tel: 087 647 1107
It has been a few years in the making, but today marks the launch of Mary Foyle's compendium volume to her well-received initial outing, SCRIBBLES, published by Trident Press (2005).
Like its predecessor, SCRIBBLES 2 is a delightful collection of original poems, stories, anecdotes and reminiscences about the author's life in general and Clifden in particular, featuring Mary's family, friends and a plethora of memories. Also included in this volume are several of Mary's father Richard's previously unpublished stories.
Originally from Bray in County Wicklow, Mary moved to Connemara, having spent several years living in London and Spain. She is married to Edmond Foyle of Foyle's family hotel in Clifden and the mother of three children.
As a mature student, Mary returned to study in college and obtained a degree in Spanish and Classical Studies from NUI Galway in 1994.
SCRIBBLES 2 is designed, illustrated and published by Joe Boske of Little Gull Publishing and will be launched by Brendan Flynn. All proceeds of this publication will be donated to the RNLI Clifden to help them continue their work.
All are welcome.
Celebrate the joy of Work place and fun place with our local, special drama group, who express the universal theme of being happy through rhyme, mime, poetry and song. Devised and directed by Rosalind Coyne.
The Washington Post described John Feeley as ‘Ireland’s leading classical guitarist’, who also judged his CD “The Immigrant’s Song” to be the best classical guitar CD of 2013. He has won several prizes in international competitions and performed with major orchestras worldwide. He has been awarded a PhD from Maynooth University for a dissertation on contemporary Irish music. His performances of Irish airs have been praised for their subtlety, brilliance and originality.
www.johnfeeley.ie
Fran O’Rourke acquired a love of Irish songs as a schoolboy during a three-month stay in the Connemara Gaeltacht. His first public performance was on the popular children’s television programme, “Seoirse agus Beartlaí”. While studying on the Continent during the ’70s, he participated in major festivals in Belgium, Germany, and Holland and appeared on radio and television. He is an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at University College Dublin. While researching philosophical influences in James Joyce, he discovered the importance also of traditional songs in his writings. John and Fran have published “JoyceSong: Irish Songs of James Joyce”, a live recording of a concert at the Princess Grace Library on St Patrick’s Day, 2015 (www.joycesong.info / www.franorourke.ie).
In their concert, John Feeley and Fran O’Rourke will include a selection from their CD of traditional songs in Irish, Casadh na nAmhrán (2021). The album was chosen by the reviewer of Irish Music Magazine as his recording of the year and shortlisted in the folk music category of Schallplattenkritik, the German equivalent of the Grammys.
Sponsored by: Kevin and Suzanne Cronin
On retiring from teaching, Breda studied creative writing at UCC, where she won her first poetry prize and graduated with an MA in 2020. Breda has been shortlisted for many prestigious awards such as Hennessy NIW, the Anthony Cronin Award, the Over the Edge Awards, the Fish Lockdown prize, and many others.
Her poetry appears in various publications, anthologies and literary journals, the most recent being Poems for Pandemia and The Best New British and Irish Poets Anthology 2019-2021 and The Irish Times. She has broadcast on Sunday Miscellany.
Galway-based poet Michael Gorman. Michael Gorman was born in Sligo. He was educated at Summerhill College and National University College Galway, where he taught for many years. His publications include Up She Flew (Salmon 1991) and Waiting for the Sky to Fall (Lighthouse Press 1984). His work has been included in prominent anthologies, including Voices and Poetry of Ireland (HarperCollins 2004), Lifelines - New and Collected: Letters From Famous People About Their Favourite Poems edited by Niall MacMonagle, (TownHouse, 2006) and Windharp: Poems of Ireland Since 1916 edited by Niall MacMonagle (Penguin 2015).
Guest speaker Gabriel Fitzmaurice.
Clifden Arts Festival is honoured to welcome back these two old friends of the Festival. They continue to produce poetry that touches the heart and lifts the spirit.
Terry McDonagh, poet and theatre-maker, facilitates and takes part in writing programmes in Europe, Asia and Australia. He taught creative writing at Hamburg University and was Drama Director at International School Hamburg. He's published eleven poetry collections, letters, drama, prose and poetry for young people. His work has been translated into German and Indonesian. His forthcoming collection 'Two Notes for Home' is to be published in September by Arlen House.
Art and Science in Wildlife Film Making
In this talk, wildlife and expedition filmmaker Doug Allan takes you up close and personal with the animals that live in the wildest places on earth. Diving under the ice with Weddell seals, finding orcas in the Antarctic, and NOT being eaten by polar bears. But behind the fantastic stories and spectacular onscreen images is the dedication of scientists. Doug lays bare the secrets and skills in blending all three.
Alan Esslemont was born in Braemar in Scotland and holds an MA in French from Edinburgh University and a postgraduate MBA from the Open University in the UK. After working in France, Switzerland and the Isle of Skye, Alan moved to Ireland in 1984 for a teaching position at University College Galway. In 1989 he became a member of the start-up team for Telegael, the pioneering independent audio-visual company in the west of Ireland.
Alan was appointed in 1995 to the senior management group of Teilifís na Gaeilge, which launched TnaG in October 1996. He was a founding board member and treasurer of the Irish Film and Television Academy (1997-2000) and played a key role in the successful re-launch of TnaG as TG4 in 1999. He was appointed Director of Television for TG4 in 2000. Then in December 2007, Alan returned to Scotland to help set up and successfully launch BBC ALBA, the Scots Gaelic television channel, where he was Head of Content for almost nine years. In 2016, Alan returned to work in Ireland to undertake the chief executive role at TG4 and in 2019, he was elected to the position of Chair of the Celtic Media Festival. TG4 became Ireland's 6th most watched channel in 2019, its highest-ever audience ranking.
Music and dance with Marie Walsh.
Tune in to Connemara Community Radio (connemarafm.com) to listen live.
An Overview on the treatment of senior citizens and the poor from Queen Elizabeth I Poor Relief Act 1601 to the current Fair Deal Scheme in 2020.
Essential Healing in Everyday Life
“In a time of spiritual awakening, emotional healing must move beyond psychology if it is to be effective.” - Benig Mauger
As old paradigms are crumbling and the world is awakening to spirituality and our divine natures, we are witnessing the Return of the Sacred Feminine. Presenting a new model of healing based on a unique interweaving of Jungian depth psychology with spirituality, this talk will be based on my forthcoming book ‘The Soul & the Sea’. As a spiritual force and an archetypal energy that exists in both the personal and collective, integrating and harnessing the healing energies of the Feminine is vital to our future life and that of the planet.
Benig Mauger is an internationally known Jungian psychotherapist, spiritual teacher, poet and workshop leader. Author of a number of critically acclaimed books, she is a frequent speaker at national and international events on psychological healing, spiritual wellness and how to live an empowered and soulful life.
www.benigmauger.com
Mick is one of the Irish tradition's most acclaimed and respected fiddle players. He has toured and recorded with many artists, most notably De Danann. In 2001 his debut solo album Selkie was released to critical acclaim on the prestigious boutique trad label Cló Iar-Chonnacht, and he has recorded numerous albums to date. Mick is a leading exponent of the 6-string Greek bouzouki in Irish traditional music.
Anne Brennan (Vocals) is from Maam in North Connemara Anne is a member of the well-known and distinguished group "The Brennan Sisters". Anne comes from a family steeped in traditional music and song and has toured throughout Ireland and Europe as a solo artist. Anne has shared the stage over the years with some of Ireland's most talented artists, including Paul Brady, Sharon Shannon, Declan O' Rourke, Gerry O Connor, Arty McGlynn, Steve Cooney, Mundy and Damien Dempsey, to name but a few, and continues to tour as a solo artist and with various bands throughout Ireland and Europe.
David Munnelly (accordion) from Mayo is widely regarded as one of his generation's most influential Irish accordion players: he has played with legendary Irish bands such as De Dannan and The Chieftains!
Bernard O'Donoghue grew up in Cullen, Co Cork, and still spends part of the year there. Since 1965 he has lived in Oxford, where he taught Medieval English literature and Irish poetry at Wadham College. Bernard has published eight volumes of poems, the most recent being The Seasons of Cullen Church (Faber 2016). He is working on an edition of the Collected Poems of Seamus Heaney.
Vona Groarke has published twelve books with The Gallery Press, including eight poetry collections, the latest being Link: Poet and World (2021). Her Selected Poems won the 2017 Pigott Prize for Best Irish Poetry Collection. Later this year, New York University Press will publish Hereafter: The Telling Life of Ellen O'Hara – an account of Irish women domestic servants in 1890s New York. She has taught at the University of Manchester since 2007. She will become Poet in Residence at St. John's College of Cambridge University this year. Otherwise, she lives in South County Sligo, where she reads and writes.
Dr Maureen Gaffney is a psychologist, speaker, broadcaster and writer.
Her latest book, Your One Wild and Precious Life, helps people live their best life at any age and was the winner of the RTÉ Audience Choice Award in the 2021 Book Awards.
Maureen is passionate about mental health issues and has worked tirelessly to promote equality and reform across many sections of Irish life. She is a regular contributor to radio and television, sharing the latest research and thinking on the psychology of wellbeing, resilience and transformational change in both individuals and organisations.
- Rita Connolly (vocal)
- Shaun Davey (vocal, keys)
- Donal Lunny (bouzouki)
- Cora Lunny (violin)
- David Brophy (vocal, piano)
The voice of Rita Connolly has been featured in the music of Shaun Davey for over 40 years. The pair visit Clifden Arts Festival again this year to perform songs he composed for her, each inspired by the beauty and emotional depth of her singing. Three musical friends join them; Cora Lunny, a violin soloist whose work spans classical and traditional forms; Donal Lunny on bouzouki, ever an influence since the early days of Planxty; and conductor David Brophy, closely associated with Davey's music, on piano and vocal.
DANCE NO 1, NO 2, NO 3 and NO 4 are non-story-based improvised performances with Brussels-based composer Lionel Kasparian and its experimental modular synth. Both artists explore the relationships and tensions between public-personal, inside-outside, and visible-invisible through raw movement and sound. This is the first of a series of short performances that take their inspiration from Magdalena Hylak's ongoing project DANCES FOR NOBODY, which is rooted in the Clifden area.
Magdalena Hylak is a dance artist based in Clifden. She is touring nationally and internationally as a core member of Irish Modern Dance Theatre-John Scott (IE) and Compagnie Nacera Belaza (FR). She is developing projects with the support of the Arts Council and the help of Galway Dance Project, Dance Cork Firkin Crane and Dance Limerick. She is the recipient of the Galway County Council Artist Support Scheme 2022 and the North-West Dance Residency Program.
MIKE DENVER, known as “The Galway Boy”, is one of Ireland’s top Entertainers, Born and raised in the town of Portumna in the west of Ireland he began singing from an early age continuously honing his craft and performing local shows to eventually become the entertainer he is today.
Mike started touring at the age of 16 signing with Willie Carty entertainment who has stayed by his side ever since.
Mike truly loves what he does and appreciates all his fans and friends throughout Country music and can't wait to see you at a show again real soon.
Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh is Professor Emeritus in History and former Dean of Arts and Vice-President of the National University of Ireland, Galway. Former member of the Senate of the NUI, the Irish-US Fulbright Commission, and former Cathaoirleach of Údarás na Gaeltachta. He has served on the Council of State since 2012.
Noelie McDonnell, Noriana Kennedy and Nicola Joyce. Three accomplished singers who had each toured and recorded extensively with their separate projects before coming together as The Whileaways. With over a dozen albums to their collective credit and having played gigs and festivals worldwide, they began to admire each other singing at sessions in their hometown of Galway. Since coming together, they have toured worldwide, been nominated for Best Group and Best Album in the RTE Folk Awards, and garnered high praise from the music press at home and abroad.
These three singers are cut from the same cloth and weave a tapestry of harmonies and beautifully crafted original songs. Their sound is true, and their delivery is undeniably captivating.
Listen to the Landspeak: lost wisdom of the land
Inspired by language, mythology and the philosophy of John Moriarty, Manchán Magan explores the insight our native culture gives us into landscape, pysche and Otherworld of this rocky, green, island nation.
Manchán Magan has written books on his travels in Africa, India and South America and two novels. He writes regularly for The Irish Times, presents The Almanac of Ireland podcast for RTÉ Radio 1 and reports on travel for various radio programmes. He has presented dozens of documentaries on issues of world culture for TG4, RTÉ & Travel Channel. His book Thirty-Two Words For Field explores the insights the Irish language offers into the landscape, psyche and heritage of Ireland. His new illustrated book, Tree Dogs, Banshee Fingers and Other Irish Words for Nature (Oct 2021) presents Irish words for the natural world. www.manchan.com
Is scríbhneoir agus craoltóir é Manchán Magan a bhfuil leabhair scríofa as Béarla agus as Gaeilge aige faoin taisteal atá déanta aige i Meiriceá Theas, san India agus san Afraic. Scríobhann sé scaití do The Irish Times, cuireann sé The Almanac of Ireland i láthair do RTÉ Raidió 1 agus cuireann sé tuairiscí ar fáil faoi chúrsaí taistil do chláracha raidió éagsúla. Tá go leor cláracha faisnéise curtha i láthair aige faoi chúrsaí cultúir agus oidhreachta do TG4 agus RTÉ. Díríonn a leabhar, Thirty-Two Words For Field, ar na tuiscintí faoi chúrsaí timpeallachta, anama agus oidhreachta atá le fáil sa Ghaeilge. San fhomhar d'fhoilsigh sé leabhar nua dár teideal Tree Dogs, Banshee Fingers and Other Irish Words For Nature a fhéachann ar na focail mealltacha atá ag an nGaeilge don saol nádúrtha.
Michael Longley has published many books of poetry. His most recent, The Slain Birds, in 2022. In 2001, Longley received the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. He has won the Whitbread Prize for Poetry, the Hawthornden Prize and the T.S. Eliot Prize. Michael Longley was appointed a CBE in 2010. From 2007 to 2010, he was Ireland's Professor of Poetry. In 2017, he received the PEN Pinter Prize. In 2018, he was awarded the inaugural Yakamochi Medal, an international poetry prize from Toyama Prefecture, Japan. He is a Freeman of the city of Belfast.
Martina Evans grew up in County Cork and trained in Dublin as a radiographer before moving to London in 1988. She is the author of twelve books of poetry and prose. Her latest collection is American Mules, winner of the Pigott Poetry Prize for 2022. She is a Royal Literary Fund Advisory Fellow and an Irish Times poetry critic.
DANCE NO 1, NO 2, NO 3 and NO 4 are non-story-based improvised performances with Brussels-based composer Lionel Kasparian and its experimental modular synth. Both artists explore the relationships and tensions between public-personal, inside-outside, and visible-invisible through raw movement and sound. This is the first of a series of short performances that take their inspiration from Magdalena Hylak's ongoing project DANCES FOR NOBODY, which is rooted in the Clifden area.
Magdalena Hylak is a dance artist based in Clifden. She is touring nationally and internationally as a core member of Irish Modern Dance Theatre-John Scott (IE) and Compagnie Nacera Belaza (FR). She is developing projects with the support of the Arts Council and the help of Galway Dance Project, Dance Cork Firkin Crane and Dance Limerick. She is the recipient of the Galway County Council Artist Support Scheme 2022 and the North-West Dance Residency Program.
Free Event. All are welcome.
*Please note that the venue is not accessible for wheelchair nor walking aid users. We apologise for the inconvenience.
What does it mean to be a strong woman?
Where Mountain Kisses Sea is a site-specific installation that examines this question from the intersection of the female body in a rural landscape.
Drawing on the myths of our Celtic ancestors, the legends of the women who came before, and the resilience it takes for life to survive in the raw Connemara landscape, Where Mountain Kisses Sea explores the many facets of female strength. As the fragments of story are woven together, the contradictions, the vulnerability, and the traditionally perceived weaknesses of female strength are laid bare.
Guided by The Woman, the audience is invited to explore a section of Glassilaun beach at the changing of the light. In the sand, glass bottles containing hand written notes are waiting to be discovered. The number of notes that are read and the order that they are discovered is up to each individual audience member.
Age: 14+
Celebrating 37 years of music-making, under the leadership of All-Ireland flute and whistle champion Joanie Madden and named by The Irish Voice Newspaper as one of the 'Top 25 most influential Irish Americans of the past quarter-century', these ladies create an evening that includes a spectacular blend of virtuoso instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements and stunning step dancing. Their continued success as one of the top Celtic groups in the world is due to the ensemble's ability to take the best of Irish traditional music and dance and put it forth in an immensely entertaining show.
Take the Studio Trail Bus Tour for the fully immersive Connemara Art experience. Winding through the dramatic scenes of Moyard, Letterfrack National Park and the Inagh Valley to Recess, the tour will bring you from Clifden to three important local studios and galleries featuring locally and internationally produced work.
One of 12 children, John Creedon, grew up in Cork City. In 1987 he joined RTÉ Radio 1 through a public competition, and he has won both Jacob’s and PPI awards for his work with them. He currently produces and presents The John Creedon Show, a popular nightly music programme on RTÉ Radio 1.
John completed a diploma in Regional Studies at UCC and his love of
Irish folklore and culture have seen him take to the roads of Ireland to
present Creedon’s Wild Atlantic Way, Creedon’s Epic East, Creedon’s Shannon, and several of Creedon’s Atlas of Ireland series. In 2018, he spearheaded the National Treasures project, a collaboration between RTÉ and the National Museum of Ireland, which culminated in a television series and an exhibition of artefacts that celebrate the story of the nation. His first book, That Place We Call Home, was a bestseller, and his latest offering, A Treasury of Irish Folklore, is due in the shops in September 2022. John lives in his native Cork with his partner Mairead and broadcasts mainly from the local RTÉ studios. He won the Cork Person of the Year Award in 2022.
"Simply one of the best folk duos on the planet" (BBC)
"Folk Instrumentalist of the Year 2020" RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards (Zoë)
"Featured Composer 2021" ITMA Irish Traditional Music Archive (Zoë)
With an exciting blend of eclectic fiddle and guitar music, Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre bring to the stage sympathetic arrangements of traditional Irish music, compositions and songs, old and new. The husband and wife folk duo possess a rare facility to draw pieces into their repertoire from other genres such as classical, jazz and world music and express this material in a way which not only displays the sheer range and knowledge of both instrumentalists but also exhibits the wonderful versatility of their instruments.
They have performed for rock stars, millionaires and dignitaries worldwide, including Irish Presidents Mary Mc Aleese and Michael D. Higgins. They were awarded Best Live Show from the popular YouTube channel Balcony TV. They received over half a million views online.
"An ceol is binne agus is cruinne dá gcuala mé riamh."
This vibrant group had a busy year including the launch of a wonderful memoir, a poetry prize and 2 members selected for Poetry Ireland's 'Introductions'. Their 3 most recent broadcasts on Connemara Community Radio range from heart-moving memoir and short stories to Poetry with music.
Everyone is welcome to share in this wonderful hour of story and verse with musical accompaniment.
Nuala O’Connor, born in Dublin in 1970, lives in Co. Galway. Her fifth novel NORA (Harper Perennial/New Island, 2021), about Nora Barnacle, wife and muse to James Joyce, was recently published to critical acclaim in the USA, Ireland, the UK, and Germany, and is forthcoming in other languages. NORA was named a Top 10 2021 historical novel by the New York Times and the One Dublin One Book choice for 2022. Nuala curated the Love, Says Bloom exhibition at MoLI, on the Joyce family, for #Ulysses100. She is an editor at flash fiction e-zine Splonk.
The Road to Riverdance by Bill Whelan is a skilfully attuned record of one of Ireland's most famous and influential composers. This richly braided narrative follows Whelan's early musical experiences right up to the world-famous cultural phenomenon: from being enthralled by South African singers in a Limerick theatre as a child to sitting in the Gaiety pit orchestra to that seven-minute interval that changed everything. Written with an inimitable Irish sense of humour – absurdist and unexpected – he reveals the nuts, bolts, sheer effort and serendipitous meetings that formed the road to Riverdance.
Bill Whelan's most famous work, Riverdance, was composed especially for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest interval act. As a single release, Riverdance spent 18 weeks at No. 1 in the Irish charts and was a Top Ten hit in the UK. Since then, it has played to millions of people worldwide, with the album and video topping the charts worldwide. Bill was honoured with a 1997 Grammy Award when the Riverdance record was named the 'Best Musical Show Album'.
This spellbinding entertainment is regular event at the Festival sine 2009! Poems, songs and recitations about horses, ponies and greyhounds are presented by an assortment of local and national crowd-pleasers. The audience exceeds the gatherings in Paddy Power bookmakers for derbies or grand nationals! It is compered by Des Kavanagh. An atmosphere of banter and high culture pervades. Paddy Power kindly sponsors cheese and wine.
DANCE NO 1, NO 2, NO 3 and NO 4 are non-story-based improvised performances with Brussels-based composer Lionel Kasparian and its experimental modular synth. Both artists explore the relationships and tensions between public-personal, inside-outside, and visible-invisible through raw movement and sound. This is the first of a series of short performances that take their inspiration from Magdalena Hylak's ongoing project DANCES FOR NOBODY, which is rooted in the Clifden area.
Magdalena Hylak is a dance artist based in Clifden. She is touring nationally and internationally as a core member of Irish Modern Dance Theatre-John Scott (IE) and Compagnie Nacera Belaza (FR). She is developing projects with the support of the Arts Council and the help of Galway Dance Project, Dance Cork Firkin Crane and Dance Limerick. She is the recipient of the Galway County Council Artist Support Scheme 2022 and the North-West Dance Residency Program.
Free Event. All are welcome.
From East to West – From Boston to Connemara
Connacht was formed by percussionist Michael McDonagh, who’s father Mike McDonagh (Originally from Calla, Roundstone, Galway) was the founder of the famous Connacht Ceili Band.
They have newly released a CD called “Perfect Storm” and we’re delighted to be able to link up the connection to the area. Special guests on the night including relations and friends of Michael McDonagh
Cormac McCarthy piano/director
Dana Masters vocals
Expect a sublime hour of jazz with the extraordinary RTÉ Concert Orchestra Big Band with multi-talented pianist/conductor/arranger Cormac McCarthy and stunning singer Dana Masters. Taking Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald as its theme, the programme offers a rare chance to hear live performances of Ellington’s treatment of Grieg’s Peer Gynt and his Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald Medley, both collaborations with arranger Billy Strayhorn.
Then Dana Masters – hailed by All About Jazz as ‘a jazz singer of real note’ – takes centre stage for a selection of some of Ella’s most famous numbers. In fantastic arrangements ranging from uptempo to slow swing to ballad, she will perform Fascinating Rhythm, I Got it Bad, Autumn in New York, Caravan, A Flower is a Lovesome Thing and Perdido.
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, bringing orchestral music to new audiences since 1948, has built a strong connection with the public that saw it voted the World’s Favourite Orchestra in 2015. The orchestra’s warm, engaging style, delight in performance and rapport with the audience have always made it a favourite on its visits to Clifden. This first appearance at the festival by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra Big Band is sure to be another evening to remember!
The Venerable Bede first mentioned Inishbofin in the early 8th century as a refuge for Northumbrian monks. The Vikings raided it in 795 AD and long retained strong associations with Anglo-Saxon England. Located on the border between two mighty Gaelic maritime lordships, the O’Malleys and the O’Flahertys, Inishbofin has a turbulent history. It was the last Gaelic stronghold to fall to Cromwell and subsequently had strong links with 17th-century France and 18th-century America. Dozens of Bronze Age monuments mark its earlier history and will be visited during the trip. Its coastline boasts dramatic sea cliffs, caves, and a wide variety of marine life.
Meeting at 11:00am at Cleggan Pier, return on 5:00pm ferry.
Booking in advance to 095 21379 or email info@walkingireland.com.
Mark Patrick Hederman has been a monk for over fifty years at the Benedictine monastery of Glenstal Abbey, Co. Limerick. He has been abbot of the community and headmaster of the school. Born in Ballingarry, Co Limerick, his latest book Crimson and Gold: Life as a Limerick, is a humorous account of the changing face of Ireland as he has experienced it since the 1950s. His other more recent publications are The Opal and the Pearl , and Living the Mystery all three published by Columba Press, Dublin].
Clifden Arts Festival In partnership with Cruit Éireann Harp Ireland presents Summer Harps at Clifden
Experience some of Ireland’s finest harpers in concert, with Seamus Ó Flatharta, Úna Ní Fhlannagáin and Lynn Saoirse, as they perform an eclectic and entertaining mix of harp music celebrating our national emblem.
Úna Ní Fhlannagáin is an award-winning harper-composer and singer from Co. Galway, Ireland. She is rooted in diverse musical influences such as the dance music tradition of North Clare, the sean-nós singing style of Maigh Seola, the American post-minimalists and free jazz.
Séamus Ó Flatharta is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and dancer from Áird Mhór in the heart of Connemara. Since the age of 16, he has been making waves in the fields of music, song and dance, performing in China, The USA, Canada, The United Kingdom and throughout mainland Europe.
Lynn Saoirse has been living near Clifden for most of the last 36 years. She has performed widely: throughout Europe and across the USA, as well as in the Caribbean, Nepal, Argentina, French Guiana and Egypt.
Seán Ó Coisdealbha has been Chief Executive Officer of Muintearas from 1996. He has spent thirty-two years working with Muintearas, where he started working as Youth Manager in 1985. He has considerable experience in community development, education and the Irish language. He has published two poetry books, Stadhan in 2012 and Dídean in 2002. He has been closely involved in Irish language theatre since 1980, taking many parts in plays with the Taibhdhearc and Aisteoirí an Spidéil.
A Tristan Heanue film starring Olwen Fouéré.
A new work by actor/film director Tristan Heanue in collaboration with artist and actor Olwen Fouéré is based on the closing moments of “riverrun”, Fouéré’s acclaimed adaptation of the voice of the river in Finnegans Wake by James Joyce. Heanue and Fouéré will celebrate the river’s final farewell as she dissolves into the great ocean of time, tracing her path onwards into the Atlantic.
DANCE NO 1, NO 2, NO 3 and NO 4 are non-story-based improvised performances with Brussels-based composer Lionel Kasparian and its experimental modular synth. Both artists explore the relationships and tensions between public-personal, inside-outside, and visible-invisible through raw movement and sound. This is the first of a series of short performances that take their inspiration from Magdalena Hylak's ongoing project DANCES FOR NOBODY, which is rooted in the Clifden area.
Magdalena Hylak is a dance artist based in Clifden. She is touring nationally and internationally as a core member of Irish Modern Dance Theatre-John Scott (IE) and Compagnie Nacera Belaza (FR). She is developing projects with the support of the Arts Council and the help of Galway Dance Project, Dance Cork Firkin Crane and Dance Limerick. She is the recipient of the Galway County Council Artist Support Scheme 2022 and the North-West Dance Residency Program.
Free to this event Bus Leaving 6:30 pm from the Clifden Library
Free Event. All are welcome.
Máirtín O'Connor's name has been synonymous with the accordion for decades, both as a master of the instrument and as a musician and composer. His skill, dexterity, innovation and versatility have won him acclaim worldwide. He has received many accolades over the years, and his career has been documented in Sé Mo Laoch on TG4.
Seamie O'Dowd is an excellent guitarist, singer, and songwriter. A defining member of Dervish for over a decade, he has also released three critically acclaimed solo albums. He has travelled worldwide, sharing stages with many musical greats, including Christy Moore, The Chieftains, Tommy Emmanuel, Matt Molloy, and Rick Epping.
Cathal Hayden is an internationally renowned banjo and fiddle player who lives and breathes music. He has contributed to many albums as a session musician and is a founding member of the band "Four Men and a Dog". When not performing to packed venues in America, China or Australia, Cathal is just as content playing in the quiet local family pub renowned for its great music sessions.
Michael Gibbons is one of Ireland’s leading field archaeologists. Born and raised in Clifden, Connemara, where he still lives with his family, Michael graduated from University College Galway with a degree in History and Archaeology. He is a member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland with thirty years of experience as an archaeologist and completed a five-year term on the Archaeology Committee of the Heritage Council. He has worked with the Department of Antiquities in Jerusalem and the Museum of London City Excavation Programme.
Explore the history of this 200-year-old town in the company of local historian Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill. Take in the town’s early industrial sites, the railway station, the 19th-century Bridewall (gaol) and the Catholic and Protestant graveyards. Hear stories of famine, war, religious conflict, street riots and political rallies. Learn about John D’Arcy, the founder of Clifden, and Alexander Nimmo, the 19th Century Scottish engineer who designed the Connemara road system that is still in use today.
Tour duration: Approx. 90 mins
Tel: 087 647 1107
"How I got Over": The central importance of gospel music in the Civil Rights Movement in the USA
Join Members of the gospel group the Legendary Ingramettes and former Virginia State Folklorist and Director of the Center for Cultural Vibrancy Jon Lohman for discussion and song about the important role of Black gospel music in the attainment of civil rights in the American south. The Ingramettes were deeply involved in the generationally defining struggle, and their journey is both uniquely remarkable while also indicative of the greater struggles of many. Hailing from the musically rich region of Richmond, Virginia, the Ingramettes are icons in the gospel community and were recently honored with the 2022 National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor that the United States bestows upon traditional artists.
Frankie won Traditional Musician of the year 2018 at the TG4 Gradam Ceoil awards. A co-founder of Dé Dannan, Frankie has recorded with Irish musicians such as Andy Irvine and Sharon Shannon, and international acts including Elvis Costello and The Rolling Stones.
In its seventieth year, the Arts Council has commissioned Critical Voices 2022, a series of essays and accompanying discussions. Critical Voices 2022 reflects on the Arts Council's history, the value of the arts, and the impact of 70 years of public investment in the arts. Critical Voices, in collaboration with the Clifden Arts Festival, presents a special event with unique perspectives on the role of the arts in Ireland's past, present and future. This event features contributing essayists Rita Duffy (visual artist), Beulah Ezeugo, and Joselle Ntumba, founders of the Éireann and I Archive, a collaborative project that sources, contextualises, and chronicles the experience of Black migrants in Ireland.
Topics included in the publication and series:
-the relationship between various governments and the arts since the 1950s.
-the arts and culture as common languages across the world.
-reflections on a diverse Ireland and the role of the arts in celebrating contemporary Ireland.
-recognising the role of creativity as a positive force in the world.
-I ról agus tiomantas na Comhairle Ealaíon don Ghaeilge a mheasiú agus an ról is féidir leis na healaíona a imirt chun forbairt na Ghaeilge mar theanga bheo labhartha a chinntiú.
Rita Duffy is one of Ireland's groundbreaking artists, using her work to involve the histories and narratives of different communities in Ireland and worldwide.
Based in Ballyconnell Courthouse on the border in Ireland, she continues her studio-based practice in 'no man's land', generating socially engaged art projects that explore female identity, history and, increasingly, environmental issues.
Joselle Ntumba is a cultural producer of Congolese heritage and was raised in Galway City. Her work centres on memory work and event programming as tools for community resistance and learning. Alongside this, she has a background in health science from Trinity College Dublin.
Beulah Ezeugo is an Igbo curator and researcher. Her work centres on Black postcolonial dreaming using collective memory and myth. Her practice is informed by a social science background from University College Dublin and an MLitt in Curatorial Practice from Glasgow School of Art and the University of Glasgow.
By Ciarán Taylor with Karl Quinn and Steve Wickham
Breath is a music play with multi-instrumentalist Steve Wickham of The Waterboys, who joins actor Karl Quinn to playfully explore our recent experiences.
We had all been holding our breath, but for one man, the family working and studying at home is building up the pressure along with the waiting, sanitising, news overload, work Zooms gone wrong, botched deliveries, and window visits. He's trying to hold it together with online yoga, home baking, and dancing in the kitchen, but one sneeze could blow it all apart.
Breath is infused with the joy of music as we catch our breath together and look back at the things we remember and the things we'd forgotten about for two strange years.
For Breath, Steve Wickham combines classical, folk and rock on fiddle, concertina, and didgeridoo - played like never before! He previously worked with Galway native director Ciarán Taylor and Carpet Theatre actor Karl Quinn on Pigeon and Wexford Firestation Tour.
Supported by the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund in partnership with Business to Arts. Development is funded by the Arts Council, with support from Hawk's Well Theatre, The Glens Centre, Axis, Ballymun, and Fringe Lab.
Musician Carmel Dempsey made her first Arts Festival appearance in 1983 and has been a regular performer ever since.
"Growing up, I was always struck by the electricity generated by a concert given by The Dubliners. Looking back, I can see clearly that the group was exceptional not only because of the individual strength of the performers but that combined, they were a force of nature.
That energy and excitement, coupled with the unbridled joy of a Dubliners' audience, made for a night's entertainment that felt more like a party in full swing where the hosts and guests were in perfect harmony.
In the years since my father passed away, I've come to enjoy listening back over his musical legacy. The wealth of material has reawakened a sense of pride and deep appreciation.
The night will be made by a mix of folk and other musical influences that will go towards creating a performance that, hopefully, the audience can enjoy as much as we will. " - Phelim Drew
Phelim will be telling a few yarns and singing some of the songs made famous by Ronnie, Luke, Barney, Ciaran and John. Joined by Anto Drennan on guitar and Bernard Kavanagh on double bass, Myles Drennan on piano and drums and Ger Kiely on an electric guitar.
Steam Cafe and Little Gull Publishing would like to invite you to the official launch of Iris Taylor's book
Memoirs of a Reluctant German, which was published last year, but did not get the appropriate introduction to the public due to Covid restrictions.
Iris Taylor was born in Germany and educated there, in Holland, the UK and Ireland where she obtained an MA in Modern Languages from Trinity College, Dublin. She now calls the West of Ireland home. Her lively memoir spans a variety of cultures and insights and is a memorable reflection of one woman's journey through life.
All are welcome.
Take the Studio Trail Bus Tour for the fully immersive Connemara Art experience. Winding through the dramatic scenes of Moyard, Letterfrack National Park and the Inagh Valley to Recess, the tour will bring you from Clifden to three important local studios and galleries featuring locally and internationally produced work.
Oein DeBhairduin is a creative soul with a passion for poetry, folk herbalism and preserving the beauty of Traveller tales, sayings, retellings and historic exchanges. He is the manager of an education centre and a long-time board member of several Mincéirí community groups, including the honour of being vice-chair of the Irish Traveller Movement and a council member of Mincéir Whidden. He seeks to pair community activism with cultural celebration, recalling old tales with fresh modern connections. Most of all, he wishes to rekindle the hearth fires of a shared kinship.
Twelve years have passed since the Kane Sisters last recorded a studio album.
Entitled “In Memory of Paddy Fahey”, this new album is dedicated to the master composer and fiddle player. It includes fifteen of his compositions alongside newly composed tunes from Liz and Yvonne.
“In Memory of Paddy Fahey” will be launched by Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha and Anne Marie Kelly.
Liz and Yvonne will be joined by guitarist John Blake and dancer Nathan Pilatzke.
Molly Twomey has been published in Poetry Ireland Review, Banshee, the Irish Times, Crannóg, Mslexia, Cyphers, The Stinging Fly, and elsewhere. She has won the Padraic Colum Poetry Prize (2019), the Waterford Poetry Prize (2020), the Eavan Boland Mentorship Award (2021) and was chosen for Poetry Ireland’s Introductions Series (2021). She runs an online international poetry event, Just to Say, sponsored by Jacar Press. Recently awarded an Arts Council Literature Bursary, her debut collection will be published in May 2022 with The Gallery Press.
Paddy Bushe is a poet, editor and translator in English and Irish. He is a member of Aosdána and is the Artistic Director of the recently established Amergin Solstice Poetry Gathering. On A Turning Wing (Dedalus 2016) won the 2017 Irish Times Poetry Now Award. A collection in Irish, Móinéar an Chroí, was published in 2018.
With music by James Canavan
Shaun T. Griffin co-founded and directed Community Chest, a rural social justice agency for twenty-seven years. Because the Light Will Not Forgive Me—Essays from a Poet, was published in 2019. The Monastery of Stars, poems, came out in 2020. For over three decades, he taught a poetry workshop at Northern Nevada Correctional Center, and published a journal of their work, Razor Wire. He and his wife Debby live in Virginia City, Nevada.
Margaret Atwood, whose work has been published in more than 45 countries, is the author of more than 50 books of fiction, poetry, critical essays, and graphic novels. Burning Questions, a collection of essays from 2004 to 2021, was published in March 2022. Her latest novel, The Testaments, is a co-winner of the 2019 Booker Prize. It is the long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, now an award-winning TV series.
She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the Franz Kafka International Literary Prize, the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Los Angeles Times Innovator’s Award.
Elaine Feeney is a writer from Galway and lectures at The National University of Ireland, Galway, where she is a founding member of the Tuam Oral History Project. She has published three poetry collections, including The Radio was Gospel & Rise. Her debut novel, As You Were, won the 2021 Dalkey Book Festival’s Emerging Writer Prize, Kate O’ Brien Prize, The Society of Authors’ McKitterick Prize, and was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and the Rathbones-Folio Prize.
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh fiddle/vocals
Cormac De Barra harp/vocals
Mark Redmond uilleann pipes/flute/whistles
Music Network brings together a trio of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians in September 2022. Mairéad Ní Mhanaoigh, vocalist and fiddle player with traditional supergroup Altan, will be joined by the illustrious musical company of harper and vocalist Cormac De Barra and uilleann piper Mark Redmond. All three, leading exponents of their craft and keepers of the tradition, share an adventurous spirit when it comes to exploring new musical landscapes. This promises to be a joyous evening of exceptional music and song.
Clifden Arts Festival honoured to highlight the legacy of the renowned, creative documentary/filmmaker, David Shaw-Smith. David’s partner and collaborator, Sally Shaw-Smith, will discuss their work in documenting and recording so many aspects of Irish cultural life, and design in particular. We will show an early film from the ‘Hands’ series, celebrating the local culture of the Connemara Pony. Dr. Fidelma Mullane will join Sally to discuss the pioneering creative documentary work of David Shaw-Smith.
Explore the history of this 200-year-old town in the company of local historian Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill. Take in the town’s early industrial sites, the railway station, the 19th-century Bridewall (gaol) and the Catholic and Protestant graveyards. Hear stories of famine, war, religious conflict, street riots and political rallies. Learn about John D’Arcy, the founder of Clifden, and Alexander Nimmo, the 19th Century Scottish engineer who designed the Connemara road system that is still in use today.
Tour duration: Approx 90 mins
Tel: 087 647 1107
Mary V Mullin first participated in Clifden Arts Festival in 1978. We are honoured to welcome her back for a long overdue return visit. This event will celebrate the legacy of Kilkenny Design Workshops and its inspirational founder William H. Walsh. Mary V Mullin’s early involvement with the Kilkenny Design Workshops offers a distinctive insight into this important period in Irish art and design history.
Mary V Mullin is a Founding Member of the Crafts Council of Ireland. She has been a UNIDO consultant in Latin America and was the National Chairman of the Design and Industries Association in the UK. She was a Director of the British Professional Conference Organisers Association. She worked on the Corporate Foundation of W R Grace & Co in New York and Kilkenny Design Workshops in Ireland. She was Founding Director of the National Centre of Culture and Arts in Dublin (now the Museum of Modern Art). She ran her consultancy practice in design and special event management in London from 1981 to 1998. This included working with the V&A's 'Boilerhouse ', the precursor to the Design Museum. Science Museum, Design Research Unit and other leading design practices and commercial clients.
In November 2011, she was awarded the Bi-Centenary Medal of the RSA (Royal Society of Arts) "for encouraging and Promoting Design Across Education and industry". the first Irish person to receive this Medal.
Lidia Jewloszewicz-Clarke - Violin
Maria Ryan - Violin
Robin Panter - viola
Aoife Burke - cello
The Banbha Quartet is a fine new group founded in 2020 and made up of four of our most celebrated musicians. Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov’s beautiful, meditative ‘Ikon’ and a new work by acclaimed Dublin-based composer Tom Lane lie at the heart of their programme for this, their third tour for the Foundation. The concerts open with a delicate masterpiece by Mozart and end with Mendelssohn’s dramatic, virtuosic E minor quartet
Programme:
Mozart - Quartet in D major K.575
Silvestrov – ‘Ikon’
Tom Lane - ‘Refractions’ - new commission
Mendelssohn - Quartet in E minor Op.44 No.2
Thanks to the National String Quartet Foundation, the Arts Council and RTÉ Lyric FM.
Johnny Mháirtn Learaí Mac Donnchadha is one of the finest sean-nós singers in Ireland. He has won numerous awards and All Ireland Con Uí Riada for his singing and has travelled extensively to USA, France and the UK. Johnny has a very unique singing voice, is a supporter of festivals, locally and globally, and teaches sean-nós singing to all ages, ensuring it continues into the next generations. Johnny is a long-time friend of Clifden Arts Festival and we welcome him to this glorious location to share his talents.
Caitriona and Paul Canavan are also mastersof this style of music, and we are fortunate that this special event brings together three of the foremost exponents of sean-nós.
Thanks to Máire and Dominic and the staff.
The distinguished French pianist and honorary Irishman Philippe Cassard has established an international reputation as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician since giving a joint recital with Christa Ludwig in Paris in 1985. The same year he was a finalist at the Clara Haskil Competition, and in 1988 he won the First Prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition.
His concerto appearances include performances with the London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic and BBC Wales, Orchestre National de France, and Hungarian State Opera Orchestra.
Philippe plays a huge repertoire of chamber music, he appearead with such artists as Wolfgang Holzmair, Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Karine Deshayes, Donna Brown, Paul Meyer, Jörg Widmann, Matt Haimovitz, Isabelle Faust, the Ebene, Takacs, Vanbrugh, Danish, Chilingirian string quartets.
His last CD releases include Beethoven’s Trios with David Grimal and Anne Gastinel (awarded Diapason d’Or and Choc de Classica), Beethoven’s Symphony n°9 in the transcription for two pianos by Liszt, with Cédric Pescia.
The Herons are a musical family from nearby the village of Carna in South Connemara. They trace the roots of their music back to a small island off the Carna coast named Feenish. One of their great uncles, Pateen Connolly, used to play the melodeon for dancers at the "times". The music of the Hernons still stays true to its roots as dance music. Both Breandán and Proinsias are national champion sean nós dancers and accomplished musicians. Their father Marcus and his brother PJ are renowned throughout Ireland and worldwide in Irish music circles. Their cousin, Labhrás, is a fantastic piano player, providing tasteful accompaniment to the rest of the band. The Herons will also be joined by Don Stiffe, one of the finest singer-songwriters in Ireland. Don has been playing and singing with the Hernons for over 20 years. Marcus, PJ, and Don played together in a band they named "Feenish" as a tribute to their musical connection to the island.
Author, wit and raconteur Michael Chapman Pincher talks to Lilliput Press publisher Antony Farrell about how an old diary revitalised his joy of storytelling. He tells how guerrilla marketing tactics have allowed him to take on the cosy, close-knit English media world by writing Long Lost Log, a best seller they can't ignore.
Take the Studio Trail Bus Tour for the fully immersive Connemara Art experience. Winding through the dramatic scenes of Moyard, Letterfrack National Park and the Inagh Valley to Recess, the tour will bring you from Clifden to three important local studios and galleries featuring locally and internationally produced work.
Colum Sands is a universal storyteller who draws on a long Irish tradition of humour and poetic musicality to weave songs for the world. Colum has performed solo and as a member of 'The Sands Family' in over thirty countries, he has presented countless radio programmes over 22 years with BBC and produced around one hundred albums, working with young musicians and veterans like Joan Baez and Pete Seeger.
One critic described Colum as a performer who "views the world with balanced, non-tribalistic humanity, breaking down all kinds of barriers and leaving behind optimism and appreciation of the power of the human
spirit over adversity."
His new book, "These Quiet Places", a collection of nature-inspired photographs, thoughts and verses are due for release in September 2022.
This unique event brings together three artists well known in their own right, but who have rarely appeared together.
Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, the leading Irish language poet, collaborates with renowned harper Cormac de Barra and Lillis Ó Laoire, TG4 2020 singer of the year, to explore the theme of the people of the sea, or uaisle na mara – the sea gentry, a twist that recognizes the numinous presence of otherworld beings.
Ní Dhomhnaill’s sequence of poems on Na Murúcha a thriomaigh – the Mermaids who became dry land creatures, comprise some of her most compelling explorations of linguistic and cultural trauma. de Barra will reference some of the great maritime tunes and harp airs for the event, also accompanying both Ní Dhomhnaill and Ó Laoire at various junctures. Ó Laoire explores the widespread legend of the mermaid, singing the song of ‘An Mhaighdean Mhara,’ made famous by the Gallagher sisters, Áine and Cití, of Dobhar, Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal. He will also sing other less-well known songs of sea disasters and finish with a rendition of a song known far and wide in the Gaelic world, the story and lament for Liam Ó Raghallaigh, an Erris man drowned on his wedding day.
Literary critic Patricia Coughlan will explore ‘An Mhaighdean Mhara’ freshly, focusing on the mermaid-mother’s intense love for her children, torn between her human and otherworld identities and always journeying in the open ocean but never reaching the shore where they wait.
Seosaimhín Ní Bheaglaíoch (songs), Charlie Piggott (accordion), Gerry Harrington (fiddle), Peter Browne (pipes)
The Lark on the Strand is a four-person group that comes together for occasional concerts and tours.
Their music is a refreshing blend drawn from a profound acquaintance with the Irish tradition – songs, dance music, and slow airs comprise their programme. All four are well-known as individual performers with long-standing careers in traditional music.
Now comes a chance to hear a memorable live concert performance from The Lark on the Strand – traditional music and song of the highest quality from four of the best!
In NORAMOLLYANNALIVIALUCIA: The Muse & Mister Joyce, Tegolin Knowland of Curlew Theatre Company portrays Nora Barnacle - a Galway girl through and through - who became Joyce's major muse throughout his writing life.
In her own words and those of her husband, with whom she had two children, Giorgio and Lucia, Nora offers a varied, surprising, lively, and above all entertaining "Portrait of the Artist's Wife as an Older Woman."
NORAMOLLYANNALIVIALUCIA has had successful shows in The Town Hall Theatre Galway, Yeats Tower Thoor Ballylee and Sligo International Summer School this Summer.
Performed by Tegolin Knowland
Written and directed by Eamon Grennan
Widely celebrated as the "First Family of Gospel Music" in Richmond, Virginia, The Legendary Ingramettes have been blowing the roof off performance stages for nearly six decades.
Maggie "Mama" Ingram was born July 4, 1930, on Mulholland's Plantation in Coffee County, Georgia. She would later work the cotton and tobacco fields with her parents. Maggie began playing the piano and singing early and developed a great love for the church and gospel music. In 1961 Maggie moved herself and her five children to Richmond, Virginia, creating Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes. This family singing group became one of the most beloved groups in Richmond's storied gospel tradition.
Maggie passed away in 2015 at the age of 84. Still, the group has continued to soar, led by the powerfully incomparable singing of her oldest daughter, Almeta Ingram-Miller. She is joined by Maggie's granddaughter Cheryl Maroney-Yancey and daughter-in-law Carrie Jackson.
Backed by their rock-solid house-shaking rhythm section, the Ingramettes continue to bring a Sunday morning service's electric energy and spirit to the performance stage. They are enthralling diverse audiences at such prestigious venues and festivals as the Kennedy Center, the National Folk Festival, Floydfest, Strawberry Music Festival, and countless others across the US and abroad.
Their 2012 release Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes: Live in Richmond won the Independent Music Awards Gospel Album of the Year. Their latest album, "Take A Look in the Book", is available now.
Proud to celebrate the Clifden Launch of Poet Des Kavanagh, Binnion Road.
Des will be joined by Brazilian flutist Mila Maia and Carl Hession
Sisters Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill belong to a renowned singing family originally from the Donegal Gaeltacht. The unique style and repertoire of traditional singing they represent so gloriously comes down to them through generations of the Ó Domhnaill family. Added to this is
their distinctive unison and harmonic interpretations of Donegal songs and their fluent and accomplished singing to instrumental accompaniment.
Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill will be touring as a duo. Their live performances are unforgettable heart-rending events. The sound of their solo and combined voices is indescribable but lingers in the memory forever.
Fairy JIL and her family and friends left a message for Clifden Tidy Towns asking if they could arrange for the children to come out together again.
The elves and fairies watched the children from their safe hiding places and were delighted to see so many dressing up and having fun finding their homes. Our magical friends are happy living in Clifden and love the beautiful flowers and clean streets. They are also very impressed with all the work the children do with their Green Flag projects! They have told Tidy Towns that they fly into the polytunnel at Scoil Mhuire and around the school garden at night to see what the children have planted. They also love the wild garden on the Ballyconneely Road, cared for by the students of Clifden Community School. More fairies have moved in during the year, and we need you to find them for us and say hello to our old friends. Fancy dress for adults and children adds to the fun!
Admission €2 in aid of Clifden Tidy Towns
A guardian must accompany children at all times.
Introduced by Shiela O'Donnell and John Toumey
Niall McLaughlin was born in Geneva in 1962. He was educated in Dublin and studied architecture at University College Dublin between 1979 and 1984. He worked for Scott Tallon Walker for four years and established his practice in London in 1990. He designs buildings for education, culture, health, religious worship and housing. He won Young British Architect of the Year in 1998, received the RIBA Charles Jencks Award for Simultaneous Contribution to Theory and Practice in 2016, and was elected an Aosdána Member for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Ireland in 2019 and as a Royal Academician in the Category of Architecture in 2019. In 2020 he was awarded an Honorary MBE for Services to Architecture. Niall exhibited in the Venice Biennale in 2016 and 2018 and has been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2013, 2015 and 2018.
Niall is a Professor of Architectural Practice at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. He was a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 2012 to 2013. He was appointed Lord Norman Foster Visiting Professor of Architecture at Yale for 2014-2015.
This choral work was written for the Cantairí Chonamara choir by Máire Ní Dhuibhir in 2019.
Connemara Songlines - Ceolmhacnamh ar Chonamara reflects on the beliefs of the native peoples of Australia that the old songs reveal ancient pathways across the land and that the landscape sings itself into existence.
The use of a wide range of different qualities of sound, from unaccompanied song to full chorus with orchestral sound, mirrors that of the cantata form. Connemara Songlines explores in music, verse, and song some of the features, sounds, and sights of the beautiful landscape of Connemara, its mountains, lakes, stones and winds.
Celebration to honour the memory of John Reilly and the San Patricio Battalion. We will celebrate the shared culture of Ireland and Mexico through music and dance.
To Infinity and Beyond!
Having travelled around the Sun and a half a billion kilometres more through space, LUXE return to Clifden with a magnificent illuminated parade to celebrate our collective journey amongst the stars.
Followed by fireworks (weather permitting) and Afrobeat Orchestra on the Gig Rig from 10 PM
Photo credit: Julia Dunin Photography
Allen-Taylor’s Afrobeat Orchestra grew from the Oleku Band, formed in 2006 from a group of Nigerian musicians recently settled in and around Dublin. Led by composer/ arranger Allen-Taylor Adeniyi – originally from Abeokuta in south-west Nigeria, the birthplace of Fela Kuti – the band plays
authentic Afrobeat and highlife from their Yoruba roots.
Oleku Band was always an Afrobeat orchestra in miniature so it was no surprise that the six-piece band metamorphosed into a full Afrobeat orchestra, with a brass section, rhythm section and chorus. AllenTaylor Adeniyi is still in charge of the band and his wife Tomilola still runs the chorus.
Since its debut Irish performance in 2007, the band has played festivals including The National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore and the Festival of World Cultures in Dun Laoghaire. It toured Ireland with Music Network in 2010, and has featured on RTÉ 1’s Nationwide.
Martin Donohoe with Paddy Buckley and Friends
Cavan Fever spills over into Clifden when accordionist Martin Donohoe, ‘The Cavanman’ joins forces Paddy Buckley and friends. Their individual instrumental excellence combine to create a powerful force.
A native of Cavan Town, Martin Donohoe is an accordion player and Shannon Side Northern Sound Radio Presenter. He is
a gifted traditional musician and highly regarded in traditional circles for his dynamic personal style on the accordion and unique, individual interpretation of the music, Martin’s music has been recorded and released in a number of albums on the Clo Iar Chonnachta Label and NYAH label.
Celebrating older people's contributions to arts and culture in the community. Lunch will be followed by dance and song with local musicians.
In a long-held dream, Breandan O Scanaill embarked on a remarkable journey from Clifden to Santiago de Compostela from April to September 2022. This pilgrimage covered an impressive distance of...
From a Childhood friendship to Gaelic football fame and glory Talk by author Jim Carney In a 55-year career in print journalism and broadcasting, Jim Carney worked for the Tuam...
Join us for a wonderful evening of music and song, celebrating the arts. The Festival will be opened by broadcaster, uilleann piper and musical historian Peter Browne, followed by music,...
Celebrate the joy of workplace and fun place with our local, special drama group, who express the universal theme of being happy through rhyme, mime, poetry and song.
Sound designer Jason Scott, actor/director Paul Connolly from Blue Teapot Theatre Company, and filmmaker Fionn Rogers collaborated in Clifden to teach documentary-making skills to a group of ten local participants
Michael Gibbons, an independent archaeologist and former Co-Director of the Sites and Monuments Record Office, has transformed our understanding of Irish archaeology.
Anne Donnellan, currently residing in Galway, is an accomplished poet. Her debut collection, “Witness,” was published in December 2022 by Revival Press Limerick. Anne’s work has been featured in poetry...
The performance unfolds as a mix of a variety show, parish fundraiser, and comedic event, with Breathnach as the compère, orchestrating audience participation, raffles, spot prizes, quizzes, and sharing hilarious stories of Amadáns and their adventures.
Ravi's Bar and Restaurant.
Christy Moore, widely regarded as one of the most captivating and influential musicians in Ireland, boasts a devoted fan base that extends far beyond the country’s borders.
The lecture will cover various projects, including parklets in Galway City, houses in Clifden, and a seaside baths complex in Dún Laoghaire.
Explore the history of this 200-year-old town in the company of local historian Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill.
Clare Sands is a remarkable presence in Irish music, blending traditional roots with contemporary influences.
James Morrissey is a distinguished communications consultant and accomplished author with a diverse background.
Dublin poet, Rachael Hegarty, won the 2018 Shine Strong Award for her debut collection, “Flight Paths Over Finglas.” Her powerful collection “May Day 1974” honours victims of The Troubles. She...
This inspirational book presents a unique model of healing, integrating depth psychology with spirituality.
These three renowned artists have each traversed different genres and artistic paths throughout their careers, always exploring new musical territories. Collaboration has been a recurring theme in their work, and now they are set to bring their collective talents together a special show.
Greg Yule, an exceptional musician, is a talented singer, songwriter, and a long-time friend of the Festival. Tonight, be sure not to miss his captivating performance of original material, where...
The Warrior Artist Podcast. In this live recording, she will engage in conversation with the remarkable Margaret Irwin West, an esteemed artist, printmaker, and member of Aosdána, who is now 97 years old.
Hanneke Frenkel, Peter Knox, David Wilkinson, and Stefan Frenkel The Turbot Island community is excited to showcase their creativity at this year's Clifden Arts Festival. Living on the remote...
How much freedom did the Treaty really give? Why did it lead to a Civil War? And how did successive Irish Governments dismantle it to allow Ireland to emerge on the world stage?
Hanneke Frenkel, Peter Knox, David Wilkinson, and Stefan Frenkel The Turbot Island community is excited to showcase their creativity at this year's Clifden Arts Festival. Living on the remote...
Hanneke Frenkel, Peter Knox, David Wilkinson, and Stefan Frenkel The Turbot Island community is excited to showcase their creativity at this year's Clifden Arts Festival. Living on the remote...
Johnny Óg Connolly, a renowned traditional musician and composer from the Connemara Gaeltacht, excels in accordion and melodeon.
The writers' group is a dynamic force of creativity, boasting members who have accomplished remarkable cultural and artistic feats.
Dorothy Cross is an acclaimed Irish artist known for her thought-provoking work.
‘The Courtmacsherry Suite’ is a new piece of music written by Máire Ní Dhuibhir, who also composed ‘Connemara Songlines’, which was very-well received at last year’s Festival.
Buttons and Bows emerged in 1983, injecting vibrant colour into Irish traditional music
Kevin Cronin is an experienced sailor and explorer. He was part of the crew of the Galway Hooker St. Patrick, which sailed across the Atlantic in the 1980s
Take the Studio Trail Bus Tour for the full immersive Connemara Art Experience. This year the South Bus Tour will take you to through the scenic Ballyconeely area with visits to the...
The Elm Tree day centre for mental health is hosting its annual coffee morning fundraiser at the centre (old convent grounds, Galway Road, Clifden) on Sunday 17th September from 11am-1pm....
In aid of Clifden Community Play School Building Project
with Peter Browne, Paudie O’Connor and Aoife Ní Chaoimh Sliabh Luachra, located on the Cork-Kerry border, boasts a rich musical tradition with a unique repertoire and history. Pádraig O’Keeffe (1887...
The Marine Singers is a mixed-voice choir that was formed in 2013 for the Choir Factor competition in Galway.
An engaging panel discussion, where past inspiration meets future collaboration between the Clifden Arts Festival and Abbey Theatre, with our esteemed guests: Caitríona McLaughlin, Bríd Ní Neachtain, and Ian Toner.
Peig Sayers, a renowned Irish seanachai (storyteller), was born in County Kerry in 1873. She inherited her storytelling gift from her father and had a remarkable command of spoken Kerry...
Professor Rose Anne Kenny Rose Anne Kenny is Regius Professor of Physic (Medicine) and holds the Chair of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin
Seamus McGuire & Niamh Crowley (violins), Kenneth Rice (viola), Neil Martin (cello) with special guest, Mary Dillon
From Africa to Appalachia is a musical project that delves into the historical connections between West African and Appalachian music.
Griffin's Bar Main St, Clifden, Co. Galway
Diarmaid, Deirdre, and Donncha Moynihan, revered as three of Ireland's foremost traditional musicians, have captivated audiences with their unparalleled talent.
Luke Morgan, an acclaimed poet and filmmaker, published his second collection titled “Beast” in 2022, receiving praise for its ambition and striking imagination. His debut collection, “Honest Walls,” was published...
Peig Sayers, a renowned Irish seanachai (storyteller), was born in County Kerry in 1873. She inherited her storytelling gift from her father and had a remarkable command of spoken Kerry...
Peter Fallon is an notable poet and translator, known for his collections such as “The Company of Horses” and “Strong, My Love.” His translations include notable works like “The Georgics...
Hank Wangford, often referred to as the twisted Godfather of the British alternative country music scene, has been exploring the dark and troubled soul of Country music for over three decades.
Hanneke Frenkel, Peter Knox, David Wilkinson, and Stefan Frenkel The Turbot Island community is excited to showcase their creativity at this year's Clifden Arts Festival. Living on the remote...
Győző Ferencz, a Hungarian poet and critic, is renowned for his expertise in English and Hungarian literature. With a background in teaching and editorial work, he currently serves as a...
Explore the history of this 200-year-old town in the company of local historian Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill.
Hanneke Frenkel, Peter Knox, David Wilkinson, and Stefan Frenkel The Turbot Island community is excited to showcase their creativity at this year's Clifden Arts Festival. Living on the remote...
Hanneke Frenkel, Peter Knox, David Wilkinson, and Stefan Frenkel The Turbot Island community is excited to showcase their creativity at this year's Clifden Arts Festival. Living on the remote...
Seán Keane is a highly acclaimed Irish musician known for his unique style and captivating voice.
John F. Deane, born on Achill Island, is a prominent figure in the world of poetry. He is the founder of Poetry Ireland, the Poetry Ireland Review, and the Dedalus...
Over thirty years ago, Gabriel Fitzmaurice made a significant mark on Irish poetry by publishing three collections of poems in the Irish language, along with a couple of children’s books,...
KING tells the story of Luther, a man from Cork named in honour of his Granny Bee Baw’s hero, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Luther only leaves his apartment for essential journeys, and to perform as an Elvis impersonato
Musician Carmel Dempsey made her first Arts Festival appearance in 1983 and has been a regular performer ever since.
Event John Carty and Mike McGoldrick are acclaimed musicians in the traditional Irish music scene. John Carty is a fiddle and banjo player, known for his innovative style and deep...
Francis Brennan is a well-known hotelier and television presenter. He fronts one of Ireland’s most popular TV shows, "At Your Service", where his wit and charm have endeared him to...
Alan Titley and Gabriel Fitzmaurice stand as prominent figures in Irish literature, both celebrated for their unique contributions, deepening our appreciation for storytelling, and captivating readers across generations.
The ConTempo Quartet was founded in Bucharest in 1995 and has been based in Ireland since 2003 as Galway Music Residency’s Ensemble in Residence.
Connemara Golf Links celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. Operating since the 7th June 1973, the course was set up by the community to boost tourism in an area that...
Take the Studio Trail Bus Tour for the full immersive Connemara Art Experience. This year the South Bus Tour will take you to through the scenic Ballyconeely area with visits to the...
Clifden Arts Festival, in partnership with Cruit Éireann | Harp Ireland, presents an afternoon of Irish harping featuring renowned harpers Lisa Canny, Éadaoin Ní Mhaicín, and Séamus Ó Flatharta. Lisa...
Jack L has garnered a dedicated following both nationally and internationally, captivating audiences with his stage presence, rich vocal style, and extraordinary interpretive skills.
Join us for The Morning Papers, a series of intimate talks on creative practice and contemporary art in Ireland. Grab a coffee and be part of the conversation with artists,...
The Clifden Workhouse, often associated with the Great Famine, continued to be a significant presence in Connemara during the early 20th century. Even in 1911, the workhouse housed sixty-four inmates,...
Inishbofin, the largest island in a small archipelago is known for its stunning landscapes and vibrant traditional music scene. It has a rich history dating back to the Bronze Age...
“Stolen Hearts,” a new piece by Grammy Award winning composer Bill Whelan. The composition draws inspiration from the 18th-century Irish poem “Droimeann Donn Dílis,” exploring themes of dispossession and separation from loved ones and native homes.
Eithna Joyce is delighted to be facilitating her very popular workshop Modern Calligraphy for Beginners as part of the Clifden Arts Festival 2023.
Johnny Mháirtn Learaí Mac Donnchadha is one of the finest sean-nós singers in Ireland. He has won numerous awards and All Ireland Con Uí Riada for his singing and has...
Bernard O’Donoghue is a poet and former tutor in English at Wadham College. He specialised in medieval literature and modern Irish literature until his retirement in 2011. With eight books...
Fergus Cronin was awarded the Maria Edgeworth prize for fiction in 2022 and completed an MPhil degree in Creative Writing at the Oscar Wilde Centre in TCD in 2014. Having...
Graffiti Classics is a unique musical ensemble that combines classical music with comedy, dance, and audience interaction. With sixteen strings, eight dancing feet, and four voices, they aim to make...
Rodney Owl is a Galway-based songwriter playing Electric Folk music, combining breathless, immersive, thought-provoking, quirky, and whimsical elements sometimes all at once!
Brendan Shine, a renowned Irish musical artist, is celebrating sixty years in the music industry. He has performed worldwide, captivating audiences with his extensive repertoire from over fifty albums and...
Take the Studio Trail Bus Tour for the full immersive Connemara Art Experience. This year the South Bus Tour will take you to through the scenic Ballyconeely area with visits to the...
A century on from one of our darkest years, this talk will focus on the Civil War climate and the challenges that war and it's conclusion presented, politically, economically, socially...
Explore the history of this 200-year-old town in the company of local historian Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill.
Mick O’Brien is a highly regarded performer and teacher of uilleann pipes, whistle, and flute. He has recorded extensively and collaborated with various artists. He released albums featuring music from...
Is ócáid dá-theangach a bheas ann – this is a bi-lingual event. In the mid-1850s, Patrick Lyden left Clifden and emigrated to America, never returning to Ireland before his death...
John Fanning In Conversation with Deirdre Mac Mathuna “The Mandarin, The Musician and the Mage” is a thought-provoking book that delves into Ireland’s remarkable resilience and success amidst economic challenges...
Christian Curnyn Conductor Sharon Carty Mezzo Soprano Anna Devin Soprano Van Wassenaer - Concerto Armonici No.5 in f Minor Respighi – Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 3 Puccini Chrysanthemums...
Join Landscape Theatre Specialists LUXE as they present a breathtaking illuminated procession across the picturesque beach of Omey Island. Working alongside local school children and with the support of the...
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the Boomers’ participation in the Clifden Arts Festival. Some of the schoolchildren they played for back in 1993 are now teachers of the students...
Join the Sing Along Social at The Clifden Boat Club to celebrate pop culture by caterwauling along to your favourite songs in the company of friends and strangers. This is...
Tracy Bruen, Galway's 2015 Solo Artist of the Year, combines indie folk and blues with a diverse band of local musicians. They create a rich sound using various instruments and vocal harmonies.
