Gig of the Week: Beyond the Pale
Jun 10-12, Glendalough Estate, Co Wicklow itsbeyondthepale.ie Sunday day tickets €95
Ireland’s newest music and arts festival has landed in a prime location - in the idyllic setting of Glendalough, and featuring a packed line-up of seriously credible acts, including James Vincent McMorrow, Loah, Bonobo, Four Tet, Orbital, Lisa Hannigan, The Comet Is Coming, Elder Island, Shygirl, Soda Blonde and Aoife Nessa Frances. Among the artistic delights on offer are Clare Dunne’s magical spoken-word show Sure Look It, F**k It, a performance of Dublin Old School by Emmet Kirwan and Ian Lloyd-Anderson and improvising comic Abandonman. There will be traditional games to pass the time, panel discussions and lots of craft beer, cocktails and fine food to keep everyone going under the banner of Beyond the Plate. This boutique festival by the two lakes will comfortably accommodate 5,000 guests, and for them time will cease to exist as Glendalough becomes a happy valley of music, theatre, visual arts and recreation.
Dermot Kennedy
Mon 6-Wed 8 June Gleneagle INEC Arena, Killarney, Co Kerry; Fri 10 & Sat 11, St Anne’s Park, Dublin 7pm
The rise of Dermot Kennedy continues apace, as the Rathcoole singer-songwriter sets off on an Irish tour that includes three nights in Kerry, two nights in Dublin and dates in Malahide Castle (Fri 24th) and Musgrave Park, Cork (Sat 25th). Kennedy has racked up yet another worldwide pop hit with Better Days, and is currently the biggest-selling Irish artist of the 21st century, hitting nearly 3 billion streams globally, and selling nearly 2 million copies of his debut album, Without Fear. He spent lockdown working on the follow-up and has just released a new single, Something to Someone. Get ready for a night of uplifting folk/pop/hip-hop virtuosity.
Carlow Arts Festival
Thurs June 9th-Sun Jun 12th carlowartsfestival.com
The grounds of Carlow College will be buzzing, along with other locations, when the Carlow Arts Festival returns to its live incarnation, with a host of in-person events taking place that promise to be dynamic, exciting and happening in real-life right in front of you. Among the attractions on offer, both homegrown and international, are Italian artist Chiara Bersani’s Seeking Unicorns, Sinéad Cormack’s theatrical production The Shed and French artist Étienne Saglio’s family-friendly comedy show Goupil & Kosmao, about a magician and his assistant, a stuffed fox. There’s also music from Ye Vagabonds, Malaki, Tolu Makay, Wyvern Lingo and Booka Brass Band.
Doolin Folk Festival
June 10-12, Hotel Doolin, Co Clare doolinfestivals.ie
Imagine carousing for three days and nights in the lovely village of Doolin - and not leaving a single carbon footprint. That’s the plan for this year’s Doolin Folk Festival, billed as Ireland’s first carbon-neutral music festival, and nestled between the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and the Aran Islands. The event is hosted by Ireland’s greenest hotel, the Hotel Doolin, with three stages set up to feature Irish and international acts including Damien Dempsey, Mary Black, Ye Vagabonds, Peggy Seeger & Calum McColl, Matt Molloy & Sean Keane, John Spillane, Wyvern Lingo, Fidil, Cormac Begley & Liam O’Connor, and The Olllam. You won’t see any single-use or plastic packaging over the weekend - or even printed programmes. All energy will come from renewable sources, and even your wristband will be compostable. The hotel will also plant 500 native trees to offset any environmental impact. “If a small festival like the us can achieve carbon neutrality and pay a fair rate to performers then there is no reason the bigger festivals, with all their resources and profit generated, cannot strive to do the same.”
Borris House Festival of Writing & Ideas
June 10-12 Borris House, Borris, Co Carlow €195 festivalofwritingandideas.com
The annual thinkfest has had to move online over the past couple of years, but this year the festival can welcome folk back to the elegant setting of Borris House for the 2022 festival. The weekend will be packed with brainy heads talking about every subject under the sun, and highlights include Shon Faye and Travis Alabanza discussing trans literature and art in An Argument for Justice; film-makers David Puttnam and Lenny Abrahamson discussing Puttnam’s life in film; and a walk on the northside with Roddy Doyle, Stephen Frears, Colm Meaney, who will chat with Gráinne Humphreys about the cultural and social impact of the Barrytown trilogy. There’ll be music from such diverse acts as folk-trad duo Cormac Begley and Liam O’Connor, hip-hip trio Shy Mascot and singer-songwriter Maija Sofia. There’s glamping in yurts and bell tents in the private garden and orchard, with fresh linen, fluffy towels and hot shower, so you can spend the weekend cloistered away on the grounds without a care in the world.
Cruinniú na nÓg
Saturday June 11th cruinniu.creativeireland.gov.ie/
It’s that day of the year when children all around the country can unleash their creative powers for free, and take part in a huge array of events nationwide, all designed to showcase the skills, talent and inventiveness of our young folk. This year, Cruinniú na nÓg returns from online exile to bring local areas to life via more than 450 events in all four corners of the land, including eight live music concerts, 12 pop-up dance performances, theatre, circus and animation workshops and a range of other activities. Check the festival programme to find out what amazing stuff the kids are going to get up to in your locality.
Tír na nÓg - A New Irish Musical
June 11-19 Mill Theatre, Dundrum 2.30pm & 7.30pm €25/€22
After the success of Riverdance, it’s a wonder people aren’t falling over themselves to turn Irish myths and legends into box-office gold. Shauna Carrick has written this new musical based on the legend of Tír na nÓg, retelling the tale of Niamh and Oisín, but this time from the perspective of Niamh. It started off as just one song, but grew over four years into a big, bilingual musical production, directed by Katie O’Halloran and starring Ellen Whitehead as Niamh, the princess of Tír na nÓg, and Eoghan Collins as Oisín, with choreography by Douglas Reddan. Audiences will be immersed in a sylvan setting as the action unfolds via vibrant music and dance. “It’s an Irish story, but you don’t need to be fluent in Irish, and while there is a bit of girl power, the show is for everyone,” says Carrick.
Duran Duran
Sun 12 St Anne’s Park, Dublin 5pm €59.50 ticketmaster.ie
Durannies rejoice - the most Eighties band of the Eighties (sorry, Spandau) are finally playing their rescheduled show, and St Anne’s Park will ring out to the sound of Girls on Film, Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, The Reflex, Notorious, Ordinary World and loads of other hits I haven’t got round to mentioning. Duran Duran were the Eighties, but somehow they’ve transcended the nostalgia circuit to remain a force 40 years later. They’ve recently released their 15th studio album, Future Past, which has garnered decent reviews, and on June 4th they joined Elton John, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross and Andrea Bocelli for the Platinum Party at the Palace to celebrate the queen’s jubilee.
