Highlight of the Week
The Cat Laughs of Kilkenny
Running until Monday, June 3rd, at numerous locations with variable timings and costs, thecatlaughs.com. Celebrating its 30th anniversary is the Cat Laughs of Kilkenny. Since its inception in 1995, the festival has combined local Irish comedic geniuses with world-renowned comic merchants. You can enjoy performances from the likes of Dylan Moran, Ardal O’Hanlon, Aisling Bea, Peter Kay, Tig Notaro, and even Bill Murray. For this year’s gig, remember to catch Dara Ó Briain, Colm O’Regan, Eleanor Tiernan, Daniel Foxx, Susie McCabe, Scott Bennett, Joanne McNally, Des Bishop, Celya AB and Chris Kent. Additionally, the festival is sprinkled with side gigs such as Karl Spain’s Kilkenny walking tour.
Live Shows
Forbidden Fruit
Collocated at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, on Saturday, June 1st and Sunday, June 2nd, beginning at 2pm. Tickets range from €79.50-€175, available at forbiddenfruit.ie. This is the inaugural summer festival featuring mainly beats and fewer lyrics. While you might not come across many solo performers, the festival offers a balanced line-up. The two-day event, now in its 11th year, will feature headline acts by Nelly Furtado, Four Tet and Bicep. Additionally, DJ sets from Groove Armada, Sally C and DJ Boring will not disappoint. Emerging talents such as Chubby Cat, Qbanaa, Saibh Skelly, The Cope and Sick Love fill the rest of the bill.
Galway Folk Festival
Scheduled from Wednesday to Sunday, June 5th-9th, predominantly at Monroe’s, Galway. The timings and prices are varied, visit galwayfolkfestival.com for more details.
The latest edition of this annual event is the greatest yet, featuring esteemed artists like Beth Orton and Declan O’Rourke alongside rising stars. Visitors of the festival in the previous years endorse the combination of over 50 bands and performers, praising the spontaneous sessions by the new artists. If you have plans to visit Monroe’s, don’t miss out performances by Conchúr White from Armagh (Thursday, June 6th), Scottish folk collective Talisk (Saturday, June 8th) and the British vocalist Beth Orton (Sunday, June 9th).
Podcast
I’m Grand Mam Presents That’s Showbiz
Saturday, June 1st and Sunday, June 2nd, at Cork Opera House; Wednesday, June 5th, at Town Hall Theatre, Galway; Thursday, June 6th, at Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick. Shows begin at 8 PM with tickets priced €35.65. This five-year-old podcast, created by “Two Irish lads from Cork who enjoy a good laugh,” namely Kevin Twomey and PJ Kirby, surprisingly gathers over 60,000 weekly listeners. The duo’s chats are a blend of cabaret and cultural commentary – lighthearted but insightful.
Art Exhibition
Dorothy Cross: Veins of Other
Showing till Saturday, July 6th, at the Kerlin Gallery, Dublin. The exhibit showcases the latest work by Dorothy Cross, an artist based in Connemara. Her work entitled Tread is a sculptural piece made of coloured marble from various global places, depicting human feet imprints. Cross also presents Bloodlines, combining a series of family photographs under blood-red glass streaks. The outcome is a striking comparison of human weakness versus natural forces.
Comedy
We Built This City on Rock and Coal.
A comedy show titled ‘Cecas’ is going to be held at Myross Wood House, Leap, Co Cork, from 8pm on Saturday to 11am on Sunday, June 1-2. This show, which is free of charge, is a blend of improvisation, drama, climate research, and local community life. It is remarkably named as “hopepunk” by its adaptive theatre creators. Additional performances will be staged on June 8 and 9 at Wild Nephin National Park, Letterkeen, Co Mayo, and on June 10 at Mulranny Arts Centre, both starting at 8pm, free of charge. The show will tour until June 27.
The named venues are playing host to the Carlow Arts Festival from Wednesday, June 5 to Sunday, June 9, marking the 45th anniversary of the annual event. The festival will exhibit an impressive range of art, from theatre and film to dance, literature, visual arts, and music. Interestingly, a new dance production titled Íomha by Róisín Whelan, a renowned Carlow choreographer, is set for its world debut.
Another festival of note is the Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas, scheduled for June 7 to 9. It will be held in Borris, Co Carlow, and is expected to feature a wide range of writers, historians, musicians, actors, and activists. Renowned guests scheduled to appear include Margaret Atwood, Minnie Driver, and Adam Clayton.
The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, which takes place at Lismore Castle, Co Waterford, will continue until Monday, June 3.
Lismore Castle sets a sophisticated visual stage for the concluding period of opera, recitals and concerts. Performances of Handel’s opera Giulio Cesare are due to be held this weekend. Vivaldi’s music will serve as the closing act of the festival on June 3rd at Dromore Yard, with the direction of the Irish Baroque Orchestra conducted by Nicholas McGegan.
Reserve your spots this week for the following events: Kilkenny Arts Festival taking place from August 8th to 18th (kilkennyarts.ie); Mercury Rev performance at Button Factory, Dublin on October 31st (ticketmaster.ie); Skinny Living’s concert at Academy, Dublin on November 22nd (ticketmaster.ie); and Henry Rowley’s show at Liberty Hall Theatre, Dublin on November 23rd (ticketmaster.ie).