The popular Skibbereen Arts Festival returns this summer with an incredible programme of acts, including a major coup with the debut West Cork appearance of the legendary English musician Richard Thompson.
Other musical highlights include a very special acoustic show by Villagers, and another by the electro-pop band HousePlants, a collaboration between Paul Noonan of Bell X1 and electronic producer Daithí.
RTÉ Folk Award winner RÓIS will also perform, as will the Crash Ensemble with Anna Mieke, and traditional music will be brought to the stage by Cormac Begley and Liam O’Connor.
It’s not all music for the arts festival however, as theatre offerings include plays about life, clowns, bookshops and unidentified dead men, as well as a very poignant and timely performance of The Gaza Monologues.
Writers appearing at the festival include Theo Dorgan, David Nash, E.R. Murray, Thomas McCarthy and Brendan Begley.
Film highlights include an outdoor themed screening of the 1990s classic Goodfellas, and The Art of Loss, by Carmel Winters, followed by a discussion with Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney.
Siobhán is also the celebrity sitter for the festival’s second ‘Live Portrait’ competition ‘Portráidí an Sciobairín’.
Exhibitions are taking place throughout Skibbereen during and beyond the festival, including a major exhibition from the Crawford collection, Grá and the continuing Secret History of Skibbereen’s Alleyways.
Exhibitions in Inanna Rare Books in the town include a selection of cover art from pulp fiction paperbacks from the 1940s to the 1970s, and another of the photographs of John Minihane. The shop will also host an afternoon in conversation with the photographer on August 3rd.
For booking information, and the full schedule, please visit the Skibbereen Arts Festival website.
Please note that Friday’s street festival, originally scheduled for July 25th, has been postponed.
