Here comes to summer! All right, this Bank Holiday weekend might not be a scorcher (plus ça change...) but the festival season is kicking off proper, so bring your best pair of boots and rain jacket... just in case.
Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Friday June 2 - Sunday June 4th
The boutique festival of choice returns for three days at the RHK, with a frankly awesome line-up. Orbital, Aphex Twin and Mr. Bon Iver will perform alongside a host of emerging Irish acts: watch out for Super Silly, Jafaris, Barq, Soulé, Talos and Laoise. fact: any music festival that comes with a five-minute walk back to civilisation (well, Dublin city centre) is all right with us.
SLIGO: Informal Music Afternoon
The Model, Sunday June 4th
We do enjoy an informal music afternoon, especially one that involves the music of Schubert, Quantz, Chopin, Vivaldi, Roger Quilter, Saint—Saens, Fasch and Elgar, played by an ensemble to talented local players, and performed at one of Ireland's finest arts spaces. Also: children go free.
Phoenix Park, until Monday June 5th
What do you mean Bloom isn't a cultural event? It's ALL culture. Located in the heart of Phoenix Park, Ireland’s largest garden festival has become a bit of a phenomenon; this family friendly festival offers designers’ gardens, a food producers village, live broadcasts from RTÉ, a floral market and much, much more... Celebrate nature!
Riverbank Arts Centre, Saturday June 3rd
The talented Wallis Bird comes to Newbridge; on the back of her (well-deserved) RTÉ Choice Music Prize nomination for the spectacular Home album, Bird is on a roll - live, she puts on a hell of a show. For newcomers, her music is by turns mysterious, sensitive and transcendent. Catch up immediately.
CORK: Beyond Silence: A Bell Rings in an Empty Sky
Crawford Gallery, until August 12th
Artist Danny McCarthy’s practice has long concerned itself with promoting the simple of idea of listening. In a departure from creating sound, for this exhibition, McCarthy foregrounds our daily, ever present background soundscape. Thusly, multiple ceramic bells and mesmeric static musical figurines (500 found ceramic objects, in total) installed in the Crawford prompt the viewer a moment's pause.
