MUSIC: RORY GALLAGHER
The Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival returns to the town where Ireland's greatest guitar hero was born - Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal - for a joyous celebration of the man and his music. New generations continue to discover the Gallagher sound, flocking in droves to this lively weekender featuring a live music trail and pub sessions a plenty, alongside a trio of big top gigs featuring the likes of Jimmie Vaughan, founder member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and big brother of another late, great blues icon, Stevie Ray Vaughan (29th May - 1st June 2025, various venues, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal)
BOOK: LET ME GO MAD IN MY OWN WAY
The acclaimed author of How To Build A Boat returns with a tale of love and resilience, as one Irishwoman's return from London to her childhood home in Athenry sees her confronting whether she can escape her history to make her own future – and whether finding oneself means facing oneself, too... Critic Alex Clark weighs in for RTÉ Arena below (Harvill Secker, out now)
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ART: RHA ANNUAL EXHIBITION
Ireland's largest and longest-running exhibition of visual art returns for its 195th (!) edition, inviting audiences to view works by 350+ artists working in paint, sculpture, drawing, print, photography and architecture; visitors can view works by RHA members, invited artists and works by artists who were successful in the very competitive open submission process - 2025 saw a whopping 4,565 works of art submitted (RHA Dublin, until August 3rd 2025)
STREAMING: BONO - STORIES OF SURRENDER
Director Andrew Dominik's moody b&w documentary captures the U2 frontman's one-man stage show, inspired by his memoir Stories of Surrender and capturing a performance at New York City's Beacon Theatre highlighting Bono's reflections on his life, family, and career, intertwined with stripped-down live performances of iconic U2 tunes. Critic Nadine O'Regan weighs in for RTÉ Arena below (Apple TV+, now streaming)
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EVENT: GALWAY EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL
This beloved boutique festival showcasing medieval, renaissance and baroque music features 88 creative practitioners and producers presenting 6 events across 3 days, celebrating the legacy of one of the towering musical figures of the late sixteenth century; Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, whose music stands at the centre of an extraordinary century of creativity and development. Listen to his stunning composition Sicut Cervus below (St. Nicholas' Galway City, 31st May - 2nd June)
Hear the Culture 5 every Friday on Aedín in the Afternoon on RTÉ lyric fm, from 1pm - listen back here.
