OPERA: CAUTIONARY TALES
Opera Collective Ireland presents Errollyn Wallen's playful, fast-paced family opera; aimed at audiences aged 7+, the production brings mischievous moral stories to life through witty lyrics and dynamic staging. Perfect for first-time opera-goers, it invites children and adults alike to rediscover the magic of live performance, blending imagination, music, and humour and making opera accessible, engaging, and thoroughly fun (Touring Dublin, Louth, and Meath from September 13–21)
FESTIVAL: THESE ARE THE WAVES
Dundalk hosts this three-day music festival celebrating the life and music of the late, great Conway Savage, longtime member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Guests include Mick Harvey, Suzie Higgie, and Terry Edwards, all close collaborators of Savage, honouring his legacy with intimate performances, conversations, and shared memories, creating a heartfelt tribute to a soulful musician whose influence continues to ripple through the alternative music world. Mick Harvey talks to RTÉ Arena below (Various venues, Dundalk, September 12–14)
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EVENT: SOUNDS FROM A SAFE HARBOUR
Cork's essential arts heppening returns with a bold celebration of creativity, connection, and experimental performance across Cork City. The multidisciplinary programme promises 'a forest of music, language, art, and ritual', with a music line-up that includes Jon Hopkins, Villagers, Rhiannon Giddens, Beth Orton, Black Country New Road and Efterklang, and - for the first time - a dedicated film strand that includes the European premiere of SFSH co-curator Cillian Murphy's latest movie, Steve, written by fellow co-curator Max Porter (Various venues, Cork city, Sept 11–14)
ART: DÚCHAS
Artist Petra Lenihan’s latest exhibition explores belonging, memory, and place through abstract paintings inspired by the Irish landscape. The word Dúchas evokes inheritance and emotional connection to land - themes that surface in these layered, atmospheric works. Shifting light, weather, and memory echo through her canvases, which reside between realism and abstraction, as the artist peels back and builds up paint to reveal quiet, resonant "inner landscapes." This show invites viewers to feel, rather than simply view, the terrain of Ireland as remembered and reimagined (Fráma, Naas, Co. Kildare, until October 18th)
FESTIVAL: CLIFDEN ARTS FESTIVAL
The iconic Connemara culture shindig returns for its 48th edition under the theme The Journey: Through Time, Memory & Imagination with a programme spanning music, literature, theatre, and visual art. Highlights include concerts from Hothouse Flowers, Altan, John O'Conor and The Henry Girls, the John Moriarty Memorial Lecture with Tommy Tiernan, visual artist Mayumi Nakabayashi’s installation Land Art and the Irish Chamber Orchestra performing Water Music. With appearances by Donal Ryan, David McWilliams, John Creedon and Marina Carr, and a special session celebrating Barry's Tea (!), the festival brings world-class creativity to the wild west (Various venues, Clifden, September 14–24)
Hear The Culture 5 every Friday on Aedín in the Afternoon on RTÉ lyric fm, from 1pm - listen back here
