Tonight is Culture Night and right around the country events have been organised to showcase local talent and provide entertainment for the general public free of charge.
Correspondent Teresa Mannion has been taking a look at what we can expect in the west.
Connacht is providing an eclectic mix of entertainment as part of its Culture Night offerings.
The events encompass a variety of formats from music to theatre to art installations.
Galway Culture Night
In Galway, the cultural landscape is awash with creative and vibrant activities taking place across the city and county.
There are dozens of events featuring live music, dance, theatre, art, poetry, puppetry, storytelling, film screenings, crafting and more. All of the events are free of charge.
The Spanish Arch will become a giant Open-Air Art Gallery with a collage of Irish and international cartoonists.
Members of the public who want to try their hand at drawing will be able to use their mobile phones to create sketches and doodles. The images will then be projected in giant scale on surrounding walls.
Richard Chapman is the Artistic Director: "Our mission is to offer a creative playground for everyone to join. We want to turn the audience into active participants of a collective artwork."
The Galway Cartoon Festival will also host a teatime workshop in Charlie Byrne's Bookshop.
Festival manager Margaret Nolan advises early arrival as numbers and space will be strictly limited: "We will teach techniques and games to help participants enjoy cartooning as a fun way to be creative. Materials will be provided but the public can bring their own favourite drawing tools."
The Galway Archaeological and Historical Society is hosting a visual art installation in the Mick Lally Theatre in Druid Lane.
'To the Letter' is an exhibition by Artist Dolores Lyne featuring a treasure trove of letters written by her grand-uncle, Liam Lynch, Chief of Staff of the IRA during the Civil War.
Tonight at 8.30pm, Dolores will tell the story of a young man in combat and on the run, featuring close shaves and dramatic escapes, incidents and narratives from the War of Independence, the Civil War and its aftermath.
Dolores is an award-winning artist and theatre designer and she depicts the letters through her artworks on large canvases. Also included in the exhibit is an original dispatch bicycle used in action at the time.
"The letters are brought to life recreating the remote safe houses where they were written, emphasising the landscapes and memories of the hill communities and the story of rural resistance," she said.
'Breaking Barriers' is a documentary being launched in the Eye Cinema on Culture Night and features young people living with a disability and the challenges they face.
The project aims to combat ableism and highlight the lack of accessible spaces in Galway city. Admission is free.
Emma Ward is a Traveller and disability activist: "The documentary is crafted by young people, taking the audience on a journey with its participants, who share honest testimonies of living with a disability.
"Their personal stories highlight the barriers they encounter and the impact these obstacles have on their social interactions, raising awareness and advocating for more accessible environments."
This year, Galway County Council's programme highlight is Lumina, a series of artistic outdoor projections onto Tuam Cathedral. Culture Works will stage the spectacle at 9.30pm as the facade of the Tuam Cathedral is transformed into a canvas of light and sound through projections and live choral performances.
Monsters and Things in Ballinasloe Library is a blend of pantomime farce, puppetry and storytelling, pitched to engage children’s imagination.
An old-fashioned Punch and Judy-style puppet box and a beautiful mix of old-fashioned rod puppetry is grafted onto a modern story about 'X Factor' fame and fortune.
The Ballinasloe based artist collective Group 8, will hold their UISCE exhibition in the Town Band Hall. It will feature paintings, textiles, photography, ceramics and mixed media works. The opening this evening will be by special guest, artist John Igoe.
UISCE is inspired by the waterways of Ballinasloe - the River Suck, the callow floods, the marina - and beyond. The artists considered the symbolism and meaning of water and its importance to Ballinasloe today and in the past; each artist or writer was free to interpret the watery theme in their own way.
Culture Night really is 'One Night For All," says Sharon O’Grady, Galway County Arts Officer: "The programme showcases our community’s vibrant and creative spirit with a wide range of cultural experiences for all ages and interests."
Mayo Culture Night
In Mayo, Culture Night in Claremorris is a vibrant celebration of diverse cultures including Ukrainian jazz, Afro-Irish funk and Brazilian and Irish trad and world dance music.
There's also a potluck of traditional food with people bringing ethnic foods to share with one another.
Organiser John Farragher said: "We've a great variety of homemade food and local live music to reflect our vibrant multicultural community."
In Castlebar, the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life features Mayo-based artist and musician Breda Mayock who presents an "in conversation" style event with one of Ireland’s most respected and influential contemporary artists - Alice Maher.
They will discuss Alice’s life and art and the mesmerising ‘Bee Dress’ (1994) which is on loan from the Ulster Museum, in association with the exhibition The Murmur of Bees.
Culture Night in Ballina will feature an electrifying night with Ethio Grooves, a Dublin based Ethiopian DJ, at the Ballina Arts Centre. She will play her unique blend of Ethiopian modern and traditional music from the 60s and 70s, alongside an array of African grooves.
This event is suitable for all ages, is wheelchair accessible, and no booking is required.
