Clifden gets set to celebrate its 36th Community Arts Festival

Galway blues singer, Mary Coughlan and the county’s newest live party band, Crossfire will kick off this year’s Clifden Community Arts Festival, which will run from September 19-29.

Details of the 36th Clifden programme were announced on Monday night by renowned Irish musician, composer, producer and arranger Bill Whelan, who is best known for his work on Riverdance.

This year’s Festival has a broad range of music, theatre, film, comedy, literary talks and readings, as well as its well-established dedicated schools’ programme

Director of the event, Brendan Flynn told guests at Monday’s launch in Clifden’s Station House Hotel, that the “phenomenal community engagement” that was a feature of Clifden’s festival from the beginning has helped set the event apart from others. “It truly ignites the spirit of the people; it’s really inspirational,” he said.

The festival will be officially opened on Thursday, September by theatre director, Garry Hynes of Galway company, Druid

‘Gyp-Hop’ kings, The Latchikos will be performing on Friday, September 20, and there will also be a concert from accordion master Máirtín O’Connor, fiddle player Zoe Conway and guitar and bouzouki maestro Donal Lunny.

Other musical events throughout the festival include a performance from Sharon Shannon on September 21, while on the same night the The Guinness Choir will perform Handel’s Messiah, with a stellar cast of singers including soprano Cara O’Sullivan. The Callino Quartet with Tom Dunne will be on stage on September 23, while Irish-American folk group, Cherish the Ladies will play on September 24.  Guitarist and singer Declan Sinnott will be in concert on September 26, as will Kaleidoscope Camino.

On the literary front, poet, publisher and novelist Dermot Bolger and playwright, Bernard Farrell will give a reading from their work on September 20.

On Saturday, September 21, four-time Jacob Award winner and RTÉ veteran, Mike Murphy will conduct a public interview with Bill Whelan.  The same day, UK Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy will join forces with musician and actor John Sampson, while author and journalist, Kevin Myers will lecture on Commemorations: Ireland’s Fatal Addictions.

Fishamble: The New Theatre Company will present their performances of Pat Kinevane’s one-man plays, Silent and Forgotten on September 24 and 25. Both will be performed by the writer, with Silent being staged on September 24 and Forgotten on September 25. 

Former Fianna Fáil Minister Mary O’Rourke will read from her memoir, Just Mary on September 28, and on the same day historian Diarmuid Ferriter will deliver the annual John Moriarty lecture on the theme of The Isle of Glorious Destiny?” Change, Continuity and Crisis in the Irish Republic 1963-2013.

On a lighter note, Ireland’s leading processional and landscape theatre company LuXe will pass through Clifden on Saturday, September 28 for the Festival’s Finale Parade.  Joining them will be Fidget Feet, fresh from premiering their brand new outdoor aerial crane, the spectacular Firebirds at the Fleadh Cheoil in Derry. This event, filled with visuals, dance and music, promises to bring children and adults alike into a world of imagination and fun.

Local schools will play host to a number of different events during Clifden Arts Festival. These include workshops, a film festival, specialist talks and lectures on a broad range of topics, as well as concerts and readings from established poets and writers.

The Clifden Art trail, which is now in its seventh year, will also make a return. This is an exciting shop-window exhibition of work by artists who have strong links with the Connemara area. An Arts Council touring exhibition will also ensure a feast for the eyes as the entire town will be used as a public exhibition space, hosting a variety of group and solo exhibitions, resulting in a fabulous array of colourful and imaginative displays. 

l A full programme of events and tickets for Clifden can be found online at www.clifdenarts week.ie. To book call 091-442730 or email:       boxoffice@clifdenartsweek.ie