Arts festival in Skibbereen will be pure gold

The Skibbereen Arts Festival has earned its place on the podium of Ireland’s best festivals, writes MARTIN CLAFFEY. This year there are some fantastic events and a theme to tie with the Olympics

ORGANISERS of the Skibbereen Arts Festival has pulled together the strongest programme yet for this year’s festival, a 10-day celebration which gets underway in spectacular style on Friday July 26th, running until August 4th.

‘The festival started in 2009, and obviously we had a reduced festival because of the pandemic, but I think it’s getting better every year,’ said artistic director Declan McCarthy.

‘It has recognition nationally, and some of the major events this year reflect that. There’s exciting stuff that hasn’t been across other festivals.’

This year’s festival has a theme coinciding with the Olympics, with a range of events aimed at attracting all ages, all backgrounds.

The fancy dress festival street party on Bridge Street is called ‘Going for Gold’, and participants are asked to dress appropriately in Olympic-themed gear! The party will have a special Olympic torch run, with music, competitions, and food stalls.

‘For many people, the street party is the Skibbereen Arts Festival,’ said Declan. ‘It’s something that everyone can get involved in, all ages. Last year’s What A Feeling Flashdance was a great success and we hope this is even better. We’ll have some surprise guests on the night and a singalong social.’

Best Friends Vivienne McCarthy, Meabh Gough, Sophie Humpston and Eve Jasmin Carroll getting ready to party on Bridge Street at the ‘What A Feeling’ street party at last year’s Skibbereen Arts Festival. (Photo: Chani Anderson)

The party is only getting started with the Bridge Street event though.

Some of this year’s festival guests include music producer John Metcalfe, who will be performing ‘Tree’, a special concert album at the Town Hall. You mightn’t know John by name but may have seen him if you watched or heard Coldplay perform at Glastonbury earlier this month – the band brought him out to perform on stage with them. He’s also worked with the likes of U2, Blur, and Peter Gabriel. With visuals by Jony Easterby, the music reflects an imagined 24-hour cycle in the life of a tree, using light, colour and sound.

John Metcalfe who will be performing a special concert at the Town Hall.

Joining John on stage for the set will be some of the UK’s finest string players who have played on Hollywood film scores and with artists such as Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé.

Originality is another hallmark of the festival. Singer Lisa Hannigan won’t be performing at the festival but the Baltimore-based star will sit for Portráidí An Sciobairín, a special portrait event on July 26th. Four artists will be chosen to create a portrait of Lisa, who will be sitting at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre. Members of the public can come and watch the portraits being created.

The four portraits will then be put on display on the window of Field’s supermarket in the town, and the public and a panel of judges will decide which one wins the portrait competition.

Last year, musician ADT – Alan Daniel Tobin – created one of the most memorable events of the festival, with his concerts aboard the ferry Carraig Aonair, as it travelled around the Fastnet lighthouse.

This year, ADT will be joined by Molly O’Mahony for ‘Take Me To The River’, a musical event aboard the Carraig Aonair travelling from Baltimore to Skibbereen.

Molly O’Mahony will also be performing with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan, who is the daughter of the late Brian O’Donovan from Clonakilty, whose radio show in Boston, A Celtic Sojourn, was loved for 35 years.

Brian passed away last year but Aoife is an amazing music artist in her own right, and spent many years coming to Clon and West Cork with her
family.

A spectacular installation at Liss Ard by UK artist Jony Easterby will be another festival highlight.

‘The Garden of Shadows’ runs from 2nd August – 5th August nightly at Liss Ard Estate, Skibbereen. Price includes shuttle bus from Market Street, leaving every 20 minutes between 9pm and 11.30pm.

‘Jony has had installations all over the world – I think the event in Liss Ard will be magic. There’s special ticket prices for families too,’ said Declan.

Film is a key part of the festival and in keeping with the Olympic theme, there will be an outdoor showing of Chariots of Fire, Baltimore’s Oscar-winning producer David Puttnam’s masterpiece. There are eight films on as part of the festival including Ifta-winning That They May Face the Rising Sun, as well as several other acclaimed and thought-provoking works.

The academy-award winning team at Cartoon Saloon will be bringing a special interactive Puffin Rock Habitats exhibit for children, based on the much-loved Irish cartoon.

There will be a retrospective of West Cork artist Brian Lalor, while the Secret History of Skibbereen’s Alleyways opens up a historic and oft-forgotten world. A street art competition will transform Skibbereen’s laneways.

Another highlight this year is the just second ever Irish performance of Mikel Murfi’s extraordinary The Man in the Woman’s Shoes trilogy in one day, a unique theatrical experience in the company of one of Ireland’s finest
actors.

There’s a whole art trail and pop-up art exhibitions taking over areas like Dylan’s corner and the Wine Vault. A concert by the world’s greatest Dobro guitar player, multiple Grammy winner Jerry Douglas, with the debut West Cork show by teenage Donegal sensation Muireann Bradley (who shot to fame with her performance on Jools Holland) will be another highlight in a schedule of amazing music shows.

And the Skibbereen Arts Festival just wouldn’t be the same without the beloved Canon Goodman Concert on Bank Holiday Saturday at Abbeystrewry Church. This year the traditional concert features Johnny McCarthy, Eoin Ó Ríabhaigh and Macdara Ó Faoláin and special guest Ger Wolfe.

Incredibly all of this is just a taster of the events taking place. It promises to be a golden few weeks in Skibb!

Book your tickets on www.skibbereenartsfestival.com