Pick of the week
Earagail Arts Festival
As one excellent arts festival, Junction in Clonmel, prepares to roll up its tent, along comes another one to tempt us out to the wilder parts of Ireland.
This year, Earagail incorporates the Swell music and arts festival, which takes place on Arranmore island this weekend. Among those performing are New Jackson (DJ set), Donal Dineen, Strength, Shammen Delly, Vincent, Turn It On Collective and Distorted Perspectives DJs, along with visuals by F12.
Theatrical draws include Scorch, the best New Play at the 2015 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards, at An Grianán Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday, before heading across to this year’s Fringe in Edinburgh . A new show, Unified, celebrates the history of Donegal’s shirt factories and the nylon spinners with a “rip-roaring, all-singing extravaganza”. Which sounds fabulous.
One of the festival highlights is Loose Ends, a major new project by Derry/Donegal artist Willie Doherty. There’s the ubiquitous Easter Rising links, but Doherty’s work is consistently excellent so don’t expect anything to be in the blandly commemorative vein. The work builds on “Doherty’s interest in the relationship between landscape and memory, and is shot in sites of contested history in Donegal and Dublin”. With Brexit in the air, expect this one to have an extra potency.
There’s also a healthy Irish- language section to the festival, including an evening of poetry and music at Dámhlann an Ghleanna in Meenala, Gortahork with poets Annemarie Ní Churreáin and Paddy Bushe and singer Seán Garvey. Directions to the venue are on the festival website. And Letterkenny will host a week-long summer school of traditional music starting on Monday, with classes for all ages from beginner to advanced . For full details for this 16-day festival see eaf.ie.
Monday
Loose Ends
Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, Co Donegal Until
eaf.ie
A substantial new work by Willie Doherty is a big deal, and Loose Ends is a worthy centerpiece for the Earagail Arts Festival's visual arts programme. His multiscreen video installation (with related still photographs), shot at sites of contested history in Donegal and Dublin, explores the legacy of the 1916 Rising through his characteristic preoccupation with our experiences of identity, ideology, landscape and memory.
Sean Smyth with Alan Kelly, Jim Murray & Jim Higgins
Matt Molloy's, Westport 8pm #15
098-27663
The first of two concerts featuring an intriguing collaboration between Lúnasa's medicine man and fidde player Smyth, piano accordionist Kelly, guitarist Murray and percussionist Higgins. Individually tasty, so collectively, this foursome promises to make some very special sounds.
Tuesday
Some Kind of Real
The Dock, St George's Terrace, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim Until Sep 3
thedock.ie
Three artists now working at Temple Bar Studios in Dublin explore three divergent but individually compelling approaches to "the real" and the reality of labour. Kevin Cosgrove is established as one of our finest contemporary representational painters. Neil Carroll physically disassembles the fabric of painting to make fascinating physical objects. And Hannah Fitz generates "an exuberant re-imaging of the immediate and the familiar". Cliodhna Shaffrey curates.
Wednesday
Pixies
The Marquee, Cork 8pm €53
ticketmaster.ie
These Boston alt.rockers have been a major influence on the likes of Nirvana, Radiohead, and many others. Pixies now celebrate their 30th birthday with a bunch of shows that once again highlight their punk rock panache and splendid quiet/loud configurations. Special guests are Bleeding Heart Pigeons. As part of the Live at the Marquee 2016.
Avishai Cohen Quartet
John Field Room, NCH, Dublin 8pm €22/€17.60
nch.ie
The appearance of acclaimed Tel Aviv trumpeter Avishai Cohen has stirred some controversy, largely due to the Israeli government's support for the event. But determined fans (of music, of Israel, of both) may overcome their qualms to hear one of the rising stars of the famous ECM label, with a group that includes US drum innovator Nasheet Waits.
Thursday
La Revolution Tropicale
Grand Social, Dublin 8pm €10/€8/€6
thegrandsocial.ie
The French may have put paid to Ireland's Euro 2016 hopes, but let's not hold that against them. HardCork Outernacional head to the capital to mark Bastille Day with some hard-hitting tropical and tribal sounds from the Latin Caribbean, Middle-East, Africa, Balkans and Asia all blended into a ravey dancefloor-ready bouillon of bass and beats. Your selectors tonight are DJ Kyem (NoSystem), Al-Jive (HardCork Outernacional) and the Goulash Disko Family
Iveleary
Town Hall Gallery, Macroom, Co Cork Until Jul 28
Daniel Patrick McCarthy was born in Inchigeela, Co Cork in 1939. As a carpenter, he emigrated to London and then the United States, where he pursued other skills, including aviation. But his photographs of Inchigeela, taken on visits home, make up an extraordinary time capsule and a rich portrait of a landscape, a community and a people. Norah Norton curates.
Jazz for Palestine
JJ Smyths, Dublin 9pm €10
jjsmyths.com
Support for the Palestinian cause is strong among Ireland's jazz musicians who are turning out in force for the jazz element of Palfest Ireland. The line-up for this star-spangled consciousness raiser includes vocalists Honor Heffernan (above) and Carmel McCreagh, pianists Fiachra Trench and Trevor Knight, guitarist Hugh Buckley, saxophonist Ciaran Wilde, with the stalwart rhythm section of Johnny Taylor (piano), Dave Fleming (bass) and Myles Drennan (drums).
Loah
Carrick Water Music Festival, Carrick on Shannon July 13-17
carrickwatermusicfestival.com
This festival features six days of waterside music, jazz cruises and a gala opera supper with the Drawing Room Opera Company. Highlights include Zoë Conway, Lisa Hannigan and John McIntyre, Mick Hanly, Donal Lunny and more. Tonight's top show is Loah at St George's Church.
