Boyle Arts Festival returns with exciting ten days of entertainment
Mary Coughlan will officially launch Boyle Arts Festival on Thursday, July 16th.
Boyle Arts Festival is returning with an exciting ten-day programme celebrating the very best of Irish arts and culture.
Running from July 16th–25th, this year’s festival brings together internationally renowned artists alongside emerging talent for a vibrant programme of music, visual art, theatre, literature, comedy, workshops and free family events across Boyle.
The festival opens on Thursday, July 16th at 7 p.m. with the much-loved opening parade, bringing the streets of Boyle to life with music, movement and spectacle, before the official festival launch by acclaimed singer Mary Coughlan. Mary will also return later in the festival for a special concert on Friday, 24th at 8 p.m. in St Joseph’s Hall, where audiences can experience one of Ireland’s finest jazz and blues voices in an intimate live performance.
At the heart of the festival is the main exhibition in King House, showcasing work by 160 painters, sculptors, printmakers and mixed-media artists from across the island of Ireland. This year’s exhibition features internationally recognised artists including Hughie O’Donoghue RA, Barbara Rae RA, Olivia Musgrave, Donal Teskey and Guggi, alongside many of Ireland’s leading contemporary artists and exciting emerging voices. Visitors can also enjoy a special screening of Guggi, an acclaimed documentary exploring the life and work of the celebrated Irish artist, on Friday, July 17th in King House.
This year the Feely family and Feelystone are proud to partner with the festival to establish the Barry Feely Sculptor Award, honouring Barry’s life, legacy and enduring contribution to the arts. The Barry Feely Sculptor Award will celebrate and support the work of an emerging to mid-career sculptor, working in any medium, whose work is selected for exhibition in the Main Exhibition.
There will also be the presentation of the seventh annual Fergus Ahern Award. Fergus worked tirelessly to place the Boyle Arts Festival on a national platform, earning it a place as one of Ireland’s most anticipated and prestigious summer celebrations of the arts.
This year’s open submission exhibition will be displayed in Sweeney’s building on The Crescent, and this is also where the festival office is located for offline ticket sales and enquiries.
Music lovers are spoiled for choice throughout the festival. Award-winning folk group Onóir perform on Friday, July 17th while These Charming Men, Ireland’s premier tribute to The Smiths and Morrissey, play on Saturday, July 18th. Sligo-based, international folk orchestra, NoCrows take to the stage on Sunday, July 19th, while Luke Thomas & The Swing Cats bring the festival to a close with their spectacular blend of swing, big band and rock classics on Saturday, July 25th. The talented bunch from Music Generation perform a special pre-festival concert on Wednesday, July 15th showcasing a rich selection of music with the theme of ‘Colours’ and throughout Saturday, July 18th Boyle will come alive with a festival music trail, featuring live performances in venues across the town from 11 a.m. until midnight.
Comedy fans can look forward to an unforgettable evening with Ireland’s King of Comedy, Jason Byrne, whose trademark improvisation, storytelling and audience interaction promise a night of laughter on Thursday, July 23rd.
The festival’s classical music programme includes acclaimed soprano Lorna Breen performing on Friday, July 17th while soprano Helen Hancock presents a programme of operatic and classical favourites on Saturday, July 25th. Boyle’s own young pianist Lenny Chen joins the full 20-piece, Sligo Baroque Orchestra on Tuesday, July 21st for a truly special concert featuring Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Haydn’s Symphony No. 6, amongst others.
Literary audiences will enjoy appearances by some of Ireland’s most respected writers and broadcasters. Michael Harding reflects on faith, creativity and his latest memoir Midwinter on Saturday, July 18th while celebrated broadcaster John Creedon joins Carole Coleman in conversation on Sunday, July 19th for what promises to be a fascinating discussion on storytelling, music and Irish culture.
In drama, Will Govan plays an exiled Oscar Wilde looking back on his colourful life and reflecting on fame, family and misfortune in ‘Work is the Curse of the Drinking Classes’. While ‘I Had To Go For Counselling’ by Gerry Farrell tells the moving and entertaining tale of a man who discovers that retirement is not quite what he expected.
The programme also includes a range of innovative and immersive experiences. Audiences can step inside the Irish National Opera’s award-winning virtual reality experience Out of the Ordinary on Saturday, 18th, while Distillation, presented on Thursday, July 23rd offers a unique multi-sensory performance exploring Ireland’s bog landscapes through scent, sound and storytelling.
Families are especially well catered for this year, with creative workshops, children’s activities and free events taking place throughout the festival. Highlights include a Beatles Picnic, a family friendly evening event of live music featuring the songs of John, Paul, George and Ringo with a picnic atmosphere, food trucks and refreshments. FamilyFest@ the market in King House on July 25th will allow everyone to explore an immersive sound-and-yoga tent, get creative with arts and crafts, and add some sparkle with glitter tattoos. Check online to see the variety of art workshops, robotics sessions and interactive experiences designed to inspire visitors of all ages.
With many free events alongside an outstanding ticketed programme, Boyle Arts Festival continues to offer something for everyone, welcoming audiences to experience one of Ireland’s longest-running and most celebrated summer arts festivals.
The full programme is available now online and in shops around town, with tickets on sale through the festival office at Sweeney’s building on The Crescent and online at boylearts.com.
The committee offers sincere gratitude and appreciation to the main venue providers this year, Roscommon County Council for the use of King House, and Michael Sweeney of Sweeney Funeral Directors for the kind use of his premises for the open exhibition and the festival office
