Galway St Patrick’s Festival 2022
Event Guide
EYRE SQUARE MUSIC FEST
(FREE )
A four-day programme of outdoor concerts, featuring an array of local musicians
— 17th – 20th MARCH —
Enjoy the return of live music, with four fun-filled days of concerts by local musicians and artists, who will capture the buzz of Galway’s musical heritage over the weekend in Eyre Square, in the festival village!
The line-up includes performances by Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist, Ultan Conlon, a solo performance by critically acclaimed songwriter, Niamh Regan and the award-winning composer and performer Anna Mullarkey will weave electronics with piano and voice. Get to the roots of Ska and Rock Steady music with nine-piece Galway outfit Big Jelly.
Galway’s “Super group”, BackWest will perform on St Patricks Day as well as the 5 piece multi-instrumentalist Indie/Folk band the Amazing Apples.
A day of Jazz on March 20th will feature some of Galway’s favourites: Galway Bay Jazz Band, Galway’s most original act ‘4 Men & a Bass’ and Aengus Hackett & Barbara Vulso. Aengus is an acclaimed guitarist and one of Ireland’s leading jazz musicians. Joining Aengus for a lively set of jazz and soul will be Galway’s own Queen of Soul, completing the quartet will be a stellar rhythm section of Dan Bodwell, one of Ireland’s leading double bassists, and acclaimed USA drummer Matt McAllister.
Other acts include local folk group Rón, folk singer-songwriter Sonny Casey, local musicians Katie O’Connor & Steven Sharpe. More acts will be added soon!
March 17th
15.00 - 16.00 | Amazing Apples
17.30 - 18.30 | BackWest
March 18
14.30 - 15.30 | Rón
16.00 - 16.45 | Sonny Casey
17.00 - 18.00 | Niamh Regan
18.15 - 19.30 | Anna Mullarkey
March 19
14.30 - 15.15 | Katie O’ Connor & Steven Sharpe
16.45 - 17.45 | Big Jelly
18.00 - 19.00 | Ultan Conlon
March 20
14.30 - 15.30 | 4 Men & a Bass
16.00 - 17.00 | Aengus Hackett & Barbara Vulso
17.30 - 18.45 | Galway Bay Jazz Band
Family Fun Sports Day (FREE )
Salthill Park 19th March
A full weekend of sporting activities for all the family will take place in Salthill, in association with Galway Sports Partnership. Why not come and take part or try a new sport outdoors with activities such as Beach Volleyball, Tag Rugby and much more.
Galway Lawn Tennis Club will also host an open day on the 18th of March with games and activities, and all age groups are welcome.
More information can be found on www.galwayactive.ie or visit the Galway Sports Partnership Facebook page.
St Nicholas’ Market
— 17th – 20th of March —
The St Nicholas’ Market will operate through the St Patricks Weekend with its exciting mix of food and craft stalls.
Leisureland
Curry’s Funpark (Salthill Amusements ) | from 17th March Bingo Loco | 17th & 18th March Gift Grub 2022 – Mario Rosenstock | 19th March Town Hall Theatre BELL X1 | 12th March You Will Die At Twenty | 13th March Walls Talk | 15th March Live Again | 16th March Declan O’Rourke | 19th March Limbo | 20th March Black Box Theatre Jason Byrne, Ready, Set, Gig! | 12th March Fíbín sa Taibhdhearc presents FIACH (Drive in Drama ) | 11th & 12th March Oíche na mBanríon | 11th March Róisín Dubh The Scratch | 12th March John Conneely Inc | 13th & 20th March Galway Street Club | 17th Match Club GASS (LGBTQ+ Club Night ) | 18th March The Dirty Circus: Burlesque & Cabaret | 19th March Bruised Orange - A John Prine Tribute | 20th March Mick Lally Theatre George Murphy and the Rising Sons | 12th March Saint Nicholas’ Collegiate Church Galway Sessions | 16th March Monroes Live Rory & The Island | 12th March BIG LOVE | 12th March Amazing Apples | 17th March Jack Botts | 18th March Robert Grace | 18th March Urban Friday | 18th March N.O.A.H. | 19th March
Galway Arts Centre
Mountain Language is a group exhibition featuring exciting Irish and international contemporary artists: Duncan Campbell, Ailbhe Ní Bhriain, Sarah Pierce, Alice Rekab, Denise Ferreira da Silva & Arjuna Neuman. The exhibition looks at language and identity through a range of mediums including sculpture, film, photography, installation and performance. A performance piece by Sarah Pierce will take place on Saturday 19th at 4:30pm in the Galway Arts Centre. (free, no booking required )
Live music can be found across the city all week.
Check out www.thisisgalway.ie/events to see a full listing
The highlight of Galway’s St Patrick’s Festival celebrations will be the much anticipated St. Patrick’s Day parade, which makes a welcome return to the streets of Galway for the first time in three years!
Hundreds of local participants will be joined by the Macnas drummers, Galway Community Circus and many others in a community carnival of colour, music and spectacle.
The parade will be led by our special guests, Olympic heroes Fiona Murtagh & Aifric Keogh. Following their success at the Tokyo Olympics 2021, we will celebrate their incredible achievement as they join us as our 2022 Grand Marshals.
In 2020 the parade was due to celebrate the wonderful Frank Downes, who has generated over €2 million in donations for the Irish Guide Dogs Association over the course of 40 years. We are delighted that Frank will join our Grand Marshals in the 2022 parade.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE AREAS
Two wheelchair accessible areas for viewing the parade will be available at Galway Cathedral and Eyre Square. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
GREENING
16th – 20th MARCH
Galway City Council have commissioned local lighting artist Brendan Savage from The Galway Light Festival to design a new Greening experience, Reflexions on a Nation, that will bring the city centre streets to life, joining other iconic sites around the world by going green. #GlobalGreening Bádóirí an Chladaigh in the Claddagh Basin will once again be going Green with the support of Galway City Council and local businesses.
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