'I’ve had sixty marvellous years in the business'

Thu, Sep 14, 2017

On Thursday September 21, the Salthill Hotel will host a showband equivalent of The Last Waltz when some of the biggest names in the business gather for a tribute concert in honour of trumpeter Johnny Carroll, who this year celebrates his 60th year as a performing artist.

'Ken Loach says comics are very good at communicating with an audience'

Thu, Sep 07, 2017

Among the many top-notch comedians winging their way to Galway for next month’s Vodafone Comedy Carnival is Dave Johns, a seasoned veteran of the British and international circuit and, more recently, acclaimed star of Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake.

“Mountain people tend to be very nice people pretty much everywhere”

Thu, Aug 31, 2017

Internationally acclaimed mountaineering author, Simon Yates, will visit Galway’s Town Hall Theatre next Thursday, September 7, to present the visually stunning and hugely entertaining My Mountain Life. Best known for his harrowing expedition to the Andes documented in the book and film Touching the Void, Simon is one of the most famous and accomplished exploratory mountaineers of his time.

Little John Nee

Thu, Aug 24, 2017

A new show from Little John Nee is always to be savoured and, on September 4, Druid’s Mick Lally Theatre hosts the premiere of Radio Rosario, a serious comedy about frustration, foreboding, and fulfilment, and an ode to “the magical wireless”.

'They’re all mad in Galway, that’s why I feel so at home'

Thu, Aug 17, 2017

The inimitable and flamboyant Mr Pussy - the doyen of Ireland’s drag acts - was in Galway last weekend for a performance at the Róisín Dubh as part of Club GASS’s Galway Pride events. On Saturday afternoon I met him for a chat about his colourful life, career, and many celebrity fans.

'We want to embrace all the subcultures in the LGBT+ community and make everyone welcome'

Thu, Aug 03, 2017

Imagine being able to call a place in which you were not born, and to which you have no real connections, not just “home”, but that, “It said everything to me, and still every day here feels like a holiday”?

Kenneth Webb - 'The west always called me'

Thu, Jul 20, 2017

A 64-year relationship between an artist and a gallery is rare, but that is how long the painter Kenneth Webb and the Kenny Gallery have been working together. Since he first walked in their door in Galway, both the gallery and the artist’s work have gone through many changes.

'I just wanted to do something without compromising'

Thu, Jul 13, 2017

JFDR is the latest project of the gifted and prolific Icelandic singer-songwriter Jófríður Ákadóttir. Only 23, she has already released a string of albums with Samaris and Pascal Pinon, collaborated with Gangly, Low Roar, and Lapalux, and in March, released her first solo album, Brazil, to rave reviews. On July 30, she brings the curtain down on this year’s GIAF with a gig in the Róisín Dubh.

'It’s frightening to explore the more vulnerable spaces of yourself'

Thu, Jul 06, 2017

He will play the role of a silent man in an opera at the Galway International Arts Festival. He will appear as an IRA volunteer determined to break out of the Maze prison in the Galway Film Fleadh. He is an essential part of the Druid Ensemble team of actors. Yet Aaron Monaghan admits acting was something he came into “at the very last minute”.

'When we came to Galway the atmosphere was totally different to any other city in Ireland'

Thu, Jun 29, 2017

The opening film in this year’s Galway Film Fleadh is Song Of Granite, an absorbing and lyrical portrait of legendary sean-nós singer Joe Heaney. It is directed by Pat Collins best known for his acclaimed documentaries on Michael Hartnett, John McGahern, Frank O’Connor, Gabriel Byrne, and Tim Robinson. While Song Of Granite is a feature film, it fits seamlessly into that body of work.

'I prefer to get things across in a few lines'

Thu, Jun 22, 2017

Cartoonist Richard Chapman has been a familiar and valued presence on the local and national cultural landscape for more than 30 years during which his sharp wit has enlivened the pages of the Galway Advertiser, The City Tribune, The Phoenix, The Irish Times, and many other publications.

Galway Feminist Festival - a space, a platform, a 'call to action'

Thu, Jun 22, 2017

THE SECOND Galway Feminist Festival is coming. It's not going to be small. It’s not going to be niche. This year it’s bigger, broader, and it’s going overground. “We wanted to create a festival and a space in which to have conversations about feminism,” says Jacinta. “And to have then unapologetically!” adds Mariel.

'I fought back, I shouted back. If I think something is wrong I call it out'

Thu, Jun 15, 2017

If there is a protest, a march, a meeting, or some kind of political event going on in Galway city, you can be sure to see him there. Wherever there is a progressive or protest body, group, or organisation, he has probably helped found it, is an active member, or at the very least plays a role in supporting it.

The coach who taught Connacht Rugby how to turn dreams into reality

Thu, Jun 08, 2017

Pat Lam, the former Connacht Rugby coach is the man who taught Connacht Rugby how to turn dreams into reality - the Pro 12 trophy is the most tangible evidence. Every coach wants to make that difference, to achieve success on the pitch. Lam has fulfilled that brief, and ultimately has left Connacht Rugby in a better place.

Dancing in the street

Thu, Jun 01, 2017

One of the best-known and most popular of Galway’s current crop of street entertainers is sean-nós dancer Emma O’Sullivan who regularly beguiles city strollers with her fine and fancy footwork.

From Galway Sportsground to the Mongol Steppes

Thu, May 25, 2017

The Galway Film Fleadh is rapidly approaching and among the gems to look out for is the world premiere of All The Wild Horses, Ivo Marloh’s terrific feature-length documentary about the Mongol Derby.

'I don’t care about medals, I want to try different ideas'

Thu, May 18, 2017

Celebrity garden designer Diarmuid Gavin will be bringing his green-fingered wit and wisdom to Galway next month for a one-man show at the Town Hall Theatre where he will explore the world of gardening, with stories of the Chelsea Flower Show, where he has exhibited nine times, winning the Gold Medal in 2011 for his Irish Sky Garden.

‘I don’t care about medals, I want to try different ideas’

Thu, May 18, 2017

Celebrity garden designer Diarmuid Gavin will be bringing his green-fingered wit and wisdom to Galway next month for a one-man show at the Town Hall Theatre where he will explore the world of gardening, with stories of the Chelsea Flower Show, where he has exhibited nine times, winning the Gold Medal in 2011 for his Irish Sky Garden.

'If you come to Merlin Woods once you’ll want to come all the time'

Thu, May 11, 2017

"There is joy in the woods just now/The leaves are whispers of song/And the birds make mirth on the bough/And music the whole day long." On these balmy May days, Merlin Woods certainly live up to those lines by poet Claude McKay.

‘There is exceptional writing out there by women that needs to be supported’

Thu, May 04, 2017

They have published three of the most talked about, and critically acclaimed, Irish novels of recent years - including the award winning Solar Bones by Mayo born, Galway based author Mike McCormack - but for Tramp Press’s Sarah Davis-Goff and Lisa Coen, there is still a lot to be done, and many attitudes still to be changed.

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