Host of free entertainment for Culture Night in Offaly

Venues and public spaces across Offaly opened their doors to host a programme of free entertainment on Friday 23rd September as part of an island-wide celebration of arts, heritage and culture. In its twelfth year, Culture Night Offaly had a focus on diversity, inclusion and community in the eclectic cultural programme that reflected the cultural exuberance within the county. The first fully in-person programme delivered since 2019 attracted huge media interest and community participation.

As well as fifteen events programmed across the County, the big reveal in recent weeks, was the announcement that Offaly’s Lough Boora would be the location for RTÉ’s live National Culture Night broadcast. Tullamore’s Tolü Makay opened the show, in an exciting collaboration between RTÉ, Offaly Arts Office and Music Generation Offaly Westmeath. A choir performing during this year’s Culture Night celebration featured children from Music Generation Offaly’s Tullamore-based partner primary schools in St. Joesph’s N.S. and Scoil Eoin Phóil.  Joined by members of the Singfest Regional Choirs, this unique intergenerational choir sang the stunning ‘Aye’ with Tolü Makay, Felispeaks and the RTE Concert Orchestra. The performance can be enjoyed on the RTÉ player for those who missed the live show.

Tullamore kicked off the Culture Night programme with an afternoon event in the library carpark. Audiences were riveted by the premiere of an exciting new contemporary dance performance ‘Follow The Leader’ by Donlon Dance Company. This commission funded by Offaly County Council Arts Office, explored the power of celebrities on social media and how they can influence fashion, body image and one’s sense of self. With precise timing, boundless energy and a booming soundtrack, the dancers exploded into this premiere performance. Community was key to the next event in Tullamore. An exhibition of ‘Beady Pockets’ at Split Space Art Joint, which featured a collaboration between artist Francesca Hutchinson, Red Shoe Productions and Offaly Travellers Movement. The energy in the space was one of celebration and the feeling of passing down heritage both inter-generationally and cross-culturally. The night in Tullamore ended in style with the popular Rahan Comhaltas event at Charleville Castle which saw record crowds attend for the ‘Faces Of Culture and Creativity’ event. A dynamic and colourful evening of history, architecture, culture and craic was enjoyed by the delighted audience members with performance by Rahan Comhaltas, Noopura Naada,, Ishani Acharya, Celtic Blondes, The Red Embers and Roseanna Tyrell.

Birr’s range of events kicked off with the prestigious poet Eileen Casey collaborating with the popular visual artist Emma Barone in ‘Palimpsest’ - an innovative exhibition commissioned by Offaly County Council Arts Office. Birr Theatre & Arts Centre was buzzing for the unveiling of these stunning works with the artists in attendance, explaining the journey from inception to creation. The PPAI award-winning photographer James Crombie gave photography enthusiasts an immersive workshop in evening light photography, which started in the theatre and took participants on a night-time trail through the architectural brilliance of Birr. The Growery in Birr saw Evan Shortt delighting participants with a talk, refreshments and a workshop in the glorious surroundings of the Oxmantown garden. The final event in Birr was centred around the Courthouse Yard, facilitated by Creative Ireland funding. The geodesic domes in the Courthouse Yard were alight with magical lighting, whilst live music brought another element to the evening. Projections onto the Courtyard wall of works by Tina Claffey, Finn Nichol and Caroline Conway completed the magical feeling of this special event curated by Caroline Conway of Birr Vintage Week.

Edenderry was also awash with energy on this special night. Creative Edenderry kicked off the night with 'Cultures of Edenderry' – a special evening celebrating the diverse cultures and nationalities of Edenderry and surrounding areas. St. Mary’s Primary School was transformed into a multicultural centre of excellence for the night, with a broad and diverse range of communities and cultures represented. Music was a strong feature of Edenderry’s programme, with young Edenderry musicians from the Music Generation Offaly Westmeath|Youth Work Ireland (Midlands) | Edenderry Youth Café partnership presenting an open mic. Eden Chorale performed a stunning set to a huge crowd in Edenderry Library. Neart Fir|Strength of Men was the headline event in Edenderry, with Eugene O’ Brien reading from his new book Going Back and observing the theme of male mental health. A mixture of poetry, film, and live music by a range of male artists all responding to the theme, introduced by Assistant Arts Officer Angela Ryan Whyte, in her opening who shared some statistics and research on the rationale for focusing on men’s health for this commissioned event. The sold-out event attended by a cross-section of generations and genders, including Minister Pippa Hackett, had a focus on resilience and recovery with stunning original music by John Gorman and Andrew Cody weaving the theme together. Dr. Philip Brady and Kevin O’ Farrell brought their personal experiences and life stories into poetry shared and the mood leaving Edenderry was buoyant.

Artist Rosemarie Langtry presented a special night in Belmont with a collaborative workshop and exhibition whilst Clara Musical society had ‘ A Night At The Musicals’. Culture Night Offaly completed in the gorgeous surroundings of JJ Hough’s Singing Pub. Another event that got huge national attention, being highlighted as a top pick in the Irish Times and RTÉ, ‘The Black River of Herself’ by Sheila Hough and Patrick Hough was a glorious collaboration of film, visual art and music. Commissioned by Offaly County Council Arts Office and The Arts Council, the late night event took on the subject of Offaly’s peat bog lands and their relationship to Climate Change and ecological collapse. A brilliant and important piece of work by these excellent artists. Coordinator of Culture Night Offaly, Angela Ryan Whyte, commenting at the opening of events on Friday stated that ‘The hidden gem that is Offaly is shining brightly today and these artists that populate the bucolic landscape are the diamonds in the crown.’ The aim was to create ‘one night for all’ and that objective was clearly achieved with record attendances, innovative new works and new audiences getting out experiencing the arts. The Department of Culture, Heritage, the Gaeltacht, and the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Offaly County Council bring culture Night to you.