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Feast of culture continues at Cootehill Arts Festival

Cootehill Arts Festival continues over the weekend, promising something for everyone – comedy, music, theatre, literature, workshops and more.

The festival was opened on Wednesday by filmmaker Tommy McArdle (pictured) sounding the starter's pistol. Running throughout the festival, in the former Ulster Bank premises, our exhibition this year is ‘Faces Caught In Time’ by Maurice Hobson. This series of compelling, unapologetically discomfiting self-portraits, are a deliberate and uncomfortable reminder of the human casualties of ideological violence. Please note that some viewers may find the images in this exhibition distressing.

Tonight - Friday night the festival bill includes a Comedy Night, in Drumlin House Theatre with local comedian Lorcan McGrane undertaking compere duties. Lorcan has appeared on Today FM, BBC Ulster, BBC Radio 4. The evening will feature Eric Lalor (Fair City) Patrick McDonnell (Father Ted) and Patser Murray (Love Hate). 

Una Mannion is set to return following last year’s very successful writing workshop. This will take place on the morning of Saturday 29th June in Cootehill Library and the theme of this year’s workshop is ‘Flash Fiction’. In this immersive workshop, writers will consider the key aspects of story: scene, character, plot, conflict, and language through the form of micro or flash fiction. Participants will complete a series of exercises through prompts and will then reflect, revise and edit their short narratives, giving themselves space to discover as they write. Whether you like to write memoir, fiction or poetry, you will leave the workshop with work started and ideas to create further work. Tickets on sale now.

Saturday 29th will see a variety of events including the Bricfeasta Mor hosted by Gaeil Muinchille in Seans Diner, a guided tour of Drumgoon Graveyard and ecology walk, art and magic workshops, and the Big Read. Details of all these to follow.

The evening of Saturday 29th we have the return of ‘The Town’s a Stage’. Hugely successful last year, this year will see 4 brand new short plays performed in locations around the town. The audience will be taken on a walk around the town to see the plays performed in the most unexpected places. Tickets on sale soon.

On Saturday night, Cootehill Arts Festival welcomes the amazing David Kitt to Drumlin House Theatre. In 2018 he released his first solo record for nine years as “the most free I’ve felt making a record since my debut Small Moments”. David Kitt’s sense of freedom is bound up in themes of renewal, movement, and a constant reshaping of his musical preoccupations. The last number of years have seen him touring and recording as a member of Tindersticks, producing other musicians’ work, exploring techno, disco, and house under his New Jackson moniker, remixing everyone from Shit Robot to The XX, and producing intriguing, eclectic DJ sets and radio shows. This will be an intimate solo show and tickets are limited so get booking early.

Sunday 30th, the ever-popular Festival Miscellany will return to the White Star Complex. This will be a morning of music, song, poetry and pros.

On Sunday afternoon there will be family fun and crafts at St Michaels Hall. There will be stories, music from Tullyvin Musical Society, craft stalls, food, a caricaturist, and even a Flea Circus to keep you all entertained.

On Sunday evening at 7 pm in Drumlin House Theatre, Cootehill Arts Festival are delight to welcome:

Fishamble: The New Play Company presenting ‘The Humours of Bandon’.

Written and performed by Margaret McAuliffe.

On the eve of the Irish Open championship, we meet Annie, a 16-year-old Dubliner, as she charts us through the various successes and disappointments of her Irish Dancing life. We share her mind-numbing commitment and burning desire to win the Irish Open title. Will she win and, if so, in what way?

From the confines of every parochial hall in Ireland, Irish Dancing champions are churned out at a massive rate. Medals and cups build up in drawing rooms and Riverdance swells a national pride, but the public aren’t privy to the blood, sweat and tears that pave the way to the first-place podium.

The Humours of Bandon is a coming of age story, full of heart, humour and wisdom, for anyone who had a childhood passion that threatened to overwhelm their life.

Developed as part of Show in a Bag, an artist development initiative of Dublin Fringe Festival, Fishamble: The New Play Company and Irish Theatre Institute, to resource theatre makers and actors.

Monday 1st July sees a Mindful Movement & Groove workshop, an ‘in conversation with Sean Foy’ in The Oakland Arms and Drumlin House Choir shall be performing for us prior to a reading from Aisteoiri Muinchille in the Darley School Hall.

Just search for Cootehill Arts Festival on Eventbrite.ie for tickets. Tickets for all shows are on sale now. Tickets for all events will also be available from our festival office, which will be located in the former Ulster Bank premises on Market Street, Cootehill.

Cootehill Arts Festival is delighted to be supported by the Arts Council Festival Investment Scheme, Cavan County Council and Cavan Arts Office.