Ballagh' Arts Festival has an incredible line-up this August

Mayo’s and Ireland’s finest, the outstanding 10-piece Pipers Cross Céilí Band will dwell among us in Ballaghaderreen on the opening night of our Arts Festival - ballaghaderreenartsfestival.com - on Saturday, August 3rd, from 9pm with Céilí Mór@the Castlemore. Last year, at the All-Ireland Fleadh in Mullingar, they were selected as Ireland’s Number 1 Céilí band. Come and see why.

Or, if drama is your thing, go to Ballaghaderreen Players in that blackest of black comedies, The Cripple of Inishmaan, directed by the inimitable Julie Sharkey. It begins at 7.30pm that Saturday evening, continuing on Sunday and Monday evenings at the same time. Julie also directs the very special Park Life in the Community Garden for three performances on Thursday, August 10th. (Audience limited to 20 per performance).

Would you prefer opera? Ok, then that same Saturday afternoon at 3pm, there’s the children’s opera (free for children), Finn McCumhaill,  at the Phoenix Centre with guest sopranos and local school children. It will also be performed there on Sunday, August 4th, at 3pm.

A puppet show? Ok, be at the Phoenix Centre from 3pm on Monday, August 5th. Again, children are free.

But don’t forget 'Classical in the Cathedral’ on Wednesday, August 7th, from 7.30pm with a 12-piece orchestra, led by Ireland’s best-known conductor David Brophy, performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at St Nathy’s Cathedral. That evening will include a world premiere (no less) of An Irish Four Seasons, composed and performed by leading Irish cellist Alibhe McDonagh.

'Blues and Trad at the Cathedral’ the following night includes Ireland’s Queen of Jazz and Blues, Mary Coughlan, beginning her 40th-anniversary tour. Performing then too will be 'the hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet’ ( New York Times), Lúnasa. In addition, Cora and Seán Smyth will perform on the fiddle and tin whistle playing.

A highlight for football fans will be 'GAA Night’, at St Nathy’s College on Friday, August 9th. Jim Gavin, who led Dublin to five All-Ireland senior titles in a row, will be interviewed by broadcaster Seán O’Rourke about making Gaelic great again. It will be followed (and again on Sunday, August 11th, at 5.30pm) by 'Happy Birthday Percy French’, a tribute to one of Ireland’s best-known troubadours, born 170 years ago on May 1st.

'Film Night at St Nathy’s’ (Tuesday, August 6th) will see Ireland’s longest-serving film censor Ballaghaderreen man Sheamus Smith interviewed about his fascinating career in movies. He 'freed’ the Irish people to see The Life of Brian. The interview will be preceded by award-winning singer Christine Tobin, performing Leonard Cohen, Carole King, Yeats’s poems (to music) and her own songs.

The second Festival weekend will see witty and versatile London Pilgrim Players present Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It outdoors at Edmondstown House from 7pm on Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th, with matinees at 3pm on the 10th and 11th.

And there will be 'Stand-Up at Edmondstown House’ on Sunday evening (August 11th) from 8.30pm, headlined by the outrageous satirist/comedian, David McSavage.

Other festival events include an art exhibition at Mulligan’s on Main St with works by leading West of Ireland painters Malachy Costello, Siobhán Cox Carlos, Michael Wann, Conor O’Connell. Each will conduct workshops during the festival, free to participants.

In parallel there will be an exhibition of original works by local painters at the Phoenix Centre, and Geraldine Finn will conduct another writing workshop while there will be a film workshop on Monday, August 5th. It’s exhausting! Details at www.ballaghaderreenartsfestival.com.