Greetings from Under the Arch
Two new multi-day festivals anchor this week's listings: Sáile Ocean Festival brings coastal talks, film and workshops to the Galway Rowing Club and University of Galway, while Cleggan Fringe Festival spreads music, food and sean-nós dancing across Connemara's pubs and halls.
Christy Moore plays Leisureland on Friday, and Dylan Moran previews his new stand-up show at Róisín Dubh earlier in the week. Down in Portumna, the Shorelines Arts Festival runs through the weekend with short films, informal storytelling and a headline set from Camille O'Sullivan.
This is our pick of what's on in Galway this week. As always for a full event list check out the link at the bottom of the email.
Let's dive in 👇
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK
Sáile Ocean Festival
Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September · Galway Rowing Club & University of Galway
Sáile, the Irish word for seawater, is a community-led festival built around Galway's coastal life. Its programme runs across the Galway Rowing Club and the University of Galway's Ryan Institute, mixing film screenings, science talks, hands-on workshops, food tastings and conversations with local fishermen, alongside an art gallery and two days of music.
Cleggan Fringe Festival
Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September · Various venues around Cleggan
The festival's programme spreads across Cleggan's pubs and halls, drawing on the area's music and seafood heritage: live gigs, food and drink stalls, traditional sessions, sean-nós dancing and a guided walk around the Aughrus Peninsula.
Christy Moore
Friday 11 September · 20:00 · Leisureland Galway
Five decades into a career that includes 30 solo albums, Christy Moore still builds his live shows the same way: one voice, one guitar, and songs the room already knows the words to.
Run To The Beast – Iron Maiden Tribute
Friday 11 September · 20:00 · Monroe's Live
Formed by dedicated Iron Maiden fans, the five-piece tribute act works its way through more than forty years of the band's catalogue, including The Trooper, Run to the Hills and Fear of the Dark.
Meet the Fawkers – Dolly Parton/Country Tribute Night
Friday 11 September · 21:00 · Sally Longs Bar
The tribute band put on a night of Dolly Parton and country standards at the Abbeygate Street bar, aimed at fans of the country icon's back catalogue.
Digital – Playing the Music of Joy Division & New Order
Saturday 12 September · 19:00 · Monroe's Live Backstage
Ten years into performing as a tribute act, Digital moves from Joy Division's post-punk catalogue, including "Disorder" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart," into New Order's electronic material such as "Blue Monday" and "Temptation."
Wallis Bird
Saturday 12 September · 20:00 · Róisín Dubh
The Irish singer-songwriter plays Róisín Dubh as part of her New Moon Tour, a run of more than forty European dates marking her new album and named for its themes of transition and new beginnings.
The Wildboyz – Duran Duran Experience
Saturday 12 September · 21:00 · Monroe's Live
The tribute act plays through Duran Duran's 1980s catalogue, including "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf."
The Rising – Decades Tour
Tuesday 15 September · 20:00 · Monroe's Live Backstage
The Irish trad band marks ten years together with its Decades Tour, pairing driving rhythms and rich harmonies with a modern take on folk. Ciaran Quigley supports.
Galway Cartoon Festival launch
Tuesday 8 September · 17:00 to 19:00 · Kombu
The programme launch for the city's tenth Cartoon Festival brings drinks, speeches and live drawing to Druid Lane. This year's festival, themed "Having a Laugh," runs into October across Galway city and the Aran Islands, with guests including Private Eye's Glenn Marshall and Guardian cartoonist Martin Rowson.
Dylan Moran: Looking For Trouble
Tuesday 8 September · 20:00 · Róisín Dubh
The BAFTA and Perrier-winning comedian previews his brand-new show ahead of a European and UK tour, bringing his familiar mix of existential observation and sharp one-liners to an intimate warm-up gig.
Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger
Wednesday 9 to Thursday 10 September · 18:00 · EYE Cinema
The concert documentary follows the Gallagher brothers through their Oasis Live '25 reunion tour, with rehearsal and backstage footage plus Noel and Liam's first joint interviews in more than twenty years.
I Fall Down: A Restoration Comedy
Thursday 10 to Friday 11 September · 20:00 · O'Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance
Gina Moxley's immersive show shifts between lecture, opera, dance and video, ending in a participatory clay-modelling session, as it challenges the historical erasure of women from art history. The production runs 75 minutes without an interval.
Shorelines Shorts
Friday 11 - Saturday 12 September · Boathouse Bar, Portumna
Shorelines Arts Festival's short film strand screens across two afternoons at the Boathouse Bar, part of a wider Portumna programme that also takes in the Irish Workhouse Centre and Christ Church.
Deirdre O'Kane: Work in Progress
Friday 11 September · 19:00 · The Mall Theatre, Tuam
The stand-up tests new material as she works towards the next chapter of her show, billed on the night as loose, lively and full of surprise.
Love Letter with Camille O'Sullivan
Saturday 12 September · 21:00 · Portumna Town Hall
Camille O'Sullivan headlines Portumna Town Hall with her theatrical voice and dramatic interpretations, as part of the Shorelines programme.
Galway Whiskey Club Clonakilty Tasting
Thursday 10 September · 19:30 · Freeney's Bar
The whiskey club works through six Clonakilty drams from West Cork, with a guided tasting conversation and small plates between pours.
An Introduction to Mexican Cooking at Aniar
Sunday 13 September · 10:00 to 17:00 · Aniar Cookery School
Chef JP McMahon leads a full day of hands-on Mexican cooking covering tortillas, salsas, ceviche, carnitas and mole, with morning and afternoon sessions built around shared meals.
Green Earth Organics Sustainability Festival
Saturday 12 September · 10:00 to 17:00 · Green Earth Organics Farm, Corrandulla
The 28-acre organic farm marks twenty years in business with a festival of sustainability talks, farm walks, cookery demonstrations, food trucks and live music.
Reimagining Ireland's Night-Time Economy with David McWilliams
Wednesday 9 September · 17:00 · Electric Galway
Economist David McWilliams speaks at this Galway Chamber event about third spaces and changing night-time venues, and what a stronger evening economy could mean for the city.
Candle Making at Massimo
Wednesday 9 September · 19:00 to 21:00 · Massimo Bar Galway
Blackthorn Candles hosts a hands-on workshop where guests pour and scent their own soy candle to take home.
The Great BIG BIG Screen Quiz
Sunday 13 September · 19:00 · Róisín Dubh
WOMP Events runs a movie-themed quiz spanning cult classics and fan favourites, with trivia, photo, music, video and quote rounds across different genres, plus a red carpet competition for best dressed.
For a full overview of all events on this week in Galway check out our event listings page
UNTIL NEXT WEEK
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