The outlaw Ned Kelly at IMMA this week!

This is OVER now, but the Alice Maher exhibit is also one I loved, on at IMMA Earlsfort Terrace ti 17 Feb. NOT really suitable for kids, though. 

The outlaw Ned Kelly paintings by Sidney Nolan are on display at IMMA  until this Sunday, 27 Jan 2013- and you should go! I was there on my 24hrs in Dublin visit, & I made a quick little video:

I wonder WHY does each of the 3 thumbnail options YouTube gives you for your video have to be so goofy looking?! Good thing I'm not overly vain...

Day for Night at Butler Gallery (Any Narnia in that wardrobe, I wonder?)

After getting cultured up in Kilkenny, take a break

Kilkenny is such a fabulous wee city! Before relaxing with a glass of something nice, there's always something interesting to see or do. Currently there are brand new exhibits on at The National Craft Gallery- "Out of the Marvelous", and across the Parade in Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle, now open is Lorraine Neeson's "Day For Night."  It also sounds worth a visit, & here's what information I was given about it: 

Day for Night, also known as Nuit Américaine or American Night, is the name given to cinematographic techniques used to simulate night scenes while shooting in daylight. Filters and methods of underexposure are applied to footage shot in bright sunlight conditions, to create the illusion of darkness or moonlight.

Lorraine Neeson’s exhibition engages thematically with the reversal and inversion of light and darkness implied by this technique. A similar sense of inversion pervades in the modern day phantasmagoria that Neeson has created in the Butler Gallery. Working with light, sound, video installation and architectural intervention the space is transformed into an environment of ambiguity in which illusion and reality are interwoven by means of reflection, shifting shadows, projected light and disembodied sound.

Lorraine Neeson; part of her Day for Night exhibit, Butler Gallery

Very intriguing! The exhibit is on until December 16, 2012, and on 19 November, Meet The Artist is at 1pm. Butler Gallery (like the National Craft Gallery) is free, so drop by & check it out! The photo here makes me think of the magic wardrobe to Narnia!  Must go see if it brings you to another world :-)

Gallery Opening Hours
Butler Gallery is open seven days a week throughout the year:

January, February: 10am – 1pm; 2pm – 4.30pm

March: 10am – 1pm; 2pm – 5pm

April: 10am – 1pm; 2pm – 5.30pm

May, June, July, August, September: 10am – 5.30pm

October, November, December: 10am – 1pm; 2pm – 4.30pm

Got kids? Get 'em on Lego Quest- creative fun!

Ok, this may be a little elaborate! Lego tiger

Got kids? How fun is this for them?! The Kilkenny Arts office presents:

LEGO QUEST!

Lego Quest is a fun challenge for Lego loving kids aged 6 – 12 years old!

Participants will invent and construct 3D Lego animals and other figures. 

Children’s ideas will come to life by learning how to connect art paper with Lego bricks to make 3D multimedia creations.

Overall this will be a great opportunity for the children to work with a professional artist furthering their

creativity, using their imagination and being resourceful in a fun and relaxed environment.

Hey, if they get really good, maybe they can make you this:

Lego car!

Age group: 6 to 12 years

Dates: Sunday 11^th November and Sunday 18^th November

Times: 2 different sessions on each day above – 10:30am – 1pm and 2pm – 4:30pm

Participants can only attend one session out of the four

     

Venue: Kilkenny County Council Arts Office, no. 76 John Street

Prices:

€10 / €8 for a second child from the same family

i.e. two children from the same family €18

Concessions €8 / €6 for a second child from the same family

i.e. two children from the same family €14

TO BOOK:

Please mail: niamh.finn@kilkennycoco.ie giving child’s name, age, parent / guardian name and contact number, indicating payment method.

Cash or cheque / draft made out to Kilkenny County Council is accepted. If cash / cheque / draft this can be left at the Customer Service Desk of County Hall, Mon – Fri 9am – 1pm and 2pm – 5pm, or post to me at the address below if cheque / draft. The Arts Office at no. 76 is closed to the public so post or calling to the Customer Service Desk would be best.

Early booking advisable as Siamsa is very popular, with places are limited to 15 per group.

Comfy?? Lego shoes

Will there be a 'possotive vibration' in Kilkenny this weekend?

Tom Cambell's 'possotive vibration, yeh' 

I'm not sure if the piece 'possotive vibration, yeh' will be one of the ones on show, but if you are in Kilkenny this weekend, call in to the new location of The Blackbird Gallery (in the Castle Yard,) because they will be hosting a weekend of artist and musician Tom Campbell’s work. He'll also be doing a free live performance at 4pm on the Saturday. The show is open Saturday & Sunday; 11am to 5.30pm. (29th & 30th Sept)

The gallery's blurb tells us ''The multi-talented Campbell is not only an acclaimed visual artist he is also an incredibly talented performance artist and musician. His Terracotta Head show has been highly acclaimed and his recent Ice cream man preformed on the streets of Cork was thought provoking and entertaining.'' Sounds interesting! 

OF COURSE there is going to be a positive vibration in Kilkenny, because the Cats are going to win the hurling championship on Sunday, aren't they!?! ;-)

For more information call Valerie 0877843015
www.theblackbirdgallery.ie
Here is an ''experimental documentary portrait of artist Tom Campbell'' from You Tube

Ireland In Venice, Kilkenny In Venice!

 Ireland in Venice! 

 one of Richard Mosse's Infra photos

 Don't let the photo confuse you, yes, there is a reason for a picture of Congo in my section titled 'Ireland in Venice.' In fact, it could even be titled Kilkenny in Venice! 

What am I on about??

Kilkenny native Richard Mosse is going to be the artist representing Ireland in the2013 Venice Bienale, and Kilkenny's Butler Gallery director, Anna O'Sullivan,

 is Ireland's commissioner/curator for the Biennale.

  

Powerful

Mosse will be continuing the work he started with his Infra photoghraphs, surreally documenting the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo. These are very powerful pieces, and I had the privilege of seeing some at Dublin Contemporary in 2011. You can currently see a show of his photos at Sirius Art Cenre in Cork. For 2013 in Venice, he will be doing things a bit differently:

“At Venice, Richard will push this work into a strong, immersive multimedia environment,” said O’Sullivan. “I am thrilled for Richard, who I know will rise to the challenge of this important opportunity, and will create an extremely original installation that will represent Ireland powerfully on the international stage.”

                              To find out more, do read the Irish Times article the quote came from, here.

                           

                                                                            

Venice (not my photo)

Venice

Like many of you, I would love to visit Venice. It has been on our wish list for a long, long time. I think that going to see 'Kilkenny in Venice' is a great excuse! I'm starting to do my research now for a visit in one of the quieter months of 2013.

I'd love to hear any tips you may have! 

Thanks, Susan

Dive into Kilkenny Arts Festival!

Diving off John's Bridge, Kilkenny City

Dive into Kilkenny Arts Festival- you'll emerge energized and refreshed! C'mon down- there is a great buzz in town and fantastic things to see, hear, do, and talk about! I'm writing this on the Sunday Aug 12, and the festival runs through next Sunday; have a browse through the programme and plan a visit. Seeing the art & craft is free, & there are free events; but even the pay-for events are great value, so come enjoy a fantastic festival!


Head out to the things on outside of KK City, too! We got to the Three Solos show on Thomastown's Low Street, as well as the shows in gorgeous buildings of Grennan Waternmill (Berkley Gallery) & Grennan Mill Craft School. There is much more on there in Thomastown, too! (We have to go back- ran out of time!) If you only have time for 1 stop, the show in Grennan Mill Craft School is the one Hubby & I feel you should not to miss. Note: my bird photos above do NO JUSTICE to Fiona Heaney's pieces- so go see for yourself! Even the buildings are works of art ;-)

Old mill workings behind Grennan Mill Craft School, Thomastown, Kilkenny

  The Thomastown shows are listed under the category Open Submissions, & don't (if you can do stairs) get frustrated with climbing the stairs all the way to the top floor of Grennan Mill Craft School for the works there by John Bentley & Andi McGarry are very worth seeing!
 Back in Kilkenny City, I got to hear Craft Strand curator Angela Kelly talk about the works in Utensil, on in the National Craft Gallery. Beautiful & interesting, I think it is also worth a visit- and do have a listen to the Whispering Table. Clever idea :-) Be sure to check the programme, as there are craft events on for kids & adults, too.

             
The Globe Theatre are presenting As You Like It in the atmospheric setting of the Castle Yard beside the National Craft Gallery all week, and it is a wonderful show. ( If you are interested in Shakespeare & Ireland, you may like this Irish Times article.)  The actors are such great singers as well, and play instruments, too- a multi talented bunch! The show is great fun, & the Friday we went the sun joyfully shone down til dusk fell. Tis about 3 hours long, & outdoors, so go prepared for rain, sun, chill-- who knows what weather may happen! There is a bar, tho', so if it is wet you could drown your sorrows ;-)

The sun shone on As You Like It!

On Saturday night we saw Aziz Samhaoui & the University of Gnawa. As usual, the music selected by the music curators at Kilkenny Arts Festival didn't disappoint.The band's great groove soon had people on the floor dancing, & most others seat dancing as well! I hope to upload a short clip when I've time- there's s.l.o.w. upload speed here *sighs* Til then, here's a photo & a link to a song from them.                                                                                                                     

           

 As I write this there's still a whole week of enjoyment left-- don't miss out! There's lots on for the family, too, & so many great places to eat & chill out when you need a break. We had a very tasty lunch at Zuni's casual front cafe on Saturday, and Cleeres is always fab for pub lunch, bevvies & craic on the Watergate/Canice's side of town, while Bridies is a pub we love on the Set Theatre side of town. Where ever you go in Kilkenny-- enjoy! And mark your calendar for next year's Art Festival!
              WhatToSeeInIreland

What to do in Cork: the gorgeous Glucksman Gallery

upstairs in the Glucksman Gallery

                Beautiful

If you enjoy beautiful green surroundings, stunning buildings, and fascinating art, you'd do well to pencil The Glucksman Gallery in to your Cork City plans. Located in the park-like UCC campus, the Gallery is just a short stroll away from the main B&B/GuestHouse/Hotel areas. 

We went to see the Josef Albers exhibition, and having never been to the gallery before, I didn't know what to expect; what I found really impressed me! We strolled through the Western Road gate along the riverside, where a family was feeding ducks & swans, onto lush green grounds with lovely old stone buildings.

The river Lee at UCC's Western Gate

The Gate Lodge & door of the same. Quite romantic!
 Click for a map & virtual tour of  campus.            

Up the path a bit you will find The Glucksman Gallery on your right. It was striking! Modern architecture was a bit of a surprise after the preceding surroundings, but it was exciting! The grey stone and soft green glass harmonised well with the surrounding buildings and parkland, and especially once inside the galleries I think many people must fall in love with it. 

Glucksman Gallery was perfect for showing the works of Albers, which are so strongly geometric. I felt the building mirrored them wonderfully, and the light coming through the windows the day we visited had (see my opening photo) the sort of numinous quality associated with stained glass, which Josef Albers worked with so beautifully. 

            What's On Next?
As I write this, the next exhibition has just been mentioned on Twitter:

Goodbye Josef Albers. Hello Henri Matisse. Next show @glucksman all about drawing and moving image. Opens July 27th. All welcome. #art
— Ireland / Fiona (@ireland) July 8, 2012

 

Follow @Glucksman on Twitter or like them on Facebook for more. On their website you can download the new program when it is available- and if it is anything like this past one, there will be lots of events, workshops, talks & kids' activities to choose from. You'll want to go to lots of things, not just the exhibition! 
                     

              Extra Niceties!
There is a cafe at Glucksman, which is open from noon on Sunday, and we chilled out there until the gallery opened at 2. We didn't eat, but had coffee and enjoyed the birdsong & view on the outdoor terrace. One tip I can give you is that instead of using the toilets in the cafe, go out into the lobby & head down the stairs to those (see photo to left) lovely tiled toilets-- the cafe toilet is definitely the 'ugly sister' compared to these :-)   

                                             

     Perhaps next time we visit Cork City & The Glucksman Gallery, we'll have a bite to eat there so we can let you know our thoughts. Hope you get to enjoy the green UCC campus (and green as in enviromental, too! It is the world's 1st Green Campus!) and visit the gem of the Glucksman Gallery. 

Let me know of any other Cork gems you love- leave a comment below, or tweet me at @vibrantireland   Thanks!
WhatToSeeInIreland

  W

Tips for your Cork City, Ireland visit.

Cork City centre on  Midsummer Festival Sunday

Firstly you should know that Cork is a city where there’s always lots happening-- except on Sundays! Mainly Sunday mornings; and as a visitor, chances are that you may be there on a Sunday. We’ve had 2 recent 24 hr visits to Cork City (Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon) and we’ve had a lovely time; here are a few tips for you:

·         The English Market has a great atmosphere, & is a fantastic place for food lovers to wander, salivate, and indulge- but be warned: CLOSED Sundays. We've eaten in The Farmgate Cafe there for lunch (open for breakfast & lunch only) and it is very good!

·         Stay in a place that has a good breakfast & an unhurried check out time, because on Sunday mornings, not much is open. If funds stretch to it, stay B&B at the 5 star Hayfield Manor- they must have the most WONDERFUL breakfast in all of Ireland! With spa, lounge area & more, Hayfield Manor is a perfect place to relax away a Sunday morning waiting for Cork to open up. (See my post on our stay here)                                

Beautiful presentation of fresh breads at Hayfield Manor

·         If your budget doesn’t stretch to that (& ours doesn’t usually!) look to pick a place where you’ll feel comfortable having a leisurely morning, especially if it is raining. Most shops & cafes don’t seem to open until noon at the earliest, so you could wind up like us on a past trip- wandering the streets for a few hours. (Not so fun if raining!)

·         Cork Coffee Roasters on 2 Bridge Street has good coffee, & is open on from 9a.m. Sundays, but be warned-it is small and very busy then, as you can imagine!

Lovely UCC campus, home to the beautiful, modern, Glucksman Gallery.

·         A good few museums, galleries, & other places of interest in Ireland can be closed Sundays, & some Mondays; so check their opening times when planning your visit.  In Cork City, for example the impressive Glucksman Gallery opens Sunday at 2, their cafe at noon, (both closed Mondays) but the Crawford Gallery is closed Sunday. 

·         Blackrock Castle & Observatory is a couple of miles outside the City, & opens at 10 on Sunday.  (Quirkily, open at 11 on Saturday.)They've also lots of things aimed at children, & the cafe there has been recommended to me, although we’ve not been to this attraction yet.

We saw Rian at the Cork Opera House- loved it! And when in Rome ;-)

·         Whatever night you are staying in Cork, check what is on at Cork Opera House! They seem to have something on most nights, music, film, theatre, comedy & more. You’ll still have time to head out to the pub afterwards if you’d like! 

Cork City Centre, Midsummer Festival Food Market (& Anam Cara B&B room)

·         Check local websites and twitter feeds like @CorkBuzz1 and @WhazOnCork to see what’s going on when you plan to be in Cork. During our past trip, Cork Midsummer Festival  was on, so their outdoor Food Market was up Sunday morning. As it was a sunny day, we got to enjoy tasty local/street food, sit in the sun & people watch as we waited for Glucksman Gallery to open. (I'll write a post on Glucksman soon.)

·         Have a gander at Cork man Liam’s suggestions for things to do in Cork- there are ideas that would be good for a Sunday morning. I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg during my visits, there is so much more!

What tips have YOU got? I know there must be loads more out there, & not just for Sundays! Please leave your tip in the comments, or tweet me at @vibrantireland, & I can add it to this post. Thanks! Susan
Here's a great tip from TheGManWorld

Don't forget @triskelcork home to Gulpd Café, Plugd Records, independent cinema & more!
— The G-Man (@TheGManWorld) July 4, 2012

@VibrantIreland Amazing place.Crazy how few people know about it.Great cinema,amazing gigs,choc Beamish cake,records,exhibits and more
— The G-Man (@TheGManWorld) July 4, 2012 

Chocolate Beamish cake?!! You better check out Triskel in Cork! :-)

PS if you love eating gorgeous, different, food-- have lunch or dinner at Cafe Paradiso. It has been wonderful both times we've gone! (Note: lunch Fri & Sat only, closed Mon)

Photos don't do Cafe Paradiso's food justice! AND we ate some before we remembered to snap :)

Happy Cork Visiting!
WhatToSeeInIreland WhatToEatInIreland

Art vandalization, indulging yourself, & rating castles: What to do in Limerick

King John's Castle, Limerick 

Limerick? I'd never really thought of going there, much less did I think I'd want to have a birthday trip there, but several things have opened my eyes to the enjoyments of Limerick. Let me tell you about some of what to do in Limerick, so you can perhaps plan a Limerick trip for yourself!

First up is a bit of tasty food. As you probably know, Ireland has gotten a great reputation for the quality of its food products, and during Love Gourmet Week June 1-10, you can try some for yourself without slaving over the cooker, because local restaurants are offering specials for the week! The website tells us:

'Superb menus priced from €35 per person will offer outstanding value for unique culinary specials with locally sourced produce during the event which runs from Friday, June 1st- Sunday, June 10th inclusive.

Fifteen of the top restaurants in Limerick and the Shannon region will offer an outstanding fine dining experience at exceptional prices. The ethos of the event will again be a celebration of local produce, great Irish food and organic produce.' 

Find out more here.

@fustar's daughter loved getting even with NAMA! 

What first piqued my interest in visiting Limerick is an biennial art event, Eva International, centred in the city and running from 19 May- 12 August. 

The theme for this year's show is taken from a book by Franco ''Bifo'' Berardi, After The Future, and contains a idea that really appeals to me--'living slowly in the infinite present.' For me, that is what looking at art helps me do-- to be present just looking & feeling, and then considering. 

I'm not knowledgeable about art, but I do enjoy it, & I think I will enjoy Eva International in Limerick. PLUS, apparently you may get to vandalise/paint a NAMA inspired work: José Carlos Martinat's "Vandalised Monuments Power Abstraction 4" 

At least that's what I saw on Twitter, so it must be true :-)

A. Catalan, 'Morphological Zone', 2011 

Click here for more on Eva International

I also found out about The Hunt Museum, which has art & antiquities from the Neolithic age to the 20th century. They also have lots of events listed, do click on their website! Additionally, they look to be just a short walk from The Milk Market, which has lots of different types of goods on offer in an award winning setting. Depending on the day it seems the concentration of some items are higher; Saturday seems to be the big food day, yum! 

Limerick's Milk Market

Also in Limerick is King John's Castle, pictured at the start of my post. It has no website, & has gotten mixed reviews from folk on Tripadvisor-- some say definitely visit, others are quite 'meh' about it. I think we shall have to go see for ourselves, & will let you know what we thought!

I'll also let you know about how we get on with my big birthday present- a stay at the #1 Tripadvisor rated, & multi award-winning 1 Pery Square! We'll be having dinner one night in their Brasserie One restaurant, and I'm also very tempted to try one of their extensive list of spa treatments while we're there. As I'm not a very girly gal, I'm not quite sure what they all are/do... there are Voya, or Payot (must be brands?) lists of treatments as well as things I do understand, like massage :-) But, really, I'm thinking that I'd like to go for something that lets me get into this gorgeous looking bath!!

We've 2 days in Limerick-- have you any Limerick suggestions for us to see/do/eat on this trip or another? Leave a comment below, or tweet me @vibrantireland

Thanks! 

Intriguing, Yellow, & Tasty! What to do in Kilkenny, Ireland

Looking for something to do in Kilkenny? The next exhibition in Kilkenny's (free) Butler Gallery is opening Saturday, 28 April, 2012 and it sounds quite interesting! (more info below.) Why not nip over to the Kilkenny Design Centre across the street afterwards & try these tasty looking new offerings (photo to left) in the Food Hall. The last time I was there I had the gorgeous local Goatsbridge Smoked Trout  pictured below- YUM! They've got lovely crockery there, & lots of cookbooks you can browse, too.

Local Kilkenny smoked trout from Gaotsbridge!

Here's the flyer for the new Fiona Larkin show, &amp I've added a bit of show info from the Butler Gallery below the flyer. The opening reception is at the gallery on Sat 28th April, from 3.30 to 5.30 pm. I wonder will there be a yellow brick road to draw us in? ;-)

Butler Gallery says: 

''Another View of Helene, begins with a surreptitious photograph taken of a girl at a gallery in Berlin. The girl appears to have a strange yellow mark on her back. This simple curiosity allows a keyhole opening into what Slavoj Zizek[1] calls ‘the abyss of the other’, in recognizing what we do not know about the other we fill the void with fantasy. Materialising imagined connections is where the work finds its starting point. The colour yellow is used as a guide or driving force in developing a language for the unknown, attempting to develop a glossary through collected images of ordinary things.'' 

---

[1] Slavoj Zizek is a Slovenian philosopher and cultural critic working in the traditions of Hegelianism, Marxism and Lacanian psychoanalysis.

             I'm intrigued! See you there! 

Magic in Make, Break, Make! What to do in Ireland: Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle

What is it?

 The inside of a piece of tree bark, with swirling snail tracks mapping out mazes? Some kind of bizarre stalactite & stalagmite filled cave? A pirate ship? Bubble filled ice atop a puddle on a frosty day? Well, that’s what Paul Mosse’s pieces whispered to me- what will they say to you? Go to his exhibit Make, Break, Make in Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle by 4 March to find out! 

Untitled (Pink) by Paul Mosse.  Photo, Butler Gallery

Pirate ship?

My photo of Untitled(Pink) seems much more sinister with the dark background. A tornado destroyed house?

My close up of the wood, Untitled (Pink)

Look at the shadow cast by this piece- Ireland?? 'Deep Polystyrene Holes' Paul Mosse

When you get up close, the polystyrene is very, intricate, like the crystals you can buy in 'dragon's eggs'

Like snow and ice, and grit. I nearly expected the bit on the left to drip melting drops..

'Burnt Plastic' by Paul Mosse.
This part reminded me of puddle ice.

From 'Black Web' by Paul Mosse.
I remember in childhood I found huge flakes of pine bark whose inner side had what looked like swirly paths on it; they were somehow carved by insects- amazing! This piece vividly brought that back .

White Grid, Paul Mosse
What does this make you think of, or feel?

White Grid, Paul Mosse

IS it really 'something?'

There is a very good article in the Irish Times discussing this exhibition; do have a read. My approach to art in this blog is light; many times with the child in mind--- my own wide-eyed wonder, or that of actual children; often those not immersed in the art world already--- the article will give interesting information I've not. Butler Gallery a great place to see art, no matter how you approach it. In my own childlike way I've been quite fascinated by many of their exhibits, and they have wonderful outreach programmes for adults and children if you want to explore further.
In case you don't read the article, I'd like to include this quote, which gives another window into the works:

“Textured and sculptural” is putting it mildly. They [the pieces] come across as venerable and ancient. The title of one modestly scale piece, Black Holes , sets the tone, and actually it’s a beautiful little piece that does seem to contain vast, unimaginable energies. Untitled (Pink), on the other hand, is a snapshot of one of two things: a universe bursting into life, or collapsing into a black hole. Or neither, of course, because Mosse doesn’t depict anything. It is a compelling, strange object, delicate but, again, charged with immense energy. 

There are plenty of other pieces besides what I've sampled for you here, and they all deserve close up scrutiny, so head to Kilkenny and the Butler Gallery to see what you make of Make, Break, Make.
Enjoy!

Beautiful Ink! Flowing, and to a beat.

Would you like a few minutes of peaceful enjoyment? Then grab yourself a nice glass of wine or a lovely warm cuppa, just relax, and watch this clip from Irish calligrapher Denis Brown. He'll be exhibiting at Modified Expression in the National Craft Gallery at the Kilkenny Arts Festival this August 5-14th.

Need to wake up a little after that?
Then have a gander at this beat remix from the master calligrapher:

Denis has his very own educational calligraphy channel, too. His work is interesting and experimental, but well rooted in ancient tradition- he is recognized as a world leader in Letter Arts. Visit his website at 
www.quillskill.com to find out more, and you can also see his snow calligraphy video (as well as some more Kilkenny Arts Festival highlights) here.
Like this? Go see craft strand curator Angela O'Kelly introduce a free artists' talk at 3pm, Sat the 6th at The National Craft Gallery.

Kilkenny Arts Fest: flamboyant & flirty, or crafty and happy? It'll all be there!

The fabulous Kilkenny Arts Festival 2011 program is here! 

Once again, it is choc-a-blok with intriguing offerings in the areas of music, theatre, dance, literature, visual arts, craft, and kids' events. Where else would you be able to hear a ''flamboyant harpsichordist,'' (Christophe Rousset,) see dance theatre for free from ''incorrigable flirts'' ponydance (so says the Irish Times!) and groove to Mongolian traditional music with ''western sensibility'' from Hanggai!?!

I am so going to this!! Hanggai
 I'll be blogging on the Craft Strand, and an exciting theme in the strand this year is literature & books.

Modified Expression will be on at The National Craft Gallery, with a range of makers responding to the theme.
Here's one of them with a rather otherworldly video done in the Dublin suburbs last winter- calligraphy in the snow by Denis Brown, The Real Quill Skill

There will be bookbinding workshops, papercraft workshops and birdsong related workshops for the kids all at the National Craft Gallery. 

Laoise O'Brien & Lorna Donlon

For the adults, 'How Happy For The Little Birds' is a musical programme connected to the crafts works from Lorna Donlon on display in the Castle Yard- a response to the musical repertoire.

There will also be an artists' talk in the National Craft Gallery, and an early evening Celebration of the Year Of Craft .

Hot Glass Divas will be on at Jerpoint Glass Studio
 I'm also really looking forward to seeing the Hot Glass Divas works on show at Jerpoint Glass (located outside of Thomastown,) - definitely worth a drive, because you can then also see the exhibits on show at Grennan Mill Craft School.

Clive Nunn is one of the makers who'll be showing in Grennan Mill. Check out the others by clicking here & scrolling down to where the listings are for 'Other Selections.' There are plenty to see!


 So there's a small taste of the Festival. It is well worth going to; nothing is expensive, much is free, and Kilkenny is a lovely, small city- easy to get around on foot. Take some time out, check all the listings, & plan to enjoy some fun, unusual, thought provoking & beautiful exhibits and events. See you there!