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!
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