This is the busiest Culture Night ever in County Cavan. Here’s what your nearest town/village has to offer…
BALLINAGH
Breffni Trad Orchestra
WHERE: McDermott’s Bar
WHEN: 7:30pm
WHAT: Members of the Breffni Trad Orchestra have an entertaining night in store!
‘Sip & Paint’
WHERE: Cronin’s Bar
WHEN: 7.30pm–Late!
WHAT: Fun step by step guided painting with local artist Laura Brady over two hours with live trad session led by Lorcan Brady and Niamh Taggart till late! Booking essential via Eventbrite.
BALLYJAMESDUFF
Open air variety concert
WHERE: Market House Square
WHEN: 7.30-10pm
WHAT: Open-air concert will display talents from a variety of communities. Music, song, and dance will fill the air.
Culture Night Play
WHERE: Cavan County Museum
WHEN: Doors 7.30pm; 8pm performance.
WHAT: ‘The Half Coat’ by Tara Maria Lovett, a dual-timeframe family history, set part in 19th century Ireland and part in modern times. Suitable for ages 14+ See page 36 for interview with the playwright.
Gospel music
WHERE: St. Mary’s Church, Castlerahan
WHEN: 7.30pm
WHAT: Virginia Gospel Choir with members from Ballyjamesduff, Castlerahan & Munterconnaught will perform uplifting songs.
BAILIEBOROUGH
Art exhibition
WHERE: Bailieborough Library
WHEN: 7pm
WHAT: Bailieborough Creative Hub host their new group exhibition, ‘Perspective’.
Poetry SOS Clinic
WHERE: Bailieborough Library
WHEN: 5-8.30pm
WHAT: Poetry clinic hosted by poetry pharmacist, Mairéad Donnellan. Each personal ‘clinic’ is 10-15 minutes long. Bookings: (042) 966 5779.
Parish Missions in the Diocese of Kilmore’
WHERE: Tierworker Community Hall
WHEN: 8.30pm
WHAT: Moybologue Historical Society host a talk given by Fr. Ultan McGoohan on ‘Parish Missions in the Diocese of Kilmore’.
BELTURBET
Healthy Singing
WHERE: Goods Store, Belturbet Railway Station
WHEN: 7-8pm
WHAT: The Singing for Health and Wellbeing Group showcase a mixture of uplifting songs. Promises to be a fun, energetic singing experience for all to enjoy! Music by Belturbet Comhaltas.
WIDFEST
WHERE: The Widow’s Bar
WHEN: 8pm–late!
WHAT: A feast of Irish culture – learn cúpla focal, taste homemade soda bread, join in the art of macrame and soy wax candle making. Also a variety of poetry, storytelling, and live music.
CAVAN TOWN
Street Life
WHERE: Townhall Cavan, Outdoor Performance Area
WHEN: 5-8pm
WHAT: Street Life returns after its rip-roaring success in 2022. Featuring Jack Wise, The Trap and Morbid & Sons it promises comedy, circus, and absurdity prevail!
The Cavan Cinema
WHERE: Townhall Cavan, 1st Floor
WHEN: 4-8pm (Drop in event)
WHAT: A medley of film works by Cavan or Cavan based artists thoughtfully curated by Colm Mullen. Comedy, arthouse, documentary, fiction, short films and feature length, a taster of the incredible work coming out of Cavan in film today.
Open Studio
WHERE: Townhall Cavan, 2nd Floor
WHEN: 4:30–6:30pm
WHAT: Sculptor Marie Smith will show you what she is currently working on and demonstrate the process of making a life-size human head in clay!
The Empty Vessel
WHERE: Townhall Cavan, Gallery
WHEN: 6–8pm
WHAT: Film and gallery installation, The Empty Vessel, will be presented for the first time in the Gallery Space of Townhall, Cavan. The film lasts 20 minutes and will be informally shown on a loop and there will be a short talk by Mark St. John Ellis in the Café at 7pm.
Prison Door
WHERE: Townhall Cavan, 2nd Floor
WHEN: 4:30–6:30pm
WHAT: A short film – written by Dermot Healy, directed by Kevin McCann and produced by Joe Doherty – about a prisoner who never leaves his cell and who gets a visitor with a message for him.
‘A Night of Ballads’
WHERE: Connolly Brother’s Shop
WHEN: 8–9:30pm
WHAT: Nyah Comhaltas present: ‘A Night of Ballads’. Guests include: Ceolminers, Brendan Melia, Brian Kelly, Gerry 0’Reilly, Karen McMahon, Martin Donohoe and dancing by Fiona & Paul Connolly.
Odd Numbers
WHERE: Blessing’s Bar
WHEN: 9:30pm
WHAT: Cavan’s Odd Numbers – Odran O’Brien – will be accompanied by Dublin MCs and close collaborators, Wallfella and Flynn Johnson, for an energetic evening of Hip-Hop and RnB.
‘Work in Progress’
WHERE: Johnston Central Library, Cavan (Event Space)
WHEN: 7–7:30pm
WHAT: ‘Work in Progress’ is a one-act theatre piece, directed by Bernadette McDermott. Age 16+
Cavan Kendo Kai
WHERE: Scouts Den, Railway Road, Cavan
WHEN: 7.30-9.30pm
WHAT: Cavan Kendo Kai host a series of demonstrations of three Japanese martial arts: Kendo, Jodo and Iaido. Public will also have a chance to ask questions and interact.
Sounds Good
WHERE: Drumlane Room, Conaty Centre, H12 E5C7
WHEN: 6–7pm & 7–8pm
WHAT: Exploring Art Expression through the Medium of Sound – Immerse yourself in a therapeutic sound bath and enjoy the healing vibrations of the 7 chakra healing crystal bowls. Booking essential: 087 3966808
Market Square Music & Poetry
WHERE: Market Square, Cavan Town
WHEN: 5-8pm
WHAT: From 5–7pm the Fly-by-Night Parasol Jazz Band perform New Orleans themed music under the parasol on Cavan’s Market Square.
Then from 7–8pm Droimín Creative present a night of ‘Music & Poetry’ with Breffni band KCD playing their own original music and a poet or two will join them.
The Cottage Market
WHERE: The Conaty Centre, H12 E5C7
WHEN: 6–10pm
WHAT: The magnificent Cottage Market will join the festivities for the first time, showcasing our food culture that revolves around “local, fresh, and seasonal.”
The Hacklers
WHERE: Gonzo Youth Theatre Hub, Dublin Rd
WHEN: 8–8:30pm
WHAT: A dramatic performanc of a selection of poems by the Irish/Canadian poet Greg Delanty.
Pop-Up Gaeltacht
WHERE: Johnson Central Library
WHEN: 4–5:30pm
WHAT: Bígí linn for a Pop-Up Gaeltacht and ciorcal comhrá Gaeilge.
Cavan Youth Orchestra
WHERE: Cavan Johnston Central Library
WHEN: 7.30-8.30pm
WHAT: Experience Music Up Close: Join Music Generation and Cavan Youth Orchestra for ‘Come and Play’ Event! Age: 8-18 No Booking Required
Climatewise Culture Céilí
WHERE: Fair Green Community Gardens
WHEN: 4-5:30pm
WHAT: An evening of music, song, dance, and chat featuring musician Martin Donohoe, singer Karina Charles and artist AlanJames Burns.
Performance
WHERE: Kilmore Church, Cavan
WHEN: 7:30pm
WHAT: Performance by Eileen Coyle and The Kilmore Ensemble featuring Fr. Darragh Connolly Tenor and Uilleann Pipes, Peter Flynn Classical Guitar and Eileen Tackney Piano.
COOTEHILL
Bilingual Quiz
WHERE: Nulty’s Lounge, Bridge Street
WHEN: 9.30pm
WHAT: Irish language group Gaeil Mhuinchille stage a bilingual charity table quiz in memory of Ann Shalvey, a former esteemed memory. Ceol, bia, craic agus a few easy questions! All proceeds to Cootehill Cancer Care. Bígí linn!!
Culture Evening
WHERE: Le Chéile Hub
WHEN: 7pm
WHAT: Come along to Le Chéile Hub Muinchill to meet our musicians, story tellers, Indian dancers, Irish dancers, singers, crafts people and more.
Celtic Crafts
WHERE: Cotehill Library
WHEN: 5:30–6:30pm
WHAT: An exhibition of Celtic Crafts, from the Cootehill Library Craft Group.
CORNAFEAN
Cornafean’s Cultural Story
WHERE: Coronea Church & McSeain’s
WHEN: 7:30pm
WHAT: A reunion and celebration of Cornafean marching band, Cornafean ceili group and Scór participation over the last 50 years. Mass for deceased members/participants, followed by a reunion celebration in McSeain’s and launch our “Cornafean’s Cultural Story – Rolling back the Years” USB which contains video footage spanning 50 years of the marching band, ceili groups and Scór competitions.
DOWRA
Kids Pottery Workshop
WHERE: Dowra Courthouse
WHEN: 4pm
WHAT: With potter Jim Fee. All welcome! Booking essential: 0872502980.
Kids Percussion Workshop
WHERE: Dowra Courthouse
WHEN: 5:30pm
WHAT: Learn how to play a tune or two with Barbara & Tony.
The Determinator
WHERE: Dowra Courthouse
WHEN: 8–9pm
WHAT: Written by John McManus, Directed by Padraic McIntyre & Performed by Charlie McGuinness.
Trad Music
WHERE: Dowra Courthouse
WHEN: 9:30pm
WHAT: Music by Cathal Hickey & Malcolm Kindness followed by traditional session with local artists.
VIRGINIA
Vintage Photo Exhibition
WHERE: People’s Hall, Church of Ireland, Virginia
WHEN: 6-8.30pm
WHAT: Vintage Photographic Exhibition hosted by Virginia and District Historical Society. Meet some faces from the past and see how things changed through the years in a display of old photos of Virginians, events and places. Also open Saturday, September 23: 11am-6pm and Sunday, September 24: 1-6pm.
De Valera: Rule, 1933-75
WHERE: Church of Ireland, Virginia
WHEN: 8.30pm
WHAT: A talk by Dr David Mc Cullagh, RTE hosted by Virginia and District Historical Society. After finally regaining power in 1932, how did Eamon de Valera rule Ireland?