29th May

Inish Festival: Island Conversations

Many, many moons ago on a summer's evening in 2004, playing at a pub session somewhere in Connemara, a woman by the name of Geraldine King approached me and invited me to come play at her music night on Inis Boffin. I agreed, and off I went the following month as promised with my Dad and Gearoid Ui Laoghaire by way of moral support. Cut to 13 years later, and I'm off to Inis Boffin again, this time at the behest of Peadar King, Geraldine's nephew, who's taken up the family mantle of arts impressario, and spearheads the 'Inish: Island Conversations' - a multi-disciplinary arts festival incorporating the finest of Irish and international artists, now in its 3rd year running.

"INISH was born out of a moment of crisis for Inishbofin. When Atlantic storms inundated the island in 2014, we envisioned a multidisciplinary arts festival like no other, to echo the resourcefulness, ambition, pride, and inherent creativity of the local community. What has been created since is something even greater, something magical and formative.
INISH is inspired by its island home. It draws on Inishbofin’s extraordinary tradition of harbouring artists including Richard Murphy, Theodore Roethke, Cecil Day-Lewis, Seamus Heaney, Tom McIntyre, John Behan, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, and ignites new moments of encounter, enlightenment, enrichment and enjoyment. We want guest artists and audiences alike to discover for themselves the conditions that brought such luminaries to the island."

Carolyn and I play this show with Cork drummer, Dan Walsh. Also on the bill are Crash Ensemble, Kevin Barry, Barry Donohue, Benjamin Dwyer and the Emil Branqvest Quartet.