Culture
Culture Night 2019 offers 70 events across the city and county
Culture Night 2019 promises to be is an all-island public event that celebrates culture, creativity and the arts. Pictured at the 2017 Culture Night enjoying the day of events was Aaron Markhan, Shannon, Co. Clare and Conor Casserly, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare. Picture: Oisin McHugh/True Media.
Culture Night 2019 offers 70 events across the city and county
by ilovelimerick correspondent Conor Owens.
Culture Night 2019 takes place on Friday, September 20, with venues and public spaces across Limerick opening their doors to host a programme of free late-night creativity and entertainment, as part of an all-island celebration of arts, heritage and culture.
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Last year, Limerick hosted more than 80 events in 90 plus locations, drawing an audience of over 21,600 people. Highlights included medieval horseback archery in King John’s Castle, behind the scenes tours of Henry Street Garda Station, the Pigtown Parade, live music and street performers on Bedford Row, the Ardagh Chalice 150 Festival and bookbinding workshops in Friars’ Gate, Kilmallock.
Limerick City and County Council’s Culture and Arts Office are calling for organisations, groups, venues and participants who would like to host an event Limerick’s Culture Night 2019.
Sheila Deegan, Culture and Arts Officer with Limerick City and County Council said, “Culture Night is always great fun and offers the perfect opportunity to showcase the wealth of arts culture that Limerick has to offer. It is a night to celebrate the cultural, artistic and creative communities of our region by inviting existing and new audiences into our galleries, museums, workshops, libraries, studios and in local clubs within communities.”
One of the key aspects of Culture Night is that events are free of charge to ensure that activities and venues are accessible to all members of the public and to help encourage new audiences to engage.
From daredevil high wire circus acts, to getting a look inside Henry Street Garda Station, reliving 1,000 years of maritime history, exploring the role of small market towns or seeing how you can get involved in the future development of the city centre, Culture Night Limerick has amazing and exciting events all waiting to be unwrapped.
Culture Night Limerick celebrates the cultural diversity across our city and county from a celebration of the Culture of Food at the Hunt Museum, to Limerick’s food festival, Pigtown and its now traditional Pigtown Parade, where the pig is king! There are tours of St John’s Cathedral, Sarsfield Barracks and a special Speakers’ Corner just for children.
Visitors arriving to Colbert Station will be entertained by music from a new piano installed by Irish Rail as part of their national arts and culture programme.
Culture Night Limerick has something for all the family. Among this year’s highlights are:
Limerick City – Arthur’s Quay: High wire circus artist Chris Bullzini will put on an awe-inspiring family friendly performance in Arthur’s Quay Park on Culture Night. “It’s a love of balance combined with a desire to give people the opportunity to look up from the floor and see something different that keeps me on the wire,” said Chris.
Kilmallock: ‘Free Market’ partners with Grey Heron Media to present an extensive and exciting programme of events for Culture Night in Kilmallock. ‘Free Market’ is an architecture exhibition and programme of events celebrating, exploring and re-imagining the vital role of Ireland’s small town market places, featuring original content from the Free Market Venice Biennale Pavilion. There will be an exhibition in Kilmallock Library, interactive sound experiments, a talk and live performance at Friars Gate Theatre.
Limerick City –Fab Lab: Come join the conversation about Limerick as a Liveable City – street food and opinions galore! ‘Best Bits’ starts with a story-telling session, followed by a guided tour. View the ongoing work of CityxChange in re imaging and transforming the city. See the way design and architecture is being used to make Limerick a liveable, sustainable city.
Limerick City – various locations: The gates and doors of Limerick’s institutions will be opened to visitors including the Limerick Museum in the Old Franciscan Friary, Dance Limerick, Limerick City Gallery of Art, LIT Limerick School of Art and Design and Sarsfield Barracks, Mary Immaculate College. We will have a circus flavour to the night this year with McCarthy’s Circus Bar Travelling Exhibition in the Parkway Shopping Centre.
Limerick City – King John’s Castle: Doors to the King John’s Castle exhibition will be open to the public with the talented Shannon Gospel Choir giving a live contemporary performance. Or have you ever wondered what the marks on King John’s Castle and surrounding buildings represent. Artist Paul Tarpey explores how these marks combine to identify the area of Limericks oldest quarter being defined not just by the ideals of its past but also by the physical marks that signify its hidden history and how the every day is represented.
Limerick City – Conradh na Gaeilge: Informal Night of Irish Tradition Ceol, Amhráin, Rince, Cupán tae. Storyteller is Micheál Ó Siochrú. Cuirfear fáilte roimh chomhrá i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla. Songs from our visitors in languages other than Irish or English are always very welcome at this annual event.
Garryspillane: A gathering of people in Glenbrohane to encourage the art of conversation through music, craic and the Irish Language.
Abbeyfeale: Traditional singing night which is an occasion for local people to meet up and make merry through song, dance, music & storytelling, with a little bit of gossip thrown in!
Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Michael Sheahan said: “Culture Night is the ideal time for you to go and check out what the culture and arts scene is like in Limerick. Why not check out an art form you don’t usually go to, or visit a venue not usually on your list. Culture Night affords you the opportunity to get out and see some of the amazing creative work that is all around us.”
Sheila Deegan, Culture and Arts Officer with Limerick City and County Council and Creative Ireland Co-ordinator said: “Culture Night Limerick happens because many people share a vision and enthusiasm for enjoying, celebrating and promoting creativity and culture.”
“Culture Night is a celebration but it is also an opportunity to challenge yourself in understanding ‘what is culture?’ We will have a base in Ormston House to help guide you through what is a wonderful showcase for culture in Limerick.”
As part of Limerick City and County Council’s marketing campaign to entice more third level students to leave their campuses and enjoy the sights and sounds of Limerick city centre, a special ‘Culture Bus’ will be provided for international students from the UL and LIT Moylish campuses into the heart of the city allowing them to sample and unwrap Culture Night Limerick for themselves.
All Culture Night events are FREE but some venues may require advance booking.
On the night the extraordinary team of Culture Night Volunteers will be on hand to provide information, brochures and guidance or you can pop into the Culture Night Hub, this year based in the wonderful Ormston House, 9-10 Patrick Street, 5pm-10pm.
So, Wrap Up and enjoy all that Culture Night provides as venues and public spaces across Limerick welcome you with a programme of free late-night entertainment, as part of an all-island celebration of arts, heritage and culture.
#WeAreCulture
Check out limerick.ie/culturenight or culturenight.ie for full details.
For more information on Culture Night, click here
For more stories featuring Culture Night, click here
