The Guide: The events to see, the shows to book, and the ones to catch before they end

EVENT OF THE WEEK

CORK FOLK FESTIVAL

Thursday, September 29th to Sunday, October 2nd; various venues/times/ticket prices; corkfolkfestival.com

The 43rd Cork Folk Festival returns to a full live outing this year with a stellar range of traditional and folk artists that will perform across city venues in scheduled and impromptu events. Artists appearing include Mary Black, Sean Keane, Danú, Matt Molloy, Clare Sands, Emma Langford, Charlie Piggott, Peter Browne, and the acclaimed duo of Máire Ní Chathasaigh and Chris Newman. The festival line-up also incorporates a Music Network Tour (featuring Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Mark Redmond, Cormac De Barra, Frankie Gavin, Catherine McHugh), workshops (traditional song) and film (Dark Horse on the Wind: The Life and Songs of Liam Weldon, directed by Myles O’Reilly). You want reels around the fountains? Jigs to jog to? Step lively.

GIGS

MORRISSEY

Saturday, September 24th; INEC, Killarney, Co Kerry; 7pm; €57.65/€40; ticketmaster.ie

In what has been a career of highs, lows and conflicts, surely none has caused as much concern among his Irish fans as Morrissey playing just one Irish show on his latest tour — and in Co Kerry, at that. Relatively fresh off a Las Vegas residency (titled Viva Moz Vegas), the second-generation Irish Manchester-born singer and songwriter continues to plough a non-music industry furrow — dropped by BMG in 2020, his imminent new album, Bonfire of Teenagers, is still without a label. Not to worry — a new song, My Hurling Days are Done (whatever you might think of him, he still has a way with song titles) is bound to go down a treat in Killarney.

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JAMES TAYLOR

Monday, September 26th; 3Arena, Dublin; 6.30pm; €121; ticketmaster.ie

A six-time Grammy winner who has sold more than 100 million records, Boston’s James Taylor remains one of the standard bearers of the Laurel Canyon “sound”, and with archetypal acoustic bedsit songs such as Sweet Baby James, Carolina in My Mind, Fire and Rain, You Can Close Your Eyes, Mud Slide Slim, and his version of Carole King’s You’ve Got a Friend, he is bound to get the audience relaxing and reminiscing all the way back to the early 1970s. But ouch- that ticket price!

OTHER VOICES: BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME

Thursday, September 29th; University College Cork; 7pm; othervoices.ie

Dingle-based Other Voices sets up riverside at UCC’s Aula Maxima, Honan Chapel and Glucksman Gallery for a night of live music that will be streamed into the ether and beyond (if that’s even possible). Hosted by OV presenter MayKay, the evening’s line-up includes SOAK, Susan O’Neill, Cian Ducrot, and Cork-born experimental hip-hop/pop artist Biig Piig. Across the UCC campus, other acts — including Yenkee and Pretty Happy — will perform.

FILM

MOONAGE DAYDREAM

Saturday, September 24th and Sunday, September 25th; IFI, Dublin; 8.20pm/5pm; €12.50; ifi.ie

As the IFI Documentary Festival concludes, so another documentary gets its slot — and what a terrific piece of work this is. Moonage Daydream is the first film about the late songwriter/singer David Bowie that has been officially sanctioned by his estate. In other words, filmmaker Brett Morgen had a triple-A pass into the depths of the Bowie archives, and what he has uncovered and presented for public intake is mostly something that even zealous Ziggy fans have rarely, if ever, witnessed before. Our advice? Hang on to yourself. Fill your heart. Watch that man. Oh, c’mon!

CLASSICAL

PHILIPPE CASSARD

Wednesday, September 28th; NCH, Dublin; 8pm; €37.50, €29.50, €19.50 nch.ie

To salute French pianist Philippe Cassard’s 60th birthday (he reached the big six zero on September 12th), the NCH presents a milestone celebratory concert with a firm but sophisticated French spirit. Joined by a star-studded cast (including soprano Ailish Tynan, and pianists Finghin Collins and Fiachra Garvey), the programme features music by Fauré (5 Mélodies de Venise), Debussy (L’isle Joyeuse), and Poulenc (Fiançailles pour rire) and poems by Paul Verlaine.

THEATRE

DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL

Thursday, September 29th-October 16th; various venues/times/ticket prices; dublintheatrefestival.ie

Can we all now breathe a sigh of intense relief? To slightly paraphrase Arnie Schwarzenegger’s Terminator, Dublin Theatre Festival is back with a broad range of what its website states (with some justification) are “exceptional theatrical experiences that will appeal to the diverse communities and visitors that make up our city”. You will read of the many productions elsewhere on our physical and online pages but in the meantime visit DTF’s website for the lowdown and the highlights. (Speaking of which, try not to miss the world premiere of the site-specific What we Hold, choreographer Jean Butler’s re-engaging with traditional Irish dancers.)

LITERATURE

BRAY LITERARY FESTIVAL

Thursday, September 29th-October 2nd; various venues/times/ticket prices; brayliteraryfestival.com

The thirst for literary festivals seems never-ending, and as darker, early nights make their way into 2022, more and more festivals appear. Not that BLF is a newbie; rather, it is an established if lower profile festival, founded by writer Tanya Farrelly, that is structured around lovers of books and which features known authors (Donal Ryan, Mary O’Donnell, Martina Devlin, Claire Keegan), emerging writers (Nithy Kasa, Keiran Goddard) and workshops (Memoir Writing with Éilís Ní Dhuibhne). As part of the festival, the Stinging Fly lecture will be given by Kevin Power, a novelist, essayist and assistant professor of literary practice in the School of English, TCD.

STILL RUNNING

NATALIE DU PASQUIER — TWICE IN DUBLIN

Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, until Saturday, October 8th.

Bordeaux native Natalie Du Pasquier has used, for this site-specific installation, her experiences of visiting Ireland. Exploring links between geometry and spatial representation, the paintings mix unadorned still life, industrial blueprints and slivers of text.

BOOK IT THIS WEEK

Dublin Festival of History Various city venues, September 26th-October 16th; tickets from dublinfestivalofhistory.ie

My Fair Lady Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin, October 6th-30th; tickets from ticketmaster.ie

Red Bull Soundclash Shelbourne Hall, RDS, Dublin; October 21st; tickets from RedBull.ie