Event of the week
Dublin Theatre Festival
From Thursday, September 24th, until Sunday, October 11th, various venues, times and prices, dublintheatrefestival.ie
Taking over the city for 18 days of world-class theatre, this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival features more highlights than we have space for. Be prepared for the gamut of experiences: some things will soothe you, some will shock you, according to artistic director Róise Goan. The festival opens with the world premiere of Radio Bette (Gaiety Theatre, September 23rd-27th), which was to have starred Ruth Negga. Inspired by a rare rehearsal recording of a 1951 Bette Davis radio broadcast, it now features Marcus Amaglo as Davis, who is herself playing Margo Channing, the ageing star of All About Eve. Other highlight include Erica Murray’s new play, Meredith (Gate Theatre, September 25th-October 11th), Druid’s production of A Moon for the Misbegotten, by Eugene O’Neill (Gaiety Theatre, October 1st-4th), and the late Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis (Project Arts Centre, October 6th-11th).
Gigs
Denise Chaila
Saturday, September 19th, Connolly’s of Leap, Co Cork, 8pm, €26.50, connollysofleap.com; Sunday, September 20th, Cyprus Avenue, Cork, 7pm, €25, cyprusavenue.ie; Friday, September 25th, Róisín Dubh, Galway, 8pm, €26, roisindubh.net
Denise Chaila has been away for a while, dreaming it all up again, no doubt, but the charismatic songwriter and singer steps into the spotlight again for a brief Irish tour, a “reintroduction”, she says, and “a small glimpse into the subterranean work” she has been busy with for the past year or so. These shows will feature music we know, notably from Go Bravely, Chaila’s 2020 Choice Music Prize-winning album, as well as songs from an album due for release next year. Also, Saturday, October 3rd, Set Theatre, Kilkenny, 8pm, €27.50, set.ie
Saint Etienne
Tuesday, September 22nd, 3Olympia Theatre, 7pm, €82.90/€42.90, ticketmaster.ie
Farewell, Saint Etienne. After 35 years as one of the most consistently imaginative (if never significantly commercially successful) English pop groups, they have decided to put their microphones into storage. With a back catalogue of 13 studio albums (the most recent of which is last year’s International), there will be no shortage of sparklers for the dedicated long-term fan. Take a bow, Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs.
Laura Veirs
Tuesday, September 22nd, Monroes Live, Galway, 8pm, €27.25, monroes.ie; Wednesday, September 23rd, Whelan’s, Dublin, 8pm, €28, whelanslive.com; Thursday, September 24th, Black Box, Belfast, 7.30pm, £20, blackboxbelfast.com; Friday, September 25th, Cleere’s Theatre, Kilkenny, 8.30pm, €25, cleeres.com
Laura Veirs might be best known for her collaboration with Neko Case and KD Lang on the trio’s acclaimed self-titled album from 2016, but the American singer-songwriter’s solo work has long been admired by fans of artful and subtle alt.country/folk. With 14 albums to her name, she has no shortage of back-catalogue songs to pull out of the bag, as well as material from Temple Songs, her most recent record.
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Sirens
Thursday, September 24th, Áras Éanna, Inis Oírr, Co Galway, 8.30pm, €40 (sold out)
Presented by Sounds from a Safe Harbour and hosted by Lisa Hannigan, Sirens focuses on the authority and character of the female voice. Through original material by Hannigan, Anna Mieke, Kate Stables, Angie McMahon and Amanda Bergman, as well as imaginative versions of songs by other female songwriters, the performances aim to highlight the themes of creative give-and-take, combined energy, and harmony. Choral arrangements are by Theodora Byrne. Also, Saturday, September 26th, NCH, Dublin, 7.30pm, €40/€34, nch.ie; Sunday, September 27th, Opera House, Cork, 8pm, €41, corkoperahouse.ie.
Stage
Poguemahone
Thursday, September 24th, FW Traynor’s Bar, Shercock, Co Cavan, 8pm, €16 (sold out); Friday, September 25th, McCaffrey’s Bar, Redhills, Co Cavan, 8pm, €16; livindred.ie
In what is surely a first, six Co Cavan pubs welcome a touring theatre company – the Cavan-based Livin’ Dred – with a production of Poguemahone, Pat McCabe’s epic verse novel from 2022, which he refers to as “an insurgent, psychedelic folktale”. Livin’ Dred Theatre’s artistic director, Aaron Monaghan, features, and Padraic McIntyre directs. Also, Saturday, September 26th, Bridge Inn, Mount Nugent, 8pm, €16; Thursday, October 1st, Bridge Tavern, Canningstown, 8pm, €16; Friday, October 2nd, Stables, Swanlinbar, 8pm, €16; Saturday, October 3rd, Jenny’s Bar & Lounge, Mullagh, 8pm, €16.
Literature
Write by the Sea
From Friday, September 25th, until Sunday, September 27th, Kimore Quay, Co Wexford, various venues, times and prices, writebythesea.ie
Public interviews, readings, poetry and workshops, with a fishing village on your doorstep? We can’t think of a more picturesque environment for a boutique literary festival. Complementing the scenery are events that aim to stoke the imagination and intellect; highlights include Richard Ford and John Banville (Friday, September 25th, St Peter’s Church, 7pm, €35, sold out), Carlo Gébler and Sinéad Gleeson (Saturday, September 26th, Stella Maris Centre, 5.30pm, €15) and Neil Jordan and Pat McCabe (Sunday, September 27th, St Peter’s Church, 2pm, €15).
Film
IFI Documentary Festival
From Wednesday, September 23rd, until Sunday, September 27th, IFI, Dublin, various times and prices, ifi.ie
A cornerstone of the Irish Film Institute’s annual programme, the festival presents 13 features, including Try! (Thursday, September 24th, 6.10pm), Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie (Friday, September 25th, 6.15pm) and Acting (Sunday, September 27th, 4.10pm). There are two shorts programmes, IFI & DCU: Masters of Documentary (Saturday, September 26th, noon) and IFI & Galway Film Fleadh: Small Corners, Whole Worlds (Sunday, September 27th, 1pm). Festival guests include Sophie Feinnes, Jackie Fox and Iryna Dovhan.
Next weekend
Kavanagh Weekend 2026
From Friday, September 25th, until Sunday, September 27th, Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, Co Monaghan, various times and prices, patrickkavanaghcentre.com
This year’s Kavanagh Weekend investigates the Monaghan poet’s links to the beat generation through a series of multidisciplinary events curated by the actor Adrian Dunbar and the musician Nick Roth. The programme includes the US poet and cultural activist Anne Waldman, the comedian and actor Tommy Tiernan, the novelist Liz Nugent, the poet Victoria Kennefick and the musician Jinx Lennon.
Book it this week
- Galway Comedy Festival, October 20th-26th, galwaycomedyfestival.ie
- AE Mak & Crash Ensemble, NCH, Dublin, November 13th, nch.ie
- Robin Hood, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, November 22nd-January 3rd, ticketmaster.ie
- Kneecap, 3Arena, Dublin, December 16th, ticketmaster.ie
