Upcoming

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Spiritual Landscapes: Marian McHale exhibition

Official Opening: Thursday 3rd May, 8pm Reminiscences, recognition and rediscovery form the basis for Marian McHale’s exploration of her local landscape and the rugged bogland near Turlough, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Striving to maintain the recognisable essence of the environment, by using personal concentration of composition, form, light and colour, the objective of her artistic endeavour is to expose Turlough landscapes through abstract depictions revealing their multiplicity of colour, shade and the light. Marian describes the essence of the finished works as “the synthesis of seasonal floral forms and shapes, which flourish and dissipate in the creation of the paintings. The fusion ...

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Uncomfortable State: Laura O'Connor exhibition

Uncomfortable State: Laura O’Connor Official Opening: Thursday 10th May, 8pm This solo exhibition by artist Laura O’Connor addresses the realities and fantasies around Irish women’s bodies. Ireland has long been represented as female or ‘Mother Ireland’ where depictions of the country as a woman are seen through images of Kathleen Ní Houlihan or Róisín Dubh or in 19th Century caricatures as Lady Hibernia. In the last century Irish women have been punished for their reproductive abilities and right now the country is at a point of change. This timely exhibition challenges notions of national identity that are tied to Irish ...

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Visible n invisible: Hina Khan exhibition

Visible n invisible: Hina Khan Official Opening: Thursday 5th July, 8pm Hina Khan’s work is the constant search for the best way to interpret ideas and express ideologies, through symbolism. Having completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts from FG Degree College, she completed her MA Fine Art from FJWU (Fatima Jinnah Women’s University), Pakistan in 2003 with miniature painting as a major. Using a mixture of traditional and innovative techniques, Hina’s work portrays social issues arising from immigration and humanitarian crises, like prostitution, gender discrimination, restrictions trauma, child abuse and killing. Runs until 25th August. Admission free. All welcome.

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Ballina Fringe Festival... Crossing the Firebreak: Donld Teskey exhibition

Crossing the Firebreak: Donald Teskey Ballina Civic Offices Official Opening Friday 6th July, 7pm Donald Teskey's prolific 40-year career encompasses diverse media, including drawing, painting, printmaking and watercolour. This exhibition focuses on recent paintings inspired by his ongoing fascination with the rugged coastline of County Mayo as well as countryside locations from Dublin, Co. Cork and the Lee Valley and new works from Gougane Barra forest park. In association with the Oliver Sears Gallery Dublin. Runs until 27th July. Admission Free.

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Ballina Fringe Festival... An Evening with Gallery Press Poets literature

An Evening with Gallery Press Poets: Vona Groarke, Tom French, Eamon Grennan Ballina Arts Centre Tuesday 10th July, 7pm As part of the inaugural Ballina Fringe Festival, poets Vona Groarke, Tom French and Eamon Grennan from the Gallery Press stable will bring their award-winning work to Ballina Arts Centre. Established in 1970 to publish contemporary Irish poetry, The Gallery Press has long been recognized as the standard bearer of Irish literary publishing. Vona Groarke Vona Groarke was born in the Irish Midlands in 1964. She now lives in Manchester where she teaches in the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester. ...

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Ballina Fringe Festival... The 10 Dark Secrets of 1798 theatre

The 10 Dark Secrets of 1798 Paddy Cullivan Ballina Arts Centre Wednesday 11th July, 8pm Following last years successful visit with The 10 Dark Secrets of The Irish Revolution, Paddy Cullivan (of Callan’s Kicks, The Late Late Show and Kilkenomics) casts an investigative and satirical eye at another momentous event in Irish history – the 1798 Rebellion. Why is the death of Wolfe Tone still a mystery and why did the British need to make it look like suicide? Who was the establishment figure that may have been his real father? How did Napper Tandy inadvertently help with Napoleon’s love life? Why did Protestant ...

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Ballina Fringe Festival... Paddy Casey music

Paddy Casey St Michael’s Church Thursday 12th July, 9pm Live in the wonderful setting of St Michael’s Church, Ballina. A winner of two consecutive Meteor Music Awards for Best Irish Male, Paddy Casey has been at the forefront of the Irish music scene since releasing his debut album Amen (So Be It) in 1999, while his second release Living became the biggest seller in Ireland out-selling U2. Paddy has sold out residencies in Dublin’s prestigious Olympia Theatre and RDS. He has also featured heavily on the international stage having been invited onto and performed on the Hit American CBS Chat Show ...

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Material Residue: Roisin O’Sullivan exhibition

Material Residue: Roisin O’Sullivan Official Opening: Friday 13th July, 7pm Róisín O’Sullivan’s work explores process, surface and experimentation through the mediums of painting, drawing and printmaking. While profoundly engaged with the contemporary, the work touches upon traditional aspects of art including subject and material techniques. By collecting both found and shop bought woods and papers, the influence and condition of surface has become an investigative source of interest. The grains, knots and conditions of the materials often influence the form and content of the work. From the edges to the marks and holes in the wood; the paint works with ...

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Ballina Fringe Festival... Heartland: Patrick McCabe literature

Heartland: Patrick McCabe Ballina Arts Centre Friday 13th July, 9pm Patrick McCabe, the Booker prize-nominated author of The Butcher Boy, Breakfast on Pluto, The Dead School, will read from his new novel Heartland. This multimedia reading will feature sounds and music, and the inimitable, dark humour of one of Ireland’s finest writers. He describes it: “Once, in an analysis of the songs of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stone journalist Greil Marcus spoke of the ‘old weird America’. This is the old weird, indomitable Celtic heart…Ulysses meets The Dandy and Oor Wullie. Or, if you like, the Carter Family on the moon!” ‘McCabe writes like an Irish Lenny Bruce, ...

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Tradbeats dance

Tradbeats: Atlantic Rhythm Ballina Arts Centre Tuesday 17th July & Tuesday 7th August, 8pm Fresh from their recent appearance on the Late Late Toy Show, Ray D’Arcy Show, Ireland’s Got Talent and entertaining Ryan Tubridy on his recent visit to Ballina with the Radio 1 broadcaster, Atlantic Rhythm are delighted to perform at home for the summer making a variety of appearances at venues throughout Mayo but in particular Atlantic Rhythm are delighted to present the summer show for 2018, TradBeats in Ballina Arts Centre, 17th July and 7th August 2018. Tickets: €15 / €12 / €10. Early booking essential.