Summer sounds, art and comedy coming to Mayo's Linenhall Arts Centre

JUNE brings a myriad of music, comedy and opportunity for artistic endeavour to local audiences, as part of the Linenhall Arts Centre’s versatile programming schedule.

On Saturday, June 17, Slow Moving Clouds, the unique sound of an Irish and Finnish traditional music collaboration, will be proudly presented.

Finnish singer Aki plays the Scandinavian Nycklelharpa alongside accomplished Irish musicians Danny Diamond on fiddle and cellist and vocalist Kevin Murphy, creating an ambient sound, lauded as rich, dreamlike and intriguing.

Heavily influenced by theatre and electronica inspirations, the trio’s fusion of Irish and Nordic music simply must be witnessed in person.

Aki said: “We were gutted to have to pull our gig in the Linenhall because of Covid so are very excited to be heading to Castlebar at last.”

Performing their third studio album, Kolmas, described as ‘hauntingly beautiful’, Slow Moving Clouds is one of the most fascinating acts on the contemporary Irish music scene, which fans of folk, trad and alternative music will relish.

Murphy, who last played at the Linenhall in 2021 with Iarla O’Lionard and Una Monaghan, commented: “There was a really special reaction from the crowd at the Linenhall and I can’t wait to experience that again with Slow Moving Clouds.”

FORHALLA

From music to art, on Thursday, June 22, the Linenhall hosts an open call for its group show Forhalla.

Previously named Equilibrium, it ran from December 2022 to January 2023 in the Linenhall foyer.

Forhalla is a community wide exhibition open to Connaught-based artists at any stage of their career. Designed as a celebration of Ireland’s artists coming together again after the pandemic, it invites a sense of revival.

Forhalla submissions, limited to 2D works such as painting, photography and print, are in person only starting on Thursday, June 22, until Saturday, June 24, with a late opening on Friday, June 23. Two pieces per artist may be submitted with a €5 fee per piece. Works exceeding 100cm in any given direction cannot be accepted so it is kindly requested that the artists be aware of dimensions beforehand.

For further details, please see the Linenhall website.

COMEDY

Experience anecdotal comedy at The Amadán In Me on Friday, June 23, when Páraic Breathnach returns to the Linenhall with his signature style of Irish storytelling.

Descended from a long line of seanachies and storytellers from the Connemara Gaeltacht, Breathnach’s repertoire of the trials and tribulations of local amadáns even features tales biographical in nature. A hilarious night as the true nature of the Amadán, and several subspecies of Irish eejit found in the west are thoroughly examined.

All summer events feature at www.thelinenhall.com or contact the Linenhall box office team on (094) 9023733 for more information.