Culture Night takes off with free events nationwide
It would be impossible to list everything that’s going on in Ireland for Culture Night, September 23rd. Well, that’s not strictly true as there is a complete list on Culture Night’s dedicated website—but any coverage about what’s on is inevitably going to leave out some bright and beautiful things to see and do.
So if you’re curious as to what’s on locally, best to check your location on Culture Night’s exhaustive list (and it might be exhausting, if you try to go to everything since there is so much choice).
From a modest start in Temple Bar a few years ago, Culture Night has bloomed into something special, now with upwards of 1700 arts events all around the country, some running late into the evening.
With no ticket prices and many venues providing refreshments, it really is a night to wander around your area and soak up what the arts scene has to offer.
Here is just a taster of bookish things you can get up to in the capital later on today and this evening, but events are nationwide and not just in major cities—check out what’s on near you here.
Irish Writers Centre
The Irish Writers Centre has events from six until midnight in the Parnell Square building, including readings from Young Writer Delegates, a writing workshop with Inkslingers, music from the The Snug Set and Leila Jane, as well as a bilingual Takin’ the Mic.
See more details here, and register to perform or attend Takin’ the Mic.
Children’s Books Ireland
From 4pm – 8pm at St. Andrew’s St. Post Office, Dublin 2, young readers and their families are invited to drop in for an informal consultation with one of Children’s Books Ireland’s friendly Book Doctors, who are ready to offer the best advice for young readers.
The consultation begins with some questions about books the young reader previously read as well as activities, movies, TV shows and video games they enjoy. This lets the Book Doctor know a little bit more about the patient so they can write a book prescription, which is a personalised list of books recommended for the individual patient.
Every patient leaves the Book Clinic with a book prescription to take to their local library or bookshop to have filled. Family friendly and wheelchair accessible.
The National Library of Ireland
The National Library has three free exhibitions, including The life and Works of William Butler Yeats in Kildare Street, ‘Ireland on the Box’ at the National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar, and Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again.
Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again draws on the National Library’s extensive archive of Heaney documents to bring the visitor on a multi-sensory journey from the poet’s humble origins through his remarkable career. Enjoy a self-guided, after-hours tour of the exhibition on Culture Night.
In Kildare Street, the doors will be open from 5pm – 11pm and everyone is welcome. Wander in through the hall to view the beautiful reading room which will be open through the evening, see the Lego model of the library and enjoy performances by award winning choir Cantairí Avondale.
Museum of Literature Ireland
MoLI will be open from 5pm to 11pm (last admission 10pm) for Culture Night with a range of programmed events including readings, performances and much more.
The programme for the night includes readings from Danny Denton, Eileen Flynn, Annemarie Ní Churreáin, Kit Fryatt, Melatu Uche Okorie and Nicole Flattery, performances by Samuel Yakura and Kayssie K, and music from Ultan O’Brien & Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin and Maija Sofia.
The family-friendly space, the LitLab, will be open and will have three storytelling and art and craft workshops for parents/guardians and children, with illustrators Olivia Hope and Paddy Donnelly and artists Klo Wi and Zippy.
Find out more information and book here.
Poetry Ireland
Rambling through Dublin 1 this Culture Night? Poetry Ireland‘s line-up of Poetry Soapbox performers will be popping up in various locations around Dublin 1.
Keep an eye out for poets who’ll be delivering quick-flash performances for random passers-by that convey the spirit of Dublin 1 and the realities of the area. There will be poems of hope, loss, love, despair, and witness.
Featured poets include: Rachael Hegarty, Maire Saaritsa, Samuel Yakura, Dagogo Hart, Ciara Ní É, Fiadh Trevaskis-Hoskin, Emmet O’Brien, Temper-Mental MissElayneous, Karl Parkinson, and Hazel Hogan.
The Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy, one of the oldest institutions in the country, is open from five until nine o’clock in their Dawson Street building.
Explore the exhibition ‘Prodigies of learning: Academy women in the nineteenth century’, or delve into the maps and texts from the Irish Historic Towns Atlas project and reveal the history of your favourite place or building.
Talk to staff from Foclóir Stairiúil na Gaeilge and learn how an Irish dictionary is made, or browse their pop-up bookshop and find out all about the work of the Academy.
Write your name in Ogham script and view one of the medieval manuscripts in the Library’s Reading Room. Talks throughout the night will take place in the magnificent Meeting Room.
See the complete listings of everything that’s going on in the arts world for Culture Night here.
