Arts Week with Judy Murphy

The football pitch on Inishbofin is located on the island’s High Road, and that road has now given its name to a musical festival which is being held in a pop-up venue at the football field from Friday to Sunday, July 4-6.

The High Road Sessions will feature a mix of visiting and local musicians, with Brit-award winner Kate Nash on the bill on the Friday. Mick Flannery, Susan O’Neill and Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta are taking part, as are the Inishbofin Céilí Band, Andrew and Luke Murray, Sinéad O’Halloran, and Portherhead. Other performers in a fine line-up include Orlaith McAuliffe, Dylan Carlos and John McCartin, DUG, McAuliffe, Zoé Basha, and Léna Déscottes and Sinéad McKenna.

“We know all the artists from over the years,” says Bofin man Peadar King, the co-founder of the Black Gate Cultural Centre in Galway City, which is involved in organising the High Road Sessions.

The Black Gate is in the process of developing a new, permanent space in the City’s Flood Street and, meanwhile, it’s continuing its work promoting musical events – using venues from An Taibhdhearc to the Róisín Dubh – as well as creating film projects for the likes of TG4.

For next month’s event in Inishbofin, the Black Gate has teamed up with the island’s Sauna Bó Finne – run by David and Bronwyn Lavelle – as well as with Peadar’s musician brother, Liam, and Sheena Keane of Blue Grace Music, who manages artists including Mick Flannery and Susan O’Neill.

Given their connections, programming the weekend wasn’t a big chore while David and Bronwyn specialise in marquee-hire, so this is a jigsaw where all the pieces fit.

The High Sessions weekend will kick off on Friday, July 4, with an acoustic set from Kate Nash, and sets from Susan O’Neill and Bec O’Malley. Doors for that will open at €7.30pm.

On Saturday evening, the doors will open at 5.30pm for Mick Flannery, DUG, Zoé Basha and Sinéad O’Halloran.

Sunday’s concert will take place in the afternoon and will feature the Inishbofin Céilí Band, Portherhead,  Andrew and Luke Murray, McAuliffe, Dylan Carlos and John McCartin, Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta, and Léna Déscottes and Sinead McKenna. Doors will open at 12.30pm and the event will run until about 6pm.

“We’ve been talking about it for a while,” says Peadar about the background to the musical weekend. “It’s to give a bit of a lift to Bofin over the summer – to do something nice at home.”

Pictured: Mick Flannery will be among the performers at the High Road Sessions.