The Galway International Arts Festival will kick off next Monday – with a packed programme of theatre, circus, music, visual art, street art and spectacle, comedy and talks that look at who we are and what concerns us.

Running from Monday until July 28, the Festival will include its biggest music line-up to date, seven world premieres, a new visual arts Festival commission, exciting new theatre, a vibrant First Thought Talks programme and astonishing street spectacle.

Officially opening the festival next Monday is the world premiere of a new play Reunion by Mark O’Rowe, who turns his laser focus on the deep currents of family life with biting humour and insight, in a co-production between Landmark Productions and the Arts Festival.

A major new ensemble play, it stars a roll-call of Ireland’s finest actors – Ian-Lloyd Anderson, Cathy Belton, Venetia Bowe, Stephen Brennan, Leonard Buckley, Simone Collins, Desmond Eastwood, Valene Kane, Robert Sheehan and Catherine Walker.

Eímear Noone – the first woman to conduct the orchestra at the Academy Awards – will officially open the Festival at the opening night party at the Galmont Hotel.

She is best known for her work as an award-winning composer for video games including World of Warcraft and The Legend of Zelda.  Eímear had arranged the music for, and will conduct, the 28-piece orchestra at Stewart Copeland’s Police Deranged for Orchestra next Wednesday, celebrating the music of Copeland and The Police. The former Police drummer is expected to spend a few days in Galway at the Festival prior to his concert.

Other premieres include Unspeakable Conversations by Christian O’Reilly, starring Olivier Award-winning disabled actor Liz Carr and fellow disabled actor Mat Fraser, which will thrust the audience into the heart of a life-and-death debate in a provocative, funny and exhilarating new production.

The Map of Argentina by Marina Carr from Decadent Theatre tunnels into the complicated contours of family dynamics, pushing the boundaries of love, power and desire. It’s directed by Decadent’s artistic director, Andrew Flynn. Meanwhile, Dining Room is a new immersive theatre installation, part of the ongoing Rooms series, created by Enda Walsh and GIAF Artistic Director Paul Fahy.

Beautiful Apocalypse, a solo exhibition from Galway artist Miriam de Búrca is being hosted by Galway Arts Centre for this year’s Arts Festival. In it, Miriam uses a range of media to examine and critique the ongoing legacies of colonialism and patriarchy.

Through drawings, wall paintings, collage and the ancient technique of verre églomisé (a complex and decorative painted mirror process), she toys with the vocabulary of colonial aesthetics, using mimicry and irony to critique the superiority of ‘high art’.

Beautiful Apocalypse includes a new film installation, Suspended Scream. For that, Miriam has collaborated with French-Syrian artist Taïm Haimet (a graduate of ATU and winner of the RDS Visual Arts Awards 2023), to respond to an old tape that the Galwaywoman shot in 2005 in Palestine, and to interrogate conflicting issues around inheritance, privilege and negation.

By looking through a Western lens, Miriam points to the role art has played in legitimising colonial projects – and also, the power it has to dismantle and decolonise these structures.

“We are honoured to be presenting this beautiful solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist Miriam de Búrca, her first solo exhibition in her home city,” says curator and Arts Centre director, Megs Morley.

“Miriam’s work is an exquisite, expanded drawing and painting practice that draws our attention to the material and aesthetic legacies of colonisation,” she adds.

“The intensive scrutiny and detailed study that she explores in her subject matter asks us, the viewers, to do the same – to look, to scrutinise, and criticise – not as passive observers but as active witnesses in the unfolding legacies of colonialism, past and present.”

Miriam de Búrca, who comes from Henry Street in the city, just down the road from the Arts Centre, studied Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art and the Ulster University, Belfast where she received an Award of Excellence in 2010 for her practice-based PhD.

Her drawings and film and video works have been exhibited nationally and internationally and her art is in the collection of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland; Arts Council of Ireland; the British Museum; Mead Gallery at University of Warwick, Coventry; the University of Galway; Glucksman Gallery at University College Cork, as well as in private collections.

Beautiful Apocalypse will run from Monday, July 15, until Saturday, August 24, at Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street.

For full details of the visual arts programme at this year’s Galway International Arts Festival, go to giaf.ie.

Pictured: Miriam de Búrca explores how art helped support colonialism and can also help dismantle it.

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Ireland’s new Finance Minister is a Galway lad.

Jack Chambers, ‘emerging heir apparent’ to Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, lived in Dublin for most of his life, but he’s Galwegian at heart.

The 33-year-old was born in Galway City, to Mayo parents, who moved to the capital when he was a young child.

It was not widely known what part of Galway he hailed from. When asked, Galway West FF TD Éamon Ó Cuív said he was “not sure”; and Galway East FF TD Anne Rabbitte thought he was from Salthill or Knocknacarra.

But Fianna Fáil headquarters confirmed Jack Chambers was from Tirellan Heights in the city. (Hat tip to Councillor John Connolly who got it right).

A Dublin West TD since he was elected to the Dáil in 2016 at his first attempt, Chambers has swiftly climbed the ranks.

The former Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Gaeltacht and Sport was appointed to the powerful finance portfolio last month – a sure sign he was being lined up as Martin’s successor.

He’s now the youngest serving minister to hold the purse strings since Michael Collins in 1919.

Chambers’ socially conservative outlook on life has evolved to being more in line with liberal Martin’s. Though he opposed the Repeal the 8th Referendum, Chambers, along with other FF TDs, subsequently changed his mind on abortion and is now pro-choice.

Last January, Chambers came out as gay in an Instagram post. Though newsworthy, the announcement was mostly greeted with indifferent shrugs of shoulders and ‘so whats?’.

Chambers’ predecessor Michael McGrath was no stranger to Galway. Former Councillor, Senator Ollie Crowe was a close ally of the Cork man, who launched his General Election campaign in Menlo Park Hotel in 2020. McGrath was a regular at Crowe’s Bar in Bohermore, too, on his visits West.

Chambers returned to Galway recently. As Director of Elections in the Local and European Elections last month, he was a regular on city doorsteps. The trained medical doctor with a degree in law and political science from Trinity College Dublin was particularly helpful canvassing for newcomer Josie Forde, who retained the FF seat in City Central and became the party’s first woman elected to City Hall in 20 years.

If Jack Chambers holds his nerve and doesn’t fluff the biggest test of his political career to date – the October, pre-election Budget – then we could be looking at Galway’s first Taoiseach-in-waiting.

Pictured: Jack Chambers, the new Finance Minister, (left) and Senator Ollie Crowe, canvass a voter in Galway City Central with Fianna Fáil candidate, Josie Forde in last month’s Local Elections to Galway City Council.

By Daragh Small

Paul Dunne held the 54-hole lead at the 2015 Open Championship at St Andrew’s, the first time an amateur was out in front at that stage of this historic Major since Bobby Jones in 1927.

Tom Nolan was watching on along with his son, Cathal, and next week Tom will make the journey to this year’s Open Championship, this time to Royal Troon with his other son Liam, the amateur golfer who came through qualifying last week to secure a slot at this year’s tournament in Scotland.

“I don’t know what my brother’s situation is yet because he is in Australia, but Dad and Mom are going to be over. It’s a special week for them as well,” said Liam Nolan.

“I grew up watching it. I loved links golf from watching The Open. It’s mad I am going to be teeing it up with the best players in the sport I play. I qualified in Dundonald, which is 15 minutes away from Troon, and on the way back to the airport I had a quick drive around the facility down there.

“The thing that stood out for me was the really big yellow leaderboard that they have. That thing is huge. It is insane, that definitely was the thing that caught my eye for sure. Just seeing that and hopefully all going to plan, being able to see my name on it up and around the higher end of the field for the week would be awesome,” the young Galway golfer said.

The 24-years-old grew up in Bearna, and went to school at St Joseph’s ‘The Bish’ in the city and then studied at University of Galway before he graduated earlier this year.

His progress has been steady in recent years with 2023 illuminated by some huge wins in the South American Amateur Open and Brabazon Trophy before a Walker Cup appearance at St Andrew’s, when he became the first Galway golfer to tee-it up in the match, which pits the top amateur golfers from Great Britain & Ireland against their compatriots from the US.

He took some time to focus on his studies but also the core mechanics of his swing over the turn of the year and made his much-anticipated return when the Irish Men’s Amateur Open went to Rosses’ Point in Sligo earlier this summer.

That culminated in a thrilling final day battle with good friend, and former US Mid-Amateur champion, Matt McClean, and while Nolan failed to make his chance pay on this occasion, he learned plenty on a difficult links course.

“I took a lot of positives from Rosses’ Point,” said Nolan.

Pictured: Liam Nolan (second from left) pictured with his parents, Tom and Edel, and his brother Cathal, before the Walker Cup at St Andrew’s last year.

HOME: The Story of Zak Moradi, a powerful documentary about Kurdish refugee Zak Moradi who found a new home and a new passion in Ireland, will receive its world premiere this Friday at Galway Film Fleadh. The screening, exploring Zak’s life here and his return to his homeland of Kurdistan, will take place this Friday afternoon, July 12 at the city’s Pálás cinema.

Zak, who spent his early years in a refugee camp in Iraq, came to Ireland as a refugee and has become a key member of the community in his new homeland. This documentary, supported by the philanthropic One Foundation, provides an insight into his experiences as it follows him home to Kurdistan after more than two decades in Ireland.

Zak was thrilled to have the opportunity to tell his story.

“Visiting the refugee camps was very emotional; it brought back a lot of memories,” he says. “It reminded me of where I started and how I’ve changed as a person – from having nothing but the clothes on my back to having a good life.”

Sharing this journey was important, Zak says, because it’s “not just my story, but the story of refugees.

“Refugees are all around the world now. People don’t know what a refugee is until it comes to their own doorstep. It’s not something you choose; it’s something forced upon you, and you have to fight to survive. No one wants to be a refugee”.

The film explores how Zak and his family have built new, vibrant lives in Ireland, with Kurdish and Irish cultures merging as the family become entwined in their local communities. Gaelic games, especially hurling, have become a cornerstone of Zak’s life.

Zak and his family settled in Leitrim in 2002, when he was 11. The film traces his time there as he reveals the challenges he faced and how he adapted to his new home.

He’s now based in Dublin and the film captures him in his role as a hurling coach, passing on his expertise to local children. He also works with organisations such as Migrants Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI), Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI) and The One Foundation to combat racism and discrimination.

Zak’s journey to Iraqi Kurdistan is a poignant chapter in the film. As he visits cities like Sulaymaniyah and Erbil, experiencing Kurdish culture and values, he reflect on his roots, observes the changes in his homeland and discusses his people’s hopes for the future.

He also visits Halabja, the site of a devastating chemical attack by Iraq in 1988, and the vast refugee camps in Arbat and Barika, charting how this conflict and the ongoing Kurdish refugee crisis has affected so many lives.

“It was an honour to be trusted to lead this documentary and tell Zak’s story,” says director Trevor Whelan. “His journey from Iraq to Ireland is inspiring and illustrates the important duty we have to offer safety and care to those who are vulnerable and persecuted.”

Trevor praises the film’s editor Ciaran Murray, composer, Eric Whelan and director of photography Rua Meehan for their roles in telling “this emotive and impactful story”.

The world premiere of  HOME: The Story of Zak Moradi, will take place this Friday, July 12, at 4.15pm and will be followed by a post-show discussion with members of the crew.

Pictured: Zak Moradi was 11 years old when his Kurdish family arrived in Ireland as refugees from Iraq. A talented hurler, he now coaches youth teams in Dublin.

Like another flame-haired singer-songwriter familiar to these shores, Gavin James honed his craft busking on the streets of Galway.

In fact, Ed Sheeran and the Dubliner who are the same age, probably crossed paths all those years ago when they were young teens and attracting big crowds on Shop Street during the summer.

Back then when he was known as Gavin Wigglesworth, he would play Led Zeppelin covers with “hair down to my arse”. He was later a support act for the global superstar.

“Two gingers walking down the road with guitars! I remember when I was 15 outside a pub in Galway and some English man offered me 50 quid to play Wonderwall – happy days,” he says of covering the 1995 Oasis hit.

So, it was a happy return to his youth when he did an impromptu busk outside Matt O’Flaherty’s Chemist in rare sunshine a fortnight ago. What started off as a usual curious procession of passers-by had morphed into a crowd of several hundred by lunchtime, with Gavin belting out some of his biggest hits over a half-hour.

He’s been a regular performer in Galway, playing Leisureland in 2022, the Big Top in 2018, and the former Galway Airport in 2019, when high winds forced the last-minute cancellation of that show.

“I remember we told everyone to head back to the Róisín [Dubh] and it was absolutely mental. The first time I played the Róisín was a lunchtime gig and there was a woman with a baby in a pram and one dad having a pint – there were no more than six or seven in there. I think it was 2012 – it was one of my favourite ever gigs,” he recalls.

Gavin recently signed to one of the world’s biggest music labels, Sony Music Worldwide, to release his next as yet untitled album around Christmas. He has finished it but is currently polishing it off. The first single from that, White Noise, was followed by All My Life, both songs a celebration of being happy in love – a far cry from the sad ballads which have been his trademark.

“I wrote some of the songs with my best mates who are dance producers so they’re more upbeat,” he explains. “It’s an interesting take as I come more from a singer-songwriter background. This one has a lot more electric guitar, more solo-ey stuff. It’s a lot of fun to play live.

“But they’re not all happy,” he says of the songs. “Some of them are about mates going through hard times; now we’re all in our 30s everybody’s in a different space.”

Gavin has been playing the guitar since he was ten, and earning a living in bars and as a busker for 20 years. He has written some of his hits in just ten minutes. Other, like All My Life took a bit longer.

“That took ages because I kept rewriting the chorus, the verse is so different. The first idea is always the best. I sit at the piano and waffle, just making noises until something clicks. It’s better than starting on the guitar, which is just second nature; the piano is a bit harder work. It’s better to be off-the-cuff.”

Gavin’s debut song, Say Hello, won Song of the Year in the Meteor Choice Music Prize in 2013 and since then he’s been racking up the hits – Always, Bitter Pill, Boxes, The Book of Love, Nervous (The Ooh Song) and For You, which stars a young Barry Keoghan in the video.

Always has seen him emerge as a mega star in Brazil after being featured in a soap called Pega Pega.

His music has streamed three billion times across the globe and he has sold more than 250,000 tickets for live gigs across the world.

But he reveals he is always desperately nervous before those first notes.

“Even busking today in Galway. I’ll be sh***ing it,” he insists.

Catch Gavin James in the Big Top during the Galway International Arts Festival on Saturday, July 26.

Tickets on www.giaf.ie.

Pictured: Gavin James: Playing the Arts Festival big top is a long way from his younger days when he busked on the city streets.

An application for €12 million in funding has been made to Government to progress plans for a tidal pool in Salthill.

And Galway City Council has moved to clarify that people will be able to swim in the pool – but it will not be suitable for swimming lengths.

Director of Services for Roads and Transportation, Patrick Greene, confirmed at Monday’s meeting that the City Council had applied for funding under the Government’s Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

Mr Greene said €12m was sought to progress the tidal pool project.

He told Councillor Clodagh Higgins (FG) that he was ”anti” releasing further details of the project to elected members or the public because there was no guarantee it would be granted funding.

Mayor Peter Keane (FF) said the information should be made available.

Councillor Helen Ogbu (Lab) sought clarity on how the pool would operate – she had heard that swimming would not be permitted in the tidal pool.

Mr Greene said it would be a leisure pool, for recreational swimmers, and would not be like a 25-metre indoor pool where swimmers can do lengths.

The closing date for applications to the LSSIF was July 1. The fund supports sports projects with funding of between €600,000 and €30m.

Pictured: Clodagh Higgins: Told by Director of Services, Patrick Greene, that he was ‘anti’ releasing further details of the project as there was no guarantee of funding.