Des Lally, Creative Director of the Clifden Arts Festival, introduces this year's installment of the much loved Connemara arts gathering, which runs from September 14th - 24th.
Every year, as September rolls around, the streets of Clifden begin to hum with a different kind of energy. It's a quiet, picturesque town nestled between the rugged hills of Connemara and the vast stretch of the Atlantic, a place that feels timeless and tranquil. But if you think it's just another sleepy coastal town, you’d be mistaken.
For a few glorious days each year, Clifden is anything but quiet. It transforms into a canvas where art meets community, and where every corner, every field, every pub, becomes part of a grand celebration of creativity.
This is the Clifden Arts Festival—a twelve-day journey into the heart of what makes this place, and its people, so special. You can’t just stroll through the town without feeling the pulse of it. The laughter spilling out of pop-up theatres, the strains of a fiddle wafting down the street, the vivid splashes of color from outdoor art installations—it’s all there, inviting you to pause and take it in.
Watch: Celebrating 45 years of the Clifden Arts Festival
Our theme this year is "Anchor," a nod to the arts as the steadying force in our lives, holding us together even when everything else seems uncertain. And trust us, you'll feel that theme resonate through every event, from the smallest poetry reading to the most spectacular aerial performance by Fidget Feet. There’s something grounding, almost sacred, about how the festival turns Clifden into a living, breathing work of art.
This year’s lineup is a testament to that transformative power. We’ve got Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Bill O’Leary, whose talk on truth in media will make you see the world in a new light. Then there's Oein DeBhairduin, whose voice from the Traveller community is as essential as it is inspiring, sharing stories from his book Twiggy Woman. You might find yourself lost in the music of Hermitage Green or The Burma, whose sounds will spill into the streets and pull you into the moment, or captivated by the raw emotion of Martin Hayes as his traditional Irish tunes carry you back to another time and place.
And it’s not just the artists who bring this festival to life—it’s every one of us. The volunteers who greet you with a smile, the local kids performing their hearts out, the shop owners who proudly display festival posters in their windows. We’re not just a team; we’re a community bound by a shared love for art, and every year, we pour that love into making the festival something unforgettable. There’s a deep sense of pride in knowing that what we’re building isn’t just for show—it’s for each other, and it’s for you.
If you’ve ever wandered down to the town square and caught a glimpse of an impromptu performance, or if you’ve felt the buzz of a packed venue as the first notes of a song ripple through the air, you know what we mean. Clifden Arts Festival isn’t just something you attend—it’s something you feel. And once you’ve felt it, you’ll never see this town, or the arts, the same way again.
So come join us. Whether you’re returning or discovering Clifden for the first time, we promise there’s a moment waiting for you here—a song, a story, a scene that will anchor itself in your memory and bring you back, year after year. The field is set, the artists are ready, and all that’s missing is you.
See you in Clifden...
This year's Clifden Arts Festival runs from from September 14-24 - find out more here.
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