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Cairde Sligo Arts Festival has officially launched its full line-up for 2025, offering a vibrant programme bursting with music, literature, theatre, circus and spectacle across Sligo from 05 – 12 July.

Musical Highlights
This year’s festival presents an exceptional music line-up, featuring some of the most exciting voices in traditional, contemporary and world music. Featuring musical giants like Cormac Begley and Ríoghnach Connolly, and global music from Macalla and Zimbabwe’s Gonora Sounds. A brand-new music commission by Natalia Beylis and new music by Eimear Reidy, Tara Baoth Mooney and Diarmuid MacDiarmada, offer immersive, boundary-pushing sonic experiences that connect place, myth and memory.

Irish Music

● The Breath with support by Dee Armstrong – Thurs 10 July @ 9pm | Juniper Barn
The Breath, composed of guitarist Stuart McCallum (The Cinematic Orchestra) and singer/flautist Ríoghnach Connolly (RTÉ Best Folk Singer 2025) – craft a contemporary blend of alt-folk with raw, heartfelt storytelling. Ríoghnach’s powerful, soulful voice paired with Stuart’s understated guitar brilliance creates an intimate yet expansive sound. Supported by Dee Armstrong with her sons Diarmuid and Lughaidh Armstrong.
Admission: €25

● Cormac Begley with support by Lemoncello – Sat 05 July @ 8pm | Hawk’s Well Theatre
A master of the concertina, Cormac Begley’s immersive solo performances have captivated audiences worldwide. Begley blends tradition with bold innovation and his show promises to be an unforgettable musical experience for both seasoned trad fans and curious newcomers. Support act Lemoncello fuses Irish folk with indie pop, jazz and classical music. The alt-folk duo’s hypnotic blend of voice, cello and guitar creates a minimal and dramatic soundscape, earning them RTÉ Folk Award nominations for Best Folk Song and Emerging Folk Act.
Admission: €30 / €15 under 18’s

● Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh – Mon 07 July @ 6pm | Markree Castle
Renowned Irish musician Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, known for his role in musical groups The Gloaming and This is How We Fly, will give a solo performance on his 10-string fiddle, the hardanger d’amore, at the picturesque Markree Castle. Following the concert, attendees can enjoy an optional three-course dinner hosted by Markree Castle. Dinner tickets are limited – be sure to reserve yours early.
Admission: €20 concert only / €60 concert + dinner

World Music

● Gonora Sounds – Sat 02 July @ 8pm | Hawk’s Well Theatre From busking on the streets of Zimbabwe to performing on global stages, Gonora Sounds bring their infectious rhythms to the Hawk’s Well Theatre this July. This family band is led by visionary guitarist and songwriter Daniel Gonora, alongside his teenage son Isaac on drums, Malizani Mbewe on bass, Nelson Mutanda on guitar and Sehlapi Mthombeni on backing vocals.
Admission: €25 / €12.50 for under 18s

● Macalla – Fri 11 July @ 9pm | St. John’s Cathedral
A powerful meeting of musical traditions from Ireland and the Middle East, Macalla is a new cross-cultural collaboration inspired by the music of Irish harpist and composer Turlough O’Carolan. This unique performance weaves the sounds of traditional Irish and Iraqi instruments – harp, oud, qanun, fiddle, and more – to create a rich tapestry of world music. Featuring musicians from the North West Folk Collective and the pan-Iraqi ensemble Mshakt, Macalla is commissioned by Earagail Arts Festival and supported by The British Council.
Admission: €20

New Music

● Etched Through Sea and Stone – Wed 09 July @ 8pm | The Factory Performance Space
Inspired by the ever-shifting tides of the Atlantic, this brand-new composition by Natalia Beylis explores the ocean’s mysterious pull from both the Irish west and American east
coasts. Blending field recordings with cello, fiddle, harmonium, percussion and feedback, the piece is a meditation on movement, breath and the sea. Performed by Agathe Max, Eimear Reidy, Tara Baoth Mooney, Willie Stewart, and Natalia Beylis. Commissioned by Cairde Sligo Arts Festival with support from the Arts Council of Ireland’s Music Commissions Award.
Admission: €18

● The Memory of Rocks Embossed – Sat 12 July @ 5pm & 7pm | Sligo Drama Circle
Inspired by the ancient cairns of Carrowkeel, this immersive new performance blurs the lines between ritual, sound and place. Carrowkeel invites the audience into a meditative soundscape where silence, breath and memory converge. Created and performed by Eimear Reidy, Tara Baoth Mooney and Diarmuid Mac Diarmada.
Admission: €10

Free & Family-Friendly Events

● Cairde in the Park – Sun 06 July | 1pm – 6pm | Peace Park
A joyful day of music, circus, wellness, interactive games and food in Sligo’s beautiful Peace Park featuring music by Hugh Feely, Note-orious 4, Lemoncello and DUG, DJ Will Softly’s legendary kids’ disco, Sligo’s own pop anthem premiere from Xnthony, and more. Visit the website for the full line-up.
Admission: Free (donations welcome)

● Street Theatre at Queen Maeve Square
Delight in a series of free family-friendly circus and street theatre performances taking place in Queen Maeve Square and surrounding areas (see website for locations and times): The Grannies, Toxic Dogs, Miss Mary, MDME Kakapo & Son, and Dr. Jones and Professor Barnard Medicine Show.
Admission: Free

Literature & Talks

This year, the festival has expanded its literary strand to include a series of writing workshops in creative non-fiction, short story writing and poetry; a week-long intensive fiction writer’s workshop with acclaimed Irish author Sean O’Reilly (booked-out); and panel discussions covering debut novels, poetry, climate change and more.

The literary and panel talk line-up includes Eoin McNamee, Salena Godden, Seán Farrell, Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Elaine Garvey, Mary Branley, Saoirse Anton, Gerard Beirne and Alice Kinsella. For more details or to register for any of the open literary workshops or events, visit www.cairdefestival.com/2025.

Not to be Missed

Theatre & Performance

Cairde Sligo Arts Festival presents an exciting programme of theatre and performance, showcasing a diverse range of voices and creative styles. MAKOSH is a dizzying aerial theatre performance created and performed by Polina Shapkina that takes the audience on a surreal journey through the human psyche, exploring what happens when we bury memory, repress pain, and refuse to face our inner darkness. Bunny Bunny, a one-woman clown show by Nora Kelly Lester, is an absurdist romantic nightmare comedy about landlords, ex-lovers, and hotel soap – a riotous, heartfelt exploration of what it means to hold it together while everything’s falling apart. As part of Cairde’s Artist Development Programme, Unveiled offers a unique opportunity to experience four brand-new works-in-progress by Ikenna Anyabuike (Theatre), Amir Sabra and Laura Lundy (Dance), Angelica Santander (Clown/Theatre), and Kyle Conlon, Nell Garcia and Dylan McGloin of Know Promises (Theatre).

See brand-new work blending immersive visuals with acrobatics by Cikada Circus in their unique geodome venue at Hazelwood House on July 8th and 9th, or traverse a trail of Wandering Voices where multidisciplinary artists explore the theme of ferocity and resilience through spoken word, music and performance co-curated by Chandrika Narayanan Mohan and Patrick Curley. From physical theatre to clowning and aerial work, this year’s festival invites audiences to experience bold, boundary-pushing performances from some of Ireland’s most exciting theatre-makers.
Cairde’s Closing Spectacle & Club Night – Saturday 12 July

● Community Procession & Closing Spectacle by VolkiDána – Sat 12 July @ 10pm | Starting from Lower Quay Street

Spectacle company VolkiDána returns to Cairde for a second year to present its newly commissioned show Ephemera – a dramatic procession through the heart of Sligo, tracing the path of the river, culminates at Queen Maeve Square with a breathtaking aerial performance and fire ritual, telling the epic story of an ancient goddess who rises and is finally set free. This event involves engagement with Sligo communities: Aremoja, Sligo Youth Theatre, Foroige, and Men’s, Women’s and Queer Sheds.
Admission: Free

● Fun Protestants, Tailtiu, Alix & Ruairí – Closing Club Night in collaboration with The Model Late Nights – Sat 12 July @ 10:30pm | The Model
Celebrate the festival’s finale with an unforgettable night of music, dancing and craic with sets by a trio of Northern Irish acts: Fun Protestants, Alix & Ruairí and DJ Tailtiu.
Admission: €12

Visit the festival website at www.cairdefestival.com to view the full line-up or download the brochure. Tickets are on sale now for all ticketed events. Early booking is recommended as shows are expected to sell out quickly.

Saltwater Festival is delighted to announce the debut of the first-ever Gearóid McDaid Invitational — a groundbreaking junior surf competition set to spotlight the future of Irish surfing. Ireland’s leading professional surfer Gearóid McDaid is set to launch a new benchmark in youth surfing with a one-day junior invitational event on the Wild Atlantic Coast.

Held in Strandhill and run in partnership with Irish Surfing, this elite contest will bring together 32 of the country’s most promising young surfers for a high-performance showdown.
“ Bringing my first invitational in conjunction with Irish Surfing to Strandhill means a lot to me — it’s where I grew up surfing and where my journey began. This event is all about giving the next generation of Irish surfers a real shot at something bigger, and showcasing the incredible talent we have right here at home.” — Gearóid McDaid Professional Surfer

This one-day junior surf competition will take place within a seven-day waiting period to allow for optimal conditions. The event features 32 junior competitors, 16 boys and 16 girls, selected by Gearóid McDaid. Two boys and two girls will earn Wild Card entries to the WSL Wild Atlantic Way Junior Pro, held during the Saltwater Festival in Bundoran. Winners will also receive prize packs courtesy of Rip Curl, Bell Surf, and Lost Shore. Runners-up may be considered as alternate wild card selections.

“ Delighted to be involved in the Gearoid McDaid Invitational. He has come up through the Irish Surfing system. This event represents a major step forward for competitive junior surfing in Ireland, and having it led by one of our most accomplished athletes makes it even more meaningful. It’s the kind of initiative that inspires young surfers and strengthens the future of Irish surfing.”
— Gavin McCrea, Technical Director, Irish Surfing

“ We’re thrilled to host the inaugural Gearóid McDaid Invitational as part of Saltwater Festival. This partnership is a perfect match — celebrating Irish surf culture, youth talent, and the energy that defines our coastline. Gearóid’s vision aligns perfectly with our mission to elevate Irish sport and community through world-class events alongside Irish Surfing ”
— Saltwater Festival Team

Anyone interested in taking part can visit www.saltwater.ie

Steeped in the natural beauty of County Sligo, Ireland, Hawk’s Rock represents the rebranding of Lough Gill Distillery, which was acquired by the spirits leader in 2022.

Leading global spirits company Sazerac, which owns and operates award-winning distilleries and homeplaces worldwide including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky; Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France; and Paul John Distillery in Goa, India, is proud to announce the renaming of its recently-acquired Irish Whiskey Distillery to Hawk’s Rock Distillery. Formerly known as Lough Gill Distillery, Hawk’s Rock will continue to produce and age Irish Whiskey under the watchful eye of Master Blender Helen Mulholland on the over 100-acre site located in County Sligo, Ireland, which includes the nationally listed historic landmark Hazelwood House.

The name change reflects Sazerac Company’s vision for the future of Irish Whiskey – the art and science of blending, innovation and respect for Sligo’s rich heritage. Named after a prominent outcrop in the Ox Mountains that inspired Nobel Prize winning poet William Butler (W.B.) Yeats’ play “At the Hawk’s Well”, Hawk’s Rock Distillery aims to become a global hub for Irish Whiskey, while offering a gateway to explore the rich traditions of Sligo and the surrounding region.

“The renaming of Hawk’s Rock Distillery marks a new, yet familiar, frontier for us,” says Sazerac President and CEO Jake Wenz. “Sazerac is known for its balanced approach to honouring tradition while embracing change in constant pursuit of crafting the world’s best spirits at our distilleries in America, India, Canada and France.  Our mission holds true for Ireland, and we are excited to reveal how we are blending time-honoured traditions with bold innovation to advance the art of Irish whiskey-making.”

Leading the Hawk’s Rock distillation team as Master Blender is Helen Mulholland, the first female Master Blender in Irish Whiskey history, Chair of the Irish Whiskey Association and a Whiskey Hall of Fame inductee. She and her carefully-selected team have been entrusted with leading the creation and blending of Hawk’s Rock’s innovative new-to-world Irish whiskey brands, the first of which will debut in June 2025.

Sazerac Company acquired Lough Gill Distillery in 2022, drawn by its historical significance and the cultural richness of Ireland. Since then, the team has upgraded and tripled its warehouse capacity, expanded production and is modernising the distillery, ensuring continued growth while maintaining its commitment to quality.

“This rebrand is just the beginning for Hawk’s Rock Distillery,” says Wenz. “Throughout the changes at Hawk’s Rock, our vision remains the same – creating a track record for the aging and blending of award-winning whiskeys – and this name change brings us one step closer to bringing that vision to life.”

While Hawk’s Rock Distillery is closed to the public during renovations, Sazerac has received planning permission to develop a future visitor experience in Sligo. To ensure an honest restoration of Hazelwood House, Sazerac has hired a Grade 1 Conservation Architect from Howley Hayes Cooney Studio to lead its restoration. The phased delivery of this plan is being established, and Sazerac looks forward to welcoming visitors in the future.

For more information, please visit hawksrockdistillery.com.

Sligo County Council is seeking a dynamic and creative provider to manage and elevate its “Visit Sligo” social media presence in 2025.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced social media agency or individual and involves comprehensive management of paid social media campaigns across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube.

We are passionate about showcasing everything our stunning region has to offer. From breathtaking landscapes and outdoor adventures to vibrant festivals and world class cultural experiences, Sligo is a destination that truly has something for everyone.

The successful provider will work with the Visit Sligo team at this exciting time and develop and deliver targeted campaigns across the main social media channels. These campaigns will focus on raising awareness of Sligo as a year-round destination and promoting specific festivals and events happening throughout the county.

The closing date for submissions is Wednesday 2nd April 2025 and the full details can be requested by email to amccormack@sligococo.ie