Happenings
SEPTEMBER
Gardens of Our Memory – Juno Cheatle
Location: Sherkin Island
Date: Culture Night Fri, 19 Sept 2025. Time: 6 pm to 10 pm approximately
A site-specific video/visual and audio installation called ‘Gardens of our memory’, involving a walk around a semi-outdoor exhibition set in a centrally located large set of gardens on Sherkin Island.
Bere Island Arts Festival
Location: Bere Island
Date: Thurs 18 – Sun 21 Sept 2025
bereislandartsfestival.ie
Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival
Location: Cape Clear Island
There will be a special event with our Storytellers in Residence (details TBA)
Date: 5 – 7 Sept 2025
capeclearstorytelling.com
AUGUST
Leave No (Plastic) Trace, talk, poetry reading and video session
Nuala Mahon (video), Nollaig Rowan (poet) and Dr Marcel Jansen (scientist)
Event: Talk. Location: The Common Room, Sherkin. Date: Wed, August 27, Time: 2 pm
Event: Talk. Location: The Boat House, Heir Island, Date Fri, August 8, Time: 2 pm
Event: Talk. Location: An Coláiste, Oileán Chléire, Date Fri, August 6, Time: 2 pm
JULY
Barefoot Baroque Tour of the Islands
Location: Heir Island Gallery. Date: Wed, July 16th. Time: 4:30
Location: Oileán Chléire Church. Date: Thurs, July 17 Time: TBC
Location: Sherkin Island, North Shore. Date: Sun, July 20 Time: 4 pm
Location: Bere Island Lecture Theatre. Date: Wed, July 23. Time: TBC
West Cork Fit-Up Festival Tour of the Islands
Heir Island, Tue. 8th July – 8pm Island Cottage, Paddy: The Life and Times..
Bere Island, Sat. 12th July – 8pm Paddy: The Life and Times..
Whiddy Island, Tue. 15th July – 8pm Bank House, The Sand Park
Sherkin Island, Fri. 18th July – 8pm, Indigestion
Bere Island, Sat. 19th July – 8pm, The Handy Man
Heir Island, Tue. 22nd July – 8pm Island Cottage, Mary’s Hopes and Dreams
Sherkin Island, Fri. 25th July – 8pm, Mary’s Hopes and Dreams
Bere Island, Sat. 26th July – 8pm, Mary’s Hopes and Dreams
Whiddy Island, Tue. 29th July – 8pm Bank House, Ham Sandwiches and Discipline
Bere Island, Sat. 2nd August – 8pm, Ham Sandwiches and Discipline
Travel Writing: The Sea with Helen Scales
Location: Whiddy Island, Schoolhouse Date: Wed 16 July – Duration: 3 days – Time: 9:30am
West Cork Literary Festival will host marine biologist and bestselling author Helen Scales to explore travel writing, with a focus on nature and place in coasts and seas. More Info
Wake of the Whale
Location: Whiddy Island, The Schoolhouse Date: Sat, July 12th – Time: 2:15 pm
West Cork Literary Festival will host a live music and poetry performance based around Ireland’s twentieth-century whaling stations and the legacy of whales in Irish waters today. More Info
Antidefuturing: Infrastructuring for Socio-Technical Sustainability
FACILITATED BY: Robert Collins
Location: Whiddy Island. Date: 4-6 July, 2025
West Cork Chamber Music Fringe Festival tour of the Islands
Four 40-minute free concerts featuring young string quartets.
Musicians: Magnolia Quartet. Location: Heir Island, The Schoolhouse. Date: Sat 5 July. Time: TBC More info
Musicians: Olympia Quartet. Location: Whiddy Island, The Schoolhouse. Date: Fri 4 July. Time: 14:30-15:10
Musicians: Meliora Quartet. Location: Sherkin Island, Community Hall. Date: Tues 1 July. Time: 14:30-15:10 More info
Bobstock is back
Indie music Festival Cape Clear / Oileán Chléire.
Location: Oileán Chléire
Date: 4th & 5th July, outside Cotter’s Pub
JUNE
West Cork Chamber Music Fringe Festival tour of the Islands
Four 40-minute free concerts featuring young string quartets. Musicians: Sonic Quartet. Location: Bere Island, Wild Atlantic Glamping. Date: Sun 29 June. Time: 12:00-12:40 More info
Dancing at the Crossroads
To celebrate the closing of the Sherkin Island community exhibition
Event: Dancing at the Crossroads. Location: Sherkin Island,
Date: Sun, June 29th Postponed
DRAWING WALKS
FACILITATED BY: Sarah O’Brien
Location: Sherkin Island.
Mindful Drawing in the Landscape with Artist Sarah O’ Brien Sat 28th June 12.30-3pm. Meeting Sherkin Island Hall. Max 10 participants. Text Paula 0858585327 or email [email protected]
Sherkin Island Community Exhibition
Event: Art & Craft Exhibition
Location: Sherkin Island Community Hall.
Date: Friday, June 6th – Open Daily 12 – 5 pm until June 29th
The community book (Ag Gluaiseacht – Sherkin in motion) will also be launched.
Three Heads/ Na Trí Chinn on Seven Islands
Creative Writing Workshop with Simone Schuemmelfeder. Location: Sherkin Island, Northshore. Date: June 24 Time: 3 pm Aimed at adults.
Children’s Story Time and Puppetry Adventure with Simone Schuemmelfeder. Location: Sherkin Island, Northshore. Date: June 25 Time: 11 am Suitable for a family audience.
Jon Sousa & Adam Agee
Location: Oileán Chléire, Date: 4th June Cotter’s Pub (informal) & 5th June the Club (formal)
MAY
The Crow’s Old Gold
A two-person play by Carina McNally. More details
Location: Lehanmore Community Centre. Date: Sat 31st May & June 1st. Time: 8pm Tickets €18 – tcog.brownpapertickets.com or ring 086 8798802
Location: Dursey Island Festival. Date: Sat, June 14th. Contact <[email protected]> for bookings
Open Ear Islander’s Night
Location: Sherkin Northshore
Date: Thurs May 29th,
Time: 7pm – 11:30
Sherkin Island Musicians, Seamas Hyland and Caoimhín ó Raghallaigh
Silk flower making with Nadiia
Workshop location: Sherkin, Community Hall. Dates: Tues, 20 May 2025. Time: 4pm. Contact: [email protected] (Try It Tuesday Series)
Pocket Photos with Toma McCullim
Location: Bere Island Community Hall. Date: Sat 10 May
A project to teach the skills to enable islanders to take high-quality photos with their mobile phones. The exhibition of work will be at the Bere Island Arts Festival.
The St Anthony, boat restoration project. Boats & Brews.
Location: Sherkin Island, the Dock P81 Tn36.
Date: Sun May 11th @ 11am.
Details: guest speaker Cormac Levis, & demonstration with Nigel Towse. More info
Sea & Stone, Island Art Works & Artefacts (EXTENDED)
Location: LHQ Gallery. Library Building, Carrigrohane Road, Cork City.
Dates: March 22 – May 19
More info
Paula Marten, Printmaking workshop
Location: Sherkin Island, Date: TBC
APRIL
Storyteller in Residence
Location: Oileán Chléire. Date: Friday, April 25th, Cotters Pub & the Coláiste
Location: Sherkin Island. Date: Sat April 26th, Jolly Rogger Pub