News & Updates
Festival of Music on Heir is back for a third season June 4-8th 2024
There are ‘Sharing Music’ events on 4th, 5th, 6th. Come and join the musicians as they share with each other what they have been rehearsing that day. This year we are lucky enough to be working with Paddy O’Brien, a longstanding story teller and The Harte sisters will form the core musicians for some traditional ballads. And then three more formal concerts to round the week off. No tickets – first come best seat!
West Cork Chamber Music Festival
Sarah Jégou-Sageman, Jeroen De Beer [violins], Séamus Hickey [viola], Léo Guiguen [cello].
Whiddy Island Schoolhouse
Wednesday 3 July 2024. Time 2:30 pm Ends 3:10 pm
The Sonoro Quartet will perform on Whiddy Island
westcorkmusic.ie
Hidden Stories
Róisín Ní Chonaill, Tomasz Madajczak and Inma Pavon
Oileán Chléire
Ongoing in 2024
Cape Clear dance project with Inma Pavon, Róisín Ní Chonaill and Tomasz Madajczak to collaborate on a project involving movement and film reinterpretation of traditional stories emerging from the land, nature, and historical remains of Cape Clear Island.
Quilting workshop
Harriet Andrews
Bere Island Womens’s Create
January 2024
Lino Cut Printing Workshop
Madeleine Dunne
Bere Island Womens’s Create
27th and 28th April
This was a 2 day demonstration and workshop. The workshop was designed to show participants how to print onto fabric and paper using minimal equipment and in a setting that can be replicated on a kitchen or work table. Participants produced a simple image on Lino block that they may print onto paper and/or fabric as they wish. BIWC will continue these sessions in the autumn.
Crochet Workshop
Catherine Sullivan
Bere Island Womens’s Create
March & April 2024
Introduction to crochet with an amphasis on the various stitches, pattern reading and creation.
West Cork Literary Festival
Eoin Warner
Whiddy Island Schoolhouse
Saturday 13 July 2024 Time 2:15 pm
Join naturalist, wildlife documentary presenter and Bantry native Eoin Warner for a public interview about his work and the wildlife and landscapes of Ireland’s islands. westcorkmusic.ie/events/2024/eoin-warner
Lá Teanga na Gaeilge ar Oileán Chléire Irish Language Day on Cape Clear
Clár Gearrscannáin Gaeilge – Curated Irish Language Short Film Programme
Thursday 26th May – 11.30 – 12.30
Masters of Tradition Secret Concerts
Whiddy Island
Sunday 25 August 2024, 12:30 pm
The concert will last for approximately 1 hour and will take place in a marquee outside the Bank House pub.
Fireside Sessions
Sherkin & Oileán Chléire
Winter 2024
To help us through the colder more isolated months, musicians Simon Crockett and Neisha Azzopardi have been developing the fireside sessions. Hosted by Dan from Northshore these sessions and been a great success with musicians from the island joining for instrumental jam sessions each night.
Jon Sousa & Adam Agee
Oileán Chléire
Two concerts one formal in the Club Chléire & one informal at Cotters with local musicians.
11th & 12th June
Try It Series
Nigel Towse
Sherkin & Heir Islands
Febuary & April 2024
Nigel Towse teaches residence on Sherkin and Heir Islands the Carrick Bend Knot.
Open Ear Islander’s Night
Mohammad Syfkha, Flowers at Night and Sherkin Island Musicans
Sherkin Island, Jolly Roger Pub
Thursday 30 May 2024
Watercolour Workshop
Tetiana Milshyna
Bere Island
August 17th & 18th 2024
World Lighthouse Day
Try It Series
Eoin Marshall
Sherkin Island
April 2024
Medicinal herb kitchen workshop
Base
A solo exhibition by Sherkin Islander Fergus Murphy
Town Hall Art Centre, Cavan, Co Cavan
26th September – 9th October 2024
An integral part of the work will see the creation of a flotilla of model ships with a view to creating a naval empire emanating from Sherkin Island.
The Moth Catchers
A research residency on Sherkin island with Jesse Jones and Naomi Nkosi accompanied by Philip Strickland (amateur lepidopterist) and Irene Buckley (composer).
June 2024
Inspired by the work of feminist Mexican surrealist Remdios Varo this is a 3-day research residency on Sherkin Island with lead artists Jesse Jones and Naomi Nkosi. Philip will set up some humane moth traps on the island to catch moths, so that they can be examined and observed, their habitat, mannerisms, characteristics, movements and very importantly the sounds they make. Irene Buckley will design the score for ‘The Moth Catchers’
Laureate na nÓg
Whole Wide World Tour
April 2024
Laureate na nÓg the Children’s Book Festival took place in April and was facilitated on Sherkin island with invited families from Oileán Chléire. A great day was had in the spring sunshine. With thanks to Sherkin Island Development Society for hosting the group.
Samuel Beckett Cascando
Aedín Cosgrove of Pan Pan Theatre
Féile 2023: Outdoor Theatre
Oileán Chléire
Summer 2023
Presentation of the internationally acclaimed work of a local artist Aedin Cosgrove of Pan Pan Theatre.
Kirstie Affleck
Artist/Maker
Oileán Chléire
Ongoing
Farmer maker and Islander Kirstie Affleck is working on a new body of work with her self shedding sheep, developing her practice,
of traditional wool spinning, knitting and multi-stranded colourwork to produce pictures and stand-alone art pieces.
Simon Kidd
Residency
Oileán Chléire
Ongoing
His work creates artefacts of place, dealing with the island’s physical materiality, creating very pleasing casts (silicone moulds) of rock faces, before translating them into ceramic objects.
From the Inside Out and the Outside In
Mary Sullivan
Exhibition & Book
Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre
November December 2023
This exhibition of new works by the artist shone a light on both the resilience and fragility of island life and island communities.
A Green Rope for Sherkin
William Bock
Rope making, film and
community development
Sherkin Island
Ongoing
A Green Rope for Sherkin revolves around an ever-growing Sugán Rope. The rope is crafted outdoors by many hands using only green wild plants sensitively harvested from the landscape. The process is guided by our hands, the natural material and conversations that arise from working together.
The Festival of Music on Heir Island
Artistic Director Dave Tomson
Chamber and orchestral music
Heir & Sherkin Islands
Summer 2023
FOMOH brought over 25 musicians, mostly drawn from European and Irish doctors orchestras, who met for a week of chamber and small orchestral music. Residents of the island enjoyed daily concert and the all island Ceili. In 2023 the orchestra travelled to Sherkin and performed a concert in the Community Centre.
Hedge School
Tom Keeley
Féile 2023: Photographic exhibition, art installation & performance
Oileán Chléire
Summer 2023
This multi-media performance explored the interconnected nature of island living, and what this can teach us about living together across borders today and in the future.
Community Exhibition
Multiple Artists
Curated by Ruairí Ó Donnabháin
Féile 2023: Exhibition & walking trail
Oileán Chléire
Duncan Harper, Pierce Hickey, Róisín Ó Chonáill, Kirstie Affleck, Doris and Ferdia O Liadáin, Simon Kidd, Catherine Ryan, Ruairí Ó Donnabháin, William Bock & Helle Helsner and Danny Stewart.
Community exhibition Oileán
Chléire. An exhibition of local
artists as part of OILEÁN the annual Irish language focused arts festival on Oileán Chléire.
The Museum of Birds and Beasts
Tess Leak and Sharon Whooley
Participatory arts project
All Islands
2024/25
The artists will work with islanders to develop a Museum of Birds and Beasts, exploring folklore and artefacts. Working with farmers, ferry drivers, islanders connected to fishing, bird enthusiasts etc to collect stories of bird, animal, and marine lore.
Norman King
Book and Exhibition
Sherkin Island
Ongoing
Never before published reflections on island life through poetry and songs by islander Norman King. A selection of work that gives voice to his unique personal lived experiences with wit and humour and some are pure flights of fancy and imagination, others connect with the natural environment and evoke a pure sense of joy with illustration by John Simpson.
Expanded Island
The Guesthouse artists & the community of Oileán Chléire, Josephina Mellado, Kanako Haru, Hiroki Doi, Irene Murphy, Mick O’Shea, Jamie Ashforth, Evan Aiken, Andy Ingamells, Tomasz Madajczak, Claudia Barton, Roy Wroth, Aideen Quirk, Siobhan Ni Dhuinnin, Anne Marie Deacy, Richard Clare, Billy Kemp, Lisa Cliff. Róisín O’ Connell.
Artist Residency
Oileán Chléire
November 2023
The Guesthouse Cork City
artists went to Oileán Chléire and opened up a dialogue through a multidisciplinary approach through readings, food and art making. Thanks to islander and artist Róisín Ó Chonáill who helped make it happen.
Looking For The Light Within
Multiple Artists
Oileán Chléire
April 2023
Weekly workshops initiated by Tomasz Madajczak connected the community of Oileán Chléire through creativity sea journeys, weekly workshops, conversations, walks and artistic explorations to develop the possibility of place making in a contemporary context.
Community Exhibition & Dancing at the Crossroads
Community exhibition
Sherkin Island
Summer 2023
The annual community exhibition brought together over 30 artists in the annual showcase of island life and artistic endeavour.
Catherine Reinhart
Collective mending
North Shore, Sherkin Island
December 2023
The Collective Mending Sessions was a series of socially engaged workshops centered on collaboratively mending a quilt. These workshops resemble a quilting bee where participants learn basic mending and textile care while building community in
a warm, inclusive environment.
Bere Island Arts festival
Festival
Bere Island
September 2023
The inaugural Bere Island Arts Festival. An island festival offering a wide range of events across the islands scenic locations. This festival celebrates the local as well as the national and brings a hugely talented field of creative people mixed with local voice.
Community Scoruíochting & Map of Sherkin’s Heritage Place Names
Mona O’ Driscoll
Community gathering
and map making
Sherkin Island
Research and development stage
Due to the changing environment of farming, fishing and ownership of lands on Sherkin Island, the need to record the names of local roads, and features on Sherkin has become important. This project, led by Mona will go deep into the heart of local identities to constitute a deeper understanding how people past and present make meaning on the island.
Basket Making with Martin O’ Flynn
Bere Island Active Retirement Group
Artists/Makers
Bere Island
October/November 2023
Martin O Flynn, traditional master basket maker facilitated the Bere Island Active Retirement Group in late 2023.
An Sean Duine Og
Graffiti Theatre Company
Performance
Bere Island, Oileán Chléire & Rathmore NS Baltimore
November 2023
Graffiti Theatre Company, play for children ‘An Sean Dhuine Óg’ (The Old Young Man) took place at the school on Bere island and Cape Clear. The play was translated into English, Irish and Ukrainian.
Ukes go Bere
Organised by Dr. Eva McMullan and assisted by Andrew Moran.
Music
Bere Island
June 2023
Ukes Go Bere is weekend festival suitable for complete beginners and accomplished ukulele players. The festival included drumming, vocal and ukelele workshops, brunchelle, KaraUke evenings, and a live, free performance.
Vocal harmonic workshops with Susan McManamon
Harmonic workshops (pilot project)
Sherkin Island
July and August 2023
Two vocal harmonic workshops with Susan McManamon, involving members of the church choir and other musicians and singers from the island.
2022
Creative Places WCI is now live.
We currently have two funding strands, Islander Artist / Maker & Expression of Interest
Island Visits
In early 2023 the Project Coordinator spent longer periods of time on each island in a series of clinic-style meetings. This was an open invitation to any islander to meet the project coordinator to talk about art, culture, making and opportunities. (insert photo is of Kirstie Affleck, Cape Clear Sheep)
Radio
In late 2022 the Project Coordinator was interviewed on both Oileáin FM (Sherkin Island) & Bere Island radio
Our Partnership