by Alan Jacques
EIGHTY five cultural events will be held in Limerick this Friday, September 18 as part of Culture Night 2015.
Among the wealth of buildings and venues opening their doors to the public from 5 to 10pm for a wide range of events are Limerick City Gallery of Art, Dance Limerick, The Hunt Museum, Mungret College, St John’s Cathedral, Desmond Castle, Honeyfitz Theatre and Limerick Printmakers.
Mayor of Limerick City and County, Cllr Liam Galvin attended the launch this week with a statue of the Child of Prague to help ensure good weather for Culture Night.
“Culture Night is a fantastic opportunity for families and friends to enjoy stories, music, dancing and a celebration of culture brings us together and brings out the best in us,” Mayor Galvin enthused.
“In 2014 Limerick showed its passion for culture and this vibrancy and energy is a real asset to us as we bid for the European designation Capital of Culture 2020,” he added.
The Culture Night programme has been put together by cultural organisations, individual artists, heritage groups, theatres, castles, villages and citizens who believe in the power of culture to bring us together, create conversations and enjoy a good night out.
Among the highlights of Culture Night 2015 is ‘A Plate of Mungret. The Irish myth of the Salmon of Knowledge will be re-enacted with a real salmon kindly donated by Rene Cusack, the oldest family fishmongers in the country. After the salmon has been cooked people will be invited to try it to see if you have gained all the world’s knowledge.
Youth Arts will be a key part of the Culture night programme in the City and County. Limerick County Youth Theatre will host a series of drama workshops at the HoneyFitz Theatre in Lough Gur.
Luggage Doors Operating, a band who performs original material and their own riffs on classic material, will perform as part of the music programme at Limerick City Gallery of Art from 6 to 8pm. The band consists of four visual arts practitioners based in Limerick, Kevin O’Keeffe, Pamela Dunne, Rory Prout and Carl Doran.
Culture Night is organised by the Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht in partnership with Local Authority Arts Offices, and cultural organisations throughout the island of Ireland. For more details visit www.culturenight.ie.
