Kinsale Arts Weekend: Friday Events

ALL DAY EVENTS

KAW Walking Gallery (All Day)

Time: All Day

Venue: Various town locations

Admission: Free

Take one final stroll through town as local shops, windows, and unexpected spaces host a vibrant trail of contemporary visual art.

The Sea and Me – Creative Hub (All Day)

Time: All Day

Venue: Various town locations

Admission: Free

Maritime-inspired pop-ups and installations continue to surprise and delight in public spaces across Kinsale.

KAW 26 Exhibition: Eilís O’Connell (All Day)

Time: All Day

Venue: Kinsale Library

Admission: Free

A landmark solo collection by one of Ireland’s most celebrated contemporary sculptors, on display in our local library.

Dorothy Cross: ‘Kinship’

Time: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Venue: The Gunpowder Room, Charles Fort

Admission: Included with standard €5 admission to Charles Fort

An evocative moving image installation by renowned artist Dorothy Cross, framed by the atmospheric stone walls of the Gunpowder Room.

Kit French: ‘From Memory’ Exhibition (All Day)

Time: All Day

Venue: Gallery 23

Admission: Free

A beautiful solo exhibition by Kit French exploring memory, landscapes, and perspective.

🕒 Timed Events, Workshops & Performances

Ballycatteen Artist Studio Encounter

Time: 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM & 2:00 PM (Three separate sessions)

Venue: Ballinspittle

Admission: Free, but Booking is Required

Venture just outside the town for a unique, intimate look at the creative working environment of the Ballycatteen studios.

Studio at Home Trail

Time: 11:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Venue: Various locations

Admission: Free

Your last chance to follow the map and step directly inside the private studios of Kinsale’s local makers and artists.

Chaos and Creation Exhibition

Time: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Venue: Kinsale Campus

Admission: Free

Enjoy the vibrant, boundary-pushing end-of-year showcase from the students at Kinsale Campus.

Discover Buteyko with Áine Wade

Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Venue: Kinsale Campus

Admission: €10

An introductory wellness workshop focusing on the health and performance benefits of the Buteyko conscious breathing method.

Film Screening: ‘Trína Suile’

Time: 1:00 PM

Venue: Friary Community Hall

Admission: €15

A compelling cinematic feature looking at life, perception, and community through Irish eyes.

Doom Embroidery with Sarah Iremonger

Time: 2:00 PM

Venue: Temperance Hall Creative Hub

Admission: €35

Put a rebellious, contemporary twist on a classic craft in this highly unique, hands-on textile art workshop.

An tAthrú – Street Dance & Music

Time: 2:00 PM

Venue: Begins outside the Cosy Café

Admission: Free

An energetic, outdoor fusion of traditional rhythms and urban street dance that moves through the heart of the town.

Jane Austen: First Woman to Swim the Channel

Time: 2:00 PM

Venue: Drama Room, Kinsale Campus

Admission: €15

A witty and inventive piece of studio theater that plays with history, gender expectations, and extraordinary swimming feats.

Talk at Three: Gerald Butler – Lighthouses and Life at Sea

Time: 3:00 PM

Venue: Kinsale Yacht Club

Admission: €15

An unforgettable afternoon of stories from former lighthouse keeper Gerald Butler, recounting a life lived on isolated rock stations and romantic seas.

Pitch’d: Captain C-Man

Time: 3:00 PM

Venue: Town Park

Admission: Free

A laugh-out-loud, family-friendly outdoor spectacle full of physical comedy and street theater antics.

Reminiscences of Childhood

Time: 3:00 PM

Venue: Upstairs at the Temperance Hall

Admission: €15

A final afternoon staging of this nostalgic and moving theatrical look at youth and community memory.

Kit French Landscape Demonstration

Time: 3:00 PM

Venue: Gallery 23

Admission: Free

Watch a master at work. Artist Kit French pulls back the curtain on his painterly process, demonstrating live how he translates raw landscapes onto canvas.

Shrem Presents: The Sound of Sinéad

Time: 7:00 PM

Venue: All Apologies Bar

Admission: €18

A powerful, intimate musical tribute celebrating the fierce artistic spirit and timeless discography of Sinéad O’Connor.

Cormac Begley Live

Time: 8:00 PM

Venue: St. Catherine’s Cultural Centre

Admission: €28

The grand finale of the weekend. Renowned concertina maestro Cormac Begley brings his deep, resonant, and wildly energetic brand of traditional Irish music to the beautiful acoustics of St. Catherine’s.