Latest news with #CultureNight
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Michael Quane and Johanna Connor: Cork husband and wife artists unite for joint exhibition
The fact that Michael Quane and Johanna Connor work in different, but complementary, media is reflected in the title of their new exhibition at the Lavit Gallery in Cork. Pencil – Paper – Chisel – Stone features Connor's pencil drawings of objects and landscapes alongside Quane's limestone and marble sculptures of people, beasts and inflatables. The two are not just collaborators, they are also a couple, having connected during the Covid pandemic. 'We were following each other on Instagram for a while,' says Connor. 'At the time, I was working with horses, and I was really mesmerised by Michael's sculptures. I wanted to know what the connection was, so I asked him. And Michael said that he'd need my email for that, it was such a long answer.' 'We emailed each other for a week after that,' says Quane, 'and then we met.' Horses, he explains, have preoccupied him since his student days at the Crawford College of Art & Design in the 1980s. 'At that time, I had a group of very good friends who were all very strong feminists,' he says. 'I encoded an awful lot of what I was trying to say through animals, and the horse, for me, represented male energy and power. But it's since become invested with all kinds of other meanings, to do with human progress, for instance.' Quane's interest in horses found expression in the public art commissions he began winning not long after he graduated. The fees for his Horses and Riders sculpture at Mallow Roundabout and Fallen Horse and Rider at Midleton helped pay for the former Church of Ireland church in Coachford, Co Cork he acquired for £24,000 in 1994. Michael Quane with one of his pieces at the Lavit. Refurbishing the building has been a long-term project, which Connor helped complete when she moved in in November 2020. As well as being their home, the former church houses their two studios and an exhibition space. 'It's not a commercial enterprise,' says Quane of the latter. 'We show our own work, and sometimes work by other artists. We open for Culture Night in September every year. Three years ago, we had one of our neighbours come in. The second year, we had maybe twenty. But last year, we had scores of local people. It's getting bigger every year.' They also open by appointment. 'One day last week, we had 100 school children come in. It was fantastic. They're just so curious, you know?' While Quane has worked full-time as a studio artist for over 40 years, Connor – a native of Schull, Co Cork – explored other avenues after graduating from the Limerick School of Art & Design. 'I studied painting initially,' she says. 'But after my diploma, I took some time out and worked with the Bedrock theatre company in Dublin. Then I applied for the Motley Theatre Design Course in London. I was very fortunate to get in; they only take ten people every year.' She returned to Dublin, working as a freelance designer. 'But then the scene kind of changed,' she says. 'So I went back to London. I'd met someone, and I discovered I was pregnant. Things changed for me then. I was born with a twisted intestine and the pregnancy didn't work out. I lost the baby, and I nearly died. Then I went right, what next? I ended up moving back to Schull.' For the next twelve years, Connor worked with horses. She maintained her interest in art, exhibiting at the West Cork Art Centre and producing a children's book with her friend Gabrielle Byrne. Eventually, she returned to study, completing an MA: Art and Practice at the Crawford College of Art & Design in Cork in 2018. Thereafter, she began making art in earnest. One of Johanna Connor's pieces at the Lavit. Picture: Ros Kavanagh 'In 2020, I was heading off to New York on a residency when Covid happened. And that's when I met Mike.' The two married in 2023, and now spend most of their time at their respective practices. 'We work separately,' says Quane. 'But we check in on each other throughout the day. I might help Johanna out of a hole, or she might help me. It's a lovely partnership.' Seeing their work put together in the Lavit has been inspiring. 'It's a really quiet space to show in,' says Connor, 'and the work just sits so beautifully.' She can't wait to get back in the studio, she adds. 'I want to develop the drawing more. I'm starting to introduce a little bit of colour lately, and maybe the scale will change, or I'll start using other materials. We'll see.' Quane, meanwhile, is looking forward to a break. 'Between doing up the church and making work,' he says, 'I've been going flat-out for five years. After this exhibition, I feel a really strong urge to step back and get some perspective on where I want to go next. I'm 63 now, so this is my time to do it. You will probably see more of Johanna, and less of me.' Michael Quane and Johanna Connor, Pencil – Paper – Chisel – Stone runs at the Lavit Gallery, Cork until June 14. Further information:
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Singer and songwriter BABA: ‘I love Louis Theroux, his awkward humour, the way he disarms his guests and how effortlessly he gets people to talk'
BOOK: A Pocketful of Happiness I love a memoir, and I adore a love story – so Richard E Grant's A Pocketful of Happiness really spoke to me. It's heartbreaking but so full of love. He shares diary entries from the time he lost his wife, Joan, to cancer and writes so honestly about their life together. Before she died she told him to try and find a pocketful of happiness in each day, and that thread runs beautifully through the book. My favourite line is: 'Grief is love with nowhere to go.' I think it's so important to normalise talking about your grief. STREAMING: Severance I've just finished Season 2 of Severance and I miss it already. I absolutely loved everything about it. The premise is brilliant – full of twists and turns – and the cast, and their acting, is outstanding. I've been a huge Adam Scott fan since Parks and Recreation. But what really stood out for me was the way it was shot: the symmetry of the Lumon offices, the attention to detail, and how they make something so stark and bleak look oddly beautiful. The whole thing was an unsettling joy to watch. I can't wait for Season 3. PODCAST: Louis Theroux I'm a huge fan of Louis Theroux, and I'm so excited his podcast is back, the aptly named The Louis Theroux Podcast. I've only listened to the Bella Ramsey episode so far, but honestly, he could talk to a wall and I'd still tune in. I just love everything about him; his awkward humour, the way he disarms his guests, and how effortlessly he gets people to talk. He recently released a very important documentary called The Settlers, which everyone should watch. FESTIVAL: Culture Night I love Culture Night in Dublin each September – there's such a buzz, and it really brings the city to life. My favourite part is wandering between free events, discovering new artists and chatting to creatives from all disciplines. I always finish the night with a pint and a toasted sambo in Grogan's – it's my little tradition.
BreakingNews.ie
27-05-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Permanent night-time welfare zone to be introduced in Dublin city centre
A permanent welfare zone for people on nights out in Dublin city centre is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks. The measure, which includes medics and security staff, was piloted on Culture Night and over Christmas. Advertisement Speaking on Newstalk, Dublin's night-time economy advisor, Ray O'Donoghue, said it will be available for people who run into trouble. "Hopefully that will be up and running again in the next couple of weeks," he said. "It should hopefully deter anti-social behaviour and just give people somewhere to go as opposed to A&E or the Garda station and so on." When the initiative was piloted at Christmas, O'Donoghue said one of its aims was to take pressure off gardaí and hospitals to deal with more serious issues. The initiative is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
New bus tour lifts the lid on working life inside Dublin Port
If you've ever wondered what goes on beyond the tall fences and busy terminals, a new guided bus tour now gives the public a rare front-row seat to the heart of Ireland's busiest shipping hub. Running every Wednesday throughout May and June, the hour-long tour peels back the curtain on the sprawling 300-hectare site, where €165bn worth of freight and over 1.6 million passengers move through each year. Visitors are taken past towering container ships and oil depots, and lesser-known corners such as the Brexit inspection yards. 'It's really about letting the public in to see just how busy the operations are that go on here,' said Lar Joye, Dublin Port's Heritage Director. 'We get a mixed crowd, retired Dublin Port staff, locals who've been looking in at the port all their life, tourists, retired groups, even school kids. 'Before this, we only did tours if they were requested, but this summer we're testing it out properly.' The tour begins at the Substation, a restored electrical facility perched above the original East Wall seawall from 1728. Glass panels underfoot reveal the old granite foundations, a striking reminder of how the port steadily reclaimed land from the sea and extended eastwards. But the real show begins once the bus rolls down Alexandra Road and into the restricted zone of Ocean Pier. Here, the scale of the port comes into view as giant cranes swing into action, car carriers edge into tight berths, and customs officers oversee a non-stop flow of cargo. The guide on our tour is Anthony Finnegan, who spent nearly three decades working here, beginning as an apprentice in 1979. 'When I started, you'd be put in the cranes for three months, then into the machine shop, then the marine section,' he said. 'It was a real education. I learned from some extremely good people. 'You could see some were here just for the job, but there were others who truly loved it, who had a real passion. That made a big impression on me and taught me so much,' he added. Now retired, Anthony is often struck by how younger generations are rediscovering the port through these tours. 'I had kids the other day telling me their grandfather worked on the Ro-Ro jetty, and one girl said her mam's a stevedore, which is amazing,' he said. 'You get kids who've never been behind the gates before, and suddenly they're pointing out where their family worked.' Along the route, the tour allows visitors to hop off at the Dublin Port Greenway, a two-kilometre walking and cycling path with sweeping views across the Dublin Bay Biosphere. 'When they see the Greenway, they're blown away, they've no idea it's even there,' Anthony said. 'There's still this sense of hesitation, people think they're not allowed into the port, even at the Substation. But we've done Culture Night, Open House Dublin, and people love it. 'Now we're saying: it's open. Come and see it,' he added.
RTÉ News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Drogheda businesses taking part in trial late-night hours
Four businesses with a café offering in Drogheda are to trial keeping their doors open late into the night as part of an initiative to promote and diversify the town's late-night entertainment offering. It comes as the initial results of a survey conducted by Louth County Council have shown that people want more choice in how they spend their evenings. Over 73% of the 1,238 people who responded to the Drogheda by Night 2025 public consultation have said they would like to see more late-opening cafés. Meanwhile, 670 respondents said they would welcome more non-alcoholic or alcohol-light options in the town centre at night. As a result, four local businesses with a café offering will stay open late into the night on Friday 30 May and Friday 20 June. The local businesses are The Coffee Box, Il Forno, Loaf'd, and The Bare Food Café. Each venue will host a free, curated evening of live music, poetry, spoken word, and conversation. A spokesperson for Louth County Council has said: "These cafés are championing a more diverse night-time offering and helping trial what a more balanced evening economy might look like. They added each business will create "welcoming, relaxed spaces where people can enjoy the town differently." The 'Night Moves' initiative forms part of a new cultural programme led and produced by Droichead Arts Centre - curated by singer-songwriter SJ McArdle - in collaboration with Drogheda's Night-Time Economy Adviser and supported by the Purple Flag partnership group. Purple Flag is an international accreditation programme that aims to reward those who "help create safe and thriving locations at night for all users." The idea builds on a smaller 'Night Moves' trial that took place on Culture Night last year, when two cafés opened late with artistic performances. Il Forno hosted a pop-up opera night while The Coffee Box has continued to trial late-night events. The Night-Time Economy Adviser for Drogheda at Louth County Council, Mark Davies said the move was an important step forward in further developing the town's night-life and was based on the feedback they had received from the public. He said: "It's not about replacing anything - our pubs and bars are a vital part of Drogheda's nightlife - it's about adding to the mix and creating the kind of town centre where more people want to spend time. "We're not just testing ideas, we're seeing real signs that a more varied evening economy will benefit everyone. Drogheda is helping lead the way, showing that when you listen to people, back local businesses, and bring in creativity, good things happen. We'd love people to come out, enjoy the cafés, and be part of it," he added. Meanwhile, Collette Farrell, Director of Droichead Arts Centre, said: "There's something special about seeing familiar places take on a new energy after dark. These events are about working with local businesses and artists to bring warmth, creativity, connection, and a sense of possibility to the town at night." Organisers hope the model will inspire other venues in the town to come on board and help lay the foundation for a "more vibrant, sustainable evening culture." The 'Night Moves' cafés are being supported by the Drogheda Purple Flag group - a local partnership that brings together businesses, artists and public sector teams. The group also includes other hospitality venues, Drogheda and District Chamber, Love Drogheda BID, Droichead Arts Centre, and various departments within Louth County Council, who host and support the work of the Night-Time Economy Adviser. Drogheda is one of nine towns and cities across the country piloting new approaches to the night-time economy through a Government-funded initiative with Night-Time Economy Advisers testing ways to help these places adapt and thrive between 6pm and 6am.
