An estimated 5,000 visitors descended on East Clare over the June Bank Holiday weekend to experience FLIGHT, the 30th edition of the Mountshannon Arts Festival.
For five days, the small East Clare village became the setting for one of Ireland’s most ambitious community-led arts festivals, bringing together music, visual art, performances, literature, workshops and family events across 15 venues.
For five days, Mountshannon once again demonstrated how a small village can host a Festival of national significance. Nearly all ticketed events were booked out, galleries reported significant footfall, and the Mountshannon Community Market proved a major success despite occasionally challenging weather conditions. Throughout the weekend, visitors moved between exhibitions, performances, workshops and outdoor events, creating a lively atmosphere across the village from morning until evening.
Music once again formed one of the pillars of the Festival. Large crowds gathered at Aistear Park for performances by Denise Chaila and Leah Song, while audiences also enjoyed sets by Sive, Leon Hayes, Kenan Flannery and many others throughout the weekend. Landless drew a capacity audience to the Church of Ireland on Friday evening with their acclaimed vocal harmonies and contemporary interpretations of traditional song. Saturday evening saw Earl Okin delight the audience in the Community Hall with his unique blend of music, humour and storytelling, while Paul Chambers brought late-night energy to the Hall on Sunday with a set shaped by electronic music and dancefloor sounds.
The opening night at the Church of Ireland set the tone for the Festival with memorable performances by Satakieli and Aindrias de Staic. Across the following days, visitors encountered everything from the rhythmic energy of RRRingelus with Slavek Kwi and the movement workshops of Brazilian dancer Yves Lorrhan to the hugely popular BOOM Show, where Swiss percussionist Urs Wenk and his collection of nearly 40 drums drew children and adults alike into a joyful world of rhythm and participation.
Performances and spoken word also played a central role throughout FLIGHT. Sunday audiences were captivated by Mikel Murfi’s acclaimed one-man show. Literature and spoken word were strongly represented throughout the Festival, with events featuring Colm Keegan, June O’Sullivan, M.A. Purcell and Noelle Lynskey as well as the popular local poetry sessions bringing writers and audiences together across the village.
Visual arts remained at the heart of the Festival, with exhibitions, installations and demonstrations spread throughout Mountshannon. Visitors explored exhibitions at the Market House, Aistear Building, Anita’s and The Snug, and many artists reported strong interest and sales.
Public art also played an important role during FLIGHT. Kevin Bohan’s Words in Flight mural attracted considerable attention throughout the weekend. The work was inspired by workshops led by poet Dagogo Hart with students from Scariff Community College, exploring themes of flight, freedom, belonging and identity. Poems and texts created during the workshops were exhibited at The Snug, while visitors could watch the mural develop in Aistear Park.
“We had heard about the Mountshannon Arts Festival while travelling around Ireland – and we decided to change our plans and come to East Clare. It’s absolutely fantastic. The organisation is great, there are so many events, our kids love it too. The surroundings, the park, the lake – and the weather doesn’t matter a bit.”
Lars Hendrik, Germany
The Festival concluded on Monday evening at St Caimin’s Catholic Church with the premiere of Beneath My Garden, an ambitious new work written and organised by Whitegate’s Liam Glass. Combining traditional Irish music, rock influences, mythology and history, the production took audiences on a time-travelling journey through Ireland’s past.
Performed by Liam Glass, Michael Kelly, Cathal Moloney, Cathal Keenan, Dan Larkin, Denise Glass, Yuki Nishioka-Dalton and Lisa Glass, the production received an enthusiastic response from a packed audience. Particularly notable was the strong local involvement, with the performers and musicians coming from Whitegate, Mountshannon and the wider East Clare region, underlining the depth of artistic talent within the community itself.
One visitor described the performance as: “Dramatic, wonderful. I hope Liam is planning more shows so that many people can enjoy this absolutely outstanding work.”
Mel White, Chairperson of Mountshannon Arts, thanked everyone involved in making the Festival possible. “The Mountshannon Arts Festival has always been community-driven, community-inspired and community-led. On behalf of the organising committee, I would like to thank every volunteer, artist, sponsor, supporter, venue owner, local business and visitor who helped make the 30th edition such a success.
“What happened in Mountshannon over the June Bank Holiday weekend shows what can be achieved when a community works together. We are deeply grateful to everyone who played a part.”
As FLIGHT comes to a close, Mountshannon Arts is already looking ahead to the 2027 Festival, which will take place under the theme COURAGE / MISNEACH.
Mountshannon Arts is a community-based, volunteer-led organisation dedicated to fostering creativity, supporting local and visiting artists, and enriching cultural life in East Clare. Through the annual Mountshannon Arts Festival, public art projects such as the Mountshannon Art Trail, and year-round collaborations with schools, community groups and international partners, the organisation aims to make art accessible to all and to celebrate the unique spirit of Mountshannon, East Clare and Lough Derg.