3 April 2023
Irish-Australian Arts Roundup
03/04/2023
This month’s arts roundup features SBS’s celebration of Irish cinema, recent Irish casting news, Folk Festivals and other dates for your diary. We also feature a save the date for an African and Irish music concert on Saturday 6th May.
Good craic: Celebrating Ireland on screen
SBS On Demand have put together a catalogue of Irish Films and TV that they promoted for St Patrick’s Day. Many of these movies and tv shows are still available to watch, including some Irish Film Festival favourites; ‘The Guard‘ from the 2023 Outdoor Irish Film Festival, ‘Calm with Horses‘ from the 2020 Irish Film Festival, and ‘Redemption of a Rogue‘ and ‘An Cailín Ciúin‘ from the 2022 Irish Film Festival.
Irish Casting News
Hot off their Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively, Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan are set to star in the Hollywood blockbuster that is Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ sequel.
Speaking to Deadline, Ridley Scott said: “We have a good footprint, a good, logical place to go. You can’t just do another Gladiator type movie. There’s enough components from the first one to pick up the ball and continue it.”
Gladiator 2 is currently set to arrive in cinemas on Friday, November 22nd, 2024.
Read more here. 
‘Small Things Like These’ by Claire Keegan is a book-to-film adaptation that is being produced by and stars Cillian Murphy; “I’m honoured and thrilled to have the opportunity to bring Claire Keegan’s magnificent novel to the screen”.
Murphy will star alongside Ciaran Hinds and Emily Watson in this tale about a coal merchant, Billy Furlong in a small Irish town in 1985. A discovery before Christmas reveals secrets about his past, home, and current life.
Claire Keegan’s literary work has been adapted to screen before with her novella ‘Foster’ being the inspiration for BAFTA and Oscar nominated film ‘An Cailín Ciúin’.
Small Things Like These is expected to arrive in cinemas in 2024.
Read more here.
Afro-Irish Music Project
(Save the Date!)
The Irish Film Festival have teamed up with the Irish National Association and the Africultures Festival to present a music event which mixes Irish music with Ghanaian music and dancing. The gig will happen on May 6th at the Gaelic Club and brings together Irish and African musicians who will perform both solo and also on new material which they have devised together.
The Irish musicians are Ros Donovan (fiddle, guitar, vocals), Oli Cechini (uileann pipes), Cam Samy (accordion, vocals), Carissa Lee (guitar), João Almeida (flute, pipes). The Ghanaian musicians are Karifi, an 8 piece ensemble who feature singing, chanting and drumming.
The project also features a video and website which explore the experience of migration to Australia.
National Folk Festival
Over the Easter weekend (6-10 April) the National Folk Festival will be taking place at the EPIC Exhibition Park in Canberra.
This year celebrates 31 years of the festival that showcases the Australian folk (including traditional Celtic) culture through music, dance and storytelling.Enjoy over 100+ acts which include award-winning artists, exclusive concerts, emerging artists, and celebrating some of our greatest musicians.
Irish musicians and dancers include Austral, Luke Plumb Band, Sydney Ceili Dancers and Melbourne Comhaltas.
In addition to that, there will be food, a bar, a session bar, market stalls, a circus, orchestras, workshops, comedy, spoken word, etc. and the folkies would also get a chance to engage themselves with some art, craft, and dancing.
https://www.folkfestival.org.au/
St Albans Folk Festival
The St Albans Folk Festival will be taking place on the 21st – 23rd of April in the country town of St Albans (approx. 2h drive north of Sydney).
All venues are a leisurely stroll from the campsite and the heart of the festival, and the village of St Albans in the Macdonald Valley has the historic Settler’s Arms pub and the Pickled Wombat cafe.
We host a range of market stalls that offer food, clothes, instruments etc.
Traditional Celtic Musicians include Eimíle Brí, Kejafi and The Full Irish.
https://stalbansfolkfestival.com.au/
Áine Tyrrell Music News
What started as a joke after losing merch and new vinyl in the floods is now a reality. ‘Return to the Sea, Flood Edition’ was created with the help of Kate Stroud with Áine and Kate going through the damaged vinyl, polishing off the least damaged units, saving and packing them up.
140 units were made and over half have already sold online. If you’d like a copy they are available for ‘pay what you can’ and each is marked with their individual number.
Buy the vinyl here: https://www.ainetyrrell.com/product/835202
Now’s your chance to see Áine Tyrrell live!
Áine is going to tour in April, May and June. The first show is on Friday the 21st of April in Glebe. You can check out more more information and dates here.
High praise for Lankum’s new album
The Guardian’s Folk Album of the Month goes to the new release by Lankum and consolidates the Dublin band as the leading folk combo in the country today. Combining vocal harmonies with hurdy gurdies and uileann pipes the new album proves, once again, that Lankum are the new future of Irish folk.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/17/lankum-false-lankum-review-folk-rough-trade
More Events For Your Diary
Thursday 6th April, 7:00pm
Club Hibernia: harp & fiddle
Award winning duo Catriona McKay & Chris Stout
Supported by Kejafi
Sydney Opera House, The Utzon Room
Bookings: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/events/whats-on/Contemporary-Music/2023/catriona-mckay-and-chris-stout.html
Sunday 9th April, 3:00pm
Irish Monument Easter Commemoration
Of men and women who fought for Irish independence
Waverly Cemetery, meet at top gate NW corner
Information: pauldove9@gmail.com
More about the Monument:
https://thebeast.com.au/other/local-history-irish-monument-waverley-cemetery/#
Thursday 13th April, 6:30pm
‘African American Entertainers in Australia and New Zealand’ Book Launch
Presentation includes 30 minutes video clips of historic performers
Irish Gaelic Club, 1/64 Devonshire St Surry Hills NSW 2010
Close to Central Station and public transport
Venue is on top floor; Lift available for mobility limited
Drinks & light refreshments can be purchased from the bar
RSVP: wegan@pcug.org.au
For information on book see: tinyurl.com/46777p79
Enda Murray
Director Irish Film Festival
