Event of the week
Against All Certainty: A Celebration of Michael D Higgins
Friday, September 5th, NCH, Dublin, 7.30pm. €85/€65/€50 (sold out), nch.ie
As Michael D Higgins approaches the end of his terms as President of Ireland – he leaves office in November – this appropriately dignified hooley features a who’s who of Irish artists. Hosted by Tommy Tiernan, the evening will focus on Higgins’s poetry (a spoken-word album of which Claddagh Records is releasing, under the same name, on the day of this concert), with readings by Paula Meehan, Sebastian Barry, Imelda May, God Knows, Ryan Tubridy, Panti Bliss and Olwen Fouéré, all accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra. There will also be music from Myles O’Reilly, Paul Brady, Martin Hayes, Mary Coughlan, Niamh Bury, Muireann Bradley, Andy Irvine, Brían Mac Gloinn and Ronan Ó Snodaigh.
Gigs
Blondshell
Tuesday, September 2nd, Button Factory, Dublin, 8pm, €24.90, ticketmaster.ie
The Los Angeles indie-rock singer and songwriter Blondshell, aka Sabrina Teitelbaum, has been rightly basking in the warmth of the reception to her self-titled album from 2023, a “euphoric alt-rock record”, according to Clash magazine. If You Asked for a Picture, which came out in May, offers more of the same, albeit from an artist who is, Teitelbaum says, “more comfortable with nuance ... with grey areas”. Fans of Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail and Boygenius should make a beeline for this one.
Nick Mulvey
Thursday, September 4th, Nerve Centre, Derry, 8pm, £23, nervecentre.org; Friday, September 5th, TF Royal Hotel & Theatre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, 8pm, €29.50, tfroyal.ie
A former member of the Mercury Prize-nominated Portico Quartet, Nick Mulvey has long since developed a distinctive style that blends folk and its many strands with an acutely personal worldview shaped by relationships and deep faith. He’ll be performing songs from his back catalogue alongside tracks from his new album, Dark Harvest: Pt 1. His tour continues with shows on Saturday, September 6th (Mandela Hall, Belfast), Monday, September 8th, and Tuesday, September 9th (Vicar Street, Dublin), Thursday, September 11th (Set Theatre, Kilkenny), Friday, September 12th (Dolans, Limerick), Saturday, September 13th (Róisín Dubh, Galway) and Sunday, September 14th (Live at St Luke’s, Cork).
Seán Corcoran Series
Friday-Sunday, September 5th-7th, Drogheda, Co Louth, various venues, times and prices (most events free), seancorcoranseries.com
The diverse work and significant influence of the Drogheda-born traditional musician and folklorist Seán Corcoran will be celebrated in music, conversation, poetry and literature. Highlights include poetry readings by Susan Connolly and Rafael Mendes (Saturday, September 6th, Old Methodist Church, 1pm, free/booking required) and the historian Dónal Fallon in conversation with the conservation architect Gráinne Shaffrey (Sunday, September 7th, Highlanes Gallery, 1pm, €6). The event’s headline concert, Oíche Airneáil (Saturday, September 6th, St Augustine’s Church, 7.30pm, €25) features the experimental sean-nós singer Róis, the dancer Edwina Guckian, the writer John Banville and the concertina player Sárán Mulligan.
RM Block
Festival
The Island Drift
Friday-Sunday, September 5th-7th, Garinish Island, Glengarriff, Co Cork, various venues, times and prices, theislanddrift.com
If a certain drinks company did intimate gatherings involving musicians, writers, poets, nature walks, ornithology talks, interviews and discussions, then Island Drift could be the outcome. Evening shows feature Susan O’Neill (Friday, September 5th, 6.30pm, €44), the Blindboy Podcast (Saturday, September 6th, 6.30pm, €44) and Declan O’Rourke (Sunday, September 7th, 6.30pm, €49). Other events include a walking tour with Garinish Island’s head gardener, Glyn Sherratt (Saturday, September 6th/Sunday, September 7th, 11am), the writer Kevin Barry (Saturday, September 6th, 2pm), a conversational two-hander with Cónal Creedon and Mairéad Hearne (Sunday, September 7th, noon) and readings by Victoria Kennefick and Sarah Harte (Sunday, September 7th, 3pm).
Comedy
Michael McIntyre
Tuesday & Wednesday, September 2nd & 3rd, TF Royal Hotel & Theatre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, 8pm, €75/€67.45/€59.85, tfroyal.ie; Thursday & Friday, September 4th & 5th, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin, 7pm, €75/€67.45, ticketmaster.ie
A frequent visitor to Ireland, Michael McIntyre has gained a reputation for relatable comedy routines so polished you can see your face in them. Slick is the word, but, despite the suited-and-booted style, McIntyre’s skill is in cramming his shows with so many jokes about the idiosyncrasies of human behaviour that there’s barely time to process them. For die-hard fans, these smaller venues will provide a more intimate look at a man aficionados regard as the leader of observational comedy.
Spoken word
John Lydon: I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right
Thursday, September 4th, Market Place, Armagh, 7.30pm, £38; Friday, September 5th, Mandela Hall, Belfast, 7.30pm, £46.20, johnlydon.com
The former Sex Pistols and long-time Public Image Ltd lead singer delivers a solo spoken-word show, taking questions from the audience and answering them in his singular, sometimes abrasive, often amusing way. The tour continues with visits to Coleraine, Derry, Dundalk, Cavan, Ballybofey, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny and Cork. For those so inclined, €100 tickets get you admission with a preshow meet and greet, autograph, photograph and goody bag. Ah, did we ever think?
Still running
Spike Island Literary Festival
From Friday, September 5th, until Sunday, September 7th, Cobh, Co Cork, various times, €49.95/€27.95, spikeislandcork.ie
Spike Island Literary Festival’s compelling programme focuses on crime writing and how to create immersive, exciting reading experiences out of ostensibly ordinary events. Guest speakers include Sam Blake, Stuart Neville, Louise Phillips, Andrea Mara and Amanda Cassidy.
Book it this week
Greg Davies, Vicar Street, Dublin, October 17th-19th, ticketmaster.ie
Lottery Winners, Grand Social, Dublin, November 29th, ticketmaster.ie
Kesha, 3Arena, Dublin, March 21st, ticketmaster.ie
All Together Now, Curraghmore Estate, Co Waterford, July 30th-August 3rd, ticketmaster.ie
