The Waterboys, Ron Sexsmith, The Proclaimers, Boz Scaggs, Damien Dempsey, Denis Bovell, Emmett Tinley, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – just a handful of the musical fare on offer at this year’s Galway Arts Festival which kicks off on Tuesday July 15 and continues till Sunday July 27. But as always, the leading arts festival in the Republic of Ireland is about much more than music and Galway Arts, now in its 26th year, celebrates the very best in contemporary culture from around the world with a strong focus this year on Irish and international theatre, music, literature and the visual arts.

Waterboys (pictured) Tour Galway
Without doubt one of the musical highlights of the festival this year is sure to be The Waterboys’ “Tour of Galway” which sees the band continue their special relationship with the west of Ireland in a unique series of gigs taking place in venues such as Druid, The Roisin Dubh and the Radisson Hotel along with workshops and a special recital in the atmospheric St. Nicholas’ Church by keyboard player Richard Naiff.

Another must-see at Galway is an appearance by recent hotpress cover-star Damien Dempsey currently basking in the critical stratosphere following the release of his second album and almost everyone’s’ favourite record this year, Seize The Day.

White soul par excellence comes to The Radisson Hotel in the shape of the truly legendary Boz Scaggs who came to prominence in the 1970s with a slew of classic albums.

Fans of traditional and roots music won’t want to miss a concert celebrating the work of one of Ireland’s most influential musicians of the past 20 years, Arty McGlynn. It promises to be one of the musical highlights of the year with special guests including Paul Brady, Nollaig Casey, Liam O’Flynn, Sean Keane, Frankie Gavin and Matt Molloy to name but a few.

Theatre Nights
For the first time since 1985 a new Tom Murphy play will premiere in Galway, The Drunkard is a production in association with Galway Arts Festival, directed by Lynne Parker, with a cast including Stephen Brennan and Pauline McLynn. Macnas present The Mysteries, a spectacular re-imagining of the Biblical Medieval Plays, in co-production with Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre, which will take place outdoors in the grounds of Galway University.

The Festival continues its creative relationship with Chicago’s world-renowned Steppenwolf who make a welcome return to Galway with Purple Heart, a new play by Bruce Norris featuring Steppenwolf ensemble member Laurie Metcalf. Local work being showcased in the international context of the Festival includes a new play by Little John Nee – a collaboration with Scotland’s Cumbernauld Theatre; Paris Texas, a live theatrical short of the award-winning film by Diarmuid De Faoite and new work from Teatro Punto, An Taibhdhearc, Catastrophe Theatre and Galway Youth Theatre.

Visual Eyes
Galway Arts Festival and Galway Arts Centre have entered into major collaboration for the first time to produce a unique visual art exhibition by Bavarian artist Nils-Udo. The Festival has also entered into collaboration with French artist Bernard Pras who creates new work at the Aula Maxima, NUIG, while the streets of Galway become an open-air canvas for his work, featuring images of 20th century cultural icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Albert Einstein and Che Guvera.

Talks and literary events
Among the most popular features of Galway Arts Festival programme this year are US social and political satirist Tom Tomorrow, Ireland’s Pat McCabe, reading from his forthcoming novel Call Me The Breeze, and a unique collaboration between actor Stephen Rea and musician Colin Reid which celebrates Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman in a special evening of words and music. Composer, author and playwright Willy Russell makes a rare appearance on stage to perform his new songs with special guests Tim Firth and Andy Roberts. Russell will also give a performed reading of his highly acclaimed hit play Shirley Valentine while writer and publisher John Calder will talk about the authors he has published including Beckett, Ionesco, Pirandello and Duras.

Comedy
The best of Irish comedy is also represented at Galway this year with a host of big names appearing, including Tommy Tiernan (pictured), Barry Murphy, Ian Coppinger, Dara O’Briain and Deirdre O’Kane. Children’s events include Peacemaker by the M6 Theatre Company, Puppets In The Wild from The Lempen Puppet Theatre and a special Festival Harry Potter Quiz with quizmistress extraordinaire Pauline McLynn.

The oyster is your world!

Once described as “one of the 12 greatest shows on earth, the Galway International Oyster Festival returns in September

Galway is lucky to have the best oyster beds in Ireland in the unpolluted waters of Brady Bay and Clarenbridge. The Galway International Oyster Festival, founded in 1954, is Ireland’s longest running festival and has been equated with the Munich Beer Festival and The Salzburg Spring Festival. The Sunday Times even named it as one of “The Twelve Greatest Shows on Earth”. More than 100,000 native oysters (Ostrea Edulis to you!) will be consumed over the duration of the festival which runs from September 26-29.

The annual highlight of the action-packed programme is the Guinness World Oyster Opening Championship, which takes place in the festival Marquee based at Nimmo’s Pier in Galway’s famous Claddagh village on Saturday September 28. Competitors, who come from every continent to challenge for the World Title, are asked to open 30 oysters in the shortest possible time. This year contestants are from Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the USA.

Of course it’s not just about oysters – throughout the festival many of Galway’s bars enter into the spirit of the fun, by organising their own free entertainment. Other events include the ‘Mard-Gras’ party, the Parade to the Marquee, the Oyster Festival Gala Ball and the selection of the Oyster ‘Pearl’.

“You need stamina and a good liver to enjoy all of the event,” says Festival Chairman John Holland. “However, for those who know how to pace themselves, it can be done. Nowhere else in the world do you get the unique combination of fun, friendly people, fine food and lively entertainment”.

Who could argue with that?