Stellar line up of Limerick events to celebrate Irish culture
There will be a series of cultural events across Limerick city and county to mark Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union
A SPECIAL traditional music event is planned for an iconic venue in Limerick as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
On September 12 and 13, the EU Walls Project will get underway at King John’s Castle with contemporary street art and graffiti workshops and Sionna and Trad Folkin’ Rocks Presents will perform at the castle for a live outdoor music event on Friday, September 18 for Culture Night.
The performance will bring together traditional music, folk innovation and alternative rock, all set against the backdrop of the city’s most historic landmark.
The hands-on graffiti and street art workshops led by mural artists and facilitators will introduce young people to the creative processes around spray painting, sketch development, colour layering and large-scale composition.
The project will also invite communities across Ireland to nominate a permanent wall for a landmark mural celebrating Ireland’s EU Presidency, creating a lasting public artwork reflecting themes of cultural exchange, connection and shared creativity.
Ireland holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union until December and Cultúr 2026: Sharing Ireland’s Culture, is the official programme of events, supported by a €5 million Government investment.
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan said: “Our culture is rooted in people and place, in our artists, our language, our heritage and our communities. Through Cultúr 2026, we are creating opportunities for people to come together, experience the arts and celebrate the culture we share.”
There are set to be a number of events in the city and in the county in Rathkeale, Kilmallock, Newcastle West and Askeaton.
The Irish Palatine Museum in Rathkeale will highlight the story of early Irish-German migration dating back to 1709, while a Culture Night guided walk on September 18 will explore the footsteps of German writer Heinrich Böll and other German connections with Limerick.
On September 21, the Glucksman Library at the University of Limerick will host a tour exploring its unique collection of Irish-German material, while the Irish premiere of Deirdre Kinahan’s REFUGE at the Lime Tree Theatre from September 24-26 will tell the story of a community fleeing persecution in Germany and offered land in Rathkeale in 1710, exploring connections between displaced communities of the past and those seeking safety today.
Young people will also take centre stage on Friday, September 25, when County Limerick Youth Theatre presents a special EU Youth Presentation at Friars’ Gate Theatre in Kilmallock at 4pm. The event will share a performance video from the Youth Theatre’s Erasmus Plus project alongside local stakeholders, exploring the EU Youth Goals and what it means to be European.
From October 1-4, Éigse Michael Hartnett Literary Festival in Newcastle West will put Irish-European cultural exchange at the heart of its programme. An EU-themed opening parade on 1 October will see children and young people create banners and streamers inspired by the colours of EU flags before parading from the Square to the Longcourt House Hotel.
That evening, a Gala Opening Concert will bring together German classical and modern music with Irish music, song and poetry, featuring a chamber string orchestra, author Hugo Hamilton and the Broadford Youth Choir.
On October 3, award-winning author Donal Ryan, recipient of the Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature, will read and discuss his work, while on October 4 , Arán agus Brot will see chef Tom Flavin explore the history and cultural significance of bread in the life and culture of Ireland and Germany.
The programme continues at Friars’ Gate Theatre in Kilmallock on October 13 with Cómhrá agus Konversation, an Irish and German tea morning in collaboration with Coláiste Iósaef. Irish- and German-speaking students will lead discussions in both languages around traditional culture, bringing language learning out of the classroom and into a shared cultural setting.
On October 17, traditional Irish storytelling will bring generations together as a seanchaí works with young and older people, celebrating Ireland’s oral storytelling tradition.
November brings a further series of participatory events to Kilmallock. Poetry-writing workshops on November 3, 10, 17 and 24 will culminate in participants’ work being projected onto the Friars’ Gate Theatre building, bringing poetry into the public realm and inviting people into the cultural space.
On November 14, an intercultural event with Ballyhoura Comhaltas will offer a free, interactive public workshop in traditional Irish dancing and music, giving participants an opportunity to experience and share Ireland’s traditional culture.
On November 21, a Lough Gur pottery workshop will bring members of the German community together to create work inspired by traditional Irish and German symbols, further exploring the connections between the two cultures through craft and making.
Visual art and Limerick’s centuries-old relationship with continental Europe will also be celebrated in Askeaton through Remnants, a public artwork and sculpture trail by artists and stonecarvers David Beattie and Stephen Burke. Small stone sculptures will be installed at locations throughout the town, created in collaboration with the local community.
The project draws on Askeaton’s long history of cultural exchange, when trade and culture travelled from France and Spain along the Shannon Estuary to Askeaton Castle. It will also highlight the Desmond-Valois treaty, signed in Askeaton in 1523, described in the programme as the first formal agreement between Ireland and mainland Europe. Through Remnants, Askeaton Contemporary Arts continues that tradition of international exchange, bringing contemporary artists and communities together to explore the rich life, histories and landscape of West Limerick.
Together, Limerick’s Cultúr 2026 events celebrate the distinctive creativity, heritage and cultural life of the city and county – from contemporary street art and live music at King John’s Castle and literature in Newcastle West, to youth culture in Kilmallock and centuries of European connections in Rathkeale and Askeaton – bringing the spirit of Ireland’s Presidency home and creating new opportunities for exchange and connection.