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From Saturday week next, the 5th to the 13th of August, the inaugural BallaghDream Arts Festival gets underway in Ballaghaderreen Co. Roscommon.
The 9 day festival aims to bring the most talented artists, in various disciplines to Ballaghaderreen and its environs and to provide a platform for local talent to shine.
Ballaghaderreen Players production of John B Keane’s Big Maggie will be staged on Bank Holiday Monday, 7th August. There will also be lots of local artists exhibiting in the Art and Poetry trail which brings shop windows and derelict buildings around the town to life with artworks and poetry.
Irish Trad band Lúnasa, Matt Molloy & John Carty and world champion Irish dancer Ronan Kelly, all perform on Wednesday 9th. Classical pianist John O’Conor is joined by cellist Ailbhe McDonagh on Thursday 10th. Two of Ireland’s top electronic artists, Daithí and Mayo native Elaine Mai are joined by local live looping artist Death Milkshake on Friday 11th. On the same day, there will be a GAA panel discussion featuring Mayo legends Cora Staunton and Andy Moran alongside Joe Brolly, Seanie McDermott and John O Mahony .
During the second weekend of the festival (11th-13th) at Edmondstown house there are performances of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by UK based Theatre Company The Pilgrim Players. Throughout the week there will be other theatre performances, art, creative writing and Music software workshops, a program of children’s workshops and a battle of the bands competition.
It will come to a close on Sunday 13th of August with a comedy night that features UK comic Joe Thomas, best known for his role as Simon in the UK sit-com The Inbetweeners.