{"id":71925,"date":"2025-09-18T18:39:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T18:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/71925\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T18:39:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T18:39:07","slug":"dublin-theatre-festival-dermot-kennedy-stand-up-for-gaza-and-the-other-best-things-to-see-in-ireland-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/71925\/","title":{"rendered":"Dublin Theatre Festival, Dermot Kennedy, Stand Up for Gaza and the other best things to see in Ireland \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Event of the weekDublin Theatre FestivalFrom Thursday, September 25th, until Sunday, October 12th, various venues, times and prices, dublintheatrefestival.ie<\/a><\/p>\n

The 68th edition of Dublin Theatre Festival addresses issues both big and small, global and local in a programme that, according to artistic director R\u00f3ise Goan, \u201cpushes the boundaries of what theatre can be, and everything in between, without apology\u201d. Must-sees include Druid\u2019s production of Macbeth (with Marie Mullen and Marty Rea, Gaiety Theatre, September 25th-October 5th), Whitewashing (Project Arts Centre, September 25th-27th), The Boy (Abbey Theatre, September 27th-October 11th), Poor (Gate Theatre, September 26th-October 12th) and Three Sisters (Dra\u00edocht, October 4th). \u201cSometimes you might be pushed to even ask, Is it theatre?,\u201d Goan adds. \u201cWe respect the canon, and we burst it open.\u201d<\/p>\n

GigsDermot KennedySunday, September 21st, Ulster Hall, Belfast, 7pm, \u00a360.50 (sold out); Monday, September 22nd, 3Olympia Theatre, 7pm, \u20ac61.35\/\u20ac56.35 (sold out); Tuesday, September 23rd, 3Olympia Theatre, 7pm, \u20ac61.35\/\u20ac56.35 (sold out), ticketmaster.ie<\/a><\/p>\n

Dermot Kennedy<\/a> returns to Ireland for a series of \u201cspecial intimate\u201d gigs. The singer-songwriter was last here a few weeks ago, at Electric Picnic, where he was the (genuinely surprising) special guest singer with members of The Cranberries. These solo shows form part of a broader UK and US tour that will see Kennedy preview new material from his forthcoming, as-yet-untitled album, a taster of which is the multimillion-streaming single Let Me In.<\/p>\n

The DelinesTuesday, September 23rd, Whelan\u2019s, Dublin, 8pm, \u20ac35, whelanslive.com; Wednesday, September 24th, Cyprus Avenue, Cork, 7pm, \u20ac30, cyprusavenue.ie<\/a>; Thursday, September 25th, Bank Lane, Waterford, 8pm, \u20ac32.50, banklane.ie<\/a>\"TheThe Delines <\/p>\n

If you remember Richmond Fontaine, the four-piece from Portland, Oregon, you\u2019ll probably recognise their connection with The Delines. It\u2019s the acclaimed novelist and songwriter Willy Vlautin, whose evocative writing has won him accolades in each genre, including, most recently, the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Fronted by Amy Boone, the band channels Vlautin\u2019s Americana-fuelled loneliness and fearful, cheerless acceptance. At these gigs they\u2019ll be performing selected songs from their six albums, including this year\u2019s Mr Luck and Ms Doom.<\/p>\n

Self EsteemWednesday, September 24th, 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 7pm, \u20ac44.20\/\u20ac39.20, ticketmaster.ie\"SelfSelf Esteem <\/p>\n

Self Esteem, aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor, has been a consistent cultural presence since she released the track I Do This All the Time<\/a>, in 2021. She now has three albums under her belt, as well as a career in musicals \u2013 she played Sally Bowles in the West End revival of Cabaret. Alongside live shows, next month sees the publication of A Complicated Woman (also the title of her latest album), Taylor\u2019s debut book of observational essays and vignettes.<\/p>\n

Dave Redmond All in Motion QuartetThursday, September 25th, Cooler, Smithfield, Dublin, 7.30pm, \u20ac18, improvisedmusic.ie<\/a>; Friday, September 27th, Scott\u2019s Jazz Club, Belfast, 8pm, \u00a316.85, scottsjazzclub.com<\/a>\"DaveDave Redmond. Photograph: Louis Scully <\/p>\n

Dave Redmond, the Irish bassist and composer, is a go-to jazzer for the likes of Van Morrison and Guy Barker \u2013 and when he leads, rather than collaborates, he\u2019s in a compositional league of his own. Accompanied by George Colligan on piano, St\u00e9phane Mercier on saxophone and Darren Beckett on drums, Redmond is plugging his new album, All in Motion, with a batch of tour dates you\u2019re advised to take note of. (Also, Thursday, October 2nd, Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co Meath, 8pm, \u20ac15, solsticeartscentre.ie<\/a>)<\/p>\n

ClassicalNew Ross Piano FestivalFrom Wednesday, September 24th, until Sunday, September 28th, St Mary\u2019s Church, New Ross, Co Wexford, newrosspianofestival.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Expect an extended weekend of acclaimed soloists, duos and quartets; showcases for young pianists; collaborative masterclasses; emerging talent in the popular Coffee Concerts series; and performances by Irish virtuosos such as John O\u2019Conor and Finghin Collins (the festival\u2019s artistic director). The 19th edition also features two Irish debuts: the German-Greek pianist Danae D\u00f6rken and the Hungarian pianist Daniel Lebhardt. The latter will perform selections by Liszt in the festival\u2019s finale, on Sunday, September 28th, which also features Collins and the Castalian Quartet performing Dvorak\u2019s Piano Quintet.<\/p>\n

ComedyStand Up for GazaSaturday, September 20th, Vicar Street, Dublin, 7pm, \u20ac30 (sold out), ticketmaster.ie<\/p>\n

Facilitated by Irish Artists for Palestine, an alliance of artists raising funds to meet medical and humanitarian needs in Gaza, this performance features some of the biggest names in Irish comedy. Confirmed names so far include Aisling Bea, Kyla Cobbler, Peter McGann, Fiona Frawley, Duane Doogan and Rosie O\u2019Donnell.<\/p>\n

Visual artAnna McKeever: Full BeamFrom Thursday, September 25th, until Monday, October 20th, Gormleys Gallery, Dublin, free, gormleys.ie<\/a><\/p>\n

Five years ago Anna McKeever switched careers from medicine \u2013 she was a doctor specialising in psychiatry \u2013 to art. Once she began posting images of her work on Instagram, it didn\u2019t take long for inquiries to arrive about her big, vibrant, semi-abstract pieces, which delve into themes of identity, landscape, connection and myth. This is McKeever\u2019s first significant solo exhibition in Dublin after several sell-out showings in Belfast. <\/p>\n

Still runningWrite by the SeaFrom Friday, September 26th, until Sunday, September 28th, Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford, various venues, times and prices, writebythesea.ie<\/a>\"MarianMarian Keyes <\/p>\n

The waft of sea air and the wisdom of the written word inform this annual celebration of established and emerging authors. Now in its 10th year, this intimate literary festival features, among others, Claire Keegan, Garrett Carr, Lara Marlowe, Colum McCann, Joseph O\u2019Connor, Dermot Bolger, Wendy Erskine, John Banville, Marian Keyes, Eimear McBride and Mike McCormick. <\/p>\n

Book it this week<\/p>\n

Galway Comedy Festival, October 21st-27th, galwaycomedyfestival.ie<\/a><\/p>\n

Inhaler, Dublin Castle, December 31st, ticketmaster.ie<\/p>\n

Top Hat, Bord G\u00e1is Energy Theatre, Dublin, January 27th-31st, ticketmaster.ie<\/p>\n

David Gray, Live at the Marquee, Cork, June 13th-14th, ticketmaster.ie<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Event of the weekDublin Theatre FestivalFrom Thursday, September 25th, until Sunday, October 12th, various venues, times and prices,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":71926,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[27461,43857,18,117,19,17,49495,27486],"class_list":{"0":"post-71925","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-dermot-kennedy","9":"tag-dublin-theatre-festival","10":"tag-eire","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-ie","13":"tag-ireland","14":"tag-new-ross-piano-festival","15":"tag-self-esteem"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}