Carlow to host cultural events for EU presidency

COUNTY Carlow is set to host four cultural events during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union later this year, Carlow Co Council announced earlier in September.

The events will span heritage, literature, visual art and music and will celebrate Carlow’s rich cultural identity and its enduring connections with Europe. The programme has been developed in collaboration with artists, communities, organisers and cultural partners across the county, Carlow Co Council said.

On 9 October, which is European Day of Rock Art, there will be an event called Harmonious Carlow, which will celebrate the prehistoric rock art of the Blackstairs mountains. The event is organised by Carlow Heritage Office and Carlow Co Council Library Service. There will be children’s workshops with local artist Jules Michael and another for adults, led by Máiréad Holohan. Alongside the two workshops there will be a lecture by professor Muiris Ó Súilleabháin on what we know about the Blackstairs mountains prehistoric rock art in the Step House Hotel, Borris.

The programme’s literary event will be held on 5 November with a civic reception to celebrate the virtual exchange between young writers in Carlow and the city library in Luxembourg. The exchange will be overseen and facilitated by Carlow Co Council’s writer in residence Caroline Busher. Luxembourg was chosen as the exchange country as it is Carlow’s EU presidency partner country.

The final event is titled Bridge of Sound: Youth Music Exchange, a performance that will mark the end of Music Generation’s senior youth traditional ensembles collaboration with Project SMOK, a young indie-trad trio. The performance will take place on 6 December.

All events are supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport through Culture Ireland and forms part of Cultúr 2026: Shaping Ireland’s Culture, the national cultural programme for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. Additional support has been provided by Creative Ireland Carlow. The programme has been co-ordinated locally by Carlow Co Council through the heritage office, library services and arts office.

For more information on the Carlow programme, visit Carlow.ie or contact Carlow Arts Office at artsservice@carlowcoco.ie.