What’s on in Connaught

Hymn to Him is a guilty pleasure, a sustained glance at the relationship between the unstable and convoluted lives of artists and the composed stillness of the characters they create. In her painting and photographic work, she lingers on the surfaces of things – bellies, primroses, house keys, vegetables. Costello inserts herself into her compositions and, as her own model, she remains in control of both sides of the canvas.

Waking the Land is a collective based in Leitrim. Our five members are Tara Baoth Mooney, Shane Finan, James Kelly, Laura McMorrow, and Sonya Swarte. We collectively occupy an artist-led studio and experimental space in Manorhamilton that opened in September 2022. Over the past three years, we have led events in north Leitrim in response to environmental grief, care, and tending to the land.

Irish artist Michelle Campion unveils her new seascape oil painting collection, WILD, inspired by the dramatic shores of the Galway coast. Capturing the power and beauty of the Atlantic, each piece reflects the untamed spirit of Ireland’s western sea.

See WILD at the Barna Art Fair, November 22nd–23rd in Co. Galway, a weekend celebration of Irish art and creativity. It’s the perfect chance to discover original works and find something truly special for Christmas.

In ‘Elemental’ Clive Bright explores the language of paint using a geometric backdrop as a recurring motif.

Bright’s paintings have a universal narrative. Through absence, and the use of inanimate objects, Bright creates a sense of human presence, which in turn personifies the objects. His deep understanding and appreciation of his subject evokes powerful sentiments communicating more than just a visually pleasing experience.
Bright works principally with oil paint but drawing & line play a constant and major role in his work. He avoids slipping into a process or procedure of creating a drawing or painting: “I constantly try to change

Irish artist Michelle Campion unveils her new seascape oil painting collection, WILD, inspired by the dramatic shores of the Galway coast. Capturing the power and beauty of the Atlantic, each piece reflects the untamed spirit of Ireland’s western sea.

See WILD at the Barna Art Fair, November 22nd–23rd in Co. Galway, a weekend celebration of Irish art and creativity. It’s the perfect chance to discover original works and find something truly special for Christmas.

Festival continues from the 7th of November to the 23rd of November 2025

TULCA Festival of Visual Arts is pleased to announce its 23rd edition, Strange lands still bear common ground, curated by Beulah Ezeugo. Running from 7–23 November 2025, the festival unfolds across multiple venues in Galway City and extends internationally with a satellite exhibition in New York.

Exhibitions, events, tours, and workshops will take place across Galway at TULCA Gallery (Hynes Building), Galway Arts Centre, 126 Artist-run Gallery, University of Galway (James Mitchell Geology Museum, Zoology & Marine Biology Museum, and University Gallery), and ATU Wellpark Road Library. Explore the 2025 Festival Programme at tulca.ie

Curated by Emer McGarry.

The exhibition spans installation, film, drawing, and sculpture, with works by Marcus Coates, Miriam de Búrca, Susan Hiller, Anna Maria Maiolino, Kathy Prendergast, Cornelia Parker, and the collaborative research project Selvagem – Cycle of Studies. Each proposes different strategies for navigating what we inherit and what we pass on.

Join us for a relaxed coffee morning tour of Inheritance. An exhibition that explores the legacies shaping our present and asks how we might create better futures for humanity.

Led by a member of our team, this easy going tour is perfect for all art enthusiasts. After the tour, enjoy further conversation over a complimentary tea or coffee. We’d be delighted to welcome you to this informal and friendly tour experience.

Every second Thursday, 11.30am
€6 pp

Tour Dates

Thu. 23 & 30 October
Thu. 13 & 27 November
Thu. 4 & 18 December

In ‘Elemental’ Clive Bright explores the language of paint using a geometric backdrop as a recurring motif.

Bright’s paintings have a universal narrative. Through absence, and the use of inanimate objects, Bright creates a sense of human presence, which in turn personifies the objects. His deep understanding and appreciation of his subject evokes powerful sentiments communicating more than just a visually pleasing experience.
Bright works principally with oil paint but drawing & line play a constant and major role in his work. He avoids slipping into a process or procedure of creating a drawing or painting: “I constantly try to change

Festival continues from the 7th of November to the 23rd of November 2025

TULCA Festival of Visual Arts is pleased to announce its 23rd edition, Strange lands still bear common ground, curated by Beulah Ezeugo. Running from 7–23 November 2025, the festival unfolds across multiple venues in Galway City and extends internationally with a satellite exhibition in New York.

Exhibitions, events, tours, and workshops will take place across Galway at TULCA Gallery (Hynes Building), Galway Arts Centre, 126 Artist-run Gallery, University of Galway (James Mitchell Geology Museum, Zoology & Marine Biology Museum, and University Gallery), and ATU Wellpark Road Library. Explore the 2025 Festival Programme at tulca.ie

Exhibition continues from the 7th of November 2025 to the 10th of December 2025

This is Deirdre Stephens’ first solo exhibition and shows a creative and colourful interpretation of the links between traditional Aran Island clothing and the landscape of the islands. Also on display is a wall hanging which was made with the intention of inviting reflection both on the beauty of the Inverin blanket bog and the damage caused to it by climate change. Supported by Ealaín na Gaeltachta.

Exhibition continues from the 8th of November 2025 to the 28th of February 2026

Jack Butler Yeats (1871–1957) is one of Ireland’s most celebrated twentieth-century artists. The Niland Collection, housed at The Model, holds an extensive body of his work spanning the full arc of his career – from early pen-and-ink illustrations and lively watercolours, to the expressive oil paintings that define his mature style. ‘A Painted Universe’ invites visitors to step into Yeats’s artistic world, where memory, emotion and experience are transformed into colour, form and light.

The Model is delighted to present once more The Sunset Belongs to You – a series of portraits commissioned from two of Irelands most distinguished painters, Mick O’Dea + Geraldine O’Neill. The portraits capture young people from diverse backgrounds living across County Sligo, and were painted between 2022–23. Looked at together, they provide a hopeful glimpse into the Ireland of the future.

Exhibition continues from the 15th of November to the 20th of December 2025.

For this exhibition at Ballina Arts Centre, Helen Hughes presents a new body of work. Here she has limited her wide range of her materials to just three – rubber, plastic and expanding foam. This new work was influenced by the unique setting of this gallery – the strong presence of moving water, its proximity and imposing energy pervading the interior spaces. Her starting point for this work was a series of floatation devices from which the works evolved.