By Ciaran Tierney A collective of Galway-based artists known as An Criú are planning to stage a major community event on Inis Oirr next year after seven of them completed a wonderful ten day stay on the island in partnership with Áras Éanna this week. An Criú, former performers and production people with Macnas in...
By Ciaran Tierney Exploring the striking landscape of Inis Oirr during the quiet and dark winter months provided huge inspiration to Connemara-based artist Clare Cashman during a recent six week residency at Áras Éanna. Clare came to the smallest of the Aran Islands thanks to a partnership with Ealaín na Gaeltachta and says she...
By Ciarán Tierney A series of four documentary films celebrating the lives of older Irish women who have been “mad, bad, and dangerous” will be screened at Áras Éanna, Inis Oirr, on Sunday. The screenings of the films, which were created and directed by Emma O’Grady, is part of our celebration of International Women’s Day...
By Ciaran Tierney It was the exhibition which captured the imagination of thousands of visitors to Inis Oirr last summer and now you can celebrate it with a superb new colour poster which has gone on sale online. Áras Éanna has teamed up with Charlie Byrne’s bookshop in Galway City to sell copies of the...
by Ciarán Tierney Two Gaeltacht artists, Clare Cashman and Caitríona Ní Conaola, are set to make Inis Oirr their home for the next six weeks thanks to a wonderful new residency in partnership with Ealaín na Gaeltachta. The artists, who are both based in Connemara, successfully applied for the residencies at Áras Éanna when we...
By Ciaran Tierney Can you think of a better place than Inis Oirr to take time out and find inspiration? As restrictions eased last year, we opened up and expanded our artists in residence programme to bring a wider variety of artists to the island. For 22 years now, artists have been coming to Áras...
By Ciaran Tierney 2021 was the year when Áras Éanna Ionad Ealaine began to look at the beautiful island of Inis Oirr as a perfect location for outdoor shows. For decades, artists have been coming to the smallest of the Aran Islands to take inspiration from its beautiful landscape, friendly people, stunning views, stone walls,...
By Ciarán Tierney It was like Christmas morning here on Inis Oirr in July when 21 currachs, from Donegal to Kerry, were unwrapped and unveiled to reveal the spectacular pieces of art which formed the centrepiece of the 21st birthday celebrations for Áras Éanna Ionad Ealáine this year. What an amazing exhibition, with the concept...
For Patrick O’Laoighre, writer and musician, a month on Inis Oirr has been a joyous re-awakening. His month long residency at Áras Éanna has seen Patrick tune into the spectacular sounds all around the island, including the language of the people. Stunned by the rocks, the fields, the waves crashing against the cliffs at Inis...
It was the kind of magic which seems to just happen on Inis Oirr. On a cold Tuesday night in October, a musician approached two acrobats in Tigh Ned, the island’s famous music pub. He had seen acrobatic performers Ali Stanger and Henrik Gard perform some sensational moves on the beach earlier in the day...
