Mallow Arts Festival 2025 will have something for all tastes!

The 2025 edition of Mallow Arts Festival was launched yesterday, Wednesday, evening in West End Gallery, with Ian McDonagh, Arts Officer, Cork Co. Council, performing the official opening. The evening also featured an art exhibition, curated by Colman and Marie Dalton, and featuring a selection of artworks by James O’Halloran, Paul Kelly and 19 other Irish artists, including L.S. Lowry and Athur Armstrong. There was also be a raffle on the evening, with proceeds going to Focus Ireland and H.A.R.T.
The next few days will see a packed programme of events, the majority with free admission, and every taste will be catered for. Today, Thursday, Mary Bradford will launch her latest book in Mallow Library at 12 noon, while a Textile Workshop will be held at 1pm in St James’s Church, and Jimmy Crowley and Eve Telford will perform at the Globe Café. Mallow Scribes will be at West End Gallery at 3pm, and there will be music from Percy French in St James’s Church at 8pm.
On Friday at 11am there will be a Writing for Wellbeing Workshop in Mallow Library, featuring author Casey King, and at 2pm there will be a talk on some of the well-known people buried in St Anne’s Graveyard, plus a short history of the Town Park. At 2pm, a mural will be painted at the Bridge House Bar, and at 6pm there will be a selection of short films in St James’s Hall. An Introduction to Lightbulb Youth Theatre will be held at 7pm in West End Art Studios, and this will lead into a performance by Scullion in St James’s Church at 8pm.
On Saturday, Geoff Gould will give a drama workshop from 10am in West End Art Studios, with yoga in the grounds of Mallow Castle at the same time. At 11am in Mallow Library there will be a Creative Writing and Wellbeing Workshop for Teens, and at the same time there will be a ‘Me and The Moon’ workshop in the Hibernian Hotel, suitable for children aged 6-12. Fans of vinyl records and CDs will be able to enjoy a CD and Record Fair from 11am in the Hibernian Hotel, while there will be an Uilleann Pipes Workshop at the same time in St James’s Hall. At 1pm Emily Magner-Hurley will give a piano performance in St James’s Church, and from 1.30pm there will be lots of attractions on the Main Street, with Kids’ World in St Mary’s churchyard, and music at a variety of locations. A Radio Workshop will be held at 2.30pm in St James’s Hall, and Jennifer Liston will launch a poetry collection in Philip’s Bookshop at 2.30pm. Mallow’s Highly Strung Ukulele Group will host a singalong at 2.30pm in O’Keeffe’s Bar, and there will be a Willow Weaving Workshop at 3pm in West End Gallery. Also at 3pm, singer songwriter Rita Lyne will sing in St James’s’ Church, and Mná na bPíob will give a performance at 5pm in the same venue. The highlight of the day’s programme will be Bressie who will present ‘Voices of the Small’ in St James’s Church, and the night will conclude with indie folk band Ian Whitty and the Exchange at Kepplers Cellar Bar at 10pm.
Sunday is the last day of the festival, and there is a full programme of events, starting at 11am with ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ in the Gate Cinema, and the action will switch to Mallow Castle at 1pm for a Party at the Castle, with music from Hank Wedel and the Down in the City Band, plus local favourites Longbeach, and there will also be face painting and balloon shaping for the kids. At 2pm, David Spenser will hold an Animation Workshop in West End Art Studio, while 2.30pm will see a Life Drawing Workshop in the grounds of Mallow Castle. At 4pm, Cór Mhágh Ealla will perform in St James’s Church, while Ceól le Cuisle Avondhu will be held at 5pm in Mona’s Bar. One session which is a must will come from Alan Finn and Friends who will be in the bridge House Bar from 6.30pm, and don’t forget to check Kieran Goss and Annie Kinsella at 8pm in St James’s Church. The honour of being the last act to perform at the Arts Festival will fall to Rattlesnake County who will play classic country folk and rock at Kepplers Cellar Bar from 10am.
As can be seen, there is a wide selection at this year’s Mallow Arts Festival, and the great thing is that many of the events will be free of charge to attend. Keep an eye out for artwork in local shops, created by students from Davis College, Patrician Academy and St Mary’s Secondary School, and also for arts and crafts from residents of local nursing homes which will be on display in Mallow Credit Union.