Posts

A Night at Limerick’s Acoustic Club - LIMERICK

Image
  Songs in the City A Night at Limerick’s Acoustic Club by Kieran Beville Dominic Taylor   On a cold Tuesday evening in Limerick city I ducked into the Number Three Bar on Glentworth Street. It was open-mic night at The Acoustic Club—a weekly gathering that has quietly grown into one of the most democratic stages in the city.      Every Tuesday from 9pm this modest space transforms into something halfway between a cabaret and a confessional booth. The crowd is a mixture: some attentive, others talking over the music, pint glasses clinking, oblivious. That, perhaps, is the charm of open mics: the attention of the room is never guaranteed—it must be won. The Curator and the Chronicler Dominic Taylor, poet, songwriter, and the club’s tireless organiser, opened the evening. With fellow musician Fergal Nash providing guitar support, he launched into ‘Conspiracy’—a sharp-edged catalogue of the myths and suspicions that continue to swi...

LIMERICK - Ireland’s Rising Cultural Capital

Image
  Limerick Ireland’s Rising Cultural Capital By Kieran Beville Dolans - arguably the epicentre of Limerick's live music scene Limerick has long been seen as one of Ireland’s most authentic cities – honest, expressive and full of soul. Sometimes misunderstood and misrepresented this urban jewel in Ireland's Midwest has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few decades. Limerick has blossomed into a vibrant, compelling hub for creative expression — one that rivals Dublin and Cork in cultural vitality but carries a distinct charm all its own. Limerick today stands as a fertile ground for artists, writers, and musicians — a city where creativity is not only fostered but celebrated, supported, and given space to evolve. Its history, rich cultural heritage, and unique urban landscape make it a source of endless inspiration, while its strong community spirit and growing infrastructure make it an ideal place for artistic careers to thrive. A City Steeped in Stor...

Between Brushstrokes and Brass Notes - Limerick’s Treaty Brewery Becomes a Living Canvas

Image
Between Brushstrokes and Brass Notes Limerick’s Treaty Brewery Becomes a Living Canvas by Kieran Beville On a cool sunny Sunday afternoon in September, Nicholas Street hums with a certain electricity. It’s the kind of vibration that runs deeper than footsteps on cobblestones or the murmur of passing cars. It’s a pulse, a resonance carried down the row of Georgian and Victorian facades to the heavy wooden doors of the Treaty City Brewery. Inside, time stretches differently. Strong beer foams golden in pint glasses, brass horns wail, and paint on canvas whispers its silent counterpoint. Every year, when Culture Night rolls across Ireland like a rolling tide of creativity, the Treaty Brewery throws open its doors to more than its loyal regulars. It becomes, for a week, part gallery, part listening room, part living room. The brewery transforms into a layered cultural organism where the worlds of art and music aren’t just curated side by side—they lean into one another, breathing the...

Limerick’s Beat Clubs Take Centre Stage - Culture Night Rewind

Image
Grannies Intentions 1967. L/RJohnny Hockedy, Jack Costelloe, Guido de Vito, John Ryan, James (Cha) Haran, Johnny Duhan   Culture Night Rewind Limerick’s Beat Clubs Take Centre Stage by Kieran Beville `            On Friday, September 19th, Culture Night in Limerick will come alive with the sounds, stories, and the spirit of the city’s Beat era. Led by James “Cha” Haran — former singer with Granny’s Intentions, the trailblazing 1960s band who put Limerick on the rock ’n roll map. The inaugural Limerick Beat Experience will celebrate the youth clubs, venues, and musical revolutions that defined a generation, with walking tours, vinyl-spinning DJs, and live performances. The event invites music fans of all ages to step back into the era when teenagers first found their voice through rhythm and blues, pirate radio, and the electric charge of live bands. Granny’s Intentions – From Limerick to Legend If you’ve heard whispers ...

Ink, Grit and a Shot at Glory

Image
  Ink, Grit and a Shot at Glory The Gerald Griffin Competition for First Original Adult Fiction By Kieran Beville                  There’s an unmistakable buzz running through Ireland’s literary scene — and it’s coming from Limerick – from a competition that’s quickly becoming a proving ground for bold, fresh voices in fiction: the Gerald Griffin literary competition , now in its second year and gaining serious momentum. The winner of the 2025 competition will be announced on Thursday 18th Sept 6.30pm in An Driaocht Gallery in Adare. Guest readers and musicians will be included. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend. The winning manuscript will be published in Oct/Nov by the Limerick Writers’ Centre. The competition honours Gerald Griffin (1803–1840), the Limerick-born novelist, poet and dramatist whose works captured the complexities of 19th-century Irish life with honesty and emotional depth. Griffin’s legacy ...