Blindboy, Doireann Ni Ghríofa, and Seán Ronayne among line-up for Island Drift festival on Garnish Island
The Island Drift Walking Tour will return to the festival on Garnish Island this year. Picture: Bríd O'Donovan.
Garinish Island will come alive with the sights and sounds of The Island Drift – a festival offering a rich blend of literature, music, culture, and heritage this September.
Now in its fourth year, the festival will feature a programme of free cultural walking tours, renowned writers, poets, musicians, and cultural creatives, including author Doireann Ni Ghríofa, musician David Murphy, and ornithologist Seán Ronayne.
The Island Drift, taking place on Garinish Island, a 37-acre horticultural gem renowned for its rare plants and scenic beauty, brings together poets, writers and musicians. Managed by the Office of Public Works, the island offers a unique stage for this cultural celebration, produced by Cork-based creative company The Good Room.
The festival will take place from September 4 to September 6, and includes acts such as: Pilgrims featuring Paul Noonan of Bell X1 and collaborator Brian Crosby, whose debut album was released earlier this year, on Friday; acclaimed songwriter Gemma Hayes on Saturday; and the live on Sunday.
A natural evolution of a series of cultural events that began in Cork City in 2016, Island Drift is known for bringing some of Ireland’s most exciting writers, poets, and musicians to unusual and engaging locations, from walking tours and boat cruises to mystery bus trips and pop-up performances.
Friday’s festival highlights include Pilgrims, the new collaboration between Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby, two musicians whose creative relationship stretches back to their teenage years. The release of their debut album earlier this year marked their first full project together in 16 years. On September 4, the duo opens the weekend with an intimate concert in front of the Grecian Temple.
On Saturday, head gardener Glyn Sherratt will guide visitors on a walking tour through the island’s horticultural highlights at 11am, sharing its botanical history, wildlife, and unique plant species along the way. At 12.30pm, Carina McNally’s will read from her debut novel on Mercier Press – a haunting historical novel set in 17th-century Ireland, with the Beara Peninsula featuring prominently.
At 1pm, the Music Trail will fill the island’s paths. The children of the legendary cheese producers from Cork who have now taken on the mantle first worn by their incredible mothers will give festival-goers the chance to taste world-class Irish Farmhouse Cheeses at 2pm during a workshop hosted by Joe McNamee from the Irish Examiner. Saturday evening features a headline event from Gemma Hayes beneath the canopy tent by the Casita Lawn.
On Sunday, Glyn Sherratt will return for another walking tour at 11am, followed by a conversation and readings from Doireann Ní Ghríofa and Rachel Andrews at 12.30pm. At 2pm, ornithologist and sound recordist Seán Ronayne returns with a fresh new talk titled Untold Sounds, delving into never-before-told stories of Irish wildlife sound. The mini-festival concludes with a Sunday evening concert featuring the much-loved Blindboy Podcast.
- All afternoon events are free to attend once on the island. Visitors must purchase ferry tickets from Harbour Queen Ferries at The Pier in Glengarriff or the Blue Pool Ferry in the Village. For evening tickets, visit Eventbrite.ie.
