Phizzfest 2022 kicks off this Friday

Phizzfest 2022, Phibsborough’s local community & arts festival, kicks off at 1pm this Friday, May 13, with the unveiling of a specially commissioned public art work by ceramic artist Niamh Synnott, made in collaboration with students from the local national school St. Peter’s.

The launch will take place at Blaquiere Bridge on North Circular Road, Phibsborough with special guests St Peter’s Chamber Choir, along with children who participated in making the artwork.

At the same time, Dublin City Council is launching its new ‘Friday Market at Royal Canal Bank’ in the adjacent Royal Canal Park, promising a lively, colourful lunchtime in Phibsborough.

There follows an event-packed weekend as the popular festival stages its first in several years, with a diverse array of events and acts spanning live music, theatre, film, literature and poetry, visual arts, walking tours, workshops, family activities including a treasure hunt, and much more.

Festival highlights include:

Launch of new album “B” by leading light of traditional Irish music Cormac    Begley in Dalymount Park

Debut performance of singer-songwriter Ciara Sidine’s new show Blood Sex Death, exploring heroines of folk music in original song, spoken word and story

In visual arts, Eoin Whelehan’s showYou Are Phibsborough is on display in Monck’s Green, a series of illustrated portraits of local traders in the area

Theatre from leading lights Pat Kinevane (Before) and Margaret McAuliffe (The Humours of Bandon)

Activities all weekend on the Royal Canal at Cross Guns including canoe polo and duck race

A History Ireland hedge school on Women, the Treaty and the Civil War with History Ireland editor Tommy Graham, in discussion with Siobhra Aikan (Queen’s, Belfast), Leeann Lane (DCU), Mary McAuliffe (UCD), and Margaret Ward (Queen’s, Belfast)

Music and storytelling through Phibsborough’s cafés and pubs, by Irish Traveller, singer and storyteller Thomas McCarthy, with songs in the old tradition.

Phibsborough resident Ann Ingle in conversation with her daughter, journalist Roisin Ingle, about her recent memoir, Openhearted, describing 80 years of love, loss, laughter and letting go

Phibsborough ‘Picture House’ has screenings all weekend including films Love Yourself Today with Intro by Director Ross Killeeen and Ukranian award-winning film Donbass.

All ticket sales and donations going to aid Ukrainian relief

Workshops on How to Write a Rap (with Bohs poet-in-residence John Cummins), Drawing the Everyday (with artist Dorothy Smith); a ‘Joyceborough’ walking tour with singer songmaker and Joycean Andrew Basquille, for Ulysses @100, and much more.

Full details of the programme are available on phizzfest.ie