Five For Your Radar: Longitude, Waterboys, Lotto film...
Various venues, Bantry, until Sunday, July 6
Running over the past week, the annual chamber music festival concludes this weekend. Olympia Quartet perform on Whiddy Island on Friday afternoon, while earlier in the day, Sean Rafferty is in conversation with baroque violinist Rachel Podger at Brick Oven. On Saturday afternoon, Magnolia Quartet perform on Heir Island. There are late-night 'candlelight' concerts at St Brendan's Church and Bantry House on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The finale is at Bantry House on Sunday night.
Poetry: SoundEye
Various venues, Cork, Friday-Sunday, July 4-6
Graham Allen is among the poets who will appear at SoundEye festival in Cork this weekend. Picture: David Keane
The 21st edition of SoundEye festival ran in 2017 and it returns to Shandon Studios and University College Cork this weekend. Graham Allen, Cal Doyle, and Maggie O'Sullivan are among the dozens of names who will feature. There is a focus on Turkish poetry at the event, with Gokçenur Ç and Gonca Ozmen among those who will read. Cabaret at BOLT Studios on Patrick's Quay is among the diverse offerings. See https://soundeye.wordpress.com/ for more.
Cinema: Beat the Lotto
General release, Friday, July 4
When downtrodden 1980s Ireland inaugurated a National Lottery, the people began to dream. For Cork-based mathematician Stefan Klincewicz, it was an obsession. Spotting a flaw in the system, he recruited a ragtag team of chancers, and masterminded an audacious plan to fix the draw and win the millions. The heist became public knowledge, and in a race against time, the lottery did everything they could to try and stop the steal, dividing the nation on a very public caper. The documentary is directed by Ross Whitaker.
Festival: Longitude
Marlay Park, Dublin, Saturday-Sunday, July 5-6
50 Cent. (Photo by Anna KURTH / AFP) (Photo by ANNA KURTH/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the premier dance events in the country, Longitude festival returns to Marlay Park this weekend. David Guetta and 50 Cent are the headliners, both making relatively rare appearances in Ireland. Ireland's favourite dance duo Belters Only feature just below Guetta on Saturday night, while London-born rapper AJ Tracey will likely induce big singalongs for the likes of Ladbroke Grove and Thiago Silva.
Concert: The Waterboys
Live at the Marquee, Thursday, June 10
A couple months on from releasing their critically acclaimed 16th studio album Life, Death and Dennis Hopper ('What a blast, what an idea,' said our own Tom Dunne about one of his records of the year), Mike Scott et al return to the Marquee for what's likely to be a triumphant show. Expect a mass singalong for The Whole Of The Moon and their many other hits.
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