Droichead Arts Centre | Stockwell Street | Drogheda | Co. Louth
Whats On
______________________________
DRAWDA | Drogheda Urban Art and Audio Trail
1st Jan 2025 - 31st Dec 2025
Drogheda Urban Art Trail – Embracing our mythological past
DRAWDA - a curated multidisciplinary public arts programme, launched in Drogheda between November 2021, and April 2022, culminating in an Urban Art Trail throughout Drogheda that focuses on key figures and moments from our mythological past.
Seven murals that focus on key figures and moments from mythology, with an Audio
Trail! Pick up your printed map from Droichead Arts Centre, Love Drogheda BIDS or local business’ or view it digitally online below. Then, take a stroll throughout Drogheda following the trail, and use your smart device to scan the code and listen to the mythological stories behind the murals!
Slow Sessions 2025 | Droichead Arts Centre | Drogheda, Co. Louth
Droichead are delighted to announce the continuation of their Slow Sessions with Brendan McCreanor. Capacity is limited so early booking is advised.
These sessions are for players of any instrument and at any level. A selection of easy and well known session tunes will be played slowly so that people in the early stages of their playing, or those coming back to playing music, have the opportunity to play together in a friendly, supportive and informal context. More experienced players who wish to refine their techniques and extend their repertoire at a slower pace are also very welcome.
Brendan McCreanor is a multi-instrumentalist and an accomplished uilleann piper. He is also a founding member of the traditional/folk band Kern, a fully qualified musician in healthcare and is a member of Baile an Salsa, whose music fuses salsa and Trad elements.
Brendan is a passionate advocate of traditional Irish music and has significant experience teaching children and adults in a range of instruments including Uilleann pipes, whistles, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo and flute. Brendan holds degrees in Applied Music and Creative Multimedia.
Participants will learn a selection of popular session tunes including a couple of local ones from Co. Louth and well known tunes from across the country. Through engagement with the slow session, participants will develop their repertoire to include jigs, reels, slides, polkas and hornpipes, and will learn about the timing of the different styles and a little about the history and origins of the tunes.
Essentially, the objective of the slow sessions is to enable participants to learn new skills, develop ability and enjoy the immersive experience of the seisiún in a relaxed manner.
Music will be provided in advance, by email, and the session will be live in the venue. Each session is 90 mins-2 hours long with a 5 min break midway.
BVIFF 2025 | Season Ticket
Date: 08/08/2025 – 10/08/2025
Time: 19.00
Cost: €35 (+€1.00fees)
Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Boyne Valley, the Boyne Valley International Film Festival (BVIFF) returns from the 8-10 August for its fourth year in partnership with LOVE Drogheda BIDS. Creating an environment for filmmakers and audiences to connect and celebrate film in the historical medieval town of Drogheda, located in the heart of the Boyne Valley Region, BVIFF will once again feature an extended festival over three days featuring screenings, events and a range of awards to help support filmmakers.
BVIFF 2025 is made possible through funding from The Arts Council, Louth County Council Festival Fund, Meath County Council and Love Drogheda B.I.D.S., sponsorship from The Clinch Family and Gleesons Bar, and support from Boann Distillery, Anglo Printers and The Marcy.
Fri Aug 8th
Made in the Boyne Valley Programme | 7pm – 8.50pm
THE LAST HARVEST – Director: Maeve Stone, Writers: Maeve Stone, Aoibhéann McCann, Producer: Marie-Thérésa Mackle (Out of Competition)
ADDICTION – Director: Frank W. Kelly, Writer/Producer: Colin Condon (Out of Competition)
SADIE – Director/Writer/Producer: John Paul Donnelly
COAST - Director/Writer: Tracy Martin, Producers: Collette Farrell, Jo Halpin, Sharyn Hayden, Tracy Martin
FLIRT– Directors: Aisling Kane, Louis Flanagan, Writer: Louis Flanagan, Producer: Clara Mooney
MEDICINAL – Director/Writer: Eoghan Timothy Hand, Producer: Onai Tafuma
BEYOND THE SYSTEM- Director/Writer/Producer: Fergus Mulligan
Sat Aug 9th
Saturday Morning Animation | 10.30am - 11:45am
CHRISTOPHER & THE BUG – Directors: Vanessa Esteves, Kevin Micallef, Writer: Vanessa Esteves. Producers: Lydia Ferreira, Vanessa Esteves, Kevin Micallef, Scott Williamson, Don Gauthier
THE HIGH KING’S DAUGHTER – Director: Joël Gibbs , Writer: Kurt Rosenberg (Original Song) Producers: Jake Morgan, Luke Morgan, Kurt Rosenberg, Brendan Dunlea
REROOTED – Director: Christian Spurling, Writer: Delphine Coudray, Producer: Michael Lee
LITTLE CAESAR – Director/Writer: Amy Tierney, Producer: Rowena Kelly
38A – Director/Producer: Dylan Kirwan O’Brien
ELDRITCH KARAOKE – Director/Writer/Producer: John Loftus
THE GOD MAN - Director/Writer/Producer: Andrew Foerster
National Programme 1 | 12:00pm - 2pm
TÍOLACABH/ A DIVINE GIFT – Directors: Sadhbh Larkin Coyle, Séan Coyle, Writer: Sadhbh Larkin Coyle, Producer: Sarah Josephine M'Rad
A DAY IN THE SUN – Director/Writer: Edwin Mullane, Producers: Ger Leamy, Mo O’Connell
GAP - Director/Writer: Stephen Colfer, Producers: Cal McLoughlin, John Morton, Alan Slattery
SETANTA & JIM CULLEN – Directors: Jack Desmond, Cian Desmond, Writer: Jack Desmond
I CAN’T GO ON – Director/Writer: Laoisa Sexton, Producer: Pale Rebel Productions, Producer for Fís Eireann/ Screen Ireland: Emma Scott
DEAR IMELDA – Director: Árón Holden, Writer: Declan Curran, Producers: Árón Holden & Declan Curran
International Programme | 4:00pm – 5.50pm
THE NIGHT INSIDE - Director/Writer: Antonio Cuesta, Producers: Fernando Infante & Javier Infante
FILTER – Director: James Oates, Writer: Hannah Ellis Ryan, Producers: Amy Du Quesne, Hannah Ellis, Jon Furlong, James Oates & Jack Johnson
BLOOD REGRETS – Director/Writer: Mara Cisse
CLEANER - Director/Writer: Kostas Gerampinis, Producer: Christos Giannakopoulos
THE STEAK - Director/Writer/Producer: Kiarash Dadgar, Writer: Ali Narimani
Á TOI LES OREILLES - Director/Writer/Producer: Alexandre Isabelle
National Programme 2 | 6.30pm – 8.20.pm
GALAR – Director/Writer/Producer: Niall Duffy
THE WILDE SISTER – Director: Táine King, Writers: Joanne Heffernan, Lorraine Higgins, Táine King Producers: Táine King, Úna Spilliane
DEAD ON ARRIVAL - Director/Writer/Producer: Niamh McAllister, Producers: Odhran McNulty, Michael Foster
UPPER CURRENT - Director/Writer/Producer: Gregory O'Reilly
HOMETIME – Director: Jonathan Lambert, Writer: Joe McGucken, Producers: Joe McGucken, Jonathan Lambert, Shane Mulrennan, Katriona O'Sullivan
HANDBAG – Director/Writer: Brogan Wakeley, Producer: Gary Crossan
Sun Aug 10th National Programme 3 | 11am - 12.50pm
THE FEAR - Director/Writer: Eoin Ó hAnnracháin, Writer/Producers: James Browne, Eoin Ó hAnnracháin
JANE’S A JUNKIE – Director: David McDonagh, Producer: Helen Gillard, David McDonagh
FOR THE LOVE OF WOMEN - Director/Writer: Órla James Morris Toolen, Producer: Claudia McCormick
LIPSTICK ON A PIG – Director/Writer: Karen Gunn
RETURN – Director: Rosie Barrett, Writer: lynn Rafferty, Producers: lynn Rafferty, Nicola Long
WHERE THE OLD MAN LIVES – Director: Sonya O'Donoghue, Writer/Producers: Eamonn Keane, Ruaidhri Hallinan
OGHAM - Director/Writer: Alan Hopkins, Producer: Husni Hafid
PEAT - Director/Writer: Paudie Baggott, Producer: Maggie Ryan
Film Maker in Focus – TJ O’Grady-Peyton | 2pm – 3.45pm
WAVE – Directors: Benjamin Cleary, TJ O’Grady-Peyton, Writer: Benjamin Cleary, Producer: Rebecca Bourke
SILENCE – Director: TJ O’Grady-Peyton, Writers: Ivan Cush, Kensaku Kakimoto, TJ O’Grady-Peyton
BROKEN – Director: TJ O’Grady-Peyton, Writer: John Craine, Producers: Katie Cogan, Ross Killeen, Daniel Morris, TJ O’Grady-Peyton
SENTINEL – Director: TJ O'Grady Peyton, Writer: Tony Kiernan, Producers: Ronan Cassidy, Gregory Burrowes
A RUNNER - Director: TJ O'Grady Peyton, Writer: Ivan Cush, Producers: Ronan Cassidy, Gregory Burrowes
ROOM TAKEN - Director: TJ O'Grady Peyton, Writer: Michael Whelan, Producers: Colmán Mac Cionnaith
Documentary Programme | 4:15pm to 6.15pm
CHILDREN OF THE CASTLE - Producer/Directors: Keith Bogue & Maeve McGrath, Executive Producer: Monica Spencer
GAEL FORCE - Writer/Director: Tara Hegarty, Producer: Roisín Geraghty
BOOB - Director/Writer: Nicola Leddy,Producer: Zlata Filipovic
DINOSAUR MAN - Director/Producer: Kazuya Ashizawa
WALKING THE WALK – Director/Writer/Producer: Donal Moloney
I’M GRAND - Director/Writer/Producer: Caroline Harvey
National Programme 4 | 6:45pm to 8:45pm
BUNKER BABY – Director/Writer: Conor McCormick, Producer: Lorcan O' Hanlon
NAKED LIGHTS – Director/Writer: Jeda de Brí, Producer: Gregory Burrowes
DANCE ME CLEAN – Director: Hildegard Ryan, Writer: Eva O'Connor, Producers: Two Sparks, Sunday's Child
TRASNA NA LINE – Director/Writer: Niamh Bryson, Writer: Heather O'Sullivan, Producers: Lisa Turnbull-Daly, Rosie Sorrell
CAT & MOUSE – Director: Michael-David McKernan, Writer: Clare Monnelly, Producer: Mícheál Fleming
THE INVITATION – Director: Sinead O'Brien, Writer: Niamh O'Connor, Producer: Sharon Lawless
TURNAROUND – Director/Writer: Aisling Byrne, Producer: Killian Coyle
Award Ceremony: 9pm to 9.30pm
Individual programmes are also available for €8 per programme.
BVIFF 2025 | Casting
Date: 09/08/2025
Time: 15.00
Cost: €5 (+€1.00fees)
Step behind the curtain of one of the most vital forces in Irish filmmaking—Casting.
BVIFF is excited to present an exclusive panel featuring some of Ireland’s most accomplished and sought-after casting directors. These industry leaders have handpicked the talent behind the country's biggest TV series, films, and theatrical productions.
Hosted by acclaimed actor Orla Fitzgerald (The Wind That Shakes the Barley, The Young Offenders), this deep dive into the world of casting will reveal what it truly takes to break into the industry. Hear firsthand from the experts who discover and shape Ireland’s next big stars.
Expect insider tips, career-changing advice, and behind-the-scenes stories that every aspiring actor, filmmaker and potential casting director needs to hear.
Host - Orla Fitzgerald
Orla Fitzgerald is an acclaimed Irish stage and screen actress. Her theatre credits include The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Weir, and Inside the GPO. On-screen, she has starred in The Young Offenders, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, and Taken Down. A two-time IFTA nominee, she has also been recognised by the Irish Times Theatre Awards and the Edinburgh Stage Awards.
Guests:
Louise Kiely studied Law at UCC and trained at The Gaiety School of Acting before founding Louise Kiely Casting in 2005. Her TV credits include Normal People, Kin, Bodkin, and The Dry, while films include Banshees of Inisherin, Disenchanted, and Sing Street. She has won multiple CSA Artios and CDG Awards and was Emmy-nominated in 2020. Louise is a member of BAFTA, IFTA, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Luci Lenox is an award-winning casting director from Dundalk, based in Spain. She has cast over 120 productions for Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and Lionsgate, with her films grossing over $1 billion globally and winning 300+ awards. A champion of emerging talent, she is a member of the CSA, IFTA, and European Film Academies and leads APDICE’s diversity committee. Luci actively supports Irish actors in European productions.
Barry Coyle studied English & Classics at NUI Galway and earned an MA in Digital Media from the Huston School of Film. Now a Casting Director at the Abbey Theatre, he has a rich background in Irish stage and screen. A former Associate Casting Director with Louise Kiely Casting, he has worked on projects for RTÉ, BBC, Element, and Netflix and is a member of the Casting Directors Guild.
Mary-Ellen O’Hara is a Casting Director and Intimacy Coordinator from Newry, Northern Ireland. A former actor, she worked with Carla Stronge Casting on Game of Thrones, Derry Girls, and more. Now independent, her recent screen and stage credits include The Puzzle Lady and Yerma. An acting coach and director, she champions emerging talent and prioritises safe, creative workspaces.
BVIFF 2025 is made possible through funding from The Arts Council, Louth County Council Festival Fund, Meath County Council and Love Drogheda B.I.D.S., sponsorship from The Clinch Family, and support from Boann Distillery, Anglo Printers and The Marcy.
BVIFF 2025 | Gala Screening Four Mothers
Date: 09/08/2025
Time: 21.00
Cost: €10 (+€1.00fees)
As part of this year's festival, Boyne Valley International Film Festival is delighted to host a Gala screening of Four Mothers directed by Drogheda's own Darren Thornton and written by Darren and his brother Colin Thornton, followed by a post-screening Q&A hosted by Sinead Brassil.
Edward, a novelist saddled with caring for his elderly mother, finally finds himself on the brink of literary success. With pressure to go on a US book tour mounting, the last thing Edward needs is his friends jetting off to Spain for an impromptu Pride holiday, leaving their mothers on his doorstep! Over a chaotic weekend, he has to juggle his burgeoning career with the care of four eccentric, combative, and wildly different ladies.
BVIFF 2025 is made possible through funding from The Arts Council, Louth County Council Festival Fund, Meath County Council and Love Drogheda B.I.D.S., sponsorship from The Clinch Family and Gleesons Bar, and support from Boann Distillery, Anglo Printers and The Marcy.
Droichead Presents Drama | Theatre Club Autumn/Winter 2025
Date: 05/09/2025 – 29/11/2025
Time: 20.00
Cost: Seven great plays for €76
Set up in 2017, and heading into its 15th season, Droichead Theatre Club brings audiences together to see a play, and like a book club, our audiences can share their views, thoughts and impressions informally post show with the cast and creatives. If this is your first or your 50th play, it doesn't matter, come along, and be part of the drama at Droichead.
BOOK ONLINE or Call 041 9833946
THE REVENGERS TRAGEDY | CREATED BY +353 WITH KEVIN KEOGH
FRI 5 SEPT
DIRECTED BY KEVIN KEOGH
Words are just words, and knives are just knives, right?
Scored by beats from the world of hip-hop sub-genre, drill, where words are weapons and bodies are battlegrounds, two men wrestle with lust, shame, and revenge. This chopped and screwed reimagining of Thomas Middleton’s 1606 play serves as an exploration of often self-imploding masculine ideologies of vengeance.
Performed with a live orchestra, sliding 808’s, and floor-shaking bass, come experience this modern encounter with Jacobean verse and one of Ireland's most prominent underground subcultures.
Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon & Dublin City Council. Developed at Dublin Fringe Festival Studios, Mermaid Arts Centre & axis Ballymun. Supported by THISISPOPBABY, Fishamble's New Play Clinic, Droichead Arts Centre & field:arts.
MEN IN MOTION | IRISH MODERN DANCE
THURS 11 SEPT | 8PM |
An evening of three athletic and hilarious dance pieces, earning rave reviews and standing ovations in the Abbey, Edinburgh Fringe and New York by Irish Modern Dance Theatre.
The central work is iconic American Choreographer, Merce Cunningham’s stunning ‘Solo’ followed by firm favourite ACTIONS - a sweeping, vigorous duet by French dance sensation, Boris Charrion and acclaimed Brazilian dancer Vini Martins Araujo. John Scott’s Beckett-like Bowing Dance, completes a programme brimming with energy and adventure.
OCTOPUS CHILDREN BY FELISPEAKS | THISISPOPBABY
THU 18 SEP | 8PM | €18/€16
DIRECTED BY OONAGH MURPHY
My Nigeria happened in Longford town
Octopus Children follows Young Felicia coming of age as a queer, “Black Irish midlands culchie” grappling with the layers of their identity and the responsibilities that come with it, led by a wise guide: The Octopus.
Part poetic landscape, part gig theatre, Octopus Children marries FELISPEAKS’ signature spell-binding spoken word style with choreography by Tobi Omoteso, music by Anna Mullarkey, and stunning visual design by Therese McKeone, Jack Phelan and Sarah Jane Shiels. This powerful premiere invites everyone into the Black and Irish experience, and encourages anyone on the fringes to step forward unapologetically, without retreating their tentacle
Funded by The Arts Council, Dublin City Council and co-commissioned by THISISPOPBABY and Droichead Arts Centre
AROUND THE HEAD BY GRAINNE RAFFERTY
THU 25 SEPT | 8PM |
DIRECTED BY JJ HARRINGTON
"I swam like my mother: I never got my hair wet, and I could probably smoke a cigarette. I really only did it for the cake and coffee afterwards..."
An exploration of one woman's perseverance, her connection to the sea, and the restorative power of nature. A compelling piece of immersive theatre not to be missed.
THE SPECIAL EVENT BY CAROL ROONEY | WORK IN PROGRESS | Droichead presents New Drama
THU 2 OCT | 8PM |
DIRECTED BY LESLEY CONROY
Dubbed the best affordable egg chair, surely its worth spending a Sunday morning queuing for. Unlikely company are forced to make acquaintance while they wait. The Special Event glimpses into the lives of 4 strangers as their morning unfolds. Carol Rooney was a recipient of a Droichead Bursary in 2023. Droichead Presents New Drama - part of Theatre Club and our ongoing commitment to support artists and showcase new work.
BELFAST GIRLS BY JAKI MCCARRICK | QUINTESSENCE THEATRE |
FRI 10 OCT | 8PM
DIRECTED BY RHIANN JEFFREY
“We have this one an’ only chance. An’ in all the kingdom of Ireland aren’t we – us women – aren’t we damned lucky to be getting out of it?”
Set in 1850, Belfast Girls tells the story of five fierce young women who face their dark pasts on a ship bound for Australia, as they leave Belfast in search of a better life. Confined in close quarters in the belly of the ship, they embark on a tumultuous sea journey as they sail away from their homeland. Secrets are revealed, enemies made, and it becomes clear that no matter where they go, there is no escaping the past. The inaugural production of Belfast Girls was produced in association with the North East Network. ( Droichead, Solsctice and An Táin Arts Centres)
PADDY: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PADDY ARMSTRONG BY MARY-ELAINE TYNAN, DON WYCHERLEY AND NIAMH GLEESON.
SAT 29 NOV | 8PM |
DIRECTED BY MARY-ELAINE TYNAN
Fifty years after his wrongful conviction, at the age of 74, Paddy is facing into his twilight years and wrestling with a thousand turbulent memories. In Paddy he relives the journey that forever altered his destiny.
A one-man show, starring Don Wycherley as Paddy, the play is inspired by Paddy’s memoir Life After Life, a Guildford Four Memoir. Paddy is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of forgiveness, reminding us that the privilege of freedom and love, family and everyday life can restore us and mend the scars of even the most savage injustice.
More Info
Stockwell Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
