Michael Hartnett Gala Festival Gig - KILA

Welcome to Éigse Michael Hartnett 2023 and, if you are not from the town, welcome to Newcastle West and to Hartnett country. Hartnett country is not a figment of the imagination. While much has changed in West Limerick since Michael lived here, much has also survived: the readiness to talk; the local turn of phrase; the love of music and dance; the quick and witty retort; the slanted humour and of course, the lush, green countryside. Michael’s relationship with his home-place was a complicated and complex affair but it was the place that shaped him and where he first came to poetry. We are proud to claim him as one of the most original, lyrical, strong and independent voices in Irish poetry and as one of the great translators of Irish-language poetry.

Éigse Michael Hartnett honours Michael’s legacy but also continues it, by bringing together poets and musicians, artists and thinkers, in a free-ranging programme that holds a hand out to all comers. Our invitation is a simple one: Come and join us.

Formed at school in Dublin’s late 1980’s, Award-winning band, Kíla, are heralded as one of Ireland’s most innovative and exciting bands. Their unique sound has been ever-evolving, rooted in tradition, yet inspired by a myriad of influences and ideas from all around the world.

Often defined as contemporary Irish World music, Kíla fuse the effects of their own melodies and Irish (Gaeilge) lyrics, Irish folk instruments such as whistles, fiddles, Uilleann pipes, bones and bodhrán with djembe, congas, drums, mandolins, brass, and acoustic/electric/ bass guitars. Kíla’s eight members come from the differing musical backgrounds of traditional, classical, and rock.

The result is a fresh blend of freewheeling instrumentals, furious jigs, and primal rhythms that transcend the traditional boundaries of Irish music.

Kíla have worked extensively in TV and film. In 2020 they won the IFTA for Best Original Score for the soundtrack or Arracht (TG4). Their most notable collaborations have been with French composer Bruno Coulais on the soundtracks for Cartoon Saloon’s three Oscar-nominated animated films The Secret of Kells (2010), Song of the Sea (2014), and most recently for Wolfwalkers (2020).

Host or Publisher Limerick Literary Festival