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ROADMAP TEMPLE BAR GALLERY + STUDIOS GRADUATE RES
IDENCY ARTIST 2026 DÚN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN FREE PUBLIC ARTS PROGRAMME DLR city council announced free performances under its public arts programme, ‘The Story We Tell Tomorrow’. All performances are free to attend in public places across the county, however, advanced booking is required for the performances that are taking place at Dún Laoghaire Baths on 29th July, with free tickets via Eventbrite from 15th July. The July 29th performances include Rainbow Rapids & The 100,000 BOLTS, which is an electronic music, site-responsive show with masked performances by artists Cian Murphy and Jenny O’Malley at 8pm. Following at 9:15pm is LUNA, an immersive musical performance by multidisciplinary artist Sal Stapleton, pictured, blending electronic music with a string quartet and choral voices to display the eight movements shaped by the lunar cycle. www.dlrcoco.ie Temple Bar Gallery + Studios (TBG+S) is delighted to announce Aoife Ní Dhuinn as the 2026 recipient of the TBG+S Recent Graduate Residency Award. The annual award offers an emerging artist who graduated from an undergraduate degree within the past three years a large free studio, a €7,000 artist bursary, and institutional support. Aoife Ní Dhuinn is a visual artist from Clondalkin, Dublin, working across sculpture, drawing, and image-making, exploring big/small feelings and the absurdities of modern life through materials such as wood, ceramics, and pencil. Supported by the South Dublin County Council Bursary (2025) and Arts Council of Ireland Agility Awards (2023, 2024), she says the residency provides “space, time and stability” to develop her practice at a larger scale. templebargallery.com NON- FICTION SHORTLIST FOR MICHEL DÉON PRIZE The Royal Irish Academy (RIA), in association with the Department of Foreign Affairs, has announced the six shortlisted titles for the 2026 Michel Déon Prize for non-fiction. Awarded in October 2026, the €10,000 prize, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, will go to the author of the best non-fiction book habitually living on the island of Ireland. The winner will deliver the “Michel Déon Lecture” in France in 2027. The shortlist includes Dublin’s Stained Glass. A guide to the finest twentieth-century windows cultural studies by David Caron; Hotel Lux: An Intimate History of Communism’s Forgotten Radicals by Maurice J Casey, Land Is All That Matters: The Struggle That Shaped Irish History by Myles Dungan, Monasticism in Ireland, AD 900-1250 by Edel Bhreathnach, Rory O’Connor: To Defend the Republic by Gerard Shannon and The Celtic World: a history by John Waddell. A WIN FOR CÓR LINN Already designated the “home of music in Ireland,” Dublin’s National Concert Hall (NCH) has now gained even greater distinction thanks to its talented youth club: Cór Linn. The young singers, ages 14-18, became Grand Prix winners after receiving an outstanding high score of 97 out of 100 at the International Youth Music Festival in Bratislava on 3 July 2026. What’s more, the group achieved special recognition for their morale and behavior during the competition, reflecting the professional and personal success to be discovered in honing craft, instilling confidence, and remembering to find joy in one’s aptitudes. Up next on the International stage, Cór Linn has been invited to participate in the 20th International Festival and Competition Cançó Mediterrània 2027 and Barcelona’s International Pau Casals Choir Competition. 10 PÚCA MAGIC The infamous Púca Festival is set to return this Halloween with four days of music, comedy and folklore. Situated in Trim and Athboy in County Meath, it’s the perfect place to celebrate Ireland’s place as the birthplace of Halloween. Glen Hasard, The Coronas and Jerry Fish headline but make sure to catch the folkloric processions. Tickets are available now on their website. www.pucafestival.com GYM MOTIVATION Frustrated with the limitations of public gyms, Michael Byers and Fiona McCabe launched Motive, a new fitness concept offering exclusive access to a fully equipped private gym. Based in South Dublin, Motive delivers a focused training environment for individuals, a premium space for personal trainers to work with clients, and a clean, professional setting for filming and photography for content creators and health-focused brands. Sessions are pay-as-you-go, with no memberships, subscriptions, or long-term commitments, and can be booked by the hour. Rates start at €30 per hour for up to two people. Bookings are available via the Motive app. thisismotive.com
