In Ep-22 we bring you the 2nd part of our series with Hedge School Doolin. An artist run, not for profit festival which hosts innovators and creators preforming, sharing & collaborating over 3 days, with music and literary workshops during the day and live music prefommaces at night.

Held at hotel doolin , the festival is run by doolin arts & Simon O’Reilly who were very kind to invite me down.  Part 2 below is a selection of some of the wonderful artists who appeared over the weekend.

Mark Graham is a lecturer in the Department of Arts at SETU (South-East Technical University), he is currently working towards a PhD in the area of Music Industry Ethics. Mark spent 10 years performing at home and abroad with the band King Kong Company. He has previously worked for Today FM and RTE Radio. His book, A Year of Festivals in Ireland, documented his quest to attend three festivals per week for an entire year.

Garry Keogh from Rollercoaster records which has been trading since 1990 in the marble city, first as Top Twenty before changing to their Rollercoaster Records in 2004. Originally led by the legendary Willie Meighan, until he sadly passed away in 2017, Rollercoaster has long been and continues to be the hub of the music scene in the metropolis of Kilkenny. They are specialists in all the music you don’t hear on daytime radio. Their label has released music by Arborist, Jon Throne and Malojian,

Maeva Byss is a spoken word artist, actress, and singer song-writer from the USA.  Her performances have spanned from Appalachia to Eastern Europe. A trained improviser and poet, she is currently attending the Masters programme for Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.

Branwen is a musician, composer, performance artist and puppeteer from the west of Ireland with a strong interest in folklore, dada, poetry and theatre. Led by a powerful imagination, Branwen’s art and music are usually fashioned into a surreal and potent experience which crosses the threshold into bizarre, surreal and magical territory. They are an award nominated artist, have performed their compositions on Other Voices, The National Concert Hall, Glastonbury and much more.  They have been the songwriter for well-known projects such as Twin Headed Wolf and Rufous Nightjar.

‘Noir femme of the winter season, Osaro is a hermit who delves into the literal Black arts of lonesome prayers, sensual poetry and guttural vocal chorals which she infuses in her live performances in the colder months. Osaro recently curated the award winning event BLACK JAM, a night of esoteric live music, hosted at Dublin Fringe Festival and Nuit Blanche Festival in Paris 2023’

Margaret O’Connor is an Irish-based Independent Accessories Designer, DJ and Conceptual Artist. She’s is best known for her work with millinery; Margaret recently launched her first accessories range in the National Gallery of Ireland.  Her creations have attracted the attention and been worn by a broad range of celebrities, ranging from Supermodel Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, Years and Years, Pink Floyd. She produces handmade eclectic couture designs and commercial millinery collections from her studio base in 68 Dame St, Temple Bar, Dublin.