Nomadic cultures centre stage in Galway's Misleór Festival

This year's theme, ‘Weaving the Threads Between Us’, reflects on Misleór’s journey to date while looking towards future connections and collaborations.

The entertainment for audiences of all ages will span spectacle, literature, circus, poetry, storytelling, film, crafts, conversations, workshops, youth and family events. Highlights include a one-night-only performance of ‘H.O.M.E.’ Ireland’s first aerial Hip H’Opera with Fidget Feet and Tobi Omoteso at The Black Box Theatre on Thursday, September 24. Narrated by critically acclaimed rapper Wilzee, H.O.M.E combines soaring aerial choreography with raw spoken word, original music and live performance.

Moonfish Theatre will bring their acclaimed show ‘Why the Moon Travels’ to the Misleór Festival. This production, a sellout at the 2025 at Galway International Arts Festival, is based on Oein DeBhairduin’s collection of Traveller folktales of the same name.

There will also be an ‘In Conversation’ event with writer Rosaleen McDonagh, when she discusses her debut novel ‘Contentious Spaces’ with Druid Theatre’s CEO Maureen Kennelly at the company’s Mick Lally Theatre.

‘Contentious Spaces’ follows a Traveller family facing eviction and the uncertainty of what comes next. Through its characters, the novel explores family, belonging, grief, resilience and the complicated relationship between people and place. That talk is at 3pm next Thursday.

An exhibition on Traveller heritage, ‘If the Wattle Could Talk: Traveller Stories from Beneath the Canvas’, will run at 126 Gallery, St Bridget’s Place. It features sculpture created from hazel and willow, wood-burned art pieces and a hand-crafted wattle-shelter tent.

‘If the Wattle Could Talk’ is a collaborative project between visual artist Debbie Reilly, cultural custodians Annie McDonagh, Paddy Sweeney, Caroline Mongan, Annmarie Mongan, and the wider Galway Traveller community. It allows past and present to meet, with work that encourages people to remember and reimagine.

The foyer of the University of Galway’s O’Donoghue Centre will host an exhibition on Saturday, September 28, to showcase the creativity and vision of young Travellers from Galway City and County. The show, which blends art with activism, was developed through a series of workshops with Traveller artists Chloe McDonagh, Martin McDonagh, Josh Donoghue and Elaine Ward via Local Creative Youth Partnership Programmes. It reflects how young people see themselves, their communities and their futures, as they harness art as a tool for identity, justice and change.

On the same day, in the courtyard of the O’Donoghue Centre, an exhibition of Traveller Traditions and Crafts will run from 11am-4pm. People ae welcome to drop by at any time to explore Traveller traditions, with opportunities to go inside a barrel top wagon, try horseshoe painting and other arts and crafts in this family-friendly event.

On Sunday, October 4, Misleór will bring an installation of wooden horses made from recycled materials to Ballinasloe Fair, alongside a wattle tent from the ‘If Hazel Could Talk’ project, featuring songs, artworks and displays inspired by roadside and camp life.

Visitors of all ages can get hands-on with traditional crafts such as paper flower-making, beady pockets and horseshoe painting, exploring creativity and connecting with cultural heritage

Misleór in Song will be on the Misleór stage from 2-5pm that day, with young and established nomadic singers and musicians sharing songs, stories, and tradition.

In the Traveller language, Cant, the word Misleór is ‘wanderer’ and this sums up the spirit of Ireland’s Traveller arts festival, which is organised by Galway Traveller Movement. Misleór brings together Traveller and nomadic artists from Ireland and around the world while creating opportunities for artistic exchange between communities.

The festival is firmly rooted in Traveller and nomadic identities, as it welcomes all audiences into spaces where they can experience nomadic culture directly with the people who live it.

“Misleór celebrates the creativity and cultural richness of Traveller communities while also recognising the continuing realities of racism, exclusion and marginalisation experienced by Travellers and nomadic peoples,” according to its Cultural Director, Nora Corcoran.

She adds that this year’s theme ‘Weaving the Threads Between Us,’ celebrates “connections across cultures, communities, borders and generations. It is both a celebration of living cultures and a call to protect them, strengthen solidarity and stand together against division”.

Find the full programme of events and tickets at Misleór.ie.