Wandering Boyle Arts Festival trail
For ten days, the town itself becomes part of the exhibition, with galleries, music andconversation waiting around every corner
For the next ten days, Boyle isn't just hosting an arts festival – it becomes one.
The streets fill with music, galleries appear in unexpected spaces, cafés hum with conversation and almost every corner offers something to discover. Whether you're an art lover, a music fan or simply looking for a good day out, there's a sense that something is happening everywhere you turn.
I spent much of Thursday evening wandering through the Main Exhibition in King House, where the work of 160 artists from across Ireland fills room after room. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, mixed media and printmaking sit side by side, each telling a different story.
Rather than simply admire the finished pieces, I found myself chatting to several of the artists beside their work. They spoke passionately about their techniques, the materials they use and the inspiration behind each piece. Some had spent months perfecting a single sculpture, while others explained how the Roscommon landscape had shaped their paintings.
It's those conversations that make Boyle Arts Festival different. You don't just look at the art — you meet the people who created it.
This year's exhibition includes work by internationally recognised artists including Hughie O'Donoghue RA, Barbara Rae RA, Olivia Musgrave, Donal Teskey and Guggi, alongside many emerging artists exhibiting beside them.
The festival is also introducing the inaugural Barry Feely Sculptor Award, honouring the late Barry Feely's enormous contribution to Irish sculpture while recognising emerging talent. The Fergus Ahern Award will also be presented once again, celebrating the man who helped establish Boyle Arts Festival as one of Ireland's leading cultural events.
Outside King House, the atmosphere is just as lively.
Families stroll through the town with festival brochures tucked under their arms, deciding what to see next. Musicians tune instruments before performances, cafés spill onto the footpaths and visitors browse independent shops between events.
The festival officially opened with its colourful parade through the streets before acclaimed singer Mary Coughlan launched this year's programme. She returns later in the festival for what promises to be one of the standout concerts in St Joseph's Hall.
Music runs right through the programme with performances from Onóir, These Charming Men, NoCrows and Luke Thomas & The Swing Cats, while Saturday's Festival Music Trail will transform Boyle into one giant stage, with live performances taking place across venues from morning until midnight.
Comedy comes courtesy of Jason Byrne, while literary fans can look forward to conversations with Michael Harding and broadcaster John Creedon.
Classical music lovers are also well catered for, with soprano Lorna Breen, Helen Hancock and Boyle's own young pianist Lenny Chen performing alongside the 20-piece Sligo Baroque Orchestra.
Theatre audiences can catch Will Govan portraying Oscar Wilde in Work is the Curse of the Drinking Classes, while Gerry Farrell's I Had To Go For Counselling offers a humorous take on life after retirement.
For anyone looking for something a little different, there's the Irish National Opera's award-winning virtual reality experience Out of the Ordinary, along with Distillation, a unique sensory performance exploring Ireland's bog landscape through scent, sound and storytelling.
Families haven't been forgotten either. A Beatles Picnic, FamilyFest at King House, children's workshops, robotics sessions, arts and crafts and interactive experiences ensure there's plenty to keep younger visitors entertained throughout the week.
As I left King House and wandered back through the town, there was still a steady stream of people arriving, programmes in hand, planning their next stop.
That's perhaps the real charm of Boyle Arts Festival.
It isn't confined to one building or one stage. For ten days, the entire town becomes part of the experience. Every street, every venue and every conversation adds another layer to a festival that has become one of Ireland's best-loved celebrations of music, art and creativity.