Muine Bheag Arts Radio

In this episode we meet with writer and artist, Erica van Horn, and poet, artist and editor, Simon Cutts. Erica and Simon are directors of Coracle, a small publishing press, located in South Tipperary since 1996.Erica and Simon generously share insights into their work, touching on how the press was established, its various forms and collaborations with artists, and their extensive output to date.Wavelengths is a conversation series focused on artists - and the ideas and processes that shape their work.Coracle is a small publishing press directed by writer and artist Erica Van Horn and poet, artist and editor Simon Cutts. The consistent intention has been to involve artists, editors, poets and writers in the creation of an eclectic synthesis of word, image and print that could flourish in book form through exploration of metaphor, allusion, paradox and irony. It was initially started from a small farm between the hills of South Tipperary, Ireland in 1996.

Celtic Blind Date is a collaboration between artists Esyllt Angharad Lewis and Rónán O'Raghallaigh. The artists conducted a series of remote collaborative exchanges between Ireland and Wales, which included video calls, language-based experiments, a DIY seance and mail art.In this episode we join Esyllt and Rónán on their journey to the underworld, as they explore the intersections between Celtic language, folklore and the surreal.This project came about as a result of an invitation from Welsh artist-run organisation ArcadeCampfa and Muine Bheag Arts, to explore questions of place and language through broadcast and print.

Wavelengths is a conversation series focused on artists and the ideas and processes that shape their work.This episode coincides with A kì í mọ nà ogbà ju olộgbà lọ; ení múni wá là ntè lé - an exhibition by Josie KO, curated by Muine Bheag Arts. The exhibition runs until 26th July in Lismore Castle Arts.~Josie KO is a Glasgow based artist who graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2021. Since then she has been a committee member at Transmission Gallery, worked full time at Glasgow School of Art’s Student’s Association, and has exhibited in Dundee, London and Switzerland.

Return of the Bog Body is a radio play by St. Brigid’s N.S. It tells the story of a group of excited scouts arriving at Mount Leinster for the biggest orienteering competition of the year. Meanwhile, a confused bog body escapes from the museum and is searching for someone he lost a thousand years ago…Muine Bheag Arts led a series of workshops to develop the radio play as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2026. Return of the Bog Body is written, acted and recorded by the 6th class students from St. Brigid’s N.S.Credits: Fuad Alyousef, Evan Cai, Ben Cole, Calum Cummins, Hugo Cunningham, Robin Dowling, Bobby Doyle, Ben Foster, Ravishka Gunasinghe, Jack Healy, Harry Hughes, Aaden Holton, Adam Kelly,  Eoin Kelly, Simon Macejko, Ryan McAssey, Cathal McCullagh, Braxton Osborne, Kuba Piotrowski, Liam Plant, Patrick Purcell, Isaac Sheahan, Jakub Ulanowski, Jakub Wojcik, Joyce Zidi-Esengo

The Shed is a compilation of audio works selected through an open call which invited submissions inspired by our makeshift recording studio in a disused shed. Responding to the ideas of amateurism, experimentation, leisure and escape, the episode brings together essays, interviews and poetry by Sarah Lincoln + Andy Walsh, Sian Conway, Luke Casserly and Julie Morrissy. The narrative works are interwoven with music and soundscapes by Office for Joint Administrative Intelligence, Ella Bertilsson & Cian Walker, and Ciarán Mac Eochaidh.

In this episode, we join artist Liliane Puthod and writer Ingrid Lyons during a pit stop in Muine Bheag as part of tour de force in summer 2025.At the wheel of Liliane’s late father’s Renault 4, tour de force travelled around Ireland engaging with artists, musicians, mechanics, farmers, archaeologists, craftspeople, academics and aficionados over a series of collaborative pit stopsMuine Bheag Arts was delighted to welcome Liliane and Ingrid to the town, along with historian, writer and contemporary art theorist, Barry Kehoe, who presented a talk at the Community Centre. During their visit they met with local car enthusiasts and learned about their relationships to their car.

Shifting Ether is an audio essay written by Edy Fung with sound produced by Dan Callanan. The episode explores different historical moments of ether and the materiality of radio.Edy Fung is an artist, curator and musician whose practice inquires into the material conditions and technological paradigms of contemporary society, including the philosophy of information, history of science and machine intelligence. She creates sound and intermedia art projects that incorporate text, installation, transmission/radio, video, digital artefacts, electroacoustics and performance.Dan Callanan is a Cork artist based in Dublin. He is the founder of the DOE (Department of Energy), a DIY imprint exploring our relationship with the land through ambient-adjacent music, field recordings, text, video and photography.

Live @ COMMUNE 2025 brings you a selection of highlights from the Muine Bheag Arts summer programme.COMMUNE took place from 15th - 25th August in and around the Muine Bheag Community Centre and unfolded as a collection of live events, workshops and public interventions with contributions from artists, collectives and community groups.In this episode we’ll hear from some of these contributors including members of BEAM Services who formed the music group The Glimmers, graduates-in-residence Ciara Davitt, Nina Fitzgerald Graham & Mica Moroney and a conversation between Niamh Seana Meehan and Lucie McLaughlin on the launch of new publication, Beacon. We’ll also join artist Lily O’Shea and her sister and collaborator Ali O’Shea, Cian Lawler who led a cyanotype workshop and hear a snippet from Marian Balfe’s Card Club.

The Curse of Count Vlas is a radio play by St. Brigid’s N.S. It tells the story of four 6th class friends who embark on a spooky adventure to rescue their town from a greedy property developer, Count Vlas, who has put a strange curse on Grandad Noel’s farm.Muine Bheag Arts led a series of workshops to develop the radio play as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2025. The Curse of Count Vlas is written, acted and recorded by the 6th class students from St. Brigid’s N.S.Credits:Yahia Ahmed, Keelan Brennan, Harry Butcher, Caden O’Brien, Hugh O’Brien, Roy Cai, Jayden Clarke, Tyler Crawford, Aidan Downing, Joshua Dermody, Owen Doyle, Tyler English, Jake Gardiner, Conor Grant, Darragh Hughes, Nathan Kavanagh, Dylan Kelly, Sebastian Kral, Craig Lawlor, Kyle Lillis, Caleb Modesto, Reece Power, Kane Stringer, David VlasFacilitation and audio production by Jack CorbettThis project is kindly supported by Cruinniú na nÓg, Carlow Arts Office and Creative Ireland Carlow.

In this episode we explore the name of our town – Muine Bheag/Bagenalstown – which has a complex and unique history.We met with local historian John Murphy, school children and members of the community to understand their perspectives on the town’s name.