Art & The Outdoors 2025

Saturday 2 August and Sunday 3 August 2025, 12.15pm 

Botanic String Quartet  Founded by siblings Ciara and Shane Cavanagh in 2018, the Botanic String Quartet is inspired by the wonderful Botanic Gardens in Dublin, which is local to our home and is part of our daily lives. Botanic String Quartet’s music collection includes all genres and styles. We play classical music as well as jazz. We love performing film music and pop, and of course traditional Irish tunes too. From Beethoven to the Beatles, from Miles Davis to Maroon 5 and from Strauss to Sting, botanicstringquartet.com

Saturday 2 August and Sunday 3 August 2025, 13.15pm 

Dermot Dunne and Ariel Hernandez –Accordion /Guitar Duo. Many concert-goers will remember the duo of Argentinian guitarist and singer Ariel Hernandez with Irish accordionist Dermot Dunne who, between 2003-2010 brought the excitement and passion of Latin music to Irish audiences from the National Concert Hall to Belfast Opera House, Vicar Street, Farmleigh House, the Bray Jazz Festival, Dunlaoire Festival of World Cultures and beyond. Their duo intricately combined the soulful voice and playing of Ariel with the instrumental flair of Dermot in a range of styles from the familiar Tango to the lesser known Chacarera, Zamba and Chamamé. After returning to Argentina in 2010, Ariel relocated from his hometown of Buenos Aires to a remote town in the interior Carpinteria, a region is steeped in local tradition and art, where Latin influences blend with native styles, immersing himself in performing the music of the region with the finest local musicians, recording numerous albums and appearing at festivals throughout the region. Ariel and Dermot’s first album ‘P’al que se va’ takes its title from a song in which the singer tells a young man heading off to see the world that the road which takes him away is also the road that will bring him back. Now after many years, Ariel takes to the road once again to visit the place he called home 15 years ago for a reunion tour with his duo partner which will delight Irish audiences and in addition to the dances and songs of Ariel’s native land will also include well known classics from the baroque era to beloved cinema scores.@dermotdunne231 @arielhernandez_guitarra

Saturday 2 August and Sunday 3 August 2025, 2.15pm 

Lucie Azconaga and friends – French/Irish Traditional music

Traditional fiddler and singer, Lucie Azconaga (Varo) plays a lively traditional music set encompassing music from all corners of the world. She will be joined by very special guests. VARO are Dublin-based singers and fiddle players Lucie Azconaga (from France) and Consuelo Nerea Breschi (from Italy) who perform Irish traditional songs and tunes with arrangement influences from the Folk, Baroque and Classical traditions, weaving around the melodies with harmonies, drones and countermelody. The duo met in 2015 having moved to Dublin to pursue their love for Irish traditional music, and immediately started a fruitful collaboration. They travelled to Ireland along different musical paths, Lucie from jazz, classical music, and French folk, Consuelo from Irish trad, folk, and world music.   Over the years they have had the pleasure of working in various projects such as Landless, Lisa O’ Neill’s Band, Ye Vagabonds, AlaSourCe and The Nomadic Piano Project. Their eponymous debut album was released in January 2020 to great critical acclaim.  Since then, they have performed at numerous venues and festivals around Ireland and abroad, including Tradition Now at the NCH, Quiet Lights Festival, St.Patrick’s Festival, Dún Laoghaire Folk Festival, TradFest, Tonn Nua (Berlin), Fête de la Musique (CCI, Paris), and for productions such as the Late Late Show on RTE, or TG4’s ‘Samhlú’ hosted by Tommy Tiernan. @lucie.azconaga

Saturday 2 August and Sunday 3 August 2025, 3.15pm

Mariachi San Patricio  – Dublin/Mexican Mariachi Band Founded in 2011, Mariachi San Patricio has been proudly celebrating the vibrant tradition of mariachi music in Ireland for over a decade. The band takes its name from the St. Patrick’s Battalion, an Irish regiment that fought for Mexico in the Mexican-American War of 1846–1848, symbolising the deep cultural connection between Mexico and Ireland. As Ireland’s only full mariachi ensemble, Mariachi San Patricio embodies this unique blend of traditions, bringing the soulful gritos of Jalisco to the Emerald Isle. A dynamic and evolving musical family, the group is composed of Mexican and Irish musicians who celebrate the fusion of their cultures. Their repertoire spans traditional Mexican songs, iconic Irish ballads, and globally recognised tunes, engaging audiences of all backgrounds with their joyful and inclusive performances. Over the years, the ensemble has been enriched by the contributions of talented musicians from Spain, the Basque Country, Venezuela, Colombia, and of course, Mexico, and Ireland. The ensemble has performed across Ireland and Northern Ireland, delighting audiences at major events such as Electric Picnic, Kaleidoscope, Culture Night, St. Patrick’s Festival, Fiesta del Sol, and Colour Carnival. They have also appeared on TG4’s documentary Éire Nua and shared the stage with legendary artists like Paddy Moloney, Jerry Fish, and Rod Stewart. Most recently, the band recorded an album of Irish songs reimagined in mariachi style, set for release in 2025—a testament to their ongoing mission to blend and celebrate Mexican and Irish culture. What began as a passion project to bring the spirit of Jalisco to Dublin has blossomed into a traveling fiesta of music, color, and joy. “A little piece of Mexico in the heart of Ireland.” mariachisanpatricio.ie

We are delighted to be collaborating with Poetry Ireland again this year on readings by poets as part of Art and the Outdoors