2017 Highlights

I.NY 2017 celebrated the story of Ireland and New York with 30 events across 11 days in Limerick, Ireland

Damien Dempsey & Chris Byrne

Damien Dempsey has been lauded as a modern day seanachaí, delivering his starkly beautiful songs based on real life experience. Chris Byrne is a former member of Black 47, the Celtic hip hop/rock collective active in New York for 25 years.

Appearing together in conversation and performance at I.NY 2017, Damien and Chris discussed the impact New York has had on their personal and creative lives; performing writing and songs borne from that influence. Explore some of the highlights from that evening.

‘First time to cross the Liffey’

‘Clawing up the Ladder’

‘Uilleann Pipes on Lexington’

Rhonda Sherman

Rhonda Sherman is the Director of The New Yorker Festival, the internationally recognised festival of arts, politics and culture, and a live extension of The New Yorker magazine. Through a ‘signature lineup of authors, actors, thinkers, artists, and leaders who are driving the culture’, the festival aims to create challenging and thought-provoking content which brings the spirit of the magazine to the stage. Appearing as part of ‘Annie Moore Talks’, Rhonda discussed the importance of live performance in the digital age at I.NY 2017.

‘Among Friends’

‘The New Yorker and Ireland’

GAA USA

In 1947, the only All-Ireland Football Final ever to be played outside Ireland was played in New York City’s Polo Grounds. This unlikely event would have a lasting legacy, giving the GAA in America a much needed shot in the arm. Marking the 70th anniversary of that pivotal event, I.NY presented a screening of the GAA/USA documentary focussed on that Cavan v’s Kerry Final, followed by Dara Ó Cinnéide and Diarmuid Lyng in conversation. There was plenty of input from the audience, including some who remember the game as young children in Kerry and Cavan.

‘Dueling Kerrymen’

‘The Place Shapes the Game’

Gerry Leonard & Eoin Devereux

Gerry Leonard (aka Spooky Ghost) was David Bowie’s guitarist and musical director and was a member of the seminal artist’s inner circle for fifteen years. Born in Clontarf but based in New York, Gerry settled in the East Village where he worked with artists such as Cyndi Lauper, Sophie B. Hawkins and Rufus Wainwright.

For I.NY 2017 Gerry Leonard joined writer and academic Eoin Devereux in conversation and performance. Explore some of the highlights of that evening.