Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny

16/06/2026

Our second featured artwork today is Declan, Lough Neagh Fisherman by Joe Laverty.

‘It is believed that eel fishing on Lough Neagh dates back to the Bronze Age, meaning that Declan comes from a long line of eel fishers on the Lough. However, that tradition is under threat with the annual blooms of blue-green algae that are suffocating the fragile ecosystem of Lough Neagh. The eel fishing season was stopped after only two weeks in 2025, and a combination of pollution, extraction and poor regulation threatens to end this tradition for good.’ – Joe Laverty.

Quietly powerful and deeply rooted in place, Declan, Lough Neagh Fisherman is both a portrait of an individual and a reflection on a way of life at risk. Set against the backdrop of Ireland’s largest lake, the work speaks to generations of knowledge, labour and tradition, while drawing attention to the environmental challenges threatening the future of the Lough and those who depend upon it.

Joe Laverty is a Tyrone-based photographic artist and filmmaker whose work explores the relationship between landscape, industry and cultural memory. Through projects such as Shallow Waters, his ongoing study of Lough Neagh, he examines how myth, tradition and identity intersect with environmental change and industrial activity in rural Ireland.

The AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize remain on display at the RCC until Friday at 5pm.

Credit:

Joe Laverty
Declan, Lough Neagh Fisherman, 2025
Photograph | Unframed: 66 × 56.5 cm

16/06/2026

As the AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize enter their final days at the RCC, we’re continuing to highlight some of the remarkable works on display.

Today’s featured artwork is Essence of Flow by Missy Brinkmeyer.

‘I am fascinated by people who seem to embody their craft, talent, or skills. When their body, mind and spirit unite in synchronous action, they reach a place that appears effortless. It is at once all knowing and performing. On this evening I attended the Macnas Halloween Parade wishing to catch members of this exceptional group reaching their peak. Daniel Guinnane, the brass band leader, was the Essence of Flow. Catching him in this state felt like the ultimate portrait.’ – Missy Brinkmeyer.

Captured during the celebrated Macnas Halloween Parade, Essence of Flow freezes a fleeting moment of complete immersion. Rather than focusing on appearance alone, Brinkmeyer’s photograph seeks to capture a state of being — that rare moment when skill, concentration and expression align. The result is a portrait that conveys energy, presence and the joy of creative performance.

Missy Brinkmeyer is a fine art street photographer whose work is rooted in a fascination with people and the human condition. Guided as much by instinct as observation, she seeks out moments of connection, emotion and transformation within everyday life, creating images that are both intimate and deeply human.

The AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize remain on display at the RCC until Friday at 5pm.

Credit:

Missy Brinkmeyer
Essence of Flow, 2023
Photograph | Unframed: 52 × 78 cm

16/06/2026

The Journals Fleadh | Meet the Players: Introducing the Irish Journals

Join us for an evening celebrating Ireland’s vibrant literary journal scene as part of Earagail Arts Festival. Meet emerging writers from Profiles and The Frustrated Writers’ Group, and hear from award-winning author, editor and publisher Eimear Ryan of Banshee Press and Banshee literary journal.

Perfect for readers, writers and anyone curious about the people behind some of Ireland’s most exciting literary publications.

📅 Friday 17 July - 8pm. Free Admission.

Part of The Journals Fleadh, a weekend of conversation, creativity and connection celebrating the journals that help shape Ireland’s literary landscape. Curated by Megan Johnson.

15/06/2026

🔥 A Personal History of Pyromania 🔥

What is it about fire that captivates us?

In this compelling solo performance, writer and performer Brendan Mac Evilly explores a lifelong fascination with flame through storytelling, live reading, sound and visual media. Blending personal memories with reflections on family, history and transformation, A Personal History of Pyromania is both thought-provoking and darkly humorous.

📅 Wednesday 22 July -8pm

Book now at regionalculturalcentre.com

(Link in comments)

Presented as part of Earagail Arts Festival.

15/06/2026

Don't miss your chance to book this workshop with Fraser Hooper. There are only a few spots left!

❗CLOWN WORKSHOP❗
🚨LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE🚨

We only have a few tickets left for the Clown Workshop with Fraser Hooper. Hurry to secure yours on the link below. 🎟🤡
https://eaf.ie/events/all-ages-5-95-years-clown-workshop-with-fraser-hooper/

📍Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny.
📅Saturday 18th July, 11am.
🎫More info at www.eaf.ie

Exercise your funny bones and discover the art of clowning around with internationally acclaimed clown Fraser Hooper. Through improvisation, rhythm and play learn how to develop your timing and build comedy routines. This fun practical workshop is for the whole family to enjoy together. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

After a glittering career in menswear, Fraser Hooper gave it all up to become a clown. Thirty six years on his unique brand of award winning comedy has delighted thousands of audiences in over forty countries worldwide. In New Zealand he won The Iron Chicken Award at The World Buskers Festival, Best Act at The Landshut Street Festival Germany, Bronze at The International Acrobatic Circus Festival Wuhan China and Silver at Saint-Paul-Les-Dax Circus Festival in France. Fraser is also a popular clown tutor and has taught in twenty countries including twelve years at The National Centre for Circus Arts London.

14/06/2026

As the AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize enter their final week at the RCC, we’re continuing to highlight some of the remarkable works on display.

Today’s featured artwork is Blues by Miseon Lee.

‘Blues is a self-portrait that plays on the dual meaning of its title, both the cool palette and a quiet emotional state. The sitter, dressed in a blue cardigan over a warm floral dress, hints at a tension between outward expression and inward feeling. The work explores vulnerability, uncertainty, and contrast (or alignment) between colour and mood, suggesting that melancholy and vitality often exist side by side.’ - Miseon Lee.

After twenty years of creative silence and another twenty immersed in the addictive cycle of art, Miseon Lee has realised that she has been recording her life through painting. The title of Blues, a self-portrait, reflects not only the artist’s use of colour but also an emotional state. The dull grey background draws attention to the sitter and the process of self-reflection. Dressed in a vibrant floral dress under a blue cardigan, the sitter symbolises a contrast between outward vibrancy and inner melancholy. This work is the artist’s interpretation of identity, solitude, and the ongoing search for authenticity.

The AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize remain on display at the RCC until Friday at 5pm.

Credit:

Miseon Lee
Blues, 2025
Oil on linen | Unframed: 100 × 70 cm

14/06/2026

Always a visitor favourite, the AIB Young Portrait Prize showcases the creativity and talent of young artists from across Ireland.

As the exhibition enters its final week, we’re sharing a selection of works from this year’s Young Portrait Prize.

The AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize remain open Tuesday–Friday this week, before closing at 5pm on Friday.

1. Jiayi Sun, Age 15
Guess How Much I Love You, 2025

2. Guorui Sui, Age 11
My Own World of Fantasy, 2025

3. Rohan Agrawal, Age 6
Me and My Curls, 2025

4. Alice Agafonova, Age 13
Presence, 2025

5. Jill Tritschler, Age 18
Minerva, 2025

6. Elijah Coada, Age 6
Sharing Ice Cream is Fun, 2025

7. Cillian Rush, Age 9
Thumbs Up, 2025

8. Victoria Muradova, Age 5
This is me with Flowers Walking Around Istanbul, 2025

9. Abigail Leonard, Age 4
Rainy Day, 2025

10. Walt Russell, Age 16
Memento Mori, 2025

Visit the RCC this week to discover these fantastic portraits and many more before the exhibition closes on Friday 👏

13/06/2026

Only a handful of tickets remain for tonight’s concert. Advance booking strongly advised. Link in comments.

13/06/2026

𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒅.

Today is the final Saturday to visit the AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize at the RCC before the exhibition closes next Friday. If you haven’t seen it yet, now is the perfect opportunity.

Today’s featured artwork is Pink Triangle by Peter Bradley.

‘There is a vivid ecstasy that uniquely captures q***r joy on the site of the dancefloor, where many of us, for the first time, became ourselves. It is in these often-furtive club spaces where q***r and trans folks find catharsis, no longer limited in their self-expression or expected social performances.’ Dr El Reid-Buckley writes, ‘Pink Triangle offers audiences a snapshot into how we make and remake ourselves through one another; through the sway and the swerve, in moments of scintillation’. – Peter Bradley.

Rendered across three panels awash with electric colour and movement, Pink Triangle captures the energy, freedom and sense of belonging found within q***r nightlife. Blurring bodies, light and gesture, Bradley creates a work that is both celebratory and deeply human, reflecting on the dancefloor as a space of connection, transformation and self-discovery.

Peter Bradley is a painter and mixed-media artist whose work explores identity through the human figure. Based in Galway City, he has received numerous awards and has been shortlisted for both the Zurich and Hennessy Portrait Prize. His work has been exhibited widely, including at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Royal Ulster Academy, Butler Gallery, Highlanes Gallery and Galway International Arts Festival.

The AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize continue at the RCC until Friday 26 June, 5pm. Please note that today is the final Saturday to visit the exhibition, as the RCC will be closed next Saturday due to the Donegal International Rally.

Credit:

Peter Bradley
Pink Triangle, 2025
Oil on panel, triptych | Unframed (each panel): 150 × 85 × 4 cm

12/06/2026

Clown Workshop with Fraser Hooper 🎭

Ready to unleash your inner clown? Join internationally acclaimed clown Fraser Hooper for a fun-filled family workshop packed with improvisation, rhythm and play.

Perfect for all ages, this hands-on workshop invites children and adults to laugh, play and create together. No experience required – just bring your sense of fun! All children must be accompanied by an adult.

📅 Saturday 18 July | 11am
🎟 Suitable for ages 5–95

Presented as part of Earagail Arts Festival.