Cooley Chamber Music Festival brings world-class musicians to Carlingford
The inaugural Cooley Chamber Music Festival will take place from 26–28 February 2027 in the historic town of Carlingford, Co Louth
Violinist and artistic director Cliodhna Ryan returns to her Cooley roots to launch an ambitious new festival celebrating the meeting of classical, folk and contemporary music
The inaugural Cooley Chamber Music Festival will take place from 26–28 February 2027 in the historic town of Carlingford, bringing three days of exceptional chamber music to the shores of Carlingford Lough.
Founded and curated by local violinist Cliodhna Ryan, the new winter festival will bring together outstanding Irish and international performers for an intimate programme that crosses musical traditions, explores unexpected connections and invites audiences to experience chamber music in fresh and engaging ways.
Performers include acclaimed singer-songwriter Rachael Lavelle, cellist Aoife Burke, clarinettist Macdara Ó Seireadáin, award-winning harpist and composer Rosie Murphy, and the Bowline String Quartet, a dynamic new ensemble featuring four of Ireland’s finest chamber musicians.
The programme includes works by W.A. Mozart, Linda Buckley, Lili Boulanger, Antonín Dvořák, Kevin Volans, Franz Schubert, Caroline Shaw and John Dowland.
Set against the dramatic landscape of the Cooley Mountains and Carlingford Lough, the festival’s 2027 programme journeys from the Americas to Africa, drawing together classical masterpieces, Irish composers, the female voice, folk influences and music shaped by diverse cultural traditions.
The festival’s principal venue is Carlingford Heritage Centre, a former medieval church whose historic setting offers an evocative backdrop for the close listening and shared experience at the heart of chamber music.
It closes in PJ O'Hare’s pub in the heart of the village, as the Bowline String Quartet set up in the corner for a session, with classical favourites, spontaneous sight-reading and a few surprises in store.
The festival’s artistic vision draws inspiration from the Cooley Peninsula itself.
From the epic tales of the Táin Bó Cúailnge to the lived experience of a modern border region, this sense of connection across boundaries informs a programme that seeks to bring people, places and musical traditions together.
“Returning to the Cooley Peninsula, where I was raised, to establish this festival is a profound personal milestone,” says founder and artistic director Cliodhna Ryan.
“This landscape is thick with myth and memory. Just as this borderland has always connected different worlds, our programme explores the crossing of musical borders.
“We want to move beyond the formality of the traditional concert hall and create a warm, shared space for deep, intimate listening.”
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Friday 26 February, 7.30pm — Opening Concert: Africa to America
The festival opens with a bold programme spanning continents and musical styles, featuring South African composer Kevin Volans’ White Man Sleeps, Judith Weir’s theatrical The Bagpiper’s String Trio and Dvořák’s much-loved “American” Quartet.
Saturday 27 February, 1pm — Rising Star Lunchtime Concert
Presented in Partnership with Cruit Éireann | Harp Ireland
Award-winning local harpist and composer Rosie Murphy takes centre stage in an evocative solo recital celebrating Lili Boulanger in a programme of French music.
Saturday 27 February, 7.30pm — Dreams and Prayers
A richly atmospheric evening pairs Mozart’s sublime Clarinet Quintet with Osvaldo Golijov’s powerful klezmer-inspired work
The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind. The programme also features Linda Buckley’s haunting string trio Fiol, commissioned over two decades ago by the Rothko String Trio, of which Ryan was a founding member.
Sunday 28 February, 10-11.30am, 12.15-1.45pm— The Listening @ Eagles Rock Retreat
Created by flautist Vourneen Ryan and somatic therapist Nessa Ryan, The Listening invites you to step away from the noise of daily life and engage deeply with live music.
Set in an intimate, welcoming space, this relaxed session offers a rare chance to lie down, settle in, and simply rest.
Through guided reflection and live acoustic flute, your attention is gently drawn toward sound, allowing the music to be received with full presence, warmth, and care.
Sunday 28 February, 3pm — Closing Concert: Shaw to Schubert
The festival’s closing concert brings together vocal works by Caroline Shaw and John Dowland, the virtuosic folk energy of Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, and Schubert’s monumental String Quintet in C major in a programme spanning centuries of musical expression.
Sunday 28 February, 6.30pm — The Sunday Session
The festival concludes with a free, informal musical gathering in PJ O'Hare’s, where the festival quartet brings chamber music into an everyday social setting. The session offers audiences and musicians an opportunity to meet on equal terms, with no formal concert-hall barriers.
The Cooley Chamber Music Festival is supported by The Arts Council | An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Louth County Council | Comhairle Contae Lú and Cruit Éireann | Harp Ireland. Local sponsorship is from Greenore Port Ltd., Carlingford Oyster Company and Kellehers Insurance.
The festival is committed to supporting professional musicians through fair remuneration while bringing ambitious, high-quality cultural experiences to regional audiences.
Tickets and information
Full festival passes cost €70, with individual concert tickets priced between €15 and €25. Subsidised student tickets are available across the programme.
Further information and ticket details available at www.cooleychambermusicfestival.com