Things To Do: Listen to the land, study the goddess’ waiting room, sing a song for Brigid

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Our recommendations – no sponsored content, or adverts, just stuff we like.

Daria’s Night Flowers

Last night, Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar launched Daria’s Night Flowers, a new film installation by Maryam Tafakory.

Tafakory, a UK-based Iranian artist filmmaker makes “textual and filmic collages”, which interweave poetry, and archival and found material to explore depictions of intimacy, desire and prohibition. And her new film, Daria’s Night Flowers, is described as an essayistic text that uses found-footage and scripted narrative elements to examine the representation of women, or the lack thereof, in post-revolution Iranian cinema.

Daria’s Night Flowers will be showing in the centre’s gallery between 11am and 6pm until 18 April.

Admission is free. For more information, visit Project Arts’ website here.

Dublin Digital Radio’s St. Brigid’s Day

This Sunday is St. Brigid’s Day, and Dublin Digital Radio will be marking the occasion up at the Flux Studios on Chatham Row.

Lá Fhéile Bríde is their annual celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, poets, blacksmiths, livestock and Kildare, and they’ll be opening their studio up, staging a Brígid’s cross-making workshop, running yoga classes and offering flash tattoos.

As part of the festivities, artists Niamh Beirne and Helen Flanagan, collectively known as Spooky Beore, will be performing a healing ritual known as "The Cailleach’s Guide to Rage: Perpetuating an Endless Winter on those who would Oppress Us", which is described as a guided journey back to the well of ancestral rage.

There will also be live music from songwriter James J. Clarke, while DJs including Emma Conway, Little O and Sahana broadcast their shows live.

DDR's Lá Fhéile Bríde will kick off at 2pm and continue until 8pm.

Entry is free. For more information, visit DDR’s website here.

Artist Shane Malone-Murphy in conversation

On Friday, the sculptor Shane Malone-Murphy will be discussing his practice in TU Dublin Grangegorman.

Malone-Murphy, a resident artist over in Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, examines the histories of land use and ownership through the lens of grief. Working between sculpture and drawing, and using gathered materials like glass, soot, ash and clay, he often presents his works in states of transition. Objects lean, fabrics hang, and one thing bears the weight of another.

The talk is being run by the independent art organisation Basic Space, and will be on in the East Quad, Grangegorman between 1.15pm and 2pm tomorrow: Friday, 30 January.

To book your tickets, visit the Basic Space website here.

Poetry workshop with Grace Wilentz

On Friday, the poet Grace Wilentz will be leading a poetry workshop in Ballyfermot Library.

Part of the Brigit 2026: Dublin City Celebrating Women festival, the workshop is inspired by the Ribín Bríghud or Brat Bhride (Brigid’s Cloak), which is laid out before sunset on the Brigid’s Feast Day (1 February) and brought back in before sunrise, endowed by the dew with healing properties.

For the workshop, Wilentz will look to “invoke goddesses” from multiple traditions, explore the transformative power of words, and write original poems weighted with the intention of carrying support, guidance and sustenance into the world.

It will also serve as an opportunity for you to re-connect with the artworks in the Hugh Lane Gallery, which is temporarily closed for refurbishments, because Wilentz will be taking inspiration from its collection, as well as discussing poems that “become the waiting room of the goddess”.

The workshop is on tomorrow, 30 January, between 2 and 4.30pm.

Admission is free, B=but spaces are limited, so booking is recommended.

To book a place, contact Ballyfermot Library directly at ballyfermotlibrary@dublincity.ie or 01 222 8422.

Brigid: Power, Myth and Rebellion

Over in the Abbey Presbyterian Church on Parnell Square, author Kim Curran will be in conversation with historian Donal Fallon about her latest novel, Brigid.

The novel, released today, reimagines the story of St. Brigid as she “bends faith to claim freedom, build sanctuary, and challenge kings and bishops alike”. And to mark its release, the author will be speaking with Fallon about myth and history, belief and rebellion and the enduring resonance of Brigid as a goddess, saint and symbol of female strength.

Organised as part of the Brigit 2026, the talk will begin at 12pm, and will be followed by a book signing.

Tickets are available here.

Listen to the Land

On Sunday, as part of its ongoing Irish Focus series, the Irish Film Institute will be screening the documentary Listen to the Land.

An adaptation of the late Manchán Magan’s 2022 book, Listen to the Land Speak: A Journey Into the Wisdom of What Lies Beneath Us, the documentary explores the “profound knowledge and wisdom” contained in the Irish landscape. Unfolding from the Winter Solstice to Bealtaine through Reek Sunday to Samhaim, it looks at how the stories and myths associated with rivers, mountains and lands are crucial to unlocking aspects of how we need to rebuild our relationship with nature.

It also becomes an unexpectedly personal story as Magan learns of the serious illness in himself that makes him see these ancient sites and beliefs in a whole new light.

Directed by Maurice O’Brien, Listen to the Land Speak premiered in July, just months before Magan’s passing in October.

The screening is at 2.10pm on Sunday, 1 February, and it will be introduced by Magan’s brother Ruán Magan and director O’Brien.

Tickets are available here.

The life and writing of Mary Guckian

Finally, on Wednesday evening, the Irish Writers Centre is holding a celebration of the life and writings of poet Mary Guckian.

Guckian passed away in October, leaving behind a body of work which was inspired by her upbringing in Leitrim, her adopted home in Ringsend, and which drew from nature, the urban and rural divide and social history.

Fellow poets, friends and family will be celebrating her writings by choosing works from her five collections.

The event starts at 6.30pm, and admission is free.

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Walk Without Worry

Residents in Kinseally will be organising a protest for safer pathways at St. Olaf’s Square on 27 February.

The community is asking for safer paths to its school and local transport.

For more information, or to offer support, residents are currently running a pair of petitions which can be seen and signed here, and here.

Motanka Doll-Making Workshop

On 5 February, Ranelagh Arts Centre will be holding a Motanka Doll making workshop led by their Ukrainian friends who are specialists in the art of Motanka.

The workshop will run between 11.30am and 1.30pm. For more information, and to sign up, contact info.ranelagharts@gmail.com

Defend Irish Neutrality. Save The Triple Lock – Public Meeting

This evening at 7pm, there will be a public meeting at Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin 1, hosted by the Irish Neutrality League to discuss Ireland’s triple lock.

As part of the event, which will be a relaunch of the Irish Neutrality League, there will be guest speakers including economists Yanis Varoufakis and Richard Wolff, researcher Bana Abu Zuluf, geographer Rory Rowan, and columnist Jenny Maguire.