Ireland’s Edge - The Good Life / Slí Bheatha

Ireland's Edge - the ideas and discussion strand of Other Voices returns home to Dingle this December as part of #OV21.

Taking place from 2 - 3 December, this year’s line up of leading speakers, artists and thinkers will explore the theme of 'The Good Life / Slí Bheatha' through a series of inspiring and thought-provoking discussions and performances 

This special strand of Other Voices provides a unique space during the weekend’s festivities for curious minds to connect, share ideas and explore new perspectives.

Ireland’s Edge have just announced their full programme - keep scrolling for the day-by-day line up and schedule.

Limited day and weekend tickets are available via Eventbrite now.

Friday 2 December

Kicking off at 1.30pm on Friday's programme will bring together chef and food writer, Cúán Greene, traditional dancer and cultural activist, Edwina Guckian and food and farming journalist and reporter, Ella McSweeney to discuss sustainability and equity in the food and agriculture sectors and across wider culture.

There will then be a very special performance by acclaimed concertina player Cormac Begley and award winning Sean Nós dancer Edwina Guckian.

Later on in the day documentary filmmakers Frankie Fenton and Kathryn Kenned joined by biomedical scientist Iida Rusihalme discuss the increasing debate on nuclear power as a means of de-carbonisation as documented in their recent film Atomic Hope: Inside The Pro Nuclear Movement.

From 4pm Muireann Kelliher will be joined by UCC Active Citizen Scholar, Fidaa Marouf, Dublin Cycling Campaigner Kevin Baker and farmer Dinny Galvin who will share their unique stories of bringing forth novel proposals and solutions how the contribution of initiatives like theirs can be considered and incorporated in solving problems and delivering on opportunity at local, regional and national levels.

The final discussion on Friday will see Shon Faye, Best-Selling Author of The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice, join Chris Kissane in conversation to discuss how we can respond to the rights and equality of trans people sadly being made an 'issue' in increasingly toxic public debate.

There will be a closing performance from The Mystery Big Time Band: A mystery musical line-up of some familiar faces will come together for one night only at Ireland’s Edge for a special performance of some cherished classics to see us off into the evening and into the mystic.

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Saturday 3 December

From 11am on Saturday morning, multi-award winning political journalist Sally Hayden will join Ireland's Edge's Chris Kissane to consider Europe's moral responsibilities in a time of refugee crises and mass migration.

Leo Clancy, CEO with Enterprise Ireland will sit down with Muireann Kelliher from 11.40am to share his perspectives on recent year momentum in Irish export performance and reflects on what it will take for Ireland to play catch-up to finally deliver, at pace and scale, on the hitherto unachieved promise of a sustainable indigenous export-led wealth creation and employment proposition.

Later local Farmers Dinny Galvin and Tommy Reidy with artist Lisa Fingleton will explore the real experience of dealing with climate change from an Irish farmers perspective. Alongside journalist Ella McSweeney they will talk about the challenges facing farmers and also the solutions they would like to see in relation to climate action.

After lunch, Author, Broadcaster and Commentator John Kampfner will be in conversation with Ireland’s Edge Co-Founder Muireann Kelliher to share insights from almost three decades of analysing and commentating on global economic, political and cultural affairs. With a unique vantage point in his most recent position as Executive Director of the UK in the World project at Chatham House, John outlines the drivers, directions and the unknowns of the fundamental change now underway.

At 2.05 critically acclaimed performer, composer and curator Oleysa Zdorovetska and Larysa Samonsonok, Former Vice Rector, Donetsk National University of Economics join Muireann Kelliher to share what it is like to experience war in their homeland from here, what they expect 023 to bring and what should understand about global political realities from the Ukrainian experience.

We will then be treated to a live performance from Oleysa Zdorovetska.

From 2.45 Jake Harper, CEO of creative technology lab SOOT shows us what jungles and indigestion can teach us about the future of the computer. For its design, they took inspiration from outside the world of technology to high-bandwidth user interfaces that look nothing like the GUI. One is an exterior world - a rainforest. The second is located in an interior world, the human body. Specifically, a body that is feeling a little bit of indigestion.

The penultimate discussion of the day sees artists Aideen Barry join Christopher Kissane to look at what art can offer us when culture, ecology, and humanity face extinction.. In an age of pandemic, war, and environmental crisis, Aideen Barry's 'Oblivion/Seachmalltacht' uses technology and tradition to explore our responses to existential threats through Irish harp music, Inuit throat-singing, and apocalyptic visuals.

To close the discussions are Ireland's Edge, Sunday Times political correspondent, Aoife Moore, and bestselling writer and journalist, Séamas O’Reilly don their Derry jerseys and take a look back on a tumultuous 2022 - the good, the bad, the bizarre and the lettuce.

And to play us off into the evening we will have a very special performance from virtuoso  violinist and fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain from 4.20pm.

Tickets

*Access to the Ireland’s Edge discussions is not included in a Dingle Gin Music Trail wristband, but there are still some early bird tickets available for the Ireland’s Edge happenings as part of #OV21.