After a successful Irish tour in 2017 and again in 2019, as well as ten sold out seasons at the Irish Arts Center in New York, Muldoon’s Picnic returns for four dates nationwide 10-14 August 2022.

An omnium-gatherum of poetry, prose and music, Muldoon's Picnic is a cabaret-style evening, by turns witty, exuberant, and sophisticated, hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, ‘the most significant English-language poet born since the Second World War’, (Times Literary Supplement).

Each show on the tour has a bespoke mix of artists from the worlds of music and literature. On Wednesday 10th August, kicking off the Irish tour from the Lime Tree Theatre stage in Limerick, Paul Muldoon and house band Rogue Oliphant will be joined by award-winning novelist and short story writer Kevin Barry, one of the leading Irish poets of her generation Vona Groarke, critically acclaimed vocalist and actor Lisa Lambe, and members of the ‘Godfathers of Celtic Rock’ Horslips.

“A music-and-literature extravaganza” - Time Out New York

Devised and developed by the acclaimed Irish poet Paul Muldoon, the show is hosted by Muldoon and house band Rogue Oliphant - a collective of musicians and composers including Chris Harford (Three Colors, Band of Changes), Cait O’Riordan (The Pogues), David Mansfield (Bob Dylan, The Alpha Band), Ray Kubian (Electric Six, Chris Forsyth) and Warren Zanes (Del Fuegos).

The title ‘Muldoon’s Picnic’ refers to a popular 19th-century New York vaudeville act, which inspired the New York based Paul Muldoon to begin hosting these carefully blended evenings of literature and music back in 2014.

Paul Muldoon describes ‘Muldoon’s Picnic’ as a direct response to that ancient impulse to perform, to share, to make one’s own amusement; “It’s one of our most basic instincts; to listen to a song, listen to a poem. Even in this era when people have their noses stuck in their tablets, it still works.”

Poetry Ireland has a growing reputation for producing dynamic literature events on a significant scale. This tour will introduce audiences to some of the finest writers and musicians performing today.

For further information on all events see www.poetryireland.ie

Produced by Poetry Ireland and supported by an Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Arts Council of Northern Ireland Touring Grant.

DATES + LINE-UP:

Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick
Wednesday 10th August
With Kevin Barry, Vona Groarke, Lisa Lambe and members of Horslips.
Tickets: €20
Booking: www.limetreetheatre.ie | Box Office: 061 953 400

An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny
Friday 12th August
With Maurice Riordan, Duke Special, Hannah Sullivan and Claire Keegan.
Tickets: €20, four for €70
Booking: www.angrianan.com | Box Office: 074 912 0777

Lyric Theatre, Belfast
Saturday 13th August
With Roddy Doyle, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Zoë Conway and John McIntyre.
Tickets: £28 | £20 | £12
Booking: www.lyrictheatre.co.uk | Box Office: 028 9344 4867

Abbey Theatre, on the Peacock stage, Dublin
Sunday 14th August
With Iarla Ó Lionáird, Nick Laird and Zadie Smith.
Tickets: €25 standard | €20 concession
Booking: www.abbeytheatre.ie | Box Office: 01 87 87 222