On the evening Wednesday 18 May, Adam Walker and Fiachra Garvey will perform the world premiere of Gerald Barry’s new work Blessington, which has been commissioned by the festival to mark the 80th anniversary of the sinking of the Blessington Lakes (Poulaphouca Reservoir). 

Whilst the lakes today contribute to the exquisite beauty of West Wicklow, it is important to remember that for those who lost land, homes and livelihoods in the late 1930s, these lakes represent something very different. Gerald Barry’s new work commemorates their considerable sacrifice, and this free, festival talk with Séamas Ó Maitiú sets the historical context of this momentous period in West Wicklow’s history.