THE HILLS ARE ALIVE: Cultivating creative connections between The Duncairn and Wexford
The Hills Are Alive, a new project cultivating creative connections between Cave Hill and Vinegar Hill, is an artist exchange and an arts centre exchange between The Duncairn and Wexford Arts Centre.
At the core of this project is a desire to spark new creative collaborations and build relationships and friendships across the island, so on the last weekend of August, a residency took place in Wexford Arts Centre with members of the Duncairn Creative Collective and Wexford-born or based artists.
As well as an artist exchange, the arts centres are undertaking a programme exchange - The Duncairn brought their unique “Club Fifty” event to Wexford in August, and Wexford Arts Centre will bring the wonderful “So Say So” event to Belfast on September 13th.
The residency in Wexford kicked off with the wonderful Song Room at the Sky on the Ground, a local haunt and favourite watering hole of the Wexford creative and music community. A happy accident that Australian singer-songwriter Jessie Monk and Wexford-native The Man Whom had been booked to play the night we arrived - and we were welcomed in with open arms by our host Stephen James Smith and his good friends Cillian and Lorcan Byrne from Basciville.
On Friday we took a tour of the town with Wex Walks - a historical tour under the helm of dramatist, actor, director and all around wonderful character Paul Walsh. It was wonderful introduction to the town for the visiting artists, and a reconnecting for the more local Wexford gang, who discovered new things about the town - even after living there their whole lives! Old graveyards, medieval apartments, ancient walls, the National Opera House view, Harry Clarke windows, haunted Presbyterian churches and an abundance of murals revealed a rich and vibrant heritage.
We managed to squeeze in some artist studio visits to Johnny Murphy’s Light and Shadow with rooms upstairs for teaching art and screenprinting to teenagers and kids, Mirona Mara’s charcoal filled studio for a special film screening and to Wally O Neill’s Red Books - a local hub of activity and creativity.
Our first session in Wexford Arts Centre was full of introductions and sharing - Collective members introduced everyone to the Duncairn Creative Collective, it’s history and how it works, and we were joined by Peter Murphy, local poet, performer, journalist, teacher and more who gave an insight to his work and Wexford life. It was an afternoon full of sharing, stories, songs and experiences - which continued on into the evening with a pot-luck dinner. Creative (and culinary!) connections were firmly rooted in a wonderful day of discovery.
Saturday kicked off with an Ephrastic Poetry workshop led by New Ross-born, Waterford-based poet and Wexford collective member Sasha Terfous. Ekphrastic poetry is uses visual art as a source of inspiration for writing. A quieter, more focused room full of traditional musicians, poets, writers, singer-songwriters you’ve never seen! The insightful and inspiring workshop was a great way to set the group up for a long days work to put together a show for the Club Fifty that night! Themes emerged as the group worked collaboratively, creating new and sharing old compositions and creations to create a flowing setlist to round out the night.
Club Fifty is an intimate music and arts event that invites 50 guests and members of the community to come along and join in conversation on a range of pertinent topics. This Club Fifty focused on The Fleadh – with Wexford hosting for the past two years and Belfast set to host for the first time in 2026 – this was an opportunity for honest discussion, reflection and learning. MC of the night Conor Caldwell hosted a conversation with special guests from the Wexford Fleadh (official and fringe) community - Paddy Berry, local Fleadh hero, folklore and song collector, Barbara Walsh, vice-chairperson of the Wexford Comhaltas Branch and Deirdre McGarry, community art activist and poet. It was a lively and enjoyable night of conversation and ceol - with a few nuggets to bring back to Belfast as we look to hosting in 2026.
The weekend was rounded off with a (windy) hike up Vinegar Hill in Enniscorthy - famous for the 1798 Rebellion and uprising against colonial British Rule. Cave Hill, or Ben Madigan, in North Belfast, was also a crucial location for the 1798 Rebellion, serving as a meeting place and hideout after the Battle of Antrim, and before that is believed to have served as a fort for Brian McArt O Neill, hence the name of the vantage point with incredible views of Belfast - McArt’s Fort. From Vinegar Hill to Cave Hill, this project seeks to forge new connections between the two places, and create new stories of connection.
Join us on September 13th to give a warm welcome to the Wexford contingent when they come to Belfast for So Say So, a unique night created and hosted by Stephen James Smith.
So Say So is a monthly event focusing on poetry, storytelling and music in the Wexford Arts Centre . Each month a renowned poets headline and are accompanied by local musicians Cillian and Lorcan Byrne of Basciville in a never before seen collaboration. At each event there is also a 5-Word-Challenge open mic section, which is open to all.
More Info and Tickets Here: THE HILLS ARE ALIVE: SO SAY SO
The Wexford edition of the Duncairn Creative Collective includes:
Sammy Copley
RUA
Deirdre Kelly
Ciara Maguire
Brendan Kerr
Sasha Terfous
Éire Ní Fhaoláin
Rachel Grace
Stephen James Smith
The project is supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (Rialtas na hÉireann/Gov. of Ireland) Cooperation with NI Scheme 2025.
