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theatre · Thursday 13 August 2026 · 7:30pm 
Cu Chulainn - New Opera - The Everyman Cork
At The Everyman · 15 MacCurtain Street, Cork City, Co. Cork
At The Everyman · 15 MacCurtain Street, Cork City, Co. Cork
Opera rooted in Irish mythology rarely gets made at this scale in Ireland, and this first public outing of Cú Chulainn is a genuine occasion for it. Composer Éadaoin O’Donoghue and librettist John O’Brien are the creative team behind the five-star 2022 opera Morrígan, which was produced in the same Cork Opera House and Everyman partnership and drew strong critical praise. This is a rehearsed reading concert performance - the first sharing of the new work with a live audience - and the format is deliberately unfinished, which makes it all the more interesting to watch. If you want to say you saw a new Irish opera before the world caught up with it, this is that night.
Cú Chulainn is a sequel to Morrígan and draws directly from the Táin - the great early Irish epic cycle. The story moves through the tragic bond between Cú Chulainn and Ferdia, the manoeuvres of Queen Medb’s court, and the fall of Conor Mac Nessa. It is operatic in scale: the cast includes Niamh O’Sullivan, Rory Dunne, Gavan Ring, Ronald Samm, Rachel Croash, Brendan Collins, Gráinne Gillis, and Viktor Priebe, joined by the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra conducted by John O’Brien himself. It is recommended for ages 12 and above and is staged with an interval. The project was commissioned by The Everyman and supported by an Arts Council opera project award and the MTU School of Music - so this is properly resourced new Irish work, not a workshop sketch.
Cork city is well connected by road and rail. The train from Dublin Heuston takes just over two hours and drops you at Cork Kent Station, from where MacCurtain Street is a ten-minute walk across the river. Bus Éireann and Expressway services from most Irish cities arrive at Parnell Place Bus Station, which is a short walk from the theatre. If you are driving, Cork city centre has several multi-storey car parks - the Parnell Place car park and the Merchant’s Quay centre car park are both within a few minutes on foot. The Everyman is on the north side of the Lee, on a street that runs along easily from the city’s main northside approaches.
MacCurtain Street sits just across the river from Cork’s main commercial district, and the walk south over Patrick’s Bridge brings you into the centre in a few minutes. The English Market is nearby, as are some of the city’s best restaurants and bars. There is more to see in Cork and across Co. Cork.
Heading to The Everyman in Cork? Cork has plenty more to see. Read the Cork area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.