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comedy · Friday 10 July 2026 · Various 
Risky Business (Fanzini Brothers)
At Ionad Coise Locha · Dunlewey, Co. Donegal
At Ionad Coise Locha · Dunlewey, Co. Donegal
The Fanzini Brothers have been making outdoor audiences lose it at festivals across Ireland for years, and their latest show, Risky Business, is their biggest and most ridiculous yet. It is circus comedy for anyone who has ever watched a daredevil act and secretly hoped someone would try to stop it - because in this show, someone does. Two health and safety inspectors are on hand, clipboards and hi-vis at the ready, absolutely determined that none of this is going to happen. The result is a 40-minute tug-of-war between reckless showmanship and relentless regulation, and it is genuinely funny for adults and children alike. This is a show to catch on a July evening in the Donegal Gaeltacht, as part of the Earagail Arts Festival programme.
Risky Business is performed outdoors, which means the atmosphere is loose, the crowd is close, and anything can happen - if the inspectors allow it. The show mixes acrobatics, physical comedy and escalating nonsense, with tiny bicycles, big stunts and a running joke that keeps building until the ending lands. Audience interaction is part of the act, so expect to be drawn in. The Fanzini Brothers specialise in comedically driven, circus-infused work built for public spaces, and the format means it works whether you know the company or are coming in cold. It suits all ages, and it travels well - the same production appeared at Garter Lane in Waterford and Muckno Mania in Monaghan this summer.
The show is part of the Earagail Arts Festival (10 - 25 July 2026), the main annual arts event for north-west Donegal, which brings theatre, music, circus and street arts to venues across the county. The full programme is at eaf.ie.
Tickets from €10.
Dunlewey is in the Gweedore area of west Donegal, in the shadow of Errigal Mountain. From Letterkenny, take the N56 west through Gweedore - it is about 45 minutes. From Dublin, the drive is roughly three and a half hours via Sligo and Donegal Town. Bus Éireann serves Letterkenny from Dublin and other cities; from Letterkenny, local services run into the Gweedore Gaeltacht, though a car makes things considerably easier once you are out here. Parking is available at Ionad Coise Locha.
Dunlewey itself sits beside a lake with Errigal as a backdrop, and the Dunlewey Centre offers boat trips on the lake and a look at the old weaver’s cottage if you arrive with time to spare before the show. There is more to see in Donegal and across Co. Donegal.
Heading to Ionad Coise Locha in Donegal? Donegal has plenty more to see. Read the Donegal area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.