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theatre · Friday 10 July 2026 · 8:00pm 
SAOIRSE
At An Taibhdhearc (National Irish Language Theatre) · Middle Street, Galway City, Co. Galway
At An Taibhdhearc (National Irish Language Theatre) · Middle Street, Galway City, Co. Galway
SAOIRSE is a brand new Irish-language musical making its world premiere at An Taibhdhearc, Galway’s national Irish language theatre, as part of the Galway International Arts Festival. Written by Shauna Carrick and directed by Muireann Kelly, it follows three characters wrestling with identity, destiny, and the big questions of life against the backdrop of a struggling Gaeltacht community college. If you have any interest in new Irish writing, in musical theatre that goes beyond the standard repertoire, or in the Irish language on stage, this is the kind of production that rarely lands on your doorstep - a proper premiere, a new voice, a Galway July.
The show runs approximately two hours with an interval, so it is a full evening out rather than a quick drop-in. The story centres on a Gaeltacht community college fighting for its future, using that setting to explore questions about who we are, where we belong, and what we pass on. Shauna Carrick’s writing is in Irish throughout, with English-language access provided via the Sibrwd App - you download it on your phone and receive a live translation through an earpiece, so non-Irish speakers can follow along without the show stopping to explain itself.
A post-show talk with the company is scheduled for Friday 17 July, which is a good option if you want to hear the creative team discuss the work. There are no performances on 12, 19, or 20 July. ISL-interpreted performances run on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July at 8pm.
An Taibhdhearc itself is worth knowing about. Founded in 1928 and designated the national Irish language theatre, it sits in a converted Augustinian parish hall on Middle Street, with part of the medieval friary wall still visible at the back. The auditorium holds 211 people, which makes it an intimate house - there is no bad seat.
Galway city is well served by rail and bus from Dublin, with trains taking just over two hours from Heuston Station and regular Expressway and GoBus services from around the country. An Taibhdhearc is on Middle Street in the city centre, roughly five minutes’ walk from Eyre Square and the main bus and train stations. If you are driving, there is disabled parking available on Middle Street. General parking in the city centre is largely multi-storey or metered; the Eyre Square Shopping Centre car park and Jurys Inn car park are both within easy walking distance of the theatre.
Galway in July is busy and worth a day or two either side of the show - the arts festival transforms the city, with street performance, exhibitions, and music spilling across the Latin Quarter and the docks. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.
Heading to An Taibhdhearc (National Irish Language Theatre) in Galway? Galway has plenty more to see. Read the Galway area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.