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arts · Tuesday 18 August 2026 · Evening 
Summer Showcase - An Evening of Art, Music and Spoken Word
At The Dock Arts Centre · The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim
At The Dock Arts Centre · The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim
The Summer Showcase at The Dock Arts Centre is the kind of evening that makes a Friday night in August feel properly worthwhile. Organised by The Dock itself, it brings together a group of emerging artists from the north-west - poets, musicians, prose writers, and visual artists - for a single, intimate programme that doubles as a celebration of new creative voices and a farewell to the summer season. It suits anyone with a taste for live performance that feels a little less formal than a typical concert, and a lot more unpredictable in the best way.
The format is multi-disciplinary: spoken word pieces share the bill with live music, prose readings, and visual art displays, typically woven together into one evening programme with an interval. Past editions have featured poets performing alongside saxophone players, video art pieces, and prose writers reading new fiction - all in The Dock’s main performance space. The atmosphere tends to be intimate and celebratory rather than ceremonial. The Dock has run versions of this showcase for several years, building it into a reliable highlight of the late-summer calendar in Leitrim.
The 2026 line-up will be confirmed closer to the date on The Dock’s website. Ticket prices are to be announced - previous editions were ticketed, so booking in advance via thedock.ie is recommended once the details go live.
Carrick-on-Shannon is on the main N4 Dublin to Sligo road, roughly two hours from Dublin and 40 minutes from Sligo town. Bus Eireann runs regular services on the Dublin-Sligo route with a stop in town. The Dock itself sits on the riverbank at the edge of the town centre - it is easy to find on foot from the main street. Street parking is available in the town centre in the evenings, and there is a public car park nearby on Bridge Street.
Carrick is a pleasant town to arrive into early - the Shannon waterfront, the old stone bridge, and a good handful of pubs and restaurants make for a relaxed evening before or after the show. There is more to see in Carrick-on-Shannon and across Co. Leitrim.
Heading to The Dock Arts Centre in Carrick-on-Shannon? Leitrim has plenty more to see. Read the Carrick-on-Shannon area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.