Ode to Ballynafagh: Voices of Kildare: Public Premiere

Ode to Ballynafagh is a participatory arts project celebrating Ireland’s EU Presidency through music, heritage and ecology. Taking place from July to November 2026 at Ballynafagh Lake, a Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation, the project brings together renowned composer Elaine Agnew, musician, writer and live performance artist Branwen Kavanagh, the acclaimed Nás na Rí Singers, and local communities. Under Natura 2000 Special Area Conservation. Ballynafagh Lake forms part of a Europe-wide network protecting rare habitats, species and the biodiversity they sustain.

Through three guided heritage and ecological walks, Ode to Ballynafagh invites participants to discover the connections between people, nature, heritage and place. In doing so the project places climate action within the living relationships between biodiversity, resilience and care for the landscape. By fostering creativity, curiosity and care for the bog landscape, the project promotes European environmental citizenship and demonstrates how local pride can be strengthened through shared experiences of the natural world that form part of our shared European heritage.

An original song work inspired by the lake’s landscape and biodiversity will be developed throughout the project which will. culminate in performances featuring the Nás na Rí Singers conducted by Tony Norton and Branwen Kavanagh and guest Kildare musicians and artists.

Voices of Kildare marks the culmination of a collective artistic journey unfolded across the landscapes of Ballynafagh Lake, the Blackwood Feeder and the Grand Canal. Created to celebrate Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union and Kildare’s Libraries, this civic performance brings together local communities, artists, musicians and audiences in a shared reflection on place, memory and belonging.

Curated by acclaimed Kildare director Caoimhe O’Farrell, the evening will feature the public world premiere of Ode to Ballynafagh, an original musical commission by renowned composer Elaine Agnew with lyrics by musician, writer and live performance artist Branwen Kavanagh. Developed through a series of participatory walks and gatherings, the work transforms personal encounters with landscape into a collective act of performance.

The premiere will bring together the acclaimed Nás na Rí Singers, conducted by Tony Norton, alongside community participants who have learned and rehearsed the work throughout the project. Their combined voices will animate a musical response to Ballynafagh’s ecological, cultural and industrial histories, connecting local experiences to broader European values of stewardship, cooperation and cultural exchange.

The performance highlights the role of culture in fostering climate awareness and care.  We will also be treated to performances by Branwen Kavanagh and invited local musicians.  

Framed by an official civic reception, this celebratory evening honours the enduring relationship between people, place and environment, while marking Ireland’s role at the heart of contemporary European cultural life. It will present climate action as something local, lived and rooted in shared care for place.

Other Event Dates:

Listening to the Lake, Saturday, 5 September 2026, Ballynafagh Lake

Grand Canal Gathering, Saturday, 3 October 2026, Grand Canal Towpath

Ode to Ballynafagh, Saturday, 7 November 2026, Ballynafagh Lake

Voices of Kildare: Ode to Ballynafagh Public Premiere, Saturday, 21st November 2026, The Hunting Room, Castletown House

Delivered by Kildare Library and Arts Service in partnership with Kildare County Council's Climate Action Office, the project is funded through the Culture Programme for Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union and further supported through Creative Ireland's Community Engagement programme.

* Header image: Serena Devereux, Recursive Environments, 2025