A celebration of the end of the County Kildare Decade of Centenaries programme
‘The Birth of a Nation’ Free Concert
27th October 2023: Kildare County Council’s Decade of Commemorations Committee will hold its final official event of the 2013-2023 Decade of Centenaries programme on 9 November in the Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge. Join us to celebrate the end of our very successful programme with a musical extravaganza set against the backdrop of Irish history up to the founding of the modern Irish State. We would love to welcome all those who participated in the many events held over the past ten years.
The Birth of a Nation concert will feature songs from the period, a time of significant change, which impacted the lives of people throughout the country from all walks of life. A period of rebellion, war, emigration, political and social upheaval. This is a marvellous, sometimes whimsical, but often tragic journey, told in story and song, guaranteed to move and entertain.
The concert will feature tenor Paul Linehan and Ann Cullen on piano and violin, with script and narration by Mario Corrigan. Songs include: The West’s Asleep, The Minstrel Boy, Boolavogue, Danny Boy, A Nation Once Again, Oró, Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile, and The Foggy Dew. The Birth of a Nation was previously performed in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. in 2018 to great acclaim and in Leinster House on Culture Night 2022.
The concert is free but places are limited so advance booking is essential. Visit https://www.riverbank.ie/event/birth-of-a-nation/ or contact Riverbank Box Office on 045 44 83 27 to secure your place.
The evening will start with refreshments and the launch of the book A Nation is Born: Ireland in Colour 1923 – 1938 by Rathangan man, John O’Byrne, and Michael B. Barry, followed by the concert The Birth of a Nation, as well a slideshow highlighting many of the events which have taken place in the county throughout the Decade of Centenaries.
The County Kildare Decade of Commemorations Committee wishes to thank the artists, performers, individuals, and communities who have made the decade such a success in Kildare, and provided a legacy of work for future generations. Please come and celebrate with us as the curtain comes down on a remarkable programme of events that have marked our country’s journey toward nationhood.
Event Programme:
- 00 p.m. – Launch of A Nation is Born: Ireland in Colour 1923-1938 in the foyer of Riverbank Arts, Centre, Newbridge with refreshments.
- 7:30pm – The Birth of a Nation concert, Riverbank Arts Centre Auditorium