Exhibition

PorterShed a Dó, Market Street

Free Entry

As a backdrop to our conference, we are holding a special exhibition of work by leading cartoonists from France, Ireland, and many other countries.

Some of the works on display were created in immediate response to the tragedy. Others were drawn recently, with the benefit of a decade’s reflection on the issues of freedom, expression and tolerance that were raised.

Reflection

In January 2025, Charlie Hebdo marked the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack that claimed twelve lives and profoundly marked French history. On January 7th, 2015, eight members of the editorial team were shot down in the newsroom and included the celebrated cartoonists Cabu, Charb, Honoré, Tignous, and Wolinski. Those tragic days shocked the world and raised urgent questions about freedom of expression, secularism, and the role of satire.

A decade later, commemorations across France and abroad paid tribute to the victims and reflected on the legacy of Charlie Hebdo. Exhibitions celebrated the work of the cartoonists who lost their lives, underscoring satire’s unique power to challenge intolerance and authority. International initiatives, from Cartooning for Peace to major newspapers, joined in remembrance, highlighting the attack’s global impact.

At the Galway Cartoon Festival, the anniversary will be marked with an exhibition and round table discussion titled Are We Still Charlie? Led by The Irish Times journalist Frank McNally, the talk will include cartoonists, some from Charlie Hebdo, and Chloé the widow of Tignous. The programme also features a screening of the moving film Je Ne Veux Plus Y Aller Maman and the participation of journalist Antonio Fischetti, a longtime contributor to Charlie Hebdo. Ten years on, the newspaper continues to publish every week, defying fanaticism with humor and resilience. The freedom to draw, to think, and to laugh endure – fragile, hard-won, yet unbroken.

Catherine Gagneux

French Honorary Consul Galway