Check here for what’s coming up in the near future.
Saturday Events
NewsSeptember 29, 2023
Dave Coverly (Speedbump) There’s stuff on today for just about everyone:
11:00 – Children’s stories
Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop
Ed Steckley reads from his children’s books in Charlie Byrne’s.
12:00 – Irish Apes
Portershed 2
Donal Casey gives a fascinating talk about the ways Irish people were portrayed in the anti-Irish cartoons of 19th century Britain and America.
1:00 – Drawing Time
A Nearby Pub or Café
Come with us for a sketchy lunch.
3:30 – Ed Steckley Masterclass
PorterShed 2
The very talented American cartoonist-illustrator will give us a live-action illustrated talk about why he loves cartooning so much. This will be amazing. Anyone who wants to make a career in drawing – or anyone who just loves to see it done well – should not miss this.
[Yes it does say “12:30” in the brochure. Sorry about that, gremlins struck. Ed’s show is definitely at 3:30.]
5:00 – Harry Burton’s Solo Exhibition
Town Hall Theatre
Every year we honour an Irish cartoonist; sometimes one we’ve loved for decades, sometimes one fresh and new. This time it’s about as fresh as it gets. Harry Burton has shot to international fame in the last few years, simply because he has an outstanding talent for political cartoons.
As if that were not enough, veteran cartoon genius Martin Rowson will deliver a few words to get the show on the road.
8:00 – Mass Drawing Event
Some Pub (Probably Neachtain’s)
OK so this isn’t so much an official event as “Woah that was some day, let’s go to the pub now”. But drawing will ensue and you’re welcome to join in.
Welcome to the Seventh Festival!
NewsSeptember 29, 2023
Welcome to all of you who will come to our workshops and our talks, who will wander around our exhibitions chuckling – it’s OK to laugh aloud in fact, this isn’t your everyday sort of exhibition – and who will take part in our live drawing events which mostly happen in pubs for some reason.
Welcome, to everyone who enjoys cartoons. You can just drop in and enjoy the jokes, or you can pick up a pen and participate.
Royston Robertson And a special welcome to the poor cartoonists of many countries who were tricked into coming here and drawing – and in many cases talking – for the amusement of Ireland in general and Galway in particular. Thank you, you lovely people. We will try to make it worth your while.
Festivities begin at 5:30pm tonight with the opening of our exhibition of fresh cartoons from all around the world, in the new PorterShed 2 (where the Connacht Tribune used to be). We’ll be having beers and hugging old friends and laughing at all sorts of things, so please come along.
And then the events begin in earnest. There are art workshops and talks which will be somehow both instructive and stupidly funny, from the likes of Ed Steckley (MAD magazine), Cristina Sampaio (SpamCartoons) and Martin Rowson (The Guardian), not to mention some of Ireland’s finest such as Graeme Keyes and Harry Burton. There will be expert caricaturists wandering around, making fun of people’s faces. There will be shows all about the city, plus related events in schools and in the Pálás cinema, as well as on Inis Oírr.
If you haven’t seen it already, here’s the programme. Feel free to download it to your phone:Our ’23 Programme!
NewsSeptember 25, 2023
Cartoon Auction Tonight!
NewsSeptember 19, 2023
It’s that time again when we auction off some of last year’s cartoon prints to help fund this year’s festival. Not only would you be helping us out, you could pick up a great gift.
And also have…
- Music on the Night
- A raffle with spot prizes
- Superb cocktails
Wednesday, September 20th
Pálás Cinema Bar
7.30pmWe would love to see you there!
Here are some cartoons that will be under the hammer:
Announcing Our Programme
NewsSeptember 16, 2023
…is what we’ll be doing on Culture Night!
Meet us at the Town Hall Theatre at 6pm, and be among the first to hear our great lineup of events and guest cartoonists for 2023.
Along with this, we’ll be unveiling “Still Crazy After All These Years”, a hilarious retrospective of gag-meister supreme Tom Mathews.
Here Comes The Poster
NewsJuly 21, 2023
Coming soon to a bare patch of wall near you, the 2023 Galway Cartoon Festival poster!
This year’s poster image is by the marvellous Jim Cogan, whose style will be unmistakable to anyone in Ireland.
Êtes-vous un dessinateur francophone?
NewsJune 26, 2023
Toutes les informations sont ici
Nol Submissions Are Now Open
NewsJune 14, 2023
For the 2023 Galway Cartoon Festival!
This year we have three separate shows that are open to public submissions. Feel free to send stuff in to any or all of them:
Artificial Idiocy
Are You Ready To Be Replaced!?
This could be the last Galway Cartoon Festival, folks. Soon they won’t need us any more. Just tell a computer what makes you laugh and it will turn out side-splitting gag after gag, all beautifully drawn in its own inimitable style.
Well, someone’s inimitable style.
What do you think – is Artificial Intelligence a useful tool and amusing toy? Or will it murder us all and boil down our corpses for useful minerals? It could go either way. Give us your artistic reaction to the rise of the machine.
While you can.
General Mayhem
Wait, you’re not concerned about humanity’s harrowing future? You have something to say about humanity’s harrowing present instead? Good on you. Or perhaps there’s a simple but hilarious gag cartoon or a comic strip you’d like to show.
Cristina Sampaio, “Público” Portugal No problem. We’ll also be doing a show about everything except AI. As is tradition, we call it General Mayhem.
Tarraing É I nGaeilge
Which is Irish for “Draw It In Irish“, and is our show specifically for cartoons in that language – the only one of its kind!
Works selected for Tarraing é i nGaeilge will be exhibited both in Galway City and on Inis Oírr in the Aran Islands.
Dean Patterson The Terms and the Conditions
- All our exhibitions are open to submissions from anyone, anywhere.
- They should be sent, as 300dpi jpegs, to: info@galwaycartoonfestival.ie – Please include a little biographical information.
- Selected cartoons will be printed and framed by the Galway Cartoon Festival and offered for sale. The Galway Cartoon Festival is a voluntary organisation promoting the art of cartoon and any sales will be put into meeting the costs of running this year’s festival.
- Submitted cartoons may be used in publicity materials for the festival. They will be credited to the artist.
- Submission deadline:
20 August ’23
The Galway Cartoon Festival 2023
NewsJune 7, 2023
Will open on September 29th and run until October 4th!
Don’t be taken by surprise.
