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Saturday Events

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 […]

Welcome to the Seventh Festival!

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. […]

Our ’23 Programme!

Simply print it out and staple it together! Or download it to your phone, that works too.

Cartoon Auction Tonight!

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… Wednesday, September 20thPálás Cinema Bar7.30pm We would love to see you there! Here are some cartoons that […]

Announcing Our Programme

…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. Full […]

Here Comes The Poster

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.

Submissions Are Now Open

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. […]

Don’t Miss These Shows

The main exhibitions of the Galway Cartoon Festival 2022 are still open, but must close soon. Now is your last chance to see… Marilena Nardi – The Drawings of Tomorrow Town Hall Theatre Bar 12:00pm – 5pm Marilena Nardi teaches illustration and artistic anatomy at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, and her mastery […]

SELECTED ARTISTS 2022

“Drawing The Line” It is with huge thanks to everyone who sent work for consideration that we announce the artists who were chosen for our 2022 open international exhibition, “Drawing The Line”. Alagon Italy Andrey Selivanov Russia Aongus Collins Ireland Bahman Jalali Nokandeh Iran Brandon Hicks Canada Brady Izquierdo Rodríguez Cuba Ciaraíoch Ireland Cristina Sampaio […]

Taibhdhearc Shows

Sunday October 2nd Tickets online or on the door. The Comics of Jack B Yeats 4pm Tickets Ilustrated talk by Michael Connerty with Q & A session and mini comic strip art exhibition by Jack B Yeats in An Taibhdhearc. The State of The Art A panel discussion with top Irish and international cartoonists in […]

Grand Opening

Friday 7:00 – Tomorrow night! – The PorterShed All cartoon fans are welcome to the opening of the Galway Cartoon Festival 2022, which takes place in the PorterShed, Bowling Green. Join us for a drink and a chat, and of course a great deal of very funny cartoons. This event doubles as the opening of […]

Just Days To Go!

Deadline: Sunday July 31 Don’t think about it too much, just send us something. We’ve had submissions from over 100 cartoonists so far, so it’s going to be a party. Additionally, these selected entries will appear in an online brochure and gallery of the 2022 festival. If you submitted your work more than a week […]

Table Quiz!

Help us fund the Galway Cartoon Festival and have fun while you’re at it. The Dew Drop Inn, Wednesday 20th July, 8pm. Prizes, raffles, bar, laughs. Just €40 for a table of four.

Festival Submissions Are Open!

Deadline: July 31st 2022 The Galway Cartoon Festival is now inviting cartoon entries for our international exhibition 2022. Our Theme: “Drawing The Line” This is where we draw a line under the events of the last few years – or so we hope. How do you, a cartoonist, make sense of it all? What needs […]

September 30th – October 9th 2022!

Yes, it’s coming round again already We’re excited to announce that the dates for this year’s Cartoon Festival have been set for the first week of October. After struggling against the odds over the last couple of years, we’re hoping to really spread out again with this one. Thanks for all your support during the […]

Is mian le Féile Cartún na Gaillimhe cuireadh a thabhairt do chartúnaithe

Is mian le Féile Cartún na Gaillimhe cuireadh a thabhairt do chartúnaithe a bhíonn ag obair trí mheán na Gaeilge a saothar a chur isteach le haghaidh eagrán na bliana seo d’Fhéile Cartún na Gaillimhe. Tá an téama lánoscailte do thaispeántas na Gaeilge agus déanfar cartúin ar bith i nGaeilge a mheas le cur san […]

Augustus John’s Galway Revisited

Public Participation In 1915 Welsh artist Augustus John visited Galway. He began work on a large mural based on the inhabitants of Galway City. He hoped to make ‘a vast picture synthesizing all that’s fine and characteristic in Galway City – a grand marshalling of the elements’. In 2021 Galway Cartoon Festival is going to […]

Galway Cartoon Festival Call for Entries 2021- “At Large”

GALWAY CARTOON FESTIVAL 2021: AT LARGE Galway Cartoon Festival would like to invite cartoonists from around the world to enter this year’s group exhibition to take place in October 2021. This year’s theme is AT LARGE. With a growing expectation that we will be able to emerge from our Covid-cocoons over the next year we […]

Galway Cartoon Festival Interview: Osama Hajjaj

This month Galway Cartoon Festival talks to cartoonist Osama Hajjaj. Name: Osama Eid Hajjaj Where are you from? From Amman the capital of Jordan. When did you become interested in drawing cartoons? Since I was 20 years old. My father was the one who encouraged me to enter this field because of the nature of […]

We Need You!

Click here to make a small donation to keep the Galway Cartoon Festival going in 2021. It’s that time of year again where the Galway Cartoon Festival must rattle our fundraising can to ensure this year’s Cartoon Festival happens! We are a completely voluntary organisation that seeks to promote the art of the cartoon each […]

Cartoonists Respond to Cúirt Festival Events 2021

As part of Cúirt 2021, Galway Cartoon Festival will be responding to the Ashford Castle events and you’ll be able to see the resulting cartoons online! Renowned editorial cartoonist Graeme Keyes and queen of quirky line Caoimhe Lavelle will be responding to the themes discussed and the authors discussing them during this series of events […]

Galway City Council Virtual St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Here’s the virtual St. Patrick’s Day Parade as drawn by the children of Galway, and animated by Earthbound Films. This event was organished by Ruairí Lehmann, Tourism Officer in Galway City Council, in collaboration with the Galway Cartoon Festival. A great initiative from the Galway City Council in encouraging artistic creativity among the next generation […]

St Patrick’s Day Parade Galway Colouring Page!

Galway Cartoon Festival in association with Galway City Council is delighted to present this colouring-in /activity page for children everywhere. Using your markers, crayons, paints and colouring pencils you can draw your own St. Patrick’s Day Parade winding along the streets of Galway, then colour the crowd and buildings in! This page is also published […]

DRAW ST. PATRICK’S DAY/ TARRAING LÁ ‘LE PÁDRAIG!

Galway City Council in association with the Galway Cartoon Festival is inviting entries from children of all ages to take part in a virtual St Patrick’s Day parade in 2021! “Are you looking forward to St. Patrick’s Day? Well we need your help in creating this year’s virtual St. Patrick’s Day parade for Galway! We […]

And The Winner Is…

We were able to put together a small pot this year to recognise one cartoon that was judged to best capture the theme of the Galway Cartoon Festival’s main 2020 exhibition, The New Normal. We asked artist Ted Turton to judge this for us (Ted also launched the exhibition). The winner is Brandon Hicks for […]

UPDATED 04/12/20

Covid Level 3 Restriction Updates UPDATE 04/12/20: Good news! With the easing of restrictions we are having an extended Festival! The exhibition in the Galway 2020 Cornstore Galway Hub will continue from Tuesday 8th December for ONE WEEK and the exhibition in Áras Éanna Arts Centre is open NOW UNTIL CHRISTMAS! PLEASE VIEW OUR MAIN […]

Ciaraíoch Art Prints Now on Sale!

Friend of the Festival and cartoonist extraordinaire Ciaraíoch is now selling prints of her work through her brand spanking new site. These art prints make great gifts. Check it out and support an artist! We interviewed Ciaraíoch a few months ago and you can read that interview here.

Video: Welcome to The New Normal!

Here’s a video roundup of the launch of the 2020 Galway Cartoon Festival exhibition: The New Normal. Thanks to everyone who helped make this year such a success, we really felt the City getting behind us and we’re already planning next year!

Galway Cartoon Festival 2020 Art Trail & Venue Map

UPDATE 07/10/20: EXCEPT FOR BUSINESSES ON OUR ART TRAIL ALL VENUES ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO LEVEL 3 COVID RESTRICTIONS. PLEASE VIEW OUR MAIN EXHIBITION ONLINE HERE! WE WILL UPDATE AS THE SITUATION ALLOWS. Here is the map for the Art Trail and Venues involved in the Galway Cartoon Festival 2020! Click to embiggen!

Galway Cartoon Festival Interview: Kathryn Lamb

This month Galway Cartoon Festival talks to cartoonist Kathryn Lamb Name: Kathryn Lamb Where are you from? I was born in Bahrain (my father was a Middle East expert in the Foreign Office), and I grew up in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. My father is Welsh, from Swansea. When did you become interested in drawing […]

Programme 2020: THE NEW NORMAL

UPDATE 07/10/20: ALL VENUES ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO LEVEL 3 COVID RESTRICTIONS PLEASE VIEW OUR MAIN EXHIBITION ONLINE HERE WE WILL UPDATE AS THE SITUATION ALLOWS. EXHIBITIONS: THE NEW NORMAL  (Galway 2020 Hub, The Cornstore) 2020 has witnessed an enormous change in the world with ramifications to every walk of life. Inevitably cartoonists around […]

YOU DID IT! GALWAY CARTOON FESTIVAL FULLY FUNDED!

We put out the call and you responded! Galway Cartoon Festival’s Fundit campaign is now fully funded! With this we’ll be able to print and frame cartoons and run ads for the festival. Thank you so much! GALWAY CARTOON FESTIVAL PROGRAMME 2020 COMING SOON!

Galway Cartoon Festival Interview: Martyn Turner

This month Galway Cartoon Festival talks to cartoonist Martyn Turner Name: Martyn Turner Where are you from? Born in Essex. Family cockney for generations except an outlier great grandfather who was an Irish traveller called Johnny Cash (I’m not making it up). When did you become interested in drawing cartoons? when i was knee high […]

Galway Cartoon Festival 2020: Help Us Happen! 💰

UPDATE: OUR FUNDIT CAMPAIGN WAS SUCCESSFUL! The Galway Cartoon Festival is 4 this year. Despite the pandemic we are still planning to host a physical exhibition.Our ability to fund-raise has been severely curtailed. If you’ve ever enjoyed an editorial cartoon please bung us a fiver. Your Funding Benefits: Fund €20+ Contributors will receive a copy […]

CALL FOR ENTRIES – GALWAY CARTOON FESTIVAL 2-9 OCTOBER 2020 “THE NEW NORMAL”

Galway Cartoon Festival invites cartoonists from all over the world to submit entries for this year’s festival exhibition: THE NEW NORMAL The last 3 months have witnessed an enormous change in the world with enormous ramifications to every walk of life. Inevitably cartoonists around the world have been responding hilariously to the Covid-19 crisis with […]

Galway Cartoon Festival Interview: Ciaraíoch

Ciaraíoch portrait

Introducing an occasional interview by the Galway Cartoon Festival with cartoonists from around the world. This month is The Kingdom’s own Ciaraíoch. Name: Ciaraíoch for doodling. Where are you from? – D’Kingdom of Kerry.

Watch This Space!

There will be a festival this year! One way or another, by hook or by crook, Galway Cartoon Festival 2020 will go ahead. Come back for more details soon, or follow our feeds on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

It’s Not Over!

We’re extending some of our exhibitions until further notice.

Events, 2019

Look at all we’ve got for you! Solo shows by Ireland’s best-known cartoonist and by one of our newest talents. A display of the finest cartoons from all around the world, another of cartoons in Irish, and no less then three different shows where cartoons meet science. We also have a panel discussion, a book […]

Prog­ramme Launch!

Black Gate Cultural Centre 7.00pm on Monday 7th October Auction Catalogue ARTIST TITLE / DESCRIPTION MEDIUM RESERVE PRICE 1 Jim Cogan Populism Original Drawing €200 2 Igor Smirnov Arms Industry Print None 3 Russel Herneman Trigger Warning Original Drawing €150 4 Clyde Delaney Pope / Leo Original Drawing €280 5 Jim Cogan GAA Original Drawing […]

Quiz Night!

Monday 29 July, Black Gate, 8:00pm Bring all of your friends, it’s only €40 per table and the prizes will be exceptional. We have so many in fact that we’ll be raffling some as well, so you don’t even have to be clever to walk off with loot. Many thanks to the generosity of our […]

Enjoy The Science!

8th — 18th November 2019 This year we bring you cartoons from around the world on the theme of science! And also, a lot of other cartoons.

Good Shots

Our guests of honour last year, Nol (France) and Marilena Nardi (Italy), have done us the favour of putting up a sweet photo album of their visit to Galway. Here’s a link and some examples: Festival Galway – Irlande 2018

Auction Thanks

Huge thanks to everyone who made our first ever cartoon auction a big success last night, especially sponsors the Liquor Lounge (upstairs at the Dáil Bar) and the Latin Quarter, and of course all the cartoonists. In particular we want to thank Tom Mathews and Gerard Crowley who donated original works to the cause. Special […]

Auction Catalogue

Join us in the Liquor Lounge (upstairs in the Dáíl Bar on Middle Street) at 8:00pm on Tuesday April 9th for a splendid auction of cartoon originals and prints. MC and auctioneer for the evening will be Brendan Savage, there will be a raffle, booze and general fun, and all proceeds go to putting on […]

Cartoon Auction!

Some fabulous news. We’re going to auction off cartoons that weren’t sold at exhibition last year. The proceeds will go towards this year’s festival. The event takes place at 8:00 pm on Tuesday the 9th of April in the Liquor Lounge, upstairs in the Dáil Bar – the venue where we held our hugely enjoyable […]

Last Chance To See Exhibition

Sadly our exhibition for the centenary of 1918 must close in a few days. Featuring work by some of the best cartoonists from around the world and beautifully hung by Margaret Nolan, A Peace To End All Peace is an unusual and thought-provoking display of art.  The show is open in the Black Gate Cultural Centre […]

Follow the Cartoon Trail

The Latin Quarter Quay St – Cross St – Middle St We have so much art, it’s spilled out onto the streets! The windows of establishments along the streets of Galway’s Latin Quarter are festooned – yes, festooned – with cartoon works. See Stephen Dee’s fabulous 3D miniatures in the windows of Neachtain’s and Charlie Byrne’s.  […]

Cartoons of The World

Town Hall Theatre Mon-Sat, 10am – 7.30pm Colombia and Croatia, Kenya and Kyrgyzstan, and many countries that don’t start with a ‘kuh’. We’ve received entries to the cartoon festival from all around the planet, and we have put as many of them as we could fit into the Town Hall Theatre gallery. Unlike our Armistice […]

Graeme Keyes! Solo Show

Town Hall Theatre Mon-Sat, 10am – 7.30pm Now it can be revealed! (Mainly, because it’s already been revealed all over the place.) The Galway Cartoon Festival’s featured artist for 2018 is the inimitable Graeme Keyes.  Graeme first became part of the Irish public conscience as a contributor to The Phoenix magazine way back in the late […]

Polish Country Dances

…is a series of drawings by cartoon artist Maria Apoleika. She will create the latest one live in the Cornstore on a large board, so you can come and watch her in action. No actual dancing is involved – though I suppose you could if the mood takes you. The Cornstore, Nov 11th, 12-5pm As […]

Programme Launch!

At 7:00pm tonight, Thursday October 25th, upstairs in the Dáil Bar on Middle Street, we’ll be launching the 2nd Galway Cartoon Festival’s Programme of Events!  As well as announcing all that will be happening, we’ll be making available our rather fetching brochure. Both your guide to and souvenir of the festival, it contains over 70 […]

Our Conference Speakers

The Cartoons in WW1 conference takes place in Room G011 of the Hardiman Research Building (near the college library) on Saturday 10th of November at 4 p.m. Speakers Grace Neville Grace Neville is a graduate of University College Cork, l’Université de Caen and l’Université de Lille. She is Emeritus Professor of French at UCC where she was […]

So Why ‘A Peace to End all Peace’?

The great Hector Breeze had a cartoon in Private Eye back in 1981, set in a World War One trench. A German general in his spiky helmet is surveying no-man’s-land when an excited junior office salutes and says “The corporal here’s got this great idea for a sequel!” The corporal of course has a side […]

The Armistice Exhibition

Black Gate Cultural Centre 6pm – Midnight, except Mondays In 2017 we held our first international open exhibition of cartoons, under the title “Alternative Facts”. The response was amazing; we needed two venues to display over a hundred works from more than a dozen countries. We could have shown as much again if we’d had […]

What Is A Galway Cartoon Festival?

What is the Galway Cartoon Festival? Why are we? Who do we? How do you? Very well thank you. Go Here to read the reasons behind the festival, what we plan to do, and what we hope it will achieve. (I mean, it’s for fun mainly. But you have to have other reasons to make […]

Cartoons in WW1 – A Conference

NUI Galway, November 10 Hardiman Research Building, 4pm – 6pm For the centenary of the Armistice, the Galway Cartoon Festival presents a conference and exhibition exploring the impact of cartoons during WW1 in Europe, to be hosted in NUI Galway in collaboration with the French Department and the Embassy of Belgium. Guests The conference takes […]

A New Festival Website

It’s up at last, the all-singing all-dancing website of the all-drawing festival! Welcome. This is the place for news and information on the shows and events we’ll be bringing you this November. Drop by regularly (or subscribe, using the form to the left) for updates, cartoonist-related talk, and of course the cartoons themselves, which we’ll […]

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