Arts picks: Carrie Lewis

Highlights of 2023

Best arts event: Cavan Arts Festival. Kim McCafferty and an army of legendary arts folk and volunteers put Cavan on the map once again. Highlights for me: ‘The Lay of the Land’ by Turner prize winners Array Collective including Killeshandra’s Laura O’Connor. Cormac Begley, blew the socks of me. A group of blindfolded people being led down Farnham street to a secret subterranean location for Chambergrist. One of those weird and wonderful experiences. WIP Cabaret with Jessie Keenan’s new work in progress Meddler mulligan followed by a few words from the legendary man himself, Mel Doherty (RIP).

One to watch: Dirty Marmalade. Donny McAvenue and Emil Kapusta getting together with their old camcorder and capturing their story has to be one of my favourite unique band social media and YouTube experiences this year.

Best book: Mel’s Your Man. It has lovely large text and loads of photos and drawings (a dyslexic's dream). He was a great artist and sign maker and an inspiration to me as a graphic designer so I loved seeing his drawings and designs. It’s a book that everyone will enjoy, even those unlucky enough to have never known him or the massive character he was.

Best music: Larry Beau – He wowed us all at Lisa O’Neill's album launch. A wandering minstrel, a contemporary folk artist and a skilled siffleur. In ‘The Folk Saloon’ in Belturbet, he performed with Peter Sheridan and others, encouraging us to sing along with songs we knew and treated us to some new ones from his upcoming album.

Best theatre: Rocky Horror Picture Show. It reappears every year in the board gais and each time I get a seat closer and closer to the stage.

Best podcast: Maintenance Phase, a very honest and funny debunking of the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition.