Ann Devine is back and needs to be handled with care in Colm O’Regan’s latest

During the lockdown the arts, by and large, did not go underground but online. Cairde Sligo Arts Festival (July 4 to July 12) is one such event that will happen in this virtual space, a programme of literary, music, performance and family events.

e literary and performance programme, unfurling under the banner of Cairde Word, is curated by Patrick Karl Curley and will bring together a chorus of unique voices from the disciplines of art, literature, spoken word, music and performance; featuring Alix Lambert, Emma Dabiri, Franki Elliot, Karl Geary, Demi Anter, Ruth Clinton & Niamh Moriarty, Sasha Terfous, Caragh Maxwell and Olivia Furey.

A variation of the poetry trail of previous years, ‘Vagabond Voices’ combines a selection of Irish and international perspectives through reading and performance from July 8 to July 10. Ian Maleney and Sara Baume talk non- ction facilitated by Niamh McCabe on ursday, July 9 and Alice Lyons (above) is in conversation with Una Mannion on the publication of her latest work, Oona (an inventive, acclaimed novel that apart from its title and one episode eschews any usage of the letter ‘o’) on Saturday, July 11.