The Marine Institute welcomed more than 600 visitors to its headquarters in Oranmore last Friday for ‘A Night to Sea’, an evening of marine-themed cultural experiences a part of the Culture Night 2025, bringing together artists, performers, and local community groups to celebrate our connection to sea.
“Our ‘A Night to Sea’ event has been a great opportunity to connect with our local community and share the breadth of our work through art, creativity and direct engagement," said Dr Rick Officer, CEO of the Marine Institute. "We are delighted to see people of all ages show such interest in our place of work and to celebrate our marine heritage and the cultural significance of the sea together.
“The success of this event is thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of our people across the Marine Institute. Many of our staff exhibited their artwork, performed, delivered talks, and engaged with visitors throughout the evening,” Dr Officer added.
Highlights from the programme included sea shanties and ocean-inspired ballads from the Marine Singers Choir. The group involves Marine Institute staff and friends who have been performing together for the past 12 years under the direction of Carmel Dooley.
The Achill Sound delivered a unique musical and multimedia project on The Achill Island Basking Shark Fishermen, blending oral history, archival footage with traditional and newly composed Irish music.
A talk by Noël Wilkins, Professor Emeritus at the University of Galway, explored the origins of marine science in Ireland, and the pioneering local achievements from which the modern Marine Institute would emerge. Galway Bay Sailing Club presented the career of local seafarer and submariner Commander Bill King, and Maÿlis Sontot-Marjary of the Marine Institute spoke on the importance of maps and mapping in communication.
Artworks from Galway-based artist Gerry Fogarty, and Tom Coleman of Wild Atlantic Art, and seaweed prints from Aoife O’Sullivan of the Marine Institute were on display. The Solas Photography Club based in Oranmore showcased photography inspired by the Wild Atlantic Way. Seascape photography from Felix Sproll and Mick Mackey of the Marine Institute, and phytoplankton portraits from Eugenio Raymond Alfonso of the Marine Institute, highlighted the connection between science and art.
Visitors also enjoyed hands-on activities from the Marine Institute’s Explorers Education Programme, art from the Sharing the Oyster project (a collaboration between Cuan Beo and artist Claire McLaughllin ), local history displays from Galway Bay Sailing Club, and ‘Under the sea’ a stunning knitted aquarium installation from the Marine Institute’s In Stitches Crafting Club.
