Architecture at the Edge Festival returns this autumn with an inspired cultural programme that celebrates our built environment through talks, tours, exhibitions, film screenings and more. Running from Friday, September 26th to Sunday, October 12th across Mayo and Galway, the festival invites audiences to look again at the spaces and structures that shape our everyday lives.
This year’s curatorial theme – “The Unseen Architecture” – asks us to consider the invisible layers of history, memory, and human experience embedded in buildings and landscapes. From forgotten institutional sites to hidden rooms and overlooked community spaces, the 2025 edition shines a light on what is often unseen, yet deeply felt.
A Strong North Mayo Offering
North Mayo is set to host some of the most compelling experiences of this year’s festival, beginning this weekend. Visitors will have the chance to step inside remarkable spaces and connect with powerful stories of place, heritage and community. Events include:
– Beneath the Stairs at Enniscoe House
Enniscoe House, Castlehill
Saturday 27 September, 12:00 – 13:00
Hidden among the woods at the foot of Mount Nephin, Enniscoe House is often called “the last Great House of North Mayo.” Festival-goers are invited to discover the stories of its atmospheric basement with Susan and DJ Kellett, while enjoying views across parkland and Lough Conn.
– HeritACT Histories, Ballina
HeritHUB, Ballina Library
Saturday 27 September, 12:00 – 14:00
A free guided walk exploring Ballina’s historic core, from buildings and designed landscapes to the natural environment. This participatory event highlights how cultural heritage can connect communities and inspire future development.
– From the Provincial Bank to The Jackie Clarke Collection
The Jackie Clarke Collection, Ballina
Saturday 27 September, 14:00 – 15:00
Manager Yvonne Corcoran Loftus and architect Martin Leonard will guide visitors through the transformation of the former Provincial Bank into one of the country’s most significant archives, home to the nationally important Jackie Clarke Collection.
– Open Convent at the Sisters of Mercy Convent, Ballina
Convent of Mercy, McDermott Street, Ballina
Thursday 2 October, 18:30 – 20:30
The Ballina Convent Regeneration Team, joined by Conservation Architect Vincent Coleman and local historians, will offer a fascinating architectural, historical and social look at the Sisters of Mercy Convent. The evening will also share proposals for the future of this important site, reflecting on its role in Ballina’s heritage and community life.
– Solid Foundations at The Ballinglen Museum of Art
Ballinglen Museum of Art, Ballycastle
Thursday 9 October, 15:00 – 16:30
This talk and tour explores the origins of The Ballinglen Arts Foundation and its impact on the region since 1992. Participants will visit the Museum and hear about exciting plans for the Old School in Ballycastle.
– Paintings of Memory and Imagination – Patita Bourke Nicholson at Enniscoe House
Enniscoe House, Castlehill
Saturday 11 October, 12:00 – 13:00
Visitors are invited to a special exhibition tour of Patita Bourke Nicholson’s evocative works, Paintings of Memory and Imagination, set within the atmospheric surrounds of Enniscoe House. This event brings together art, memory and place, deepening the festival’s theme of the unseen layers that shape our heritage.
– Harvest at Ballina Methodist Church with HeritACT Ballina
Ballina Methodist Church
Sunday 12 October, 19:00 – 20:00
Closing out the festival in Ballina, the public are invited to a special Harvest Service in the beautifully restored Methodist Schoolhouse, with reflections on the ongoing HeritACT Ballina project.
Many of these events are free, but some require an entry fee/tickets, please follow the individual links for more information.
A Festival That Makes the Invisible Visible
Alongside these Mayo highlights, the festival will also present Rún – Ireland’s (In)visible Buildings Project, an ongoing research initiative mapping the condition and extent of former residential institutional sites across Ireland.
By uncovering what is often overlooked or forgotten, Architecture at the Edge 2025 challenges us to see buildings not just as physical structures, but as vessels of memory, culture and identity.
For the full festival programme and booking details, visit www.architectureattheedge.com.