5 Inspirational Women Taking Part in GIAF
We've rounded up five inspirational women who's work you can still experience at the festival this week, from a playwright nailing the comedy genre to a doctor bringing important Irish stories to life.
Feature image: Tolü Makay via Instagram
Kate Nash
Iconic “Foundations” singer Kate Nash (who has Irish roots thanks to her Dublin-born mother) has long has a cult following. Her debut album Made of Bricks was a major hit and went straight to number one, earning her Best British Female Artist at the 2008 Brit Awards.
In recent years, Nash has become increasingly vocal about the exploitative nature of the music industry, and how difficult it is to succeed as an independent artist. She is also a strong advocate for trans rights, veganism, and peace in Palestine, among other causes.
See her supporting Sophie Ellis-Bextor in the Heineken Big Top tonight, Wednesday, 22 July at 8pm. Yes, there are still last minute tickets available – go, go, go!
Lorraine Tuck
Galway native Lorraine tuck is a photographer concerned with “the emotional power of the image.” She has been heavily influenced by the landscape of Connemara, and her projects are often inspired by empathy and close observation.
Previously her work Unusual Gestures, telling the story of a family living with intellectual disability, debuted at GIAF. Now she is back with the premiere of Limbo, which places a focus on the children’s burial grounds known as cillíní – sites where unbaptised infants and others were historically laid to rest.
You can see her work until 26th July, from 11am-6pm at Festival Printworks Gallery.
Shauna Carrick
Left: Poster for SAOIRSE, Right: Shauna Carrick, photo by Julia Dunin
Shauna Carrick is composer, lyricist and musical director passionate about telling authentic Irish stories and bringing Irish culture and musical theatre closer together. She was shortlisted for Best Production at the Dublin Fringe Festival Awards 2023 for her hilarious and touching show Shauna Carrick Wants A Dog by Aon Scéal Theatre.
This week, Shauna’s show SAOIRSE tackles contemporary issues faced by the Gaeltacht, and follows a young woman’s first “summer of freedom.” The musical is entirely as Gaeilge, though an English translation can be accessed through the app Sibrwd. See SAOIRSE at An Taibhdhearc until the 26th July.
Tolü Makay
Tolü Makay is a singer-songwriter who moved from Nigeria to Offaly with her family as a child. She studied psychology in university before leaving her job at Google to pursue music full time.
Her 2025 EP People Still Cry in the Summer cemented her reputation as one of Ireland’s finest emerging contemporary voices. Makay has performed across Europe and the US, including opening for Disclosure and Gabrielle in Dublin, and performing at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.
With a soulful sound and moving lyrics, she’s well worth the watch on July 23rd at Monroes.
Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley
Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley is an internationally recognised scholar in the field of modern Irish social history. Her research has been cited in the New York Times, CNN and BBC Womens Hour (to name a few!), drawing on her expertise of the mother and baby institutions in Ireland and particularly her work leading the Tuam Oral History Project with Dr John Cunningham.
Now, for GIAF, the project will feature in an exhibition at Galway City Museum, providing an insight into Ireland’s treatment of single mothers and their children, focusing on the Tuam Mother and Baby institution and the legacy issues still faced by survivors today.
See the powerful collection of stories until 19th September at Galway City Museum.
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