Dublin news from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown brings a major cultural announcement for the capital’s music scene. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office, working with Music Network, has named Cormac Curran and Julia Mahon as the 2026 dlr Musicians-in-Residence, a programme designed to give artists the time, space and support needed to create ambitious new work.
The residency scheme, now in its 12th year, will run from August to December 2026. It includes two separate appointments: one for an established musician and another for an emerging artist. This year, the established residency goes to composer and multi-instrumentalist Cormac Curran, while the emerging residency has been awarded to songwriter and interdisciplinary artist Julia Mahon, who performs professionally as J. Lune.
Dublin news: What the 2026 residency will support
The initiative is jointly funded by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Arts Council, and managed by Music Network. Each residency offers practical and career-building support, including:
- Dedicated workspace for artistic development
- Funding to help produce new work
- Mentoring and professional guidance
- Public performances and workshops in Dún Laoghaire
The programme is built not only to support musicians behind the scenes, but also to connect local audiences with the creative process as it unfolds.
Cormac Curran’s collaboration with Tommy Tiernan
Cormac Curran will use his residency to create new material with Tommy Tiernan. Their project will blend newly written prose with original musical composition, ultimately forming work intended for both an album and live performance. The collaboration will explore the relationship between sound, language, rhythm and emotion.
Residents across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown are also expected to be part of that journey through open rehearsals, workshops and public events, giving audiences a rare look at how a performance develops from early concept to finished stage piece.
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Julia Mahon’s new work on identity and belonging
Julia Mahon’s residency will focus on Something Like It, a full-length electroacoustic performance examining identity, migration and belonging. The project looks closely at what it means to belong to, leave or return to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, grounding wider themes in a specific local place.
The performance will combine a rich mix of instruments and sound design, including:
- Uilleann pipes
- Piano
- Synthesisers
- Cello
- Electronics and live effects
New poetry by Daniel Wade and Vickey Curtis will also feature in the piece, while community voices will be woven into the composition. Mahon is set to share elements of the project publicly through a workshop and a work-in-progress performance.
Why this matters for Dublin business and the wider arts sector
Although the announcement sits firmly in the cultural sphere, it also reflects the broader value of sustained arts investment for local communities. Programmes like this strengthen the creative economy, attract audiences into local venues and support the kind of cultural activity that helps define a region’s identity. For those following Dublin business trends, arts funding remains an important part of place-making and regional development.
In statements released with the announcement, council leaders and Music Network welcomed the appointments and praised the ongoing partnership behind the residency scheme. They highlighted the role of the initiative in helping musicians grow their practice, develop new projects and build long-term careers.
What happens next
Both residencies will unfold between August and December, with public engagement expected throughout the period in Dún Laoghaire. Audiences can look forward to workshops, performances and opportunities to experience new Irish music in development rather than only at its final stage.
The latest Dublin news on these appointments shows how local arts programmes can nurture experimentation while keeping communities closely involved. As Cormac Curran and Julia Mahon begin their 2026 residencies, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is set to become a lively hub for collaboration, performance and creative discovery.
