Limerick prepares for the Polish Arts Festival, starting this week.
LIMERICK is preparing to celebrate Polish culture as the Polish Arts Festival returns for its 19th year, offering a programme of music, art, and cultural performances aimed at bringing communities together.
The festival, which is scheduled from November 5 to 8, provides an opportunity for members of Limerick’s Polish community to showcase their cultural heritage while inviting people from other backgrounds to experience Polish artistic traditions.
This year’s programme stretches across some of Limerick’s best-known cultural venues, including Belltable, The Hunt Museum, and Limerick City Gallery of Art.
According to Census 2022 figures from the Central Statistics Office, 4,384 Polish citizens were living in Limerick City and County, making the Polish community one of the county’s largest non-Irish nationality groups. Nationally, Poland was also among the largest non-Irish citizenship groups, with 93,680 Polish citizens recorded across Ireland.
Speaking to Limerick Voice, Anita Kakol, a member of the Polish community in Limerick, said, “It’s really good to have this for the Polish community in Ireland, because it’s a big community in Ireland. Especially the kids, because it has a huge impact on them growing up. It’s also nice to meet new people and exchange experiences, backgrounds, and stories.”
The festival’s programme includes live music, theatre, film screening, contemporary art exhibitions, literary events, and creative workshops for children and families, with several events free to attend.
For many people living outside their country of origin, music and cultural events can provide a connection to familiar traditions and a sense of belonging. The festival also seeks to introduce Polish culture to a wider Irish audience, especially the Limerick audience.
When asked whether Limerick provides enough opportunities for international communities to express their cultures and feel they belong here, Anita Kakol said, “You can see the Polish festivals and the other ones. They all have a little corner for themselves here in Limerick, and I think that culture, especially in the university, is a huge thing and is making progress. They do things like Brazilian week, Polish week, and Greece week. It’s good to see and exchange the culture.”
The festival comes at a time when Limerick continues to reflect the cultural diversity of its population. Community events can create opportunities for people of different nationalities to meet, share experiences, and learn about traditions beyond their own.