European Medical Students Orchestra and Choir at Galway Cathedral

What to Expect

The European Medical Students Orchestra and Choir bring their combined forces to Galway Cathedral on Wednesday 19 August 2026. The ensemble is made up of medical students from across Europe who play and sing at a serious standard alongside their studies, and it assembles for a concentrated rehearsal period before performing. Conducting duties are shared between Ciarán Crilly and Róisín Blunnie.

The programme takes in music by Claude Debussy and Charles Villiers Stanford alongside contemporary Irish composers Laura Shiels and Rhona Clarke, with other works on the night. Stanford, born in Dublin, and the two living Irish composers give the evening a local weight that a standard touring programme would not have. Galway Cathedral is a big stone acoustic with a long reverberation, which suits choral and orchestral writing of this kind. Entry is free and there is no ticket, but donations to Galway Hospice are taken at the door, so bring cash if you intend to give. The cathedral has not published a start time for the concert, so check with the cathedral office before travelling.

Good to Know

• Date: Wednesday 19 August 2026 at Galway Cathedral.
• Free entry. Donations to Galway Hospice accepted at the door.
• Conductors: Ciarán Crilly and Róisín Blunnie.
• Programme includes Debussy, Charles Villiers Stanford, Laura Shiels and Rhona Clarke.
• Start time was not published at the time of writing. Contact the cathedral on 091 563577 or info@galwaycathedral.ie to confirm.
• The cathedral is a large unheated stone building, so bring a layer.

Getting There

Galway Cathedral is on Nun’s Island beside the Salmon Weir, about twelve minutes’ walk from Eyre Square across the Salmon Weir Bridge and five minutes from the University of Galway campus. The cathedral car park is off Gaol Road, signposted from University Road and from the Dyke Road side of the city. City bus routes along University Road and Newcastle Road stop close by, and Ceannt bus and rail station is a fifteen minute walk. Midweek evening parking in the surrounding streets is easier than during the day, but the cathedral car park is still the simplest option if you are driving in from Salthill, Renmore or Oranmore.