The Last Witch: Bridget Cleary at Riverbank Arts Centre

What to Expect

A solo performance built around the death of Bridget Cleary in Tipperary in 1895, the case that is still commonly described as Ireland’s last witch burning. The piece works through the beliefs and the social pressures that led to her killing, combining storytelling with historical detail rather than presenting it as a straight lecture or a straight drama. It sets folklore alongside land politics and the recorded history of the case, and keeps Bridget herself at the centre of the account.

The stated running time is 45 minutes, followed by a question and answer session with the audience, so the whole evening is shorter than a standard two-act night at the Riverbank. Programming it on Halloween is deliberate, but the framing is historical rather than a scare show. One practical note from the venue: this is a reduced-capacity event because of building works at the adjacent Newbridge Library, and the seating arrangement may be changed as a result. That means fewer seats on sale than usual and a real chance of selling out, so book rather than turn up on the night.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Saturday 31 October 2026, 8:00 PM.
• Running time: 45 minutes plus a Q and A.
• Venue: Riverbank Arts Centre, Main Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, W12 D962.
• Price: €20.
• Reduced capacity due to building works at Newbridge Library; seating layout may differ from normal.
• Booking through Riverbank’s Ticketsolve box office.

Getting There

Riverbank Arts Centre is on Main Street in Newbridge, off the M7 at Junction 12 or Junction 13, roughly 45 km southwest of Dublin. There is on-street parking on and around Main Street plus the town’s shopping centre car parks a short walk away. Newbridge railway station is about 15 minutes on foot and sits on the Dublin Heuston to Kildare and Portlaoise line, and bus services on the Dublin to Kildare corridor stop in the town.