Rural Socials at The Dock: Manon Awst and Sebastian Cichocki

What to Expect

Rural Socials is The Dock’s monthly gathering for artists, arts workers, creative producers and curators working in rural contexts, a chance to meet others doing similar work outside the cities and to hear what they are making. The August 2026 edition has two guests. Welsh artist Manon Awst talks about wetland ecologies and minoritised languages, and Polish curator Sebastian Cichocki presents on gleaning practices and his work at the University of Arts in Poznan.

The day splits in two. A vegan lunch from Edergole Kitchen runs from 12.30pm to 2pm at The Dock, with the talks around the table. From 2pm to 4.30pm the group heads out on a field trip to the peatlands restoration project on Bencroy Mountain, led by farmer Gerry McGourty, which grounds the morning’s conversation about land and ecology in a working Leitrim landscape. Places are limited and attendance is by expression of interest to The Dock’s director, Mary Conlon.

Good to Know

• Date: Saturday 15 August 2026
• Time: lunch 12.30pm to 2pm, field trip 2pm to 4.30pm
• Venue: The Dock Arts Centre, St George’s Terrace, Carrick-on-Shannon, then Bencroy Mountain
• Aimed at artists, arts workers, creative producers and curators
• Register by emailing mary.conlon@leitrimcoco.ie; space is limited
• Vegan lunch supplied by Edergole Kitchen
• The Dock building is wheelchair accessible; the peatlands walk is on uneven, inclined natural paths and needs a medium level of fitness
• Bring waterproofs for the field trip

Getting There

The Dock sits in the old courthouse on St George’s Terrace in the middle of Carrick-on-Shannon, beside the Shannon bridge and two minutes from Main Street. The town is on the N4 Dublin to Sligo road, roughly two hours from Dublin and forty minutes from Sligo. Carrick-on-Shannon railway station on the Dublin Connolly to Sligo line is within walking distance, and Bus Eireann’s Dublin to Sligo coaches stop in the town. Public parking is available at the Market Yard Centre and along the quays. Bencroy Mountain is in the Ballinamore direction east of Carrick-on-Shannon, so a car helps for the afternoon leg.