Galway Rowing Club Hosts “A Taste of Palestine” to Support Gaza
In a heartfelt display of cultural solidarity, Galway’s Rowing Club will host “A Taste of Palestine” on Sunday, April 6, 2025. The event aims to celebrate Palestinian heritage through music, poetry, art, dance, and cuisine while raising funds for Gaza.
Attendees will experience performances by esteemed artists. The Barcelo Brothers will perform, along with singer-songwriters Sailhymn, Sharon Murphy, and Tracy Bruen, as well as bouzouki-fiddle duo Libby McCrohan and Alice Gallanagh. Palestinian singer Aseel Shabana and Kurdish-Syrian bouzouki player Mohammad Syfkhan will also grace the stage. Syfkhan will open the evening’s performances. Additionally, musician, storyteller, and actor Little John Nee will offer a performance. While poets Eva Bourke, Vincent Woods, and Bernie Crawford will share their work. Dancers Hiba and Omar will lead the audience in a traditional Palestinian Dabke dance session.
Artists from various regions of Palestine, including Nour Ziada, Waleed Dahdoul, Dala Nobani, and Jameela Abed—who designed special T-shirts for the event—have donated artworks. Berlin-based Irish artist Ann Kiernan also contributed pieces. These works explore the complexities of Palestinian identity and history, reflecting the region’s ongoing struggles.
The organizers are holding this event in solidarity with the people of Palestine, particularly those in Gaza. All proceeds will be donated to Wafaa Palestine. This organization provides essential aid, including food, water, and hygiene kits, to families enduring catastrophic conditions. Since March 2, a total siege has been imposed on the region, blocking access to necessities such as food, medicine, fuel, and electricity, leaving Gaza’s 2.3 million residents facing famine conditions. More than 778 people, many of them children, have been killed since the ceasefire was broken and large-scale bombing resumed on March 18.
Sawsan, one of the Palestinian organizers, emphasizes the significance of cultural expression: “This event honors Palestinian identity and culture in the face of ongoing Israeli attempts at ethnic cleansing. For Palestinians, existence is a form of resistance. For over a century, Palestinian culture has remained at the heart of the resistance.”
Doors open at 6 p.m., with music commencing at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are priced at €15 and can be purchased at the door with cash.
