Cormac Curran and Julia Mahon appointed as DLR Musicians-in-Residence 2026

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office and Music Network have announced the appointment of the dlr Musicians-In-Residence 2026. This year’s scheme provides two residencies, one for an established musician which has been awarded to composer and multi-instrumentalist Cormac Curran and an additional residency to support the work of an emerging musician, songwriter/interdisciplinary artist Julia Mahon.

Now in its 12th year, the scheme provides musicians with space and time to create new work, develop their skills, collaborate with others and showcase their music.  This year’s residencies will run from August to December and provide each artist with funding, a dedicated space to work in and mentoring to support their career development. Audiences will also have an opportunity to engage with the musicians at a series of public performances and workshops in Dún Laoghaire throughout the residencies. 

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Cormac Curran will use his residency to develop new work in collaboration with Tommy Tiernan. Bringing together Tommy's newly written prose and Cormac's original compositions, they will create a new body of work for both an album and live performance. Together they will explore how music can deepen, illuminate and respond to the rhythm and emotion of the written word. Communities across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown will be invited to engage with the creative process through workshops, open rehearsals and performances, offering audiences a unique opportunity to witness new work as it evolves from its earliest ideas to being presented on stage.

Dublin-based composer, musician and songwriter Julia Mahon, known professionally as J. Lune, will develop Something Like It, a new full-length electroacoustic performance exploring identity and belonging. Building on her previous explorations of migration and identity in Ireland, this work narrows its focus to a single place to ask what it means to belong to, leave, or return to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.

Combining uilleann pipes, piano, synthesisers, cello, electronics and live effects, the work will feature new poetry by Daniel Wade and Vickey Curtis, and weave community voices texturally into the composition. Julia will also present a public workshop offering insights into the creative process and a performance of the work in progress.

Cllr. Barry Saul, Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said: 

“Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is delighted to announce Cormac Curran and Julia Mahon as the recipients of the 2026 dlr Musicians-in-Residence Scheme, and we look forward to working with them over the coming months. We are very grateful to the Arts Council for funding this Scheme.”

Frank Curran, Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said: 

“Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is very pleased to continue our strong working relationship with Music Network on this important collaboration. Congratulations to the selected musicians.”

Commenting on the announcement, CEO of Music Network Sharon Rollston said: 

“It’s a pleasure to work with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office once again on this highly sought after scheme. These residencies will provide valuable time and resources for the appointed musicians to develop their artistic practice, produce exciting new work and further their careers, and we very much look forward to supporting them in bringing their creative ideas to life in the months ahead.” 

The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office Musicians-in-Residence Scheme is jointly funded by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Arts Council and is managed by Music Network.