Overview

• The Mayflower Community Centre in Drumshanbo cancelled the August 23 Mise Éire Festival after finding organizers had not complied with venue terms following artist pressure.
• Leitrim and Roscommon Against Fascism galvanized roughly 600 signatories, including Kneecap, Fontaines D.C., Christy Moore and Chris O’Dowd, to demand the festival’s cancellation.
• Letter authors warned the event would tarnish the venue’s record as a safe, inclusive cultural space by providing a platform for alleged far-right speakers.
• Festival organizers responded by denouncing the open letter as an assault on free speech and explaining that Mise Éire means “I am Ireland.”
• This cancellation follows a trend of open-letter campaigns by artists targeting events with contested political ties throughout 2025.