Ireland is the official Country Partner for Hornbill Festival 2025; the flagship international culture festival for the state of Nagaland. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on behalf of the Nagaland government and Ambassador Kevin Kelly on behalf of the Irish Embassy in India made a joint announcement at the Naga House in New Delhi on November 18.
As the official country partner of Hornbill Festival, the Embassy of Ireland has brought in a range of very enriching public engagements, which comprises of investment roundtables, music showcases, public arts installation, literary & theatre-arts work and a special curation of a dialogue series on Ireland, India and Empire.
Members of the acclaimed Irish folk band The Mary Wallopers would come together with other Irish musicians to form the music ensemble Bóinn, and would perform at the opening of the Hornbill Festival in addition to their much-awaited music set. Hailing from Dublin and Dundalk, Ireland, Bóinn are ready to bring traditional Irish ballads and rare folk songs into vibrant and contemporary spirit at the Hornbill festival.
The Embassy would host a special discussion by Professor Jane Ohlmeyer, MRIA, one of Ireland’s most distinguished historians and Chair of the Irish Research Council, who, would explore Ireland’s history of colonization and the shared lessons learned with Nagaland.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador of Ireland to India, Kevin Kelly, said, “Ireland’s partnership with the Hornbill Festival reflects the growing depth of Ireland-India relations and the shared commitment to cultural collaboration and peacebuilding dialogue. We hope that people of Nagaland enjoy the best of Irish art, culture and theatre and that the connections we make at Hornbill 2025 lead to even greater collaboration in the future.”
Highlighting Nagaland’s support for the collaboration, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, stated, “Nagaland is honored to welcome Ireland as our Country Partner for this year’s Hornbill Festival. Ireland’s rich culture, heritage, and artistic traditions resonate deeply with our own, making this partnership both meaningful and special. We see immense potential for expanded collaboration across culture, tourism, education, creative industries, youth exchange, sustainable development, and people-to-people engagement. Ireland’s participation will greatly enrich the festival and strengthen the bonds between our peoples. We look forward to celebrating this friendship and forging new pathways of cooperation in the Land of Festivals.”
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Adding a multidisciplinary dimension is Delhi-based arts company Kaivalya Plays who would present an ensemble of engagements in Nagaland. They would begin with dramatized readings from James Joyce’s Dubliners a project developed in cooperation with Embassy of Ireland as part of Year of Joyce celebrations. Kaivalya Plays is going to offer theatre workshops and allied learning engagements for young performing arts enthusiasts of Nagaland.
Embassy of Ireland in cooperation with their Honorary Consulate General in Kolkata and Keventers Agro would bring to Kohima, an Irish public arts installation. People would see the Irish pagan goddess Danu, created by Irish artists from Macnas and Indian artists would make a special entry as a public arts project in the festival this year.
Organised annually by the Government of Nagaland from December 1 to 10, the Hornbill Festival is the state’s largest public celebration of culture and heritage. Since its inception in 2000, the festival has become a symbol of unity among the state’s 17 major tribes, fostering tourism, reconciliation, and pride in a shared cultural identity.
About the Musicians: The travelling entourage to the Hornbill Festival includes members of the infamous Mary Wallopers, Andrew Hendy and Finnian O’Connor, along with musicians Méabh Mulligan and Caoimhe Ní Mhaolagáin. For the first time, these four musicians have come together under the name Bóinn – a reference to the Irish goddess of the River Boyne, which flows through Co. Louth, where Andrew and Finnian grew up. This new collaboration marks the beginning of an exciting journey as the group prepares to travel to India, blending their individual traditions and styles into a powerful celebration of Irish music and cultural connection.
