Macnas
Encyclopedia
Macnas is a performance
company based at the Fisheries Field in Galway
, Ireland
. Its public performances are noted for exuberance, colour and spectacle. The company has been influential in changing the nature of public entertainment in Ireland and has spawned many imitators .
Founded in 1986, the company has performed in over 20 countries across the globe. Its parades form the centre-point of Halloween
, St. Patrick's Day and Art Festival
festivities in Galway city. Massive crowds gather to witness the events, often resulting in overcrowding of the main city streets . It toured alongside U2
as part of the Zooropa
tour in 1993 and, with their sister company Macteo, simultaneously rang in the new millennium in three different cities: Galway
(Eyre Square
), Dublin (Merrion Square
) and New York
(Times Square
).
Macnas offices are spread across two different locations in Galway city. Administration mainly takes place in Fisheries Field. Construction takes place at the Fisheries Field workshops which are near the National University of Ireland, Galway and a warehouse in Liosban, where large-scale construction takes place.
Macnas' sister company, Macteo has changed ownership and is now known as Arcana. The Liffey Press and Macnas have published Macnas: joyful abandonment, a 250-page history of the company.
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
company based at the Fisheries Field in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Its public performances are noted for exuberance, colour and spectacle. The company has been influential in changing the nature of public entertainment in Ireland and has spawned many imitators .
Founded in 1986, the company has performed in over 20 countries across the globe. Its parades form the centre-point of Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, St. Patrick's Day and Art Festival
Galway Arts Festival
Galway Arts Festival is an annual arts festival that takes place each July in Galway, Ireland. It is Ireland’s leading arts festival and one of the most successful and influential arts enterprises in the country. The Festival is one of the key European arts festivals...
festivities in Galway city. Massive crowds gather to witness the events, often resulting in overcrowding of the main city streets . It toured alongside U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
as part of the Zooropa
Zooropa
Zooropa Based on the pronunciations of "zoo" and "Europa". is the eighth studio album by rock band U2. Produced by Flood, Brian Eno, and The Edge, it was released on 5 July 1993 on Island Records. Inspired by the band's experiences on the Zoo TV Tour, Zooropa expanded on many of the tour's themes...
tour in 1993 and, with their sister company Macteo, simultaneously rang in the new millennium in three different cities: Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
(Eyre Square
Eyre Square
John F. Kennedy Memorial Park is an inner-city public park in Galway, Ireland, formerly officially named Eyre Square and still widely known by that name...
), Dublin (Merrion Square
Merrion Square
Merrion Square is a Georgian square on the southside of Dublin city centre. It was laid out after 1762 and was largely complete by the beginning of the 19th century. It is considered one of the city's finest surviving squares...
) and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
).
Macnas offices are spread across two different locations in Galway city. Administration mainly takes place in Fisheries Field. Construction takes place at the Fisheries Field workshops which are near the National University of Ireland, Galway and a warehouse in Liosban, where large-scale construction takes place.
Macnas' sister company, Macteo has changed ownership and is now known as Arcana. The Liffey Press and Macnas have published Macnas: joyful abandonment, a 250-page history of the company.