Creative discussion

What happens when musicians from Rovaniemi and Oulu decide to rent two canal boats in Ireland and travel together along the Grand Canal? The result is a wonderful adventure, a canal trip from Vicarstown via Athy to Carlow and back. The journey, playfully named “Sink Along”, took place from 7 to 15 June 2025.

The journey through the green, lush landscapes is full of music, friendship and great encounters with people and sites along the way. How does life and travel on the barges work? Who steers them and how do you get through the numerous locks on the canal? Where can you find lively Irish music sessions every evening and how is the music played together with new people?

Join Juhani Suominen and Antti Aholainen, two powerful figures in the Rovaniemi Irish music scene, and local Oulu uilleann pipers Markus Lampela and Hiski Pajuniemi, as they tell us all about their colourful adventure, show pictures, answer questions and maybe even play an Irish tune.