Long-time friend of Leonard Cohen to host tenth anniversary celebration in Laois
John MacKenna, long-time friend of Leonard Cohen, and actor Shane Sullivan present Absent Friend, a celebration marking the tenth anniversary of the Cohen’s death
A celebration of the life and work of Leonard Cohen will take place in Laois to mark the tenth anniversary of the singer/songwriter's death.
On the night, writer John MacKenna, a thirty-year friend of Cohen's, and Shane Sullivan, a magical interpreter of Cohen's songs, will present Absent Friend, an evening of music, reminiscence, extracts from Leonard Cohen's poetry, and pieces of theatre inspired by Cohen's songs in what promises to be a wonderfully entertaining and thought-provoking evening.
Cohen and MacKenna met in the 1980s and their friendship lasted until Leonard's death in 2016.
In the months before he died, Cohen and MacKenna worked on 'Between Your Love and Mine,' a mass for theatre, and Shane Sullivan took one of the leading roles in that production which toured the country, played at Aras an Uachtaráin and sold out the National Concert Hall.
On November 7, that friendship, those songs, poems and stories will be presented by Shane Sullivan and John MacKenna in the setting of Ballintubbert House, the birthplace of the poet C Day Lewis and former home of the actor John Hurt.
This is sure to be an evening of beautiful music, warmth, nostalgia and celebration of one of the finest songwriters and poets of the twentieth century.
Absent Friend will take place at 8pm on Saturday November 7, 2026 at Ballintubbert House, Stradbally.
Tickets for Absent Friend can be booked online at Eventbrite or will be available on the door on the night. The evening begins at 8pm and admission is €16.