A weekly car boot sale, one of less than a handful that is still reliably taking place, has up to 200 cars/sellers. The stadium is just a few minutes walk from the Red LUAS line stop and numerous bus stops. For traders the Car Boot Sale opens at 06:30 for buyers from 08:00. If you are interested in selling, check the details and register on their website.

The weekly Honest2goodness food market in Glasnevin has fresh meat, vegetables, fish, baked goods, and wines. It is open from 09:30-16:00. It is behind Lidl in the Industrial Estate just after the Glasnevin Cemetary coming from the City Centre.

Parkrun Ireland is organising free weekly runs in parks. It is a timed run over 5km and participation is completely free, but registration before your first parkrun is required.

A whole range of Parkruns take place every week (and if you know some more, please tell me):
+ Malahide Park, Dublin Road, Malahide, Co. Dublin
+ Cabinteely Park, Old Bray Road, Cabinteely, Dublin 18
+ Shanganagh Park, Shankill, Co. Dublin
+ Marlay Park, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin, Co. Dublin
+ St. Anne’s Park, Raheny, Dublin 5
+ Father Collins Park, Donaghmeade/Clongriffin, Dublin 13
+ Tymon Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24

The SuperNatural Food Market is taking place every Saturday from 09:30-15:30 in St. Andrews Resource Centre in Pearse Street, Dublin 2.

The Green Door Market is a new indoor food/Farmer’s Market that takes place just a few doors down from the Dublin Food Co-op at Newmarket in Dublin 8. Admission is free.

Opening hours are Thu-Fri 12:00-19:00 and Sat 09:30-16:00.

The Belgard Weekend Market is an indoor market with stalls with handcraft (incl. designer jewellery, aran jumpers and wool, christening robes and shawls, cards and cross stitch), household items, bric and brac, furniture, flowers, make-up, clothes, shoes, showers, upholstery, toys, kitchens, cafe, army memorabilia, collectors items, sweets, handbags books, blinds, party shop, tools and more.

It is open every Saturday and Sunday and is located in the Glen Abbey complex (opposite Jacobs) on Belgard Road.

Dublin City Hall has a museum/exhibition in the basement, called “The Story of the Capital”, it is an exhibition that you should definitely check out at some stage.

To celebrate the Easter Rising Anniversary, admission to that exhibititon is free for the whole year!!

Opening hours are Monday-Saturday 10:00-17:15.

Jamestown Flea Market + Car Boot Sale takes place every Sat+Sun from 10:00-17:00. You can reach it from Tyrconnell Road and from Kylemore Road and it is within 3 min from Black Horse stop on the red Luas line. There is free parking.

The County Council Market (CoCo) in Marlay Park is taking place every Saturday and Sunday. You will find a wide range of products. There will be food to eat there and food to cook at home but also crafts and arts and books and lots more.

The Temple Bar Markets (Food Market on Meeting House Square, Book Market on Temple Bar Square and the Designer Mart near Cow’s Lane) are taking place every Saturday from 10:00-16:30.

Discover the beautiful restored Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden and learn about growing your own fruit and vegetables, herbs and lots more. Meet OPW professional gardeners Brian and Meeda at the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden. They have lots of advice to plan your perfect garden for the autumn months ahead. Admission is free and car parking is available.

The Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden is located next to the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, and the Phoenix Café. The OPW professional gardeners are on site on the second Saturday of every month.

Feel calm & relaxed and discover new technics to release stress in your daily life. A Zen Walk will help you to get the positive effects. The walk will last about 20-30 minutes and is suitable for everyone who simply wants to find calmness, relaxation and harmony in their busy lives.

The walks take place in a variety of locations in Dublin and Dun Laoghaire and at different times. Check the website below for details about the walk and then check the dates and times and register here: www.xiufengshui.com/en/events/zen-walk/dates-and-registration

Your first walk is free, after that there is a fee of EUR 8 per walk.

At the Blackrock Market in the centre of Blackrock, you’ll find 50 stalls selling collectibles, antiques, handmade goods, books, food & there’s free popcorn, ballons & facepainting for the kids.
Open on Saturdays and Bank Holidays: 11:00-17:30, and Sundays: 12:00-17:30.

The 2nd Saturday Market in the Chocolate Factory is taking place again and there will be handmade crafts, jewellery, accessories and artisan produce.

Admission is free.

A free Family drop-in workshop will take place on most days of the coming weekend and week for children aged 4-10. Find all the details on the website below.

The themes are
Saturday: Renaissance
Monday: Cubism
Tuesday: Pointillism
Wednesday: Baroque
Thursday: Abstract Art
Friday: Costume

A fun event for kids: Explore the diversity of insects and mini beasts living in and around the pond at the Botanic Gardens. Suitable for kids aged 8+.

Admission is free, but registration via 01-8040319 is required.

The Terenure Village Market has moved to Bushy Park and is from now on a weekly market.

The market has now grown to 40 stalls offering a whole variety of foods and crafts.

Admission is free.

This tour will give you a chance to look at some of Ireland’s greatest archaeological treasures including the Broighter Hoard, the Tara Brooch and the Ardagh Chalice.

Admission is free and no booking required, but places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Meet at the Reception.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

A Fair Land is a project in the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s Courtyard where a pre-1916 village is built and will operate from 12-28 August.

This project will develop a system for living derived from basic and simple resources used in a creative way. Visitors will have opportunities to eat, make, think or trade and through that process to learn, copy, assimilate and teach. With a focus on creating objects that are useful, desirable and achievable, A Fair Land will present an active and tangible representation of the place of creativity in society, creating a space for families, friends and strangers to gather, get involved, and experience alternative perspectives on living. More details about “A Fair Land” can be found here.

Throughout the week a series of events will take place in IMMA. There will be talks, demonstrations and workshops. Some of them are free. others are not and a list of the free events with links to find out more details is provided below:

+ Sat 13 Aug (12:00-15:00): Drop-in Workshops (45 min) on how to build your own Aquaponics System with materials from IKEA. Admission is free and no booking required.

+ Sat 13 Aug (15:00-16:00): Talk by Emmanuel Pratt of Sweet Water Foundation about their ground-breaking work to democratize, globalize and commercialize urban agriculture practices for resilient 21st century communities via hands-on learning grounded in concepts of community, equity, transformation and resilience. Sweet Water Foundation is a community based project in South Side Chicago. – Admission is free, but booking required via the link above.

+ Sun 14 Aug (15:00-16:00): Adam Sutherland (Director, Grizedale Arts) will have a Skype conversation with artist Marcus Coates from Creative Fitness about an exercise routine designed to become part of your daily life. It is integrated into any brief moments of idleness. Coates will demonstrate the routine. Admission is free and no booking required.

+ Fri 19 Aug (15:00-16:00): A Fair Land Discussion: Callan Workhouse Union – Curator Rosie Lynch will discuss the distinctive programming and activities of Callan Workhouse Union (CWU) in Co. Kilkenny. CWU is a developing facility and commissioning agency for visual art, design, architecture, research and community activities and projects. Admission is free and booking is not required.

The weekly Ha’penny Flea Market is an indoor market in the Grand Social Pub, which offers vintage Men and Women’s clothing, contemporary crafts, books, DVDs, vinyl records, vintage and handmade jewellery, vintage hair styles, art, photography and much more. Grand Social’s Bar and Gourmet Coffee options are available.

A Ceremonial Military Guard will parade at the site of the “National Memorial to Members of the Defence Forces who died in the Service of the State”, at Merrion Square during July and August. Ceremonies will take place at the pyramid at Merrion Square opposite the back entrance to the Dail, every Saturday from 16 July to 20 August 2015.

Units from different sections of the Defence Forces (Army, Air Corps and Naval Service) will participate in this Military Guard Ceremony to remember their comrades. Every week different units will be involved and the ceremony and the participating units are described on the website below.

The exhibition “SEEING – What are you looking at?” (24 June – 25 Sept 2016) in the Science Gallery is exploring the sensory experience of vision, understanding and perception. It looks at how us human beings see by using eye tracking technology, eye tests and colour perception, but it also shows how machines see and what their limitations are.

It is a great exhibition full of intriguing exhibits, some are very clear, others need some more explanation or you should at least read the explanatory labels that every exhibit has.

Like all Science Gallery exhibitions, SEEING is suitable for all ages with a particular focus on the age group of 15-25, but I would say that children from 10 years of age can understand the whole exhibition if they get some additional explanations and there are even some exhibits that would work for younger children.

When you go to see the exhibition, get help from the Science Gallery mediators! They are helpers (usually students or graduates) that know the whole exhibition inside out and are very happy to help with a lot more information than the little labels at the exhibits can provide. Use their excellent service and it will help you soo much more to have a better experience

The Science Gallery has very visitor friendly opening hours of Tue-Fri 12:00-20:00 and Sat+Sun 12:00-18:00.
Admission is free.

Archive at Lunchtime screenings take place Saturdays (Double Bill), Mondays and Wednesdays. The programme is changing weekly now (instead of monthly as in the past). To find out what film(s) will be screened go to www.ifi.ie/whatson/now-showing-coming-soon/ and look for “Archive at Lunchtime” on the right. Admission is free.

At the junction of Henry Street with Liffey Street Lower, Dublin Town will have some games and entertainment for kids on Saturday.

Admission is free.

Explore the Library’s rich architectural history and heritagea a this tour. It begins in the main hall of the Library and will include an introduction to the Signatories exhibition – a selected display of key items relating to the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation. The tour also includes a visit to the Library’s iconic reading room.

Admission is free.

The Bernard Shaw Flea Market is a weekly market (every Saturday) with approx 16 stalls, music, pizzas from the Big Blue Bus and the Bernard Shaw Garden Bar. Expect vintage clothes, shoes, jewellery, art, records, bric-a-brac and more and DJs will provide the entertainment.

Admission is free.

A guided tour entitled “Lapis and Gold: the Story of the Ruzbihan Quran” with Dr Elaine Wright, Curator of Islamic Collections, Chester Beatty Library takes place.

Admission is free.

“These Are a Few of My Favourite Things” is the title of a Walking Tour that Emily Gallagher runs every Saturday. It is an alternative Arts and Culture Trail and she will bring you to “Dublin’s Best Cafes, Bars, Markets, Unusual Stores, Galleries, Theatres, Arts Spaces, and more! And hear some tales you’ve never heard before!”

The tours are free but donations are welcome and booking is required via myfavouritesdublincitywalktour@gmail.com or 085-2725095

Every Saturday a kid’s book will be read in 27 Eason’s stores all over Ireland. In O’Connell Street the reading takes place at 14:00. In the other Eason Stores, the times vary between 11:00 and 15:00 (see website below). Suitable for age 0-6 with their parents.

Admission is free.

LAST CHANCE THIS WEEKEND!! ….and the weather forecast is promising:

Do you remember “Shakespeare in the Park”? The great team at Fortune’s Fool Production originally started in Ranelagh Gardens, then they moved to Iveagh Gardens and this year all their work has been recognised and they went on a nationwide tour first and now are back in Dublin for what I would cheekily call, the main event. The Gardens of Dublin Castle (near Chester Beatty Library) is the location this year and because of the different locations chosen, the event was renamed to “Shakespeare at Irish Monuments”.

The play is “Measure for Measure”, a lesser known play by Shakespeare, so to prepare yourself, have a read of the story behind the play here.

The performances at Dublin Castle are
+ Weekdays: 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 August at 19:00
+ Weekends: 6, 7, 13, 14 August at 15:00

Admission is free and no booking is required. Chairs are not provided, so bring a blanket or similar. There will be no roof and the play will go ahead in light rain…but could be cancelled in heavy rain. Check the Facebook Page below for any updates.

I went to the play last Sunday and I strongly recommend it. But MAKE SURE that you read at least the “Synopsis” on the Wikipedia Page that I link above. Shakespeare likes complication and uses lots of sub plots, so you get a LOT more out of the play when you understand what is happening. :-)

The British Sitcom “Black Books” (2000-2004) will be celebrated at this event.

The schedule is

18:30 – Screenings of top two episodes
19:30 – Black Books Table Quiz with Ringo: Music Bingo
21:00 – Black Books Games
22:00 – Music ’til close

The Quiz will be first come, first served. No pre booking required.

And the best Black Books themed dress will win a bottle of wine.

Admission is free.

The second Blues, Roots & Brass Festival will start on Friday 12 Aug and run until Sunday. Over three days, a large list of bands will play in Whelan’s and the Opium Rooms and the line-up for Saturday is below.

Admission is free.

—-
+ Opium Rooms:
19:45 Stephen Young & The Union
20:45 Level Heads
21:45 CC Brez
—-
+ Whelan’s Main Venue:
19:30 NC Lawlor
20:30 Niall Toner
21:30 Beef Supreme
22:30 Gavin Glass
—-
+ Whelan’s Upstairs:
20:15 The Dublin City Rounders
21:15 David King
22:15 Galia Arad
23:15 Donna Dunne
—-
+ Whelan’s Front Bar:
19:00 Bluegrass Collective
20:00 Bluegrass Collective
21:00 Bluegrass Collective
22:00 Corner Boy

The Manchester-based Halle Youth Orchestra and Choir will perform a programme of classical music under the direction of Jamie Phillips and Richard Wilberforce. They will perform music by Strauss, Esenvalds, Britten, Whitacre, Vaughan Williams and Sibelius.

Admission is free. Please arrive by 19:15 at the latest, the concert will start at 19:30.

This is a weekly Saturday night live music event event downstairs in the Wine Cave of KC Peaches Cafe. Food will be served until 21:30 and wine, minerals & music will be available until later. Admission is free and a donation into a hat at the end of the evening is appreciated.

The Bionic Rats will be playing Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady at this gig in Bray.

Admission is free.

The Stillorgan Orchard has live music every Friday and Saturday. Many of the performers are established and very good bands. The upcoming gigs are detailed on the website below. Admission is always free.

Every year in August, the Perseid Meteor showers will show up when the Earth passes through the long trail left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. And this year, they are promised to be extra spectacular.

According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseids will be in “outburst” in 2016, which means they’ll appear at double the usual rates: “This year, instead of seeing about 80 Perseids per hour, the rate could top 150 and even approach 200 meteors per hour,”

The metoer showers will be visible from 04-19 August and the peak is on 11/12 August. The best time to watch it is after 01:00 when the moon has set and to see it you need a clear sky. The peak night didn’t present a clear sky, so maybe you are luckier over the weekend. There might be a few less meteors per hour, but that’ll do as well. ;-)

The advise is: “Go to a dark area, in the suburbs or countryside and prepare to sit outside for a few hours. It takes about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark and the longer you wait outside, the more you’ll see. A rate of 150 meteors per hour, for instance, means two to three meteors per minute, including faint streaks along with bright, fireball-generating ones.”

The Surfin Surfers will gig in the Mezz at midnight on Saturday.

Admission is free.

The Ironman 70.3 is really a Half Ironman with 1.9km of a swim, 90km of a bike ride and 21.1 km of a run. All together that is 113km, which translates into 70.3 miles and that is where the name comes from.

As you can imagine it is not mentioned here because you can take part for free, but because you can watch it and support the athletes. The best place to support them is probably where the competition starts, in Dun Laoghaire, or where it ends in Phoenix Park.

The swim starts at 06:50 and the last participant is expected in Phoenix Park at 16:20. The website is a pain to use and doesn’t have a good map for the route unless you download the full 38 page Athletes Guide here.

I gathered some of the details for you here: Start is at Sandycove, south of Dun Laoghaire and Transition from Swim to Bike is on Newtownsmith Green in Dun Laoghaire. Then the route goes via Blackrock, Booterstown to Irishtown. Then along the Liffey to Heuston Station. Onwards to Lucan, then Maynooth, Kilcock and back to Dunboyne, Clonsilla, Castleknock and to Phoenix Park.

At the Papal Cross in Phoenix Park is the transition from Bike to Run and the 21km run is three loops on a course in Phoenix Park and the race finish is on Chesterfield Avenue in Phoenix Park.

There will be extensive road closures due to this event and Phoenix Park is more or less closed. The LONG list of roead closures is here.

In addition to the Saturday Car Boot Sale in Tallaght, Irish Car Boot Sales run a weekly Sunday Car Boot Sales in Ballymun.

Admission for buyers is free.

The Belgard Weekend Market is an indoor market with stalls with handcraft (incl. designer jewellery, aran jumpers and wool, christening robes and shawls, cards and cross stitch), household items, bric and brac, furniture, flowers, make-up, clothes, shoes, showers, upholstery, toys, kitchens, cafe, army memorabilia, collectors items, sweets, handbags books, blinds, party shop, tools and more.

It is open every Saturday and Sunday and is located in the Glen Abbey complex (opposite Jacobs) on Belgard Road.

Jamestown Flea Market + Car Boot Sale takes place every Sat+Sun from 10:00-17:00. You can reach it from Tyrconnell Road and from Kylemore Road and it is within 3 min from Black Horse stop on the red Luas line. There is free parking.

The Sunday Tour at the Magazine Fort has been cancelled due to the Ironman event causing mayhem in Phoenix Park!!

——————————

The Magazine Fort in Phoenix Park is unusually neglected and at the same time unusually rich in history. Many have seen it as a barred off concrete fortress in a corner of Phoenix Park and even more don’t even know or have forgotten that it exists. The old Phoenix House, the home of the British Viceroy, was on the site where the fort was built from the early 17th century and then in 1734 the Fort was built and extended in 1801.

In 1916 the Fort was raided by the rebels who expected to find a lot of explosives there, but found the Fort nearly empty. In 1939 the IRA raided the Fort and stole more than a million rounds of ammunition, but most of it was recovered over the following weeks.

Since 1988, the Irish Army doesn’t use the Fort anymore and gave it back to the Office of Public Works (OPW), but not much good has happened to the Fort in the last 28 years (!!) and there were numerous speculations about the reasons for that.

Finally, this year, there will be guided tours at the Fort for three months from 31 July until the end of October. The tours take place on Sundays and Fridays at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:30 and only 20 places are available on each tour.

Tickets are available at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre on a first come, first served basis and can not be pre-booked. A shuttle bus will bring the ticket holders to the Fort.

I definitely want to visit the Magazine Fort, so you will find me in the queue at some stage.

The County Council Market (CoCo) in Marlay Park is taking place every Saturday and Sunday. You will find a wide range of products. There will be food to eat there and food to cook at home but also crafts and arts and books and lots more.

Every Sunday, the Merrion Square Open Air Art Gallery takes place. Up to 200 artists exhibit their paintings on the railings on three sides (West, North and East) of Merrion Square and you can just enjoy the exhibition or even buy.

The Drumcondra Village Market is an arts and crafts fair in the centre of Drumcondra. There will be Food Stalls, Flea Market, Vintage Clothing, Arts&Crafts and a Pop-Up Record Store.

Admission is free.

A weekly market with lots of food, but also many other products (art & crafts, books, etc) takes place every Sunday in the beautiful People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire. It is a very popular market and with around 50 vendors also one of the bigger markets.

The next Fusion Sundays Market will take place this Sunday in the Dublin Food Co-op.

It is a world culture market, an ethnic Bazaar, that focuses on the diverse ethnic culture present in Ireland today. The Market features a huge array of International stalls, ethnic food, live music and entertainment for kids. You can buy handmade goods, arts and crafts, recycled products, jewellery, clothes and food. The market is held every second Sunday of the month.

There is always a great atmosphere and I definitely recommend this monthly market.

Admission is free.

The well known Palestrina Choir sing every Sunday at the mass in St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral. They sing complete masterworks by Mozart, Haydn, Dvorak, Palestrina, de Victoria, usually accompanied by Prof. Gerard Gillen on the organ, who often also plays a solo piece.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

At the Blackrock Market in the centre of Blackrock, you’ll find 50 stalls selling collectibles, antiques, handmade goods, books, food & there’s free popcorn, ballons & facepainting for the kids.
Open on Sundays: 12:00-17:30. Open on Saturdays and Bank Holidays: 11:00-17:30.

Every Sunday, the National Botanic Gardens invite to two guided walks. The first one is at 12:00 and the second one at 14:30.

Admission is free.

The exhibition “SEEING – What are you looking at?” (24 June – 25 Sept 2016) in the Science Gallery is exploring the sensory experience of vision, understanding and perception. It looks at how us human beings see by using eye tracking technology, eye tests and colour perception, but it also shows how machines see and what their limitations are.

It is a great exhibition full of intriguing exhibits, some are very clear, others need some more explanation or you should at least read the explanatory labels that every exhibit has.

Like all Science Gallery exhibitions, SEEING is suitable for all ages with a particular focus on the age group of 15-25, but I would say that children from 10 years of age can understand the whole exhibition if they get some additional explanations and there are even some exhibits that would work for younger children.

When you go to see the exhibition, get help from the Science Gallery mediators! They are helpers (usually students or graduates) that know the whole exhibition inside out and are very happy to help with a lot more information than the little labels at the exhibits can provide. Use their excellent service and it will help you soo much more to have a better experience

The Science Gallery has very visitor friendly opening hours of Tue-Fri 12:00-20:00 and Sat+Sun 12:00-18:00.
Admission is free.

ROSA is inviting to a picnic for everyone who supports their “Repeal the 8th” campaign. Bring your own food and a blanket. There will be some food that you can exchange for a donation and there will be face-painting, music and a photo-booth.

Admission is free.

Elite dress was a complicated business in the eighteenth century, with the ruling elites at Dublin Castle clambering to follow the latest fashions as set by reigning British and French monarchs and their entourages.

Kimberley Foy will look at the basics of the elite dress in the period, followed by a group workshop in the State Drawing Room, where participants will examine what clothing was intended to communicate about the wearers.

Admission is free, but places are limited. To book contact DublinCastleEducation@opw.ie

As part of the 1916-2016 Centenary Commemorations, a free tour will take at Arbour Hill Cemetery every Sunday at 14:00. (from March until end of October).

No booking necessary. The meeting point is at the 1916 Memorial Wall towards the back of the cemetery.

The “Dublin Sketchers” is an informal group of (hobby) artists who go somewhere different in Dublin every Sunday (e.g. National Museum, Maritime Museum, Dublin Flea Market, Farmleigh, Botanic Gardens, Dublin Castle, Science Gallery, …), sketch for one to two hours and then meet up for coffee afterwards and discuss their sketches.

There are some hugely talented people among them and it is a great idea to meet up with others who have the same hobby. Find out on their website below or on their Facebook Page where they will meet and join them if you do some sketching/drawing yourself. I know that the Dublin Sketchers often use the Dublin Event Guide to find interesting free events and I am delighted to be able to help!

Every Sunday a free tour takes place in the Hugh Lane Gallery.

Admission is free and booking is not required, but places are limited, so early arrival is recommended.

Afternoon Jazz in Café en Seine. The Stella Bass Jazz Trio play every Sunday from 14:00-16:00 in Café en Seine in Dawson Street. Admission is free. A video is here www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8aKqtOB5S8

The International Zouk Day Dublin Team is inviting to a demo and taster/practice of Zouk dancing in the white (square) pavilion in St. Stephen’s Green near the lake.

International Zouk Day is is happening on 17 September and this is the last week that beginners can join in to prepare for the Zouk Day.

I am not sure if participation is free, but if it isn’t, just enjoy watching the dance! ;-)

A Fair Land is a project in the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s Courtyard where a pre-1916 village is built and will operate from 12-28 August.

This project will develop a system for living derived from basic and simple resources used in a creative way. Visitors will have opportunities to eat, make, think or trade and through that process to learn, copy, assimilate and teach. With a focus on creating objects that are useful, desirable and achievable, A Fair Land will present an active and tangible representation of the place of creativity in society, creating a space for families, friends and strangers to gather, get involved, and experience alternative perspectives on living. More details about “A Fair Land” can be found here.

Throughout the week a series of events will take place in IMMA. There will be talks, demonstrations and workshops. Some of them are free. others are not and a list of the free events with links to find out more details is provided below:

+ Sat 13 Aug (12:00-15:00): Drop-in Workshops (45 min) on how to build your own Aquaponics System with materials from IKEA. Admission is free and no booking required.

+ Sat 13 Aug (15:00-16:00): Talk by Emmanuel Pratt of Sweet Water Foundation about their ground-breaking work to democratize, globalize and commercialize urban agriculture practices for resilient 21st century communities via hands-on learning grounded in concepts of community, equity, transformation and resilience. Sweet Water Foundation is a community based project in South Side Chicago. – Admission is free, but booking required via the link above.

+ Sun 14 Aug (15:00-16:00): Adam Sutherland (Director, Grizedale Arts) will have a Skype conversation with artist Marcus Coates from Creative Fitness about an exercise routine designed to become part of your daily life. It is integrated into any brief moments of idleness. Coates will demonstrate the routine. Admission is free and no booking required.

+ Fri 19 Aug (15:00-16:00): A Fair Land Discussion: Callan Workhouse Union – Curator Rosie Lynch will discuss the distinctive programming and activities of Callan Workhouse Union (CWU) in Co. Kilkenny. CWU is a developing facility and commissioning agency for visual art, design, architecture, research and community activities and projects. Admission is free and booking is not required.

Explore some of the artefacts from the Museum’s collection of objects for handling with Museum educators – a fascinating drop-in handling session for all ages.

Admission is free.

Unlike the three branches of the National Museum, the National Print Museum is normally not free, but every Sunday there is a free public tour for the next few weeks. Every visit begins with a short audio-visual presentation where the audience can observe active retired printers providing practical demonstrations of machines from the Museum’s collection.

LAST CHANCE THIS WEEKEND!! ….and the weather forecast is promising:

Do you remember “Shakespeare in the Park”? The great team at Fortune’s Fool Production originally started in Ranelagh Gardens, then they moved to Iveagh Gardens and this year all their work has been recognised and they went on a nationwide tour first and now are back in Dublin for what I would cheekily call, the main event. The Gardens of Dublin Castle (near Chester Beatty Library) is the location this year and because of the different locations chosen, the event was renamed to “Shakespeare at Irish Monuments”.

The play is “Measure for Measure”, a lesser known play by Shakespeare, so to prepare yourself, have a read of the story behind the play here.

The performances at Dublin Castle are
+ Weekdays: 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 August at 19:00
+ Weekends: 6, 7, 13, 14 August at 15:00

Admission is free and no booking is required. Chairs are not provided, so bring a blanket or similar. There will be no roof and the play will go ahead in light rain…but could be cancelled in heavy rain. Check the Facebook Page below for any updates.

I went to the play last Sunday and I strongly recommend it. But MAKE SURE that you read at least the “Synopsis” on the Wikipedia Page that I link above. Shakespeare likes complication and uses lots of sub plots, so you get a LOT more out of the play when you understand what is happening. :-)

The National Gallery will screen the BBC documentary “Private Life of a Masterpiece: ‘The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt”.

Admission is free.

“With few legal rights and strict behaviourial standards placed on them by wider society, early modern elite women were expected to excel only as wives and mothers. While some women associated with the Castle complied with the double standards of propriety imposed on them, others rebelled.”

Kimberley Foy examines the lives of the Castle’s saints and sinners and charts a history of women along the way. Suitable for adults.

Admission is free, but booking is required via DublinCastleEducation@opw.ie

The 10th Game Night event (organised by ALT Events) is taking place on Sunday. Bring your own board game or play one of the many board games that are provided.

Admission is free.

The New Breadwinners are a 3-piece Bluegrass band and they are playing every Sunday in the Leeson Longe.

Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

Every Sunday evening from 18:00-20:00, the Wiley Fox is hosting a trad session, where some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians will play for you.

Admission is free.

The Dixeland Jazzmen play a weekly gig in Sin E. Admission is free.

The second Blues, Roots & Brass Festival will start on Friday 12 Aug and run until Sunday. Over three days, a large list of bands will play in Whelan’s and the Opium Rooms and the line-up for Sunday is below.

Admission is free.

—-
+ Whelan’s Main Venue:
19:30 The Loiusianna 6
20:30 Kicking Bird
21:30 Mick Heslin
22:30 Crow Black Chicken
—-
+ Whelan’s Upstairs:
20:15 Sonnets and Sisters
21:15 NC Lawlor
22:15 Markas Carcas and the Trail Gang
—-
+ Whelan’s Front Bar:
19:00 Grand
20:00 Grand
21:00 Square Pegs
22:00 Mick Pyro
23:00 Mick Pyro

At the Jawbone Gig night in Arthur’s Pub, Acoustic Folk & Blues will be performed every Sunday. Admission is free.

www.facebook.com/pages/Jawbone-Dublin-Acoustic-Folk-Blues-Commune/724102984268967

MoonLooksOn will play Alt Fold and Roots on the Harbour Bar.

Admission is free.

Every Sunday this singer-songwriter night takes place in the Bleeding Horse in Camden St. from 8.30pm. It is an Open mic night and performers can just turn up and put their name on the list for that night.

The Comedy Crunch is a free Stand Up comedy downstairs in Stag’s Head, Dame Lane from 21:00 every week on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Every week different comedians entertain and on top of that there is some free ice cream. The line-up can be found via the Comedy Crunch Facebook Page (see link below).

“Rhythm Rocker at The Globe” is a weekly event on Sunday night in The Globe with live music (Rockabilly) and DJs. Admission is free.

Billy Treacy & The Ha’Penny Heads are playing Ballads, Folk, Trad and Classic Country every Sunday. Featuring Guitar, Mandolin, Fiddle and Banjo.

Every Sunday (except at Bank Holiday weekends), the Ragtime, Roots and Country Blues Band “Cool Hand Dukes” play in the Porterhouse near Grafton Street.

The Rock ‘n’ Rockk and Swing Band “The Jive Cats” will perform in the Mercantile every Sunday from 22:00.

Admission is free.

The Dream Band will play a gig in the Mezz.

Admission is free.

Every year in August, the Perseid Meteor showers will show up when the Earth passes through the long trail left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. And this year, they are promised to be extra spectacular.

According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseids will be in “outburst” in 2016, which means they’ll appear at double the usual rates: “This year, instead of seeing about 80 Perseids per hour, the rate could top 150 and even approach 200 meteors per hour,”

The metoer showers will be visible from 04-19 August and the peak is on 11/12 August. The best time to watch it is after 01:00 when the moon has set and to see it you need a clear sky. The peak night didn’t present a clear sky, so maybe you are luckier over the weekend. There might be a few less meteors per hour, but that’ll do as well. ;-)

The advise is: “Go to a dark area, in the suburbs or countryside and prepare to sit outside for a few hours. It takes about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark and the longer you wait outside, the more you’ll see. A rate of 150 meteors per hour, for instance, means two to three meteors per minute, including faint streaks along with bright, fireball-generating ones.”

Dublin City Hall has a museum/exhibition in the basement, called “The Story of the Capital”, it is an exhibition that you should definitely check out at some stage.

To celebrate the Easter Rising Anniversary, admission to that exhibititon is free for the whole year!!

Opening hours are Monday-Saturday 10:00-17:15.

A Cycle Safety Workshop for kids with Ally Menary will take place in Cabra Library on Monday and Tuesday.

Admission is free. It is not clear if registration is required, but you can find out via 01-8691414.

A free Family drop-in workshop will take place on most days of the coming weekend and week for children aged 4-10. Find all the details on the website below.

The themes are
Saturday: Renaissance
Monday: Cubism
Tuesday: Pointillism
Wednesday: Baroque
Thursday: Abstract Art
Friday: Costume

The National Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire is inviting to a free guided tour every Monday at 11:00 until 29 August.

Admission is free, but places are limited so booking is required via bookings@mariner.ie

On the tour you will be will brought on a voyage of discovery “enthralling you with stories of discovery, heroism, war and disasters at sea. Learn about maritime history, exploration, navigation, deep-sea cable technology and marine wildlife all relevant to the school syllabus.”

The National Gallery wills creen an art documentary about British painter J.M.W Turner.

Admission is free.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

Archive at Lunchtime screenings take place Saturdays (Double Bill), Mondays and Wednesdays. The programme is changing weekly now (instead of monthly as in the past). To find out what film(s) will be screened go to www.ifi.ie/whatson/now-showing-coming-soon/ and look for “Archive at Lunchtime” on the right. Admission is free.

If you regularly or occasionally buy books online, you can help the Dublin Event Guide hugely even without having to pay cent directly. In fact you even save money this way:

Buy your books from The Book Depository and get better prices and free (!!) delivery for all orders independent from the volume and when you click on the picture here before you buy, then 5% of what normally The Book Depository would get, they give back to the Dublin Event Guide. Everybody wins!

www.bookdepository.com?a_aid=dubevg

If you prefer Amazon to buy your books (for free postage you need to order a minimum of GBP 25), then use this Amazon link to help the Dublin Event Guide. Thanks!

Emily Gallagher will run a weekly “just for fun” photo trail where you get instructions to hunt for specific snaps around the city centre. Afterwards the symbolic significance to the snaps will be shared. The overall theme is “Get a glimpse of directions you may wish your life to take and discover decisions you may desire to make.”

Meeting point is the Meeting House Square.

Participation in the photo trails is free but donations are welcome and booking is required via chooseyourowntracksphototrail@gmail.com or 085-2725095

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the National Gallery invites to Drop-in drawing sessions for adults and teens. All materials will be provided.

Admission is free, but only the first 25 people will get tickets.

The themes are:
Monday: Capturing Movement
Wednesday: Life Drawing in Black and White
Friday: Drawing the Figure

The King Kong Club is a weekly music game-show in Whelan’s and this week there are even two nights of King Kong Club on Monday and on Tuesday.

Monday: www.whelanslive.com/index.php/king-kong-club-15/
Tuesday: www.whelanslive.com/index.php/king-kong-club-16/

Each week 6-7 bands/solo artists play three songs each. At the end of all the performances a clap-off with the King Kong Club Clap-o-Meter takes place and the winner goes through to a semi-final and it all culminates after six months of competition with The Grand Final, held in front of a panel of celebrity judges.

Check the Facebook Page below for the line-up. Admission is free.

I am soooo not up to date!! I had no clue what Math-Rock is until I heard about this gig.

Three bands will play Math-Rock and Math-Pop in the Hangar on Monday and if you also struggle with the term Math-Rock, then check it out here.

The performing bands are Vasudeva (USA), Gulfer (CAN) and Yonen.

Admission is free.

Song Cycle is a weekly Singer/Songriter showcase. The line-up is not always easily findable on the Whelan’s website, but admission is always free.

The Circle Sessions is an “Open Mic” that provides an opportunity for up and coming musicians, spoken word artists, poets and comedians to perform.

Come to this weekly show to perform or to simply watch a great mix of music, poetry, spoken word and comedy.

Admission is free.

Every Monday the Woolshed Bar hosts “The Comedy Shed”, usually with 3 headline acts.

Admission is free.

The Comedy Crunch is a free Stand Up comedy event every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Every week different comedians entertain and on top of good comedy you will get free ice cream. Admission is free. The line-up can be found via the Comedy Crunch Facebook Page (see link below).

Every Monday a Jazz Jam Session will take place in the Grand Social and you are invited to listen or even to participate. Admission is free for musicians and audience.

Instruments are supplied (drums (no cymbals), double bass, guitar amp, bass amp, PA system) and ideas and themes will be proposed prior to the session to the musicians who join the event on Facebook (see Facebook Page below).

An Open Trad Music Session is taking place every Monday in Mother Reilly’s. Admission is free.

Donal Kirk and Jimmy Smyth are playing music from Lowell George Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Free, Bad Company, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Beatles, Bobby Bland, Vince Gill, Ray Charles, Etta James, Elvis, Ry Cooder, Dobie Gray, Guy Clarke, early ZZ Top, Dave Edmunds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson.

Admission is free.

The wedding and party band The Retronauts will play a gig every Monday in the Mezz. Their music is Funk, Rock, Disco, Blues, Reggae.

Admission is free.

A Cycle Safety Workshop for kids with Ally Menary will take place in Cabra Library on Monday and Tuesday.

Admission is free. It is not clear if registration is required, but you can find out via 01-8691414.

“These Are a Few of My Favourite Things” is the title of a Walking Tour that Emily Gallagher runs on Tuesday and Saturday. It is an alternative Arts and Culture Trail and she will bring you to “Dublin’s Best Cafes, Bars, Markets, Unusual Stores, Galleries, Theatres, Arts Spaces, and more! And hear some tales you’ve never heard before!”

The tours are free but donations are welcome and booking is required via myfavouritesdublincitywalktour@gmail.com or 085-2725095

Come to this Drop-in activity and and meet the life size Megalosaurus – a large meat-eating theropod dinosaur from the Jurassic and get a chance to hold real dinosaur fossils from the handling collection.

Admission is free.

A free Family drop-in workshop will take place on most days of the coming weekend and week for children aged 4-10. Find all the details on the website below.

The themes are
Saturday: Renaissance
Monday: Cubism
Tuesday: Pointillism
Wednesday: Baroque
Thursday: Abstract Art
Friday: Costume

This is a family workshop at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral for ages 7-14. Design and create your own felt tapestry and learn more about St. Patrick, who he was, his connections to the Cathedral and more. Participants will be taught how to make a simple tapestry whilst learning some history and facts about why tapestry making was so important.

Admission is free, but a contribution for materials of EUR 5 is raised. But I have great news for you: if you use the Discount Code “eventguide” (without the “”) when you buy your tickets, the EUR 5 will be waived!!

The workshop will run at 11:00 and again at 14:30.

Please note: The date on the website (19 August) is wrong! The workshop will take place on 16 August.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

This is a lunchtime talk about how Oscar Wilde was shaped by the women he knew. Speaker is Eleanor Fitzsimons. The talk is part of the NLI’s series “Genealogy at Lunchtime”.

Admission is free.

After a quick recap of “The Story of the Secret of Kells” (and the missing pages from its famous book), artist Aoife Munn will help kids to make their own Irish Puca Fairyhouse Bookmark in Celtic Colours.

Admission is free (suitable for ages 6-8), but booking is required via 01-6680063.

Do you have an idea but need some help figuring out where to get started or what creative technologies might help bring the idea to life? Maybe you just want to bounce your idea off someone else?

Drop in to the Dún Laoghaire LexIcon Lab where Creative Technology Curator, Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne, other “makers” and
members of the community will be there and keen to help out.

Admission is free, but booking is required via the Eventbrite link below.

A new weekly Board Games night is taking place in the Black Sheep Pub. Lots of games are available and you can also bring your own.

Admission is free.

Feel calm & relaxed and discover new techniques to release stress in your daily life. A Zen Walk will help you to get the positive effects. The walk will last about 20-30 minutes and is suitable for everyone who simply wants to find calmness, relaxation and harmony in their busy lives.

The walks take place in a variety of locations in Dublin and Dun Laoghaire and at different times. Check the website below for details about the walk and then check the dates and times and register here: www.xiufengshui.com/en/events/zen-walk/dates-and-registration

Your first walk is free, after that there is a fee of EUR 8 per walk.

Battle of the Paddles is the epic Table Tennis tournament that happens twice a year in the Workman’s Club. The tournament will run from 16-18 August. On Tuesday and Wednesday the qualifiers will be played and on Thursday the “finals” will take place.

Everybody can enter and participation is free, but it is recommended that you pre-register via info@theworkmansclub.com You can sign up on the night at 19:00 but once all spots are filled you miss out. The matches wills tart at 20:00 each day.

Some more details (and a lot more nonsense) is on the website below, but don’t get confused by the aparent confusion of the author. It is definitely a TABLE Tennis tournament, not a TENNIS tournament.

EveryTuesday at 19:00, The Dublin Language Exchange takes place in the Czech Inn. It is the biggest free meeting of people from all around Dublin that are interested in learning languages and communicate with speakers of other languages.

Admission is free and the meetup is completely informal. No booking required.

Rumours have it that the Bluegrass Collective will perform in Sin É on Tuesday and there might even be an open Bluegrass Jam! Admission is free.

The King Kong Club is a weekly music game-show in Whelan’s and this week there are even two nights of King Kong Club on Monday and on Tuesday.

Monday: www.whelanslive.com/index.php/king-kong-club-15/
Tuesday: www.whelanslive.com/index.php/king-kong-club-16/

Each week 6-7 bands/solo artists play three songs each. At the end of all the performances a clap-off with the King Kong Club Clap-o-Meter takes place and the winner goes through to a semi-final and it all culminates after six months of competition with The Grand Final, held in front of a panel of celebrity judges.

Check the Facebook Page below for the line-up. Admission is free.

Every Tuesday an informal sing along with Ukulele and Toy Musical Instruments takes place in the Stag’s Head. Just bring your instrument and come along. Beginners are welcome. Admission is free and further details (and a big book of songs) are available on the Facebook Page below. The get-together meets in the “snug” in Stag’s Head.

A weekly gig night for new bands is running in Arthur’s Pub. It is called “Anocht” and happens every Tuesday. The line-up can be found on the Facebook Page below.

In addition to the music, there is usually also a visual show.

Admission is free.

The Comedy Crunch is a free Stand Up comedy event every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Every week different comedians entertain and on top of good comedy you will get free ice cream. Admission is free. The line-up can be found via the Comedy Crunch Facebook Page (see link below).

The Lounge Quintet plays this gig every Tuesday: Jazz Standards, Latin and Bebop. Often guest musicians and singers join them. Admission is free, donations are welcome.

Every Tuesday and Thursday the International Bar invites to a Jazz night in the Lounge.

Groups led by Cote Calmet, Sean Maynard Smith, Dominic Mullan, Paddy Groenland, Georgia Cusack & Alex Mathias are performing regularly with occasional guest players, but there are also other bands from all over.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of EUR 5. The website clearly says that there is no entry fee, but – and that makes a lot of sense – that your donations are very much appreciated (Musicians need to pay for rent and food too!) Be generous after the gig if you liked it, but if someone wants to charge an admission charge, please point out that the “rules” as described on their website are like I have explained.

Every Tuesday, a pub quiz is taking place in the Woolshed.

Admission is free. Max team size is 6 people.

Did you ever want to give drawing a go? Or maybe you are a budding artist looking for like-minded people to draw with? The Creative Den in Rua Red runs free weekly drawing sessions on Wednesdays at 11:00.

A free Family drop-in workshop will take place on most days of the coming weekend and week for children aged 4-10. Find all the details on the website below.

The themes are
Saturday: Renaissance
Monday: Cubism
Tuesday: Pointillism
Wednesday: Baroque
Thursday: Abstract Art
Friday: Costume

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

Archive at Lunchtime screenings take place Saturdays (Double Bill), Mondays and Wednesdays. The programme is changing weekly now (instead of monthly as in the past). To find out what film(s) will be screened go to www.ifi.ie/whatson/now-showing-coming-soon/ and look for “Archive at Lunchtime” on the right. Admission is free.

This is an illustrated talk by Pamela de Brí based on the exhibition of the same name on display in the library.

“This multimedia project is the culmination of four years research and documentation, gathered when the artist cycled and explored the route of the former Midland Great Western Railway as it made its way across Ireland. The structure of the railway itself, rather than being the embodiment of the project, positions itself as the support and the host of this work, which allows for an exploration from the present to the past. It encapsulates a period when the railway meant freedom and mobility for the population of an area.”

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-8734333

To coincide with the exhibition “Ebb and Flow of East Belfast”’, Bronagh Lawson will give a lecture on her work.

Admission seems to be free, but booking is required via slincoln@iarc.ie

A tour for parents, guardians and carers of infants and young children will take place in the National Gallery once every month.

The route of the tour is suitable for prams or strollers.

Admission is free.

Feel calm & relaxed and discover new techniques to release stress in your daily life. A Zen Walk will help you to get the positive effects. The walk will last about 20-30 minutes and is suitable for everyone who simply wants to find calmness, relaxation and harmony in their busy lives.

The walks take place in a variety of locations in Dublin and Dun Laoghaire and at different times. Check the website below for details about the walk and then check the dates and times and register here: www.xiufengshui.com/en/events/zen-walk/dates-and-registration

Your first walk is free, after that there is a fee of EUR 8 per walk.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the National Gallery invites to Drop-in drawing sessions for adults and teens. All materials will be provided.

Admission is free, but only the first 25 people will get tickets.

The themes are:
Monday: Capturing Movement
Wednesday: Life Drawing in Black and White
Friday: Drawing the Figure

A Fire Safety Workshop for children from ages 8-11 will take place on Wednesday. Tony McEvoy from the Dublin Fire Brigade will run this workshop.

Admission is free. It is not clear if booking is required, but you can find out via 01-8691414.

This is an information session for parents of Leaving Cert students and the students themselves who have received their leaving cert results and are not familiar with the best next steps forward.

Admission is free.

The Ballyfermot Library invites parents, children (under 7 years of age!) and Teddy Bears to a Teddy Bears Picnic in the library.

Admission is free.

The Temple Bar “Night” Market is more an afternoon and evening market (15:00-20:00) and it takes place every Wednesday until September.

You can buy Arts & Crafts at this market.

In previous years the missing food and drink stalls (probably to protect the pubs and restaurants in Temple Bar) was mentioned by visitors as a critique.

The “Havana International Language Exchange” is taking place every Wed from 16:30-19:30 in Havana Tapas Bar in George’s Street. There are many Spanish speakers and English-speakers are explicitly invited, but everyone else is certainly very welcome too, to meet for a chat to improve your Spanish or English.

Battle of the Paddles is the epic Table Tennis tournament that happens twice a year in the Workman’s Club. The tournament will run from 16-18 August. On Tuesday and Wednesday the qualifiers will be played and on Thursday the “finals” will take place.

Everybody can enter and participation is free, but it is recommended that you pre-register via info@theworkmansclub.com You can sign up on the night at 19:00 but once all spots are filled you miss out. The matches wills tart at 20:00 each day.

Some more details (and a lot more nonsense) is on the website below, but don’t get confused by the aparent confusion of the author. It is definitely a TABLE Tennis tournament, not a TENNIS tournament.

The Roots Band “Brand New Switcheroo” will perform in the Harbour Bar. Admission is free.

The Anseo Comedy Club takes place every Wednesday in Anseo (upstairs).

Admission is free, donations are welcome.

“The Song Room” is another open mic event. It takes place in The Globe in George’s Street at 20:30 every Wednesday.

“The Zodiac Sessions” is a regular open mic event from 20:30 in Bruxelles (between Grafton Street and Westbury Hotel) for unsigned musicians. Admission is free and there is a different line-up every week.

Bad Boy Jake are every Wednesday in the Gypsy Rose Rock & Blues Bar playing their rock, blues and American.

The August Inn Jokes Comedy night will featue Fred Cooke, Eleanor Tiernan, and Tom O’Mahony. MC and organiser is comedian Colm O’Regan.

Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

Los Paradiso are playing Rockabilly, Tex Mex, Western Swing, Surf in the Leeson Lounge. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

Traditional Irish Music Session in Hedigan’s (The Brian Boru) in Phibsborough from 21:30 every Wednesday. If you play an instrument you are especially welcome (all levels are welcome).

The Harleys are a popular coverband and they will be in the Mezz every Wednesday at midnight.

Admission is free.

Cathy Scuffil tells the fascinating story of the the Blackpitts and Tenters area in the Liberties and of the communities that lived here.

Located beside the river Poddle, a tributary of the River Liffey, the area known as the Blackpitts developed into one of Dublin’s most industrialised areas. The eponymous pits were created for the tanning industry that thrived here from medieval times.

Admission is free, but booking is required via the link below.

A free Family drop-in workshop will take place on most days of the coming weekend and week for children aged 4-10. Find all the details on the website below.

The themes are
Saturday: Renaissance
Monday: Cubism
Tuesday: Pointillism
Wednesday: Baroque
Thursday: Abstract Art
Friday: Costume

Every Thursday a free tour of Grangegorman Military Cemetery on Blackhorse Avenue takes place. Meet inside the Cemetery Gates. Admission is free and everybody is welcome. Ring 01-6770095 for more information and to check if the tour is going ahead.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

The Green Door Market is a new indoor food/Farmer’s Market that takes place just a few doors down from the Dublin Food Co-op at Newmarket in Dublin 8. Admission is free.

Opening hours are Thu-Fri 12:00-19:00 and Sat 09:30-16:00.

A talk about Design for Children will take place. Simon Evans will talk about “LittleBig Bikes” and Alan Shannon from JAM Media will talk about TV and video for childre,

Admission is free, but booking is required via the link below.

August is the month for the yearly “Opera in the Open” at the Amphitheatre behind Dublin City Offices and not far from Christ Church Cathedral. Every Thursday a different Opera will be featured for you to enjoy. Bring your picnic/lunch and enjoy some music.

The upcoming performances are:

+ 04 Aug: The Gondoliers – Gilbert & Sullivan
+ 11 Aug: Acis & Galatea – Handel
+ 18 Aug: Die Fledermaus – J. Strauss
+ 25 Aug: Eugene Onegin – Tchaikovsky

Admission is free.

Join this family friendly tour of the “Proclaiming a Republic: The 1916 Rising” exhibition, looking at some of the highlights of the Museum’s extensive Easter Week collection.

Admission is free. No booking required, but places will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis 15 minutes before the tour starts.

If you regularly or occasionally buy books online, you can help the Dublin Event Guide hugely even without having to pay cent directly. In fact you even save money this way:

Buy your books from The Book Depository and get better prices and free (!!) delivery for all orders independent from the volume and when you click on the picture here before you buy, then 5% of what normally The Book Depository would get, they give back to the Dublin Event Guide. Everybody wins!

www.bookdepository.com?a_aid=dubevg

If you prefer Amazon to buy your books (for free postage you need to order a minimum of GBP 25), then use this Amazon link to help the Dublin Event Guide. Thanks!

The lunchtime talk “The Forgotten Irish: Revealing the Voices of 19th-century Emigrants” with Damien Shiles is part of NLI’s series Genealogy at Lunchtime.

Admission is free.

“Rising” is a major photographic exhibition which showcases the National Library’s rich imagery of the events and locations of 1916.

A Walk & Talk tour will take place on Thursday and admission is free.

Aoife Munn will help kids to make their own Big Friendly Giant Dream Catcher Jar. They will decorate a jar to fill it full of their favorite things, memories and sweet dreams. The workshop is suitable for children aged 6 to 10 years.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-4907035

This August Children’s Films will be screened in a variety of Libraries in Dublin. Admission is free and no booking required.

The dates are:

+ Cabra Library: Every Tuesday in August at 15:00
+ Walkinstown Library: Every Wednesday in August at 15:30
+ Central Library: Thursday 04, 18, 25 August at 15:00, 11 August at 12:00

On Thursdays from 18:00-20:00, the Little Museum of Dublin waives all admission charges thanks to sponsor Guinness.

Visit the museum and find out lots more about Dublin.

“These Are a Few of My Favourite Things” is the title of a Walking Tour that Emily Gallagher will run next Thursday. It will be an Alternative Arts and Culture Trail and she will bring you to “Dublin’s Best Cafes, Bars, Markets, Unusual Stores, Galleries, Theatres, Arts Spaces, and more! And hear some tales you’ve never heard before!”

Meeting point is at the Spire. The tours are free but donations are welcome and booking is required via myfavouritesdublincitywalktour@gmail.com or 085-2725095

Battle of the Paddles is the epic Table Tennis tournament that happens twice a year in the Workman’s Club. The tournament will run from 16-18 August. On Tuesday and Wednesday the qualifiers will be played and on Thursday the “finals” will take place.

Everybody can enter and participation is free, but it is recommended that you pre-register via info@theworkmansclub.com You can sign up on the night at 19:00 but once all spots are filled you miss out. The matches wills tart at 20:00 each day.

Some more details (and a lot more nonsense) is on the website below, but don’t get confused by the aparent confusion of the author. It is definitely a TABLE Tennis tournament, not a TENNIS tournament.

An expatriate or expat is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of their citizenship.

And this is a weekly meeting for all Expats in Dublin (new and old!). If you are new to the city, this is an excellent way to meet people.

Admission is free (no booking required!), but you are asked to give the same kind of welcoming to new members as is given to you.

And this is the third (!) Board Gaming night in Dublin! They are taking over! ;-)

It is a weekly event and on Thursday the focus is on Introductory Board Games, so if you haven’t for a while (or ever) played Board Games, this is for you.

Admission is free.

Watson ACE are playing soulful, melodic rock in the Harbour Bar at this gig.

Admission is free.

Every Thursday a Singer Songwriter Night will take place in Mother Reilly’s in Rathmines. This is YOUR chance to show everyone what you can do, alternatively you can just listen to the talented Singer/Songwriters. Admission is free.

A Fun Pub Quiz takes place in Brady’s in Terenure on Thurs. The quiz will be on every Thursday night in the Lounge at Brady’s. Keith McLoughlin is the Quiz Master.

There will be six rounds of the quiz with picture questions, audio questions and general knowledge questions. Admission to the quiz is free and therr will be free drink vouchers for the winning and runner up teams. (No phones to get answers allowed.)

Every Tuesday and Thursday the International Bar invites to a Jazz night in the Lounge.

Groups led by Cote Calmet, Sean Maynard Smith, Dominic Mullan, Paddy Groenland, Georgia Cusack & Alex Mathias are performing regularly with occasional guest players, but there are also other bands from all over.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of EUR 5. The website clearly says that there is no entry fee, but – and that makes a lot of sense – that your donations are very much appreciated (Musicians need to pay for rent and food too!) Be generous after the gig if you liked it, but if someone wants to charge an admission charge, please point out that the “rules” as described on their website are like I have explained.

Every Thursday “Left Right & Centre” play a mix of blues & soul with a bit of rock&roll.

Admission is free.

A weekly Trad Music Night is taking place in McLoughlin’s in Dun Laoghaire. It is an acoustic night and all musicians are welcome. Admission is free.

Every Thursday a free Trad Session takes place in McNeills and often there are high profile Trad musicians performing.

The Woolshed Karaoke is happening every Thursday from 21:30. Anyone can participate! Admission is free.

“Susie Blue” will play a gig in the Midnight Hour in Whelan’s. The gig starts at 00:00

Admission is free if you arrive before 22:30 or if you sign up for the guest list.

Dublin City Hall has a museum/exhibition in the basement, called “The Story of the Capital”, it is an exhibition that you should definitely check out at some stage.

To celebrate the Easter Rising Anniversary, admission to that exhibititon is free for the whole year!!

Opening hours are Monday-Saturday 10:00-17:15.

The Magazine Fort in Phoenix Park is unusually neglected and at the same time unusually rich in history. Many have seen it as a barred off concrete fortress in a corner of Phoenix Park and even more don’t even know or have forgotten that it exists. The old Phoenix House, the home of the British Viceroy, was on the site where the fort was built from the early 17th century and then in 1734 the Fort was built and extended in 1801.

In 1916 the Fort was raided by the rebels who expected to find a lot of explosives there, but found the Fort nearly empty. In 1939 the IRA raided the Fort and stole more than a million rounds of ammunition, but most of it was recovered over the following weeks.

Since 1988, the Irish Army doesn’t use the Fort anymore and gave it back to the Office of Public Works (OPW), but not much good has happened to the Fort in the last 28 years (!!) and there were numerous speculations about the reasons for that.

Finally, this year, there will be guided tours at the Fort for three months from 31 July until the end of October. The tours take place on Sundays and Fridays at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:30 and only 20 places are available on each tour.

Tickets are available at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre on a first come, first served basis and can not be pre-booked. A shuttle bus will bring the ticket holders to the Fort.

I definitely want to visit the Magazine Fort, so you will find me in the queue at some stage.

A free Family drop-in workshop will take place on most days of the coming weekend and week for children aged 4-10. Find all the details on the website below.

The themes are
Saturday: Renaissance
Monday: Cubism
Tuesday: Pointillism
Wednesday: Baroque
Thursday: Abstract Art
Friday: Costume

The BBC documentary “Private Life of a Masterpiece: David by Michelangelo” will be screened.

Admission is free.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

The Green Door Market is a new indoor food/Farmer’s Market that takes place just a few doors down from the Dublin Food Co-op at Newmarket in Dublin 8. Admission is free.

Opening hours are Thu-Fri 12:00-19:00 and Sat 09:30-16:00.

Get a cup of tea, gather the last bit of energy and then bring this work week over the line! And for next week, get some special teas via the ad below and help the Dublin Event Guide while you are doing that. ;-)

Click on the picture below or use this link and if you order any teas that way, you help the Dublin Event Guide because Twinings will pay a small reward if you order after clicking on the picture or link above.

Orders over GBP 35 are free in the UK and if you use Parcelmotel’s Belfast to Dublin service, you can get it delivered for just EUR 3.95 of postage.

Lisa Hannigan will be in Tower Records to launch her new album “At Swim” with an In-store gig.

Admission is free.

A screening of a documentary about the Irish Art Society will take place in the Hugh Lane Gallery. Admission is free.

“The SIAR 50 film tells the story of the Contemporary Irish Art Society (CIAS) and how modern Irish art established itself and grew from the 1960s onwards. It explores the origins of the CIAS when a small group of art lovers including Basil Goulding and others established the society with the objective of buying modern art and donating it to public institutions.”

The Director will attend and be available for Q&A about the film after the screening.

Summer Music at Sandford is a series of lunchtime concerts at Sandford Parish Church. Every Friday in July and August these classical concerts will take place.

The next one is with the Young European Strings Orchestra (Maria Kelemen, Director)

Admission free, but donations in aid of the Sandford Organ Restoration Fund are appreciated.

A Garden Walking Tour with Helen Rock will take place at Farmleigh House. Admission is free and meeting point is at the Walled garden.

A Fair Land is a project in the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s Courtyard where a pre-1916 village is built and will operate from 12-28 August.

This project will develop a system for living derived from basic and simple resources used in a creative way. Visitors will have opportunities to eat, make, think or trade and through that process to learn, copy, assimilate and teach. With a focus on creating objects that are useful, desirable and achievable, A Fair Land will present an active and tangible representation of the place of creativity in society, creating a space for families, friends and strangers to gather, get involved, and experience alternative perspectives on living. More details about “A Fair Land” can be found here.

Throughout the week a series of events will take place in IMMA. There will be talks, demonstrations and workshops. Some of them are free. others are not and a list of the free events with links to find out more details is provided below:

+ Sat 13 Aug (12:00-15:00): Drop-in Workshops (45 min) on how to build your own Aquaponics System with materials from IKEA. Admission is free and no booking required.

+ Sat 13 Aug (15:00-16:00): Talk by Emmanuel Pratt of Sweet Water Foundation about their ground-breaking work to democratize, globalize and commercialize urban agriculture practices for resilient 21st century communities via hands-on learning grounded in concepts of community, equity, transformation and resilience. Sweet Water Foundation is a community based project in South Side Chicago. – Admission is free, but booking required via the link above.

+ Sun 14 Aug (15:00-16:00): Adam Sutherland (Director, Grizedale Arts) will have a Skype conversation with artist Marcus Coates from Creative Fitness about an exercise routine designed to become part of your daily life. It is integrated into any brief moments of idleness. Coates will demonstrate the routine. Admission is free and no booking required.

+ Fri 19 Aug (15:00-16:00): A Fair Land Discussion: Callan Workhouse Union – Curator Rosie Lynch will discuss the distinctive programming and activities of Callan Workhouse Union (CWU) in Co. Kilkenny. CWU is a developing facility and commissioning agency for visual art, design, architecture, research and community activities and projects. Admission is free and booking is not required.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the National Gallery invites to Drop-in drawing sessions for adults and teens. All materials will be provided.

Admission is free, but only the first 25 people will get tickets.

The themes are:
Monday: Capturing Movement
Wednesday: Life Drawing in Black and White
Friday: Drawing the Figure

Cornucopia Café & Restaurant host live music three evenings a week (Thurs, Fri and Sat). The restaurant is a Wholefood & Vegetarian Restaurant and is open until 22:15.
+ Every second Thursday N.C Lawlor, a songwriter, session player and troubadour plays a mix of country, bluegrass & blues from 19:30-21:30.
+ Every Friday (19:30-21:30) Junshi Murakami plays Irish Harp.
+ Every Saturday (19:30-21:30) Nollaig Mann plays a collection of popular and jazz classics.

The Viking Project are playing a mix of rock ‘n’ roll and folk at this gig.

Admission is free.

The Stillorgan Orchard has live music every Friday and Saturday. Many of the performers are established and very good bands. The upcoming gigs are detailed on the website below. Admission is always free.

“Ska ‘n’ Reggae” is the theme in the Dive Bar (downstairs in Turks Head) every Friday. The Bionic Rats play live. followed by DJs until late. Admission is free.

Blues/Rock band Mama Martin will be in the Patriot Inn for a gig on Friday.

Admission is free.

Hot Cops are playing a gig in Whelan’s Midnight Hour and they will be supported by “Oh Boland”.

The gig starts at 00:00. Admission is free if you arrive before 22:30 or if you sign up to the guest list via the website below.