Every May the Bealtaine Festival takes place all over Ireland and it “Celebrates arts and creativity as we age”. This is a difficult description as everybody ages, but the organisers “Age & Opportunity” actually want to address the “older age”. Ok, that helps a little, but not much and nobody still really knows what the target age is. In previous years, a guidance of 55+ was given but that has disappeared. In addition most 55-60 years olds wouldn’t appreciate it being classified as “older age”. ;-)

Where does that leave us? We don’t know but, I guess if you feel older, this festival is for you and if you don’t, then the festival is not for you. ;-)

There will be many events throughout May and a good few of them are free. The website doesn’t have the best search facility, but you can also download the brochure via this page (look for the Download link at the bottom). To find events go to the WHAT’S ON page on the website, but then you will have to click on “SEARCH FOR EVENT” otherwise, you will get a seemingly random list of events. (Very non-intuitive and totally unsuitable for elderly computer users!)

In “Dublin City” there are approx. 60 events, but as I said, not all are free. Oddly, the events that you find are not sorted by date, but seem to be in random order.

Over the coming 4 weeks, I will include a number of free Bealtaine events in the Dublin Event Guide for Free Events, but with such a tricky search facility, I won’t be able to include all events, so please check the Bealtaine website here: www.bealtaine.ie

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
+ Bushy Park, Terenure, Dublin 6

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.

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.

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 was free in 2016, but lucky for us, Dublin City decided to also waive the admission charge for 2017.

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

The Children’s Workshop “Budding Botanist – Collecting and Pressing Flowers” will take place and will teach kids how to start their own dried plant collection. Join our guides on an expedition through the Botanic Gardens identifying and collecting suitable plants for pressing before constructing your own flower press. If you like, you can also create some beautiful botanical designs with our pre-dried plants.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-8040319

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 Polish School at the Embassy of Poland are inviting you and your friends to a family day at St. Benildus College in Stillorgan. There will be sports competitions, Hare & Hounds chase for families and group of friends in English or in Polish, a prize draw, talent show, face painting, bouncy castle, BBQ and more.

Admission is free.

The Terenure Bushy Park Market is taking place every weekk. The market has more than 30 stalls, offering a whole variety of foods and crafts.

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 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.

The International Literature Festival Dublin (ILFD) will run from 20-29 May. There will be readings, discussions, debates, workshops, performance and screenings and poetry, fiction and non-fiction will be represented.

About half of the events Some events have an admission charge and the other half a free. The programme is here www.ilfdublin.com/events or you can download the full programme here.

The last two free events of the festival are:

Sat 27 May – 12:00: Korea Focus: Han Yujoo
Mon 29 May – 12:00: Stories from the City: Culture and Identity – The Unspoken African

Qigong is a traditional Chinese form of meditation coordinating slow flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and a calm state of mind.

Come to this gentle Qigong practice outdoors on the Roof Top Garden of the Library (weather permitting) or indoors with a view of the roof garden. Suitable for all ages.

Admission is free and no booking required, but numbers are limited.

On the afternoon of the Guinness PRO12 Final in the Aviva Stadium, a family day will take place in Herbert Park.

Test your rugby skills at the Skills Zone, take part in interactive, fun activities such as speed cages, reaction boards and skills based tests. Irish Village Markets will provide food stands and there will be live music on the Rugby Zone stage.

It’s a free event for families and groups with children who may be going to the match or who just want to enjoy a great rugby-inspired afternoon.

The entertainment on on the Rugby Zone Stage will be:

12:00 DJ Dave McDonnell
13:00 Live music from Jungle Boogie
14:00 DJ Dave McDonnell
15:15 Live music from Jungle Boogie
16:30 Live music from Graham Mills
17:30 DJ Dave McDonnell

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.

This Saturday is the 2nd Birthday of the Bernard Shaw Flea Market.

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.

One Family, the national organisation for one-parent families, is inviting to their 7th Family Day and this year it will take place on Smithfield Plaza. There will be music, dance, games, arts and crafts, fun workshops and more for all ages. Magician Brian Daly will entertain as well.

Admission is free and this event is not just for one-parent families, instead everybody is welcome.

Enter the magical underwater world of Sélène la sirène (Sélène the mermaid) and her friend Tortue. Listen to her tales and enchanting poems and dance along with her. Through storytelling, dance and music, in French and in Irish, children are invited to discover and learn throughout this charming sea world adventure. Bring along your masks and diving suits. (Written & performed by Orna Ní Choileáin & Léa Wéber.)

Admission is free, but booking is required via the link below. Suitable for children from 18 months to 4 years. Must be accompanied by an adult.

“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.

La Maleta Mexicana (Mexican Suitcase) is the story of 4,500 negatives of a film taken during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) which were discovered 70 years later in Mexico City. The film will be screened in Spanish with English subtitles.

Admission is free. Refreshments will be available from 13:30.

A weekly tour of the National War Memorial Gardens will take every Saturday from March until the end of October.

Admission is free. “Meet inside the gates” it says here.

The Fontaines will launch their debut single with an In-Store gig in Tower Records.

Admission is free.

During the Polsake Eire festival, Zygmunt Mi?oszewski, Poland’s leading novelist and the author of crime fiction bestsellers, will meet the festival audience to talk about his work. The event (conducted in English language) will be moderated by Zbyszek Zalinski, RTE journalist & presenter.

Admission is free.

The Progressive Film Club will be screening two shorts and two longer documentaries.

The documentaries are about the privatisation of water in Greece and the lives of Pakistani porters and Nepalese sherpas at the K2 mountain expeditions.

The full programme can be found on the website below.

Admission is free, but donations are welcome

The Zozimus Bar is taking over the street for a street party with live music, DJs and Cocktails.

Admission is free.

The New Love & Terror Cult is a new music collective set up by the Irish psychedelic and experimental artists “Magic Moogle’s Vintage Psycho Arrangement”, “Free Sunshine Acid”, ”The Black Temple Shrines” and “Tuath”.

On Saturday the collective will present the bands Free Sunshine Acid and Sun Machene.

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.

Poplife are a pop cover band and they will play hits from thr 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s in the Liquor Rooms.

Admission is free.

Retrofix are playing Jazz, Funk, Soul, Rock and will be for a gig in Bray.

Admission is free.

The Solely Blues Club is back in Arthur’s Pub. It is a night of pre 1960 acoustic blues hosted by Slidin PK plus a variety of musicians.

Admission is free.

Let it Be-atles will play a Beatles Tribute Gig in Sandyford.

Alt Rock band Silverbacks (with support from Slouch) will perform gigs in the Midnight Hour at Whelan’s.

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

Tongue in Chic will play Disco classics, House, Funk and Hip Hop at this gig.

Admission is free.

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.

Every May the Bealtaine Festival takes place all over Ireland and it “Celebrates arts and creativity as we age”. This is a difficult description as everybody ages, but the organisers “Age & Opportunity” actually want to address the “older age”. Ok, that helps a little, but not much and nobody still really knows what the target age is. In previous years, a guidance of 55+ was given but that has disappeared. In addition most 55-60 years olds wouldn’t appreciate it being classified as “older age”. ;-)

Where does that leave us? We don’t know but, I guess if you feel older, this festival is for you and if you don’t, then the festival is not for you. ;-)

There will be many events throughout May and a good few of them are free. The website doesn’t have the best search facility, but you can also download the brochure via this page (look for the Download link at the bottom). To find events go to the WHAT’S ON page on the website, but then you will have to click on “SEARCH FOR EVENT” otherwise, you will get a seemingly random list of events. (Very non-intuitive and totally unsuitable for elderly computer users!)

In “Dublin City” there are approx. 60 events, but as I said, not all are free. Oddly, the events that you find are not sorted by date, but seem to be in random order.

Over the coming 4 weeks, I will include a number of free Bealtaine events in the Dublin Event Guide for Free Events, but with such a tricky search facility, I won’t be able to include all events, so please check the Bealtaine website here: www.bealtaine.ie

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 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 since last year, guided tours were provided and were meant to run for three months until end of October 2016. But the interest was so great that the OPW decided to continue the tours with a reduced schedule over the winter. And since 02 April there will be tours again every Friday and Sunday at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 + 15:00 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.

There will be no Magazine Fort Tours on Friday 02 June and Sunday 04 June!!

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.

Every Sunday (with a few exceptions) an art workshop takes place for children from 6-11 years of age. Admission is free and children must be accompanied by an adult.

The themes for the workshop are:
28 May Farmer Ann
11 June Medieval Life
25 June Farmer Ann
09 July Felt Making with Gabi
16 July Explore the Walled Garden
23 July Draw Flowers from the Walled Garden
30 July Farmer Ann

The full list can be found here phoenixpark.ie/media/phoenix-park-programme-of-events-2017.pdf

The next Dublin Flea Market is taking place in the Food Co-op, 12 Newmarket, just off Cork Street, Dublin 8 on Sun from 11:00-17:00. The flea market takes place every last Sunday of the month and admission is free. For more information or if you want to sell your own stuff, check out www.dublinflea.ie

“A bizarre bazaar of vintage clothing, bric-a-brac and what nots, old and new. Stalls include hand-made goods, art, jewelry, furniture, records and lots more unwanted items that may just be your treasure!”

Admission is free.

A Psychic & Holistic Fair takes place at the Hilton Airport Hotel. More than 35 stands offer their products and service and you will find Mediums, Psychics, Tarot and Angel card readers, a wide range treatments, advice and information by holistic therapists, natural skincare & cosmetics product lines, herbal remedies, oils and essences, holistic health products, specialist books, crystals, hand crafted jewellery, angelic gifts and more.

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 Kilkenny Shop Cafe is inviting to a Jazz Brunch Sunday every Sunday from 11:00-14:00 and from 14:30-16:30 a Bluegrass Band is taking over. Unfortuantely they don’t specify who the bands are.

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.

On Sunday the Baltic Day Festival will take place which will celebrate the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

It is a day full of Baltic music and food and culture with performances of folk dances, songs, contemporary life music, food and a craft fair.

Unfortunately the event is badly promoted and you will probably only find out about it in the Dublin Event Guide (for Free Events). Most other websites and event publications in Dublin are completely unaware of it. So tell your friends and experience some Baltic culture together. Luckily the temperatures are not baltic anymore (bad joke, I know, but I couldn’t resist! ;-) ).

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 Sundays at Noon Concert Series continues in the Sculpture Gallery at the Hugh Lane Gallery. This series of free (mainly classical) concerts continues to present the best of Irish and International music and musicians. Concerts run from September to June.

The next concert will feature the Francesco Turrisi Trio with Francesco Turrisi (piano), Nick Roth (saxophone), Kate Ellis (cello), performing improvised music and new compositions.

A family tour of the permanent collection takes place and the tour route is suitable for prams and strollers.

Admission is free and no booking required. Meet in the Millennium Wing.

The “International Banking Investigation Group” is inviting to a 1 hour long seminar at 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00 on Sunday to inform you about how you can get checked if you have overpaid for your mortage. They claim that 800k people have mortgages in Ireland and many people can get money back from the banks. The mortgage checks are free and only a percentage of the money paid back to you is kept as a fee if you do get money back.

Find the details of this event via the Facebook page below. Admission to the seminar is free.

A big new development of a sort of tourist centre is planned at the Hellfire Club and the Friends of Massey’s Wood and Residents Associations and Community Groups are joining forces to protect this natural wilderness from the development.

A protest will take place on Sunday. More information about the event and the planned development can be found via this site: www.savethehellfire.com/take-a-stand

On Sunday a Family Day will take place at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge.

There will be guided tours, poetry readings, Workd War I re-enactments, face painters and story telling for kids.

Admission is free.

The cemetery at Arbour Hill is the last resting place of 14 of the leaders of the 1916 Rising. Among those buried there are Pádraig Pearse, James Connolly and Thomas Clarke. This tour every Sunday will focus on the context of the Rising and explore in detail the wording of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic.

No booking necessary. The meeting point is inside the cemetery gates.

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

Join this public tour of the Eileen Gray gallery, exploring one of the most influential designers and architects of the 20th century.

Admission is free and no booking required, places will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis 15 minutes before the tour starts.Suitable for Adults & Children 7.

Bark in the Park events are really at the borderline of “free events”. Participation is free, BUT you are expected to have collected some donations or instead donate on the day. So it will cost you something to take part. All funds raised will go to the The Irish Blue Cross animal welfare charity.

The walk is approx 3-4km long and every registered particpant will receive a doggy bag at the finish line.

You will be able to register at the event and donate there as well.

Every Sunday two free guided tours will take place in the Chester Betty Library. The first one is at 15:00 and the second one at 16:00.

In addition there is another free tour every Wednesday at 13:00.

A talk about “Deer Folklore” will take place in the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre on Sunday.

Admission is free.

“Margaret Clarke: A Private Perspective” is a talk with Fiana Griffin (Freelance Writer and Lecturer) in association with the exhibition “Margaret Clarke: An Independent Spirit” open from 13 May 2017.

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.

Blues Got Soul, a four-piece blues band from Dublin is performing the music of the founding fathers of blues and blues masters in the International Bar every Sunday. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

The next Bal Folk Dance Session will be an outdoor session in St. Stephen’s Green at the “summerhouse” next to the lake.

Come and learn how to dance European folk dances and take part in the Social Dancing. 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.

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

The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir sings every Sunday from September to June at their “Gig in God’s Gaff”, a Mass in St. Francis Xavier Church at the top of Gardiner Street near the junction with Dorset Street.

The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir, one of the best known gospel choirs in Ireland will give you a chance to experience a mass with a difference. It is uplifting and inspiring and everybody is welcome independent from your level of religiousness or your relationship with the Catholic Church in other contexts.

Disclaimer: I am involved with the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir, so the description above MIGHT not be totally unbiased. But just take it from me, they are brilliant! ;-)

“Herbatka z Pasj? / Tea with Passion: Music combines traditions” is an event in St. Saviours Priory where guests will share their stories about their musical passion and life experiences. Irish and Polish musicians will present various musical pieces and you will be able to learn some Irish dances.

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).

Max Garcia Conover from Portland, Maine is playing a modern folk gig in the Harbour Bar.

Admission is free,

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

Every Sunday a Blues Band will play in the Bowery and admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

Every May the Bealtaine Festival takes place all over Ireland and it “Celebrates arts and creativity as we age”. This is a difficult description as everybody ages, but the organisers “Age & Opportunity” actually want to address the “older age”. Ok, that helps a little, but not much and nobody still really knows what the target age is. In previous years, a guidance of 55+ was given but that has disappeared. In addition most 55-60 years olds wouldn’t appreciate it being classified as “older age”. ;-)

Where does that leave us? We don’t know but, I guess if you feel older, this festival is for you and if you don’t, then the festival is not for you. ;-)

There will be many events throughout May and a good few of them are free. The website doesn’t have the best search facility, but you can also download the brochure via this page (look for the Download link at the bottom). To find events go to the WHAT’S ON page on the website, but then you will have to click on “SEARCH FOR EVENT” otherwise, you will get a seemingly random list of events. (Very non-intuitive and totally unsuitable for elderly computer users!)

In “Dublin City” there are approx. 60 events, but as I said, not all are free. Oddly, the events that you find are not sorted by date, but seem to be in random order.

Over the coming 4 weeks, I will include a number of free Bealtaine events in the Dublin Event Guide for Free Events, but with such a tricky search facility, I won’t be able to include all events, so please check the Bealtaine website here: www.bealtaine.ie

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.

“Conversations on Art: Dementia-friendly tours” is one of a selection of interactive tours specially designed for people living with dementia and their loved ones. Take a break from the everyday and enjoy an afternoon of conversations on art and life in general.

The tour is limited to 10 Participants. Admission is free, but booking is required via Heidi Campbell on 01 4070766.

The International Literature Festival Dublin (ILFD) will run from 20-29 May. There will be readings, discussions, debates, workshops, performance and screenings and poetry, fiction and non-fiction will be represented.

About half of the events Some events have an admission charge and the other half a free. The programme is here www.ilfdublin.com/events or you can download the full programme here.

The last two free events of the festival are:

Sat 27 May – 12:00: Korea Focus: Han Yujoo
Mon 29 May – 12:00: Stories from the City: Culture and Identity – The Unspoken African

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!

Do you have a 3D design which you’d like to print off? The 3D printing expert at dlr LexIcon will assist and answer your 3D printing and CAD queries. Admission is free, but for 3D printing, the printing costs will have to be paid.

“Dwuj?zyczno?? – Bilingualism” is a Question&Answer Session in English and Polish about bilingualism, its benefits, the affects on family life and on the developing child.

Find out more details on the website below.

Admission is free.

This is a workshop in the LexIcon Library that will give a basic introduction to 3D printing and will get you started with your first 3D printed object.

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

The third and last part of the film “La meglio gioventù – The Best of Youth” will be screened in Italian with English (I hope!) subtitles.

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

“JFK in the Summer of 1963: Civil Rights, Cold War Politics and an Irish Homecoming” is a talk by Historian Cecilia Hartsell. Monday 29 May 2017 marks the centenary of the birth of John F. Kennedy and this talk looks at his troubled summer of 1963 dealing with major political issues in America before he embarked upon a joyful homecoming to Ireland. The talk will be followed by a screening of the documentary “JFK in Ireland”.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-4973539

This is a weekly gig with authentic old-time fiddle tunes and Appalachian music.

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.

That’s It Recordings is an open mic every Monday at Sin E. Just turn up and play. Sign up before 22:00 to ensure you get a slot. Bring a USB stick along and you will get a recording of your music to take home.

Admission is free.

Every May the Bealtaine Festival takes place all over Ireland and it “Celebrates arts and creativity as we age”. This is a difficult description as everybody ages, but the organisers “Age & Opportunity” actually want to address the “older age”. Ok, that helps a little, but not much and nobody still really knows what the target age is. In previous years, a guidance of 55+ was given but that has disappeared. In addition most 55-60 years olds wouldn’t appreciate it being classified as “older age”. ;-)

Where does that leave us? We don’t know but, I guess if you feel older, this festival is for you and if you don’t, then the festival is not for you. ;-)

There will be many events throughout May and a good few of them are free. The website doesn’t have the best search facility, but you can also download the brochure via this page (look for the Download link at the bottom). To find events go to the WHAT’S ON page on the website, but then you will have to click on “SEARCH FOR EVENT” otherwise, you will get a seemingly random list of events. (Very non-intuitive and totally unsuitable for elderly computer users!)

In “Dublin City” there are approx. 60 events, but as I said, not all are free. Oddly, the events that you find are not sorted by date, but seem to be in random order.

Over the coming 4 weeks, I will include a number of free Bealtaine events in the Dublin Event Guide for Free Events, but with such a tricky search facility, I won’t be able to include all events, so please check the Bealtaine website here: www.bealtaine.ie

At this Traditional Printing Workshop you will learn how to incorporate reuse materials into creative printing practice. The workshop will focus on using a variety of materials as printing plates and how to create a variety of backgrounds and layers using a selection of unusual objects and simple printing processes.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-8344906

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.

Ballyfermot Library will host the Tobin Boyle Guitar Duo for a “World Music for Two Guitars” performance.

Admission is free.

This short in-focus talk will look at ‘The Gleaners’ by Jules Breton and give a brief insight into the work. The talk will be given by Rosary Cox and will take place in front of the painting.

Admission is free.

“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

A Russian Film will be screened (in Russian with English subtitles). Ring 01-4973539 to find out which film it will be.

Admission is free.

From April until June a weekly Storytime session will take every Tuesday in the LexIcon Library. It is suitable for Ages 3-6. The event will be in the Children’s Library on Level 4.

Admission is free and no booking necessary.

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 website below.

This is a weekly event in Buskers on the Ball. They have 5 table tennis table and are now running a social league on Tuesdays. Free play at the tables and drinks specials are available.

The Dublin Web Fest is a celebration of online storytelling and this special screening at the Alliance Française is part of it. The creme de la creme of French web series will be shown, selections will include “Authentik”, “Surf Therapy”, “Kill Skills” and “Gabriel” among others.

Admission is free, but booking is required via the link below. A reception will start at 18:30 and the screening will follow at 19:30.

Whelan’s never had a regular Trad Session, but this is about to change:

From 04 April until 27 June a new Trad Session called “Call the Dancers” will take place and no other than well known musicians Ronan Ó Snodaigh, Eoin Dillon & friends will perform.

Admission is free.

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 Shipstern Open Session is the Open Mic night in the Bowery in Rathmines. A weekly event where everyone is invited to take part, sing, play an instrument of even tell some jokes. And anybody who will perform on stage will get a cocktail voucher. Sometimes even big names come in to try out their new material.

The night is hosted by Cian from the tband MKAI.

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 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.

Every May the Bealtaine Festival takes place all over Ireland and it “Celebrates arts and creativity as we age”. This is a difficult description as everybody ages, but the organisers “Age & Opportunity” actually want to address the “older age”. Ok, that helps a little, but not much and nobody still really knows what the target age is. In previous years, a guidance of 55+ was given but that has disappeared. In addition most 55-60 years olds wouldn’t appreciate it being classified as “older age”. ;-)

Where does that leave us? We don’t know but, I guess if you feel older, this festival is for you and if you don’t, then the festival is not for you. ;-)

There will be many events throughout May and a good few of them are free. The website doesn’t have the best search facility, but you can also download the brochure via this page (look for the Download link at the bottom). To find events go to the WHAT’S ON page on the website, but then you will have to click on “SEARCH FOR EVENT” otherwise, you will get a seemingly random list of events. (Very non-intuitive and totally unsuitable for elderly computer users!)

In “Dublin City” there are approx. 60 events, but as I said, not all are free. Oddly, the events that you find are not sorted by date, but seem to be in random order.

Over the coming 4 weeks, I will include a number of free Bealtaine events in the Dublin Event Guide for Free Events, but with such a tricky search facility, I won’t be able to include all events, so please check the Bealtaine website here: www.bealtaine.ie

Wednesday is ITICA Day and ITICA stands for “Irish Traditional Italian Chipper Association” and on that day you get your fish & chips for half price in all takeaways of ITICA members. It’s not really a free event, BUT your second portion of fish & chips is indeed free. ;-) And because you will benefit from that day (if you so wish), I decided to include it here.

“Retreat from Globalisation? Brexit, Trump and the New Populism” is a Conference of the Royal Irish Academy Standing Committee on International Affairs.

Are Trump, Brexit and populism symptoms of broader phenomena associated with globalisation? Will the elections in France, the Netherlands and Germany in 2017 force globalisation to retreat in the face of authoritarian, right-wing and anti-immigration politics? Is this process simply occurring in western democracies or is it a global occurrence?

This conference will consider recent landmark events and the uncertainties that arise from them in wider, deeper and longer frameworks of analysis.

Admission is free, but registration is required via the Eventbrite website below.

A big technology conference with 3000 expected attendees and 200 speakers and around 20 sub-conferences (FinTech, HealthTech, IOT, SportsTech, etc) will take place in the RDS.

There will be lots of talks and seminars throughout the day on a main stage and smaller stages and there will also be an exhibition.

Admission is free, which is great for such a big event. The biggest challenge is to find your way through the jungle of talks and events. The website below has all the information but it will still take a long time to put an action plan together if you plan to attend and try to make most of it.

Registration is required via the website.

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.

This week’s Phoenix Park Walk is entitled “Skyline tour from the Pope’s Cross”. and the description says “Bay to the East, mountains to the South and buildings in between”.

Admission is free.

The full list of all walks for the next few months is here: phoenixpark.ie/media/phoenix-park-programme-of-events-2017.pdf

Bull Island is part of Dublin’s designated Unesco Biosphere with a feast of skylarks and orchids in late May. Eanna Ní Lamhna, wildlife expert on TV3’s Six O’Clock Show and RTE Radio 1’s Mooney Goes Wild, will bring you on a walk through Bull Island sand dunes with the song of the lark, lots of butterflies and colourful wildflowers.

Meet “at the built causeway at the Howth end of St. Anne’s Park (not the wooden bridge)”. Don’t ask me where exactly that is!! ;-)

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.

“From Fishing Tours to Eco-tours: Recent Major Changes in the Western Australian Charter Boat Industry” is a public lecture in collaboration with the Centre for Environmental Humanities.

“The lecture examines the recent history of the Charter Boat industry in Western Australia, showing how an industry that developed to provide access to offshore fishing grounds has diversified against a backdrop of declining demersal fish stocks, changing regulatory frameworks, and shifting social values towards the exploitation and conservation of the marine environment.”

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

On the last day of this year’s Bealtaine festival, the Central Library invites to an Over 55s Day. There will be information stands about volunteering opportunities, self development courses and recreational activities for the older population living in Dublin. Short health and fitness assessments including measurements of height, weight, BMI, Blood Pressure and a few quick fitness tests to assess strength, flexibility and balance will be offered.

And the entertainment programme will include:

13:00 Blue Haven Barbershop Chorus
14:00 Opening Ceremony
14;15 Refreshments
15:00 Yoga and mindfulness – taster session
16:10 Closing event and Guest Speaker (to be confirmed)

Admission is free.

The Temple Bar “Night” Market is more an afternoon and evening market (14:00-20:00) 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.

Silvia Loeffler’s Transit Gateway is a series of seminars that map the changing shape of Dublin Port over the centuries, from its beginnings as a medieval shoreline to present day. The upcoming seminars will explore the following themes:

31 May: Late Victorians
25 June: Monto Heyday- Labour Relations- Joycean Chronicles
26 July: ‘Congress’ Shipping
30 Aug: Post War Reconstruction Machine Aesthetic

Admission is free but booking is required via 01 222 5455

This event is based Tom Burke’s forthcoming book “Messines to Carrick Hill: Writing Home from the Great War”. The book is structured around a collection of letters written by a nineteen year old Irish officer, 2nd Lieutenant Michael Wall from Carrick Hill, near Malahide/Partmarnock from the entrenched battle zone of the Messines Ridge.

The event will include readings of the letters from Michael to his mother and from his mother to Michael interwoven with music and poetry.

Admission is free.

The Alliance Francaise Choir will invite to their yearly concert.

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

The Dublin Jam Session is an open Jam with full back line. It is open to all levels of musicians and singers and all genres of music and the only rule is that you must jam with others (not all your own band).

It takes place every Wednesday and admission is free.

The Dwarf Jar House Trio (Daniel Rorke (sax), Cormac O’Brien (bass) and Matthew Jacobson(drums)) will play a weekly Jazz gig every Wednesday in Dwarf Jar Cafe and they usually have one or more guest musicians or singers supporting them.

Admission is free.

Jesters is a weekly open mic comedy event where a lot of comedians do 5 minutes of material.

Admission is free. If you would like to perform then send a message to the Jesters Facebook Page via the link below.

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 May Inn Jokes Comedy night is coming up on 31 May. MC and organiser is comedian Colm O’Regan and he usually has a great line-up. I haven’t the line up for the next event yet, but I am sure it will be good again. Check the website in a few days!

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.

The Resident Open Mic is a new weekly open mic on Wednesdays with a bit of a difference: Each week a different established artist will go back to their roots by not just playing at the open mic but by hosting it. This gives the artists a chance to try out new songs, play some of their classics and most importantly it gives a chance for new songwriters to play their music in front of some of their favorite songwriters.

Admission is free.

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).

Rockshow is a 1980 concert film by Paul McCartney and Wings, filmed during the band’s 1976 North American tour. The film features 30 songs from four concerts of the tour.

Admission to this screening is free.

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

Admission is free.

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.

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.

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 Dublin Bach Singers with Bogdan Sofei violin will perform a lunchtime recital in St. Ann’s Church.

Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.

Come to this tour of the exhibition “Yeats: The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats” on the first Thursday of each month. The tour introduces William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) – one of the great poets of the twentieth century – and his many interests, including literature, folklore, theatre, politics, the occult and Irish cultural identity. After the tour, you can listen to a selection of voices speaking some of his best loved poems, including Easter 1916.

Admission is free.

The seminar “Migrant workers in Ireland – integration, contribution and challenges” will take place in Liberty Hall and it will be followed by a Polish Culture Night from 18:00-21:00.

Admission is free.

Every Thursday the Little Museum of Dublin waives their admission charges for two guided tours thanks to sponsorship from Guinness. The first tour is at 18:00 and the second tour is at 19:00. Make sure that you are there at least 10 minutes before the start of the tour to get one of the limited places.

The Little Museum of Dublin has a fascinating collection of artefacts from the last 100 years Dublin’s history.

On other days and other times, admission is EUR 7 for adults and admission is by guided tour only.

In conjunction with Forum Polonia, SIPTU is organising a seminar “Migrant workers in Ireland – contribution, integration and challenges” on 01 of June at 16:00 which will focus on the experience of migrant workers in Ireland and their contribution to Irish labour market.

And this seminar will be followed by a Polish Culture Night with Polish Band “Kapela na Wesela” which plays Polish highland folk music and Polish re-enactment performers “Slavics and Vikings Historical Group” who will give you an insight into medieval times in Eastern Europe and Ireland. There will also be Polish food to taste.

Admission is free.

The Billinghurst Choral Society from the UK will be in St. Ann’s Church for a concert on Thursday. Admission is free.

“Organ Plus” is a Organ Recital Series presented by pipeworks and the Unitarian Church. The next event is on Thursday when Siobhán Kilkelly: organ and Ciarán O’Connell: flute will perform works by Libermann, Langlais , Widor, Hiller, Bach and Roth.

Admission is free.

“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

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.

THe Thursday Night Board Gaming event is running for more than 10 years already and it is a weekly event for all Board Game enthusiasts. But even if you are a Board Game newbie, you are welcome. Just come along!

Admission is free.

A Table Quiz takes place in the Grand Social. On Thursdays teams of 4 people (or at least 2 people) will compete against each other over questions from the areas of General Knowledge, Music, Film, Sports & Entertainment.

Admission is free.

The Crystal Skull Sessions is a band competition in Sin É. On Thursday “Heat 4” takes place and on Friday it is Winners night.

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.

The Luna Boys are in the Mercantile for a gig every Thursday night.

Admission is free.

Track Dogs are an acoustic four piece from Madrid featuring cajón (flamenco box drum), guitar, banjo, piano, ukulele, bass and trumpet with four-part harmonies.

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.

Dreaming of Jupiter will play a gig in Whelan’s.

Admission is free.

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

To celebrate the Easter Rising Anniversary, admission to that exhibititon was free in 2016, but lucky for us, Dublin City decided to also waive the admission charge for 2017.

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

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.

The North Docklands Walking Tour will tell you the hidden histories and the arrival of the tall ships in that area. In preparation for the Dublin Port River Fest (3-5 June 2017), Pat Liddy, Historian, Writer and Artist will bring you on an intriguing walk around the secluded docks to discover a rich and unexpected history. The tour will finish to witness the arrival of the tall ships fleet (scheduled for 15:00 but subject to change).

Meet at Connolly Station Luas Stop.

Admission is free.

“Brewtonic present Gin Fusion” aka “The Dublin Gin Festival” is back and will take place in The Bernard Shaw including the Eatyard and Shawyard spaces.

Over 4 days & nights across the June Bank Holiday WeekOver there will be tastings, workshops, pop up markets, classes, cocktail bars, pairings, food, DJs, live music and more.

Find out more details on www.brew-tonic.com/ginfusion/ or via the Facebook Event Page below.

Admission is free.

YouBloom is a Musical Conference/Summit and Festival in Dublin from 01-05 June. The conference is not free, but all gigs from 02-04 June are free and there are lots of them in seven venues (4 Dame Lane, Dame Tavern, JT Pims, Mercantile, The George, The Globe, Whelan’s) around the Dame Court area.

All information is available via the website below but not all is obvious, so here I am drilling down a little more and will give you the exact links to the details. The Friday schedule of gigs is here: www.youbloom.com/youbloomdublin-2017-gigs/#friybD

The Polska Eire Ladies Night will take place in the In-spire Galerie on Friday. It is a fun-filled evening for the girls with a celebration of local arts & crafts, food and women-owned small businesses making a difference in the society. There will be Polish food & drink, Irish music, Polish Art and more.

Admission is free, but booking is required via this link here.

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 Crystal Skull Sessions is a band competition in Sin É and it is finishing with the big Winners Night on Friday.

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.

“Gavin Povey and The Fabulous Oke She Moke She Pops” will play New Orleans style Piano Rhythm & Blues, Boogie Woogie and Rock’n’ Roll.

Gavin Povey has played piano with Van Morrison, Finbar Wright, Kirsty MacColl, Steve Cropper, Shakin’ Stevens and many more.

Admission is free.

The Afters are a covers/party band and they will play a gig in the Bowery on Friday.

Admission is free.