Event Guide 25: Powerscourt Centre, Christmas Craft Fair, Rock n Roll Karaoke, Christmas Tree Display, Carol Singing, Climate Change March, National Museum, Food Markets, Farmleigh

Hi all!

A BIG warm WELCOME to all the new readers of this Dublin Event Guide. I am celebrating a little: This is the 25th Dublin Event Guide!! Yipee!! :-) During last week I got a large number of mails from new subscribers, many included very positive feedback. Thank you for subscribing and I hope you will enjoy the Event Guide. A HUGE Thank You as well to the people that were so nice and forwarded the Event Guide to their friends and families and that helped to expand and extend the readers and users of this guide.

I would like to call it the “Dublin Event Guide Community” ;-) Ok, I write the guide, but it is YOUR guide! So let me know if you like something, but even more importantly tell me if something can be improved. And if you hear about a free event, just drop me a mail and I will do my best to include it. If we all contribute to it, this will be an even better weekly mail FULL with exciting things to do. :-)

By the way, the readers that didn’t get around last week to invite their friends and families to subscribe to this mail can still do that! I am happy to add more people to the distribution list. If oyu have considered keeping the Event Guide your little secret so that you can impress your partner/bf/gf or your friends with your knowledge about the free events in Dublin, think about it again. They will find out one day and you can get a HUGE amount of kudos and praise NOW from them by giving them a chance to subscribe themselves. So cash in the chips!! :-)))
Anybody interested only has to send a mail to dublineventguide@gmail.com. — The way I go on about getting new subscribers, you could think I get money from it, but no, I don’t! :-) Is is just a hobby.
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I am writing this weeks Event Guide a day earlier than most weeks, because there are three events that are already on Thursday evening and I would like to give you a chance to add them to your (extended) weekend activities. ;-)

The first of the Thursday events is a “Night of Wine, Music and Shopping” from 18:00-21:00 in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre. The website is www.powerscourtcentre.com, unfortunately that website is quite useless, since it is totally out of date. The mail that I received, telling me about the event, had an attachment that said “As our invited guest you can avail of one-off reductions from all participating stores.” This mail seemed to have gone to a HUGE list of people, so if you go to Powerscourt Centre, refer to the invitation and with a bit of luck you will get some discounts.

The second Thursday-related event is a little more complicated to explain, but nevertheless interesting, so bear with me. ;-) This week (Wed to Sun) the Christmas Craft Fair is taking place in the RDS (Main Hall). This is unfortunately NOT a free event, but Phil Pankov, who is an amazing photographer and who exhibits (and sells) his black&white photographs there, is making tickets available to people that want to go to the Craft Fair. He has advertised this offer in a mail shot to interested people and through a facebook event
(www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=6153396831), so I am not sure if he has any tickets left at this stage, but if you contact him, you will find out. His mobile phone number and e-mail address are in the CONTACT section of his website www.philpankov.com and on the facebook page. He only has free tickets for Thursday or Friday and keep in mind that he is exhibiting in the RDS, so he might not get his e-mails during the day. I suggest you use the mobile in that case!

And a third Thursday event that I found by coincidence: “Songs of Praise” is a “Rock n Roll Karaoke Song Contest” and the final of the contest will take place on the 6th in the Button Factory.
www.getpraiseatxbox360.com/index.html
It sounds like a fun event and I will try to include ALL heats in the Event Guide for next year, it slipped through my fingers this year (maybe an example of typical bad publicity of new free events). The event is ticketed but free and it seems that you can still get tickets on the website above by clicking on Free Tickets.
You might wonder where the “Button Factory” is? “Button Factory” is the new name for the Temple Bar Music Centre, in the middle of Temple Bar (Curved Street). The venue is renovated and has been upgraded and you will hear a lot more about it!

At some stage over the weekend you could go to the “12 Trees of Christmas” display/exhibition near the IFSC: From 5th – 14th December, The Dublin Docklands hosts a VERY festive display of Christmas trees decorated by fashion designers, artists and celebrities. The trees will be on show in the Main Concourse of the newly opened CHQ Building next to George’s Dock in the IFSC. Admission is Free and the building is open from 10:00 – 19:00 every day including Saturday and Sunday.

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On Saturday, Sarah Loughman, who is part of our Dublin Event Guide Community ;-), is organising a Carol Singing at the GPO for the Fr. Peter McVerry Trust. From 10:00 until 13:00 they will sing and collect money for young homeless people and helpers/singers are more than welcome. If you are in town and have a bit of time, sing with them for a while, I am sure it will be good fun!

Saturday is “Global Day of Action against Climate Change” and there will be a march in Dublin from the Civic Offices to Customs House. The march will start at 13:00 and is expected to finish at 16:00. www.stopclimatechaos.ie

As reported last week, and I will repeat it in the coming two weeks again: Every Saturday and Sunday before Christmas the deer keepers in Phoenix park invite to a guided walk titled “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”. You meet Santa on the way and the fallow deer in the majestic surroundings of Phoenix Park. Pre-booking is essential – contact the Office of Public works (OPW) on 01-8213021. I still don’t know the time and if the event is totally free, but I will try to find out for next week.

“Christmas Open Day at the Museum” is on this Saturday in the National Museum in Collins Barracks (near Heuston Station). The description says “For many visitors to the Museum, Christmas starts with the Christmas Open Day at Collins Barracks! If you haven’t been before, we hope you’ll drop in this year, to enjoy a day of Carols with the Lassos Scholars with Piccolo Lasso, family workshops, demonstrations and the Christmas Trail. Everyone is welcome and admission is free.” The museum is open from 11:00-17:00

The Cows’s Lane Fashion and Christmas Market in the new extension of Temple Bar (between Turks’s Head and Dublin City Offices) will run again this Saturday and Sunday from 09:30-16:30 and after strolling over the market there, go to the Temple Bar Meeting House Square and get some YUMMY food at the Temple Bar Food market. :-)
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This week the last “Sunday at Noon” in the Hugh Lane Gallery (Parnell Square) will take place. Sunday at Noon is a free concert that started in October and is every Sunday at 12:00. The last one this week will feature the Ensemble Avalon (Piano Trio) for a third time with “An American and Paris III”. The concert will go on for approx. 1 hour.

It is not too far from there to Glasnevin, so you could make the next event for the 13:30 tour:

I mentioned the Glasnevin Cemetery Walking Tour last week already. Brian and Orla took part last week and said it is definitely worth it and since this Sunday is the last opportunity to take part, you should consider it: The tour runs between 11:00 and 14:00 and a tour starts every 30 minutes and goes on for 1hr 30mins. Allow me to repeat the description: The tours will leave from the main entrance in Finglas Road and will offer an insight into the history Ireland’s largest cemetery – from its opening in 1832 right up to the present day. The tour will also take in the graves of some of Ireland’s most influential historical figures, including Charles Stewart Parnell, Maude Gonne, Daniel O’Connell, Eamonn DeValera, Michael Collins. (Phone: 8301133)

The Family Program of the National Museum in Kildare Street features “Wonderful World of Feathers” on Sunday (09/12) from 15:00 – 16:00.
Ornithologist Eric Dempsey will present an exciting workshop giving a birds eye view of the world! Investigate feathers and wings, and learn how birds are such a unique group of animals. Age 5+ – So bring nephews and nieces if you don’t have any own children or look reasonably grown up! ;-)

To celebrate the launch of www.greatfood2buy.com, the website has teamed up with the Italian School of Cooking in Dublin to run a Christmas Artisan Food Fair on Sunday 9 December from 12:00-18:00 and everyone is invited! You can buy a wide variety of the Irish and Italian artisan foods found on the new website, including the Greatfood.ie range of chutneys, preserves and jams, hand-made traditional pasta, Italian dolci, truffle pastes, chocolate sauces and amazing fine Italian mostarda sets, all perfect for Christmas gifts.
The School is in Rathmines Park at the rear of 175A Rathgar Road, Dublin 6. See the Greatfood2buy.com or Italianschoolofcooking.ie websites for more details.

And more food and crafts:
The Red Stables at the Mount Prospect entrance to St Anne’s Park in Clontarf is hosting weekly food, arts and crafts markets on Saturdays from 10:00- 16:00. In the run up to Christmas on the 9th, 16th and 23rd of December, the Red Stables Market is hosting extra Sunday markets. They compliment the regular Saturday market and also run from 10:00-16:00. Festive Christmas fare, arts, crafts and gifts as well as fresh produce such as cheese, organic fruit & vegetables, meats, crepes, pies, ice cream, freshly baked breads and cakes will be on sale. www.redstables.ie

And if that is not enough events yet, then you can choose from a number of events at Farmleigh House www.farmleigh.ie in Phoenix Park:
Sat 08/12:
– Christmas Food Market from 10:00
– Live Crib and Children’s Christmas Room from 10:00
– Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – Puppet Show @ 12:00, 13:45, 15:30
– Storytelling for Children @ 12:45, 14:30, 16:15
– Carol Singing with the Ballymun Gospel Choir @ 13:30
– Outdoors Christmas with The Mellowchords (Barbershop Songs) @ 14:00
Sun 09/12
– Christmas Food Market from 10:00
– Live Crib and Childrens Christmas room from 10:00
– Goldilocks and the Three Bears @12:00, 13:45, 15:30
– Storytelling for Children @ 12:45, 14:30, 16:15
– Horse and Carriage Rides @ 13:00
– European Christmas from Romania (Music) @ 14:30
– Outdoors Christmas with The Mellowchords @ 12:00
Phew, is that a long, impressive list of events in one place? And all events are free of charge! Did you know about it? If not, then that’s why you read this Event Guide! :-)))
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For the last few weeks I introduced a “permanent free event” every week. This is a free museum or event that you could visit throughout the whole year, but maybe the winter months are better suited for that. Previously featured permanent free events were Temple Bar Market, Government Buildings, National Gallery, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Aras an Uachtarian.

This week I will use the “Christmas Open Day at the museum” to remind you of the National Museum (of Decorative Arts and History) in Collins Barracks (near Heuston Station). The National Museum is subdivided into four different branches and the “branch” in Collins Barracks is housing weaponry, furniture, silver, ceramics and glassware, as well as examples of folklife and costume.
In addition to the regular exhibitions there are currently two special sections telling you all about “Soldiers and Chiefs: The Irish at War at Home and Abroad, 1550-2001” and about “The Easter Rising: Understanding 1916”. www.museum.ie/decorative/ tells you more. Access to the museum is free and with Guided Tours, Public Lectures, Sunday Programmes AND the normal exhibitions, the National Museums really do a great job to make history as accessible as possible! Give it a chance, you will love it! And maybe tell us about it. I will happily include your report about a visit!
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Finally a number of advance notices and not weekend related events:

New Dublin Voices Sing Contemporary and Traditional Carols
on Thurs 13 Dec at 18:30 in the Contemporary Music Centre (Fishamble Street, Temple Bar). Admission free, but please contact Aoife Fitzpatrick afitzpatrick@cmc.ie or (01) 6731922 for free tickets.

The 3rd annual “12 Days of Christmas”, the Christmas Market at George’s Dock near the IFSC is starting on Monday 12 Dec. I will write more about that in next weeks Event Guide, but maybe you want to visit it before.

I mentioned a number of shows in galleries last week and will add some more in the coming weeks:
Paul Kane, who is a regular reader of this Event Guide, has a Gallery (www.thepaulkanegallery.com) at 6 Merrion Square (on the side where the American College is) and is showing “The Winter Gallery Show” from Tuesday 4th December until Saturday 22nd December. It is a group show of works by selected gallery artists including, Veronica Bolay RHA, Mary Donnelly, Chris Doris, Megan Eustace, Fiona Flinn,  Matthew O’Kane, Marc Reilly, Michelle Rogers, Wesley Triggs and others.
Paul explicitly welcomes all visitors no matter if you are currently in the market to buy some art or not! Opening hours are Tue-Fri 11:00-18:00 and Sat 12:00-17:00.

And for your information and consideration … a day in this weeks calender: On Monday (10 Dec) is Human Rights Day.

Wow, what a busy weekend! :-) I hope you will find something in this long list of events. My head is spinning after nearly four hours of searching and researching events and writing on this mail. Enjoy the Dublin Event Guide!

Have a nice weekend!

–Joerg

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Disclaimer: This Event Guide (the “Dublin Event Guide”) with a difference is sent to friends, colleagues and whoever else is interested to let you know about (mostly free) events in the Greater Dublin Area! Ticketed events usually make enough money to do their own advertisement, they don’t need extra help.
I started this because some friends asked me to share my weekend plans with them as I went to all types of festivals and searched for more. ;-) If you don’t want to receive this mail, just let me know. If you have feedback, good or bad, PLEASE tell me. If you want to be added to the mailing list or know somebody who would like to receive this guide, just send a mail to dublineventguide@gmail.com.
BTW: I have no affiliation with any of the organisers and don’t get any “reward” from them for advertising their events.
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