Dublin Event Guide 319: Mini Maker Faire, Nuit Blanche, Festival of Curiosity, Malahide Festival

A free Greek and European Folk Dance class open to all. Contact Katerini Papathanasiou on papath.kat@gmail.com

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 Vodafone Comedy Festival is taking place this weekend in Iveagh Gardens. The festival is definitely not a free event with tickets for each of the 36x 1.5-hour comedy slots going for a ticket price of EUR 20-28. EUR 56 for an evening (approx. 3 hrs) of comedy seems steep to me, but I am no expert! The programme is here www.vodafonecomedy.com/programme/ and I will let you decide.

The reason why I am mentioning the Vodafone Comedy Festival is because they do also have a free programme in Iveag Gardens: The Vodafone Nut Hut is providing the folloiwng free events:

Fri 26 July
19:30-21:00 Stand Up and Answers with Jarlath Regan & Guests
21:45-22:45 Stand Up in the Nut Hut

Sat 27 July
16:30-17:30 Greg Proop’s “The Smartest Man in the World Proopcast”
19:00-20:00 Nut Hut Bingo – MC Karl Spain & Guests
21:30-22:30 Stand Up in the Nut Hut

Sun 28 July
15:30-17:00 Bookworms – Kevin Gildea & Guests
19:00-20:00 Gunther’s Sunday Roast – with Karl Spain, Kevin Gildea & Ian Coppinger

“Dublin Tribal Spirit” is a weekly event that gives you the great experience of a drumming circle with african drums and authentic tribal rhythms. Tom and Sinead, who run that event are providing lots of drums for it and teach you the rhythms.

There is no formal admission charge for this event, but donations are expected. The organisers bring their own 20-30 drums to it every week, so they are looking for donations to keep the event going.

The Addison Lodge are inviting local bands, musicians, poets, comedians and performers to share their talents at the new Addison Lodge Open Mic Nights in Glasnevin (opposite the Botanic Gardens). The event will take place every week. Admission is free.

The Stillorgan Orchard provides regular live music. The upcoming gigs are detailed on the website below.

The Midnight Hour slot in Whelan’s features the independant band “Gangs” who play guitar-based pop songs. Admission is free before 22:30, the gig starts at midnight.

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 Dublin Food Co-op is open every Saturday at Newmarket for organic wholefoods and sustainable household products, plus over a dozen producer stalls offering organic fruit and veg., baked goods, dairy produce, wines, hot and cold food, etc. The Co-op is also open on Thursdays 12:00-20:00.

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.

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

A Cancer Society Fundraiser takes place on Sunday in Phoenix Park and sounds strikingly similar to the Rainbow Run in Dun Laoghaire on Sunday. It is the Cancer Society Colour Dash and is sponsored by Crown Paints. It seems that the two colourful runs are very similar. The fees are similar, the FAQs are nearly identical. Participation is not free (EUR 30 per adult), but registration is closed now (In Dun Laoghaire you can still register on the day.) 100% of the funds raised for the Colour Dash will go to the Irish Cancer Society.

Watching the event and participating in the post-run (the run is not timed!) entertainment is free, but be prepared to be covered in paint powder anyway.

If you go to the Maker Faire this week, you might as well check out that great Science Gallery Exhibition: The exhibition will run from 12 July-29 Sept, but I won’t be able to remind you every week, so you better go early. :-) Admission is free.

The exhibition is all about Illusions and it is a “perception-shattering insight into the human mind, playfully combining the techniques used by magicians and explored by psychologists.”

More than 20 installations will deceive your eyes (and ears) and will show you that what we perceive is often radically different from the reality. You will find impressive and amazing things, but nothing will be boring! The exhibition is suitable for all ages, so bring your children or – if you don’t have any – just bring yourself.

I have seen nearly every Science Gallery exhibition and I would say this is definitely one of the best.

ILLUSION was curated by psychologist, author and magician Richard Wiseman, and was researched by deception artist Paul Gleeson and a large group of mediators are available in the gallery to explain all the things that you see (or hear) to you.

Have a look at the website below to see an outline on what is on show. I strongly recommend that you see the show and tell me afterwards what you thought about it: dublineventguide@gmail.com (During the week (Tues-Fri) the exhibition is open until 20:00 and from 12:00 and on Sat+Sun; 12:00-18:00).

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 Merchants Market on East Wall Road is a relatively new weekly market on Saturdays and Sundays with more than 80 stalls. There is everything from furniture and antiques to paintings and mirrors, electronics and hot food to bicycles and buns. Sounds interesting and I will check it out over the coming weeks. It is just a few minutes walk away from the Point Theatre/O2 (walk in the direction of the Port Tunnel). www.facebook.com/merchantsindoormarket

The second Dublin Mini Maker Faire is taking place in the Science Gallery and on the Physics Lawn at Trinity College Dublin this Saturday.

The Dublin Mini Maker Faire brings together makers, crafters, and DIY-enthusiasts of all ages to share and showcase their inspiring creations to over 5,000 visitors. It unites, inspires, informs, and entertains a growing community of resourceful people who undertake amazing projects in their back gardens, garages and sheds and it is a great event. I was at the Mini Makers Faire last year and am really looking forward to this year’s event.

This year’s faire will be even bigger and will feature some of Ireland’s most talented makers. Visitors can learn how to make their own guitar effects pedal, pet a giant (but friendly) robotic spider, watch a real-life iron forge in action, find out about internet-connected timelapse photography, and even build the ultimate paper airplane before flying it with a purpose-built pressurised launcher.

Other highlights are:
A tent full of 3D printers
Robots
A pair of wireless, force-sensitive Irish dancing shoes
The Empire State Building made of Lego

The Dublin Mini Maker Faire is a free event that is part of The Festival of Curiosity, organised by a team from Science Gallery, Science Hack Day Dublin, NUIM MakerSoc and TOG Hackerspace.

Maybe a bit geeky but definitely recommended – geeky is cool! :-)

An indoor market in Coolock with over 40 traders with a wide range of goods and a café on site as well.

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.

“These Are a Few of My Favourite Things” is the title of a Walking Tour that Emily Gallagher will run every Saturday. 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 egaldog@gmail.com or 085-2725095

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.

As part of Eason’s Get Into Reading campaign, there will be a reading of a specially selected children’s book at 11:00 each Saturday in every Eason store in the country. The schedule of Story Time books, covering mid-June through mid-September, is on the website below.

And children attending the in-store kids’ book readings throughout the summer will receive their own Story Time Reward Card and they will get a special Story Time sticker on their card for each reading they attend. Children who collect three stickers will receive a free copy of Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson. For more information check the website below too.

The “Malahide Has It” Festival will take place this weekend. The name of the festival is a little odd, but the festival looks interesting with lots of events for the whole family. The website at www.malahidehasit.com/ was not working properly when I checked it. It showed an empty page in the Firefox Browser, but with the Chrome Browser, I was able to access it. However, the only relevant link for you is the programme, which is a downloadable PDF here.

On Sat+Sun a Fun Fair will be in Malahide (11:00-22:00), there will be free face painting, a children play area, a chess tournament, Live Music (14:00-22:00) in New Street, Puppet Shows, Storytelling, a Flower Show, an All-Day Cup Cake party and Food Stalls. On Saturday there will also be a Historical Walk at 15:00 and on Sunday a “Tug O War” will take place at 16:00 (It is ominously labelled as the yearly “highlight”. ;-) ).

The Ferocious Mingle Marcade (Market and Arcade) place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday it is a fancy dress market. It’s a flea-market type permanent market with stalls and “chalets” for traders. The Oscar Verne Café on site and (at least at the weekends) live music adds even more character.

This will be the fourth year for “Yoga in the Park” and I think it is a brilliant initiative for a very worthy cause. From May until September, Fiona from www.twopalmsyoga.com and her team of teachers invite to an hour of Yoga in Phoenix Park every Saturday. No booking is required and you decide how much you give, the class is donation based.

All proceeds go to the Dublin Simon Community, a charity that does invaluable work for the homeless people in Dublin. Just bring a mat or a towel, some water and (hopefully) even some sun protection to the class. Should the weather be bad, the bandstand will be shelter or even training location. The training is suitable for all levels, so even total beginners are very welcome.

The Festival of Curiosity is Dublin’s new yearly festival of science & culture and will take place from 25-28 July.
Enter the curious world of imagination and exploration where you will think, play and make. Throughout the festival there will be a unique series of hands-on activities, treasure hunts, workshops, robot building, a curiosity carnivall, interactive installations, street games, science busking, interactive theatre and science storytelling – for all the family.

The festival started on Thursday and there are a number of free and non-free event. Many events needed pre-booking and it definitely turned out that the huge interest was much bigger than the capacity of the festival. So the remaining events are somewhat limited, but check the website below for all events and find a list of free events taking place on Saturday and Sunday here:

+ Dublin Mini Maker Faire (It is listed separately in this edition of the Dublin Event Guide, but it is part of the Festival of Curiosity this weekend.)

+ Science in the City Treasure Hunt (Requires pre-booking online but is free) Sat + Sun 10:30-16:00 from Dublin City Hall
Explore Science in the City through a curious trail of riddles, puzzles and fun science for all the family. A fun day out for for all the family, participating teams will have the chance to win great family prizes to continue exploring science in the city including an annual Family Pass for Dublin Zoo, Membership for the Science Gallery, and the acclaimed Ingenious Ireland Walking Tours.

+ Amazing Science in Temple Bar Gallery + Studios (11:30-16:30 on Sat+Sun)
Reinventing the first American Science Fiction Magainze, published in 1926, with twenty-first century science through a blend of creative writing, 1920’s shock graphics and pop-culture.

+ Illusion at Science Gallery (It is listed separately in this edition of the Dublin Event Guide, but it is part of the Festival of Curiosity this weekend.)

+ Lego Education Station at Filmbase, Curved Street, Temple Bar (11:30-16:30)

+ Physics Busking – Science on the Street in Temple Bar (Sun: 12:00-16:00)
Be amazed by Science Demonstrations for everyone on the streets of Temple Bar

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.

An Art and Craft Market will take place in the Exchange Dublin and admission is free.

The Children’s Art Workshops “Birds of a Feather” for ages 6-12yrs will take place in the Motorhouse at Farmleigh House.
“Design and create your own feathery friends with Orla Kelly from Early Childhood Creativity. Workshops are free but ticketed. Tickets are allocated on the day on a first come first served basis.”

Session 1: 12;00-13:00 / Session 2: 13:30-14:30 / Session 3: 15:00-16:00

The next Progressive Film Club film screening takes place on Saturday and will be a Cuban Film Day. The film screened during the afternoon are

12:00 El Ojo del Canario (The Eye of the Canary)
14:15 La Guerra Necesaria (The Necessary War)
16:15 Cuba: Defending Socialism, Resisting Imperialism

All films are in Spanish with English subtitles. Find all details about the films on the website below.

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. Dux & Co will offer food and the Grand Social’s Bar and Gourmet Coffee options are available.

As part of the Defence Forces activities in the lead in to the centenary of the foundation of ‘The Irish Volunteers, Óglaigh na hÉireann’ in November 2013, 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 the National Gallery-side of Merrion Square throughout the summer.

Ceremonies will take place every Saturday and units from throughout the Defence Forces and across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service will participate. The memorial site is a pyramid at the side of Merrion Square. The ceremonies will take place: 13 July at 10:00; 20 & 27 July at 12:00; 3, 10 & 17 August at 12:0 and 24 & 31 August at both 10:00 and 12:00.

Sillybilly provides event entertainment and they have a whole range of events taking place in July and August. At events they usually provide Music & Magic Shows and Ballon modelling and often also Face Painting.

A few of the upcoming events are:

Sat 27 July: 14:00-16:00 IKEA – Sillybilly.ie Magic Show with Balloon Modeling
Sun 28 Jul: 13:00-15:00 Bewley’s Hotel – Sillybilly.ie Face Paintint and Balloon Modelling

For all other updates check out twitter.com/Sillybillyie

Every Saturday for the next 6 weeks Dublin City is inviting to “Summer in Dublin” events in different streets. There will be face painting, children’s entertainers, music, clowns, balloons, giant novelty games, ice cream courtesy of Murphy’s Ice Cream, performances coordinated by the Abbey Theatre and more. And all for free. And this week there will also be an outdoor cinema on Wolfe Tone Square, screening family films.

Dates and locations for the Summer in Dublin events are:
+ 06 July: Chatham Street
+ 13 July: North Earl Street
+ 20 July: South Anne Street
+ 27 July: Wolfe Tone Square
+ 03 Aug: South William Street
+ 10 Aug: Talbot Street

For July and August, the National Gallery is inviting to near daily summer talks (two talks of 30 min, Mon-Sat) on aspects of Irish & European art. All talks take place in the National Gallery Lecture Theatre and admission is free. No booking is required.

The themes are:

+ Monday & Thursday: 13:00: Early 20th century Irish art / 15:00: Highlights of the Gallery’s Collection
+ Tuesday & Friday: 13:00: The World of Jack B. Yeats / 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection
+ Wednesday: 13:00: Exploring a Picture / 15:00: Aspects of Irish Art
+ Saturday: 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection

The IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings and is increasing it to a daily screening.
In celebration of the Irish Jewish Gathering (21-28 July) and the contribution of Irish Jewry to the cultural life the IFI present a selection of short films made by Jewish-Irish filmmakers in July.
The daily programmes are here
01+05+09+13+17+22+26+30 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-july-2013/
02+06+10+14+18+23+27+31 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-july-2013/
03+07+11+15+19+24+28 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-3-july-2013/
04+08+12+16+20+25+29 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-4-july-2013/

An Art & Hobby craft session, face-painting & games willl take place in the Town Square area as part of the summer programme at Dundrum Town Centre. Participation is free.

A Flower Pressing Workshop for kids will take place:
“Kids, get great tips from the experts and you too can be a plant collector. Join us on an expedition through the gardens identifying and collecting suitable plants for pressing before constructing your own flower press and starting your very own dried plant collection.” Admission is free but pre-booking with the Visitors Centre on 01-8570909 is required.

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 Vodafone Comedy Festival is taking place this weekend in Iveagh Gardens. The festival is definitely not a free event with tickets for each of the 36x 1.5-hour comedy slots going for a ticket price of EUR 20-28. EUR 56 for an evening (approx. 3 hrs) of comedy seems steep to me, but I am no expert! The programme is here www.vodafonecomedy.com/programme/ and I will let you decide.

The reason why I am mentioning the Vodafone Comedy Festival is because they do also have a free programme in Iveag Gardens: The Vodafone Nut Hut is providing the folloiwng free events:

Sat 27 July
16:30-17:30 Greg Proop’s “The Smartest Man in the World Proopcast”
19:00-20:00 Nut Hut Bingo – MC Karl Spain & Guests
21:30-22:30 Stand Up in the Nut Hut

Sun 28 July
15:30-17:00 Bookworms – Kevin Gildea & Guests
19:00-20:00 Gunther’s Sunday Roast – with Karl Spain, Kevin Gildea & Ian Coppinger

A traditional Ceili with a long history is taking place in Cabinteely on Saturday and everybody is welcome. Participation is free.

The Aqualights will perform an acoustic set in the new Beerhouse in Capel Street every Saturday. Admission is free. www.facebook.com/TheAqualights

During the Bray Summer Fest there are numerous gigs taking place on the Bandstand at the Seafront and all gigs are free. Two gigs take place per night. The first starts at 20:00 and the second at 21:30. The line-up is:

Sat 27 Jul: Kodachromes / The Boonettes
Sat 28 Jul: 15:00 Barisons Wind Orchestra & Chamber Choir
Fri 02 Aug: The Cujo Family / Empire Saints

Find all details on the website www.braysummerfest.com or download the programme brochure here www.braysummerfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/BSF-2013-Brochure.pdf

This is a weekly Saturday night jazz event in the basement Wine Cave of KC Peaches wholefood restaurant/café. Food will be served until 22:00 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 Stillorgan Orchard provides regular live music. The upcoming gigs are listed on the website below.

Dogs perform in the Midnight Hour at Whelan’s and are supported by Elaine Mai. The gig starts at midnight and admission is free if you arrive before 22:30.

The Nuit Blanche (White Night) originated in Paris in 1984 as an all-night or nighttime arts festival. In the same spirit Hunt & Gather are opening the doors of huge Moxie studios to host a curious evening of art, props, instillations, live music, secret wanderlust cinema and performances by the legendary Milk and Cookies and PETTYCASH. Along side this evening of savory sensory delight, “The Great Exchange”, one of the largest indoor markets Dublin has seen to date will take place. The market will offer a mixture of art, fashion, craft, vintage, street food stalls and baked goods.

Enjoy this evening of art, creativity, magic and pleasant surprises!

Nuit Blanche is a free event however there will be a suggested EUR 2 donation at the door, which will be distributed among the performers.

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 Merchants Market on East Wall Road is a relatively new weekly market on Saturdays and Sundays with more than 80 stalls. There is everything from furniture and antiques to paintings and mirrors, electronics and hot food to bicycles and buns. Sounds interesting and I will check it out over the coming weeks. It is just a few minutes walk away from the Point Theatre/O2 (walk in the direction of the Port Tunnel). www.facebook.com/merchantsindoormarket

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.

As part of the Malahide Has It Festival, the Master Ding Academy will run a free Tai Chi class. It is an open class, so everyone is welcome.

Fingal is celebrating the Year of Illustration in 2013 and Children’s Books Ireland, Laureate Na nÓg Niamh Sharkey, Fingal Arts Office and the Office of Public Works are inviting to a fun-packed family day for the young and old bookworms in your family.

Working with a range of authors, illustrators and facilitators the day will create opportunities for familes to come together to enjoy picture books and explore the wondrous world of literature and visual arts. Admission is free and there is no need to book. All workshop materials will be provided.

The schedule on the day is
+ 10:30-12:00 + 12:30-16:00 Monster Doodle for under 6’s with illustrator Marie Louise Fitzpatrick
+ 10:30-16:00 The Picture Book Treasure Hunt – Discover the clues throughout the grounds of Farmleigh House
+ 11:00-15:00 Drop-in Book Clinic with Book Doctors David Maybury & Kim Harte where you get a prescription for a new exciting read.

If I was a child I would definitely want to go to that event! :-)

In parallel to this great event there will also be music on the bandstand in the gardens of Farmleigh House from 14:00-16:00 with the Dublin Concert Band.

The Children’s Art Cart Workshops will be held again in the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre (01-6770095) every Sunday from 24 March to 22 December 2013. Currently the workshop is still free, but there is a possibility that a fee will be introduced at some point. Children must be over 6 years of age and must be supervised by an adult.
You can’t pre-book, so early arrival is required because there are only 20 places per session.

The themes are:
28 July: Medieval Life – includes a visit to Ashtown Castle
04 Aug: Creepy Crawlies in the Park
11 Aug: Animal Masks
18 Aug: Trees – what would we do without the them?
25 Aug: Make a Surprise

The next Dublin Flea Market is taking place in the Food Coop, 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. 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!”
The Coop Hall is wheelchair accessible and lots of free parking spaces are right outside the door.

There seem to be TWO weekly markets on Long Mile Road and both are very close to each other. One is behind Wigoders on Long Mile Road (across the road from Aldi). It hosts more than 50 stalls and there is also a Cafe on site. www.facebook.com/WigodersLongmileMarket And the other one is just on the other side of the road, next to Aldi. www.facebook.com/TheLongMileRdMarket

The “Malahide Has It” Festival will take place this weekend. The name of the festival is a little odd, but the festival looks interesting with lots of events for the whole family. The website at www.malahidehasit.com/ was not working properly when I checked it. It showed an empty page in the Firefox Browser, but with the Chrome Browser, I was able to access it. However, the only relevant link for you is the programme, which is a downloadable PDF here.

On Sat+Sun a Fun Fair will be in Malahide (11:00-22:00), there will be free face painting, a children play area, a chess tournament, Live Music (14:00-22:00) in New Street, Puppet Shows, Storytelling, a Flower Show, an All-Day Cup Cake party and Food Stalls. On Saturday there will also be a Historical Walk at 15:00 and on Sunday a “Tug O War” will take place at 16:00 (It is ominously labelled as the yearly “highlight”. ;-) ).

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 Ferocious Mingle Marcade (Market and Arcade) place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday it is a fancy dress market. It’s a flea-market type permanent market with stalls and “chalets” for traders. The Oscar Verne Café on site and (at least at the weekends) live music adds even more character.

“Up the Poll” is Sean Walsh’s new Comedy Show and the pilot show of it will be recorded on Sunday from 11:30 in the Sugar Club. You can be part of the live audience and admission is free. Sean Walsh appeared in “Never Mind the Buzzcocks” and in “Mock the Week”. In this show, two teams of comedians will answer questions about the nation’s filthy habits and dirty secrets.

The comedians on the panel will be Jarlath Regan, Niamh Marron, Colm O’Regan, Abie Philbin Bowman and Will Hanafin.

To secure your place you have to contact comedy@bigmountainproductions.com or call Sean on 085-2356977. The event is strictly over 18s only. Because it is a recording of a pilot show, expect that the whole event takes longer than a normal comedy show and make sure that you have the time for it. Check at registration how much time is required!

The Festival of Curiosity is Dublin’s new yearly festival of science & culture and will take place from 25-28 July.
Enter the curious world of imagination and exploration where you will think, play and make. Throughout the festival there will be a unique series of hands-on activities, treasure hunts, workshops, robot building, a curiosity carnivall, interactive installations, street games, science busking, interactive theatre and science storytelling – for all the family.

The festival started on Thursday and there are a number of free and non-free event. Many events needed pre-booking and it definitely turned out that the huge interest was much bigger than the capacity of the festival. So the remaining events are somewhat limited, but check the website below for all events and find a list of free events taking place on Saturday and Sunday here:

+ Dublin Mini Maker Faire (It is listed separately in this edition of the Dublin Event Guide, but it is part of the Festival of Curiosity this weekend.)

+ Science in the City Treasure Hunt (Requires pre-booking online but is free) Sat + Sun 10:30-16:00 from Dublin City Hall
Explore Science in the City through a curious trail of riddles, puzzles and fun science for all the family. A fun day out for for all the family, participating teams will have the chance to win great family prizes to continue exploring science in the city including an annual Family Pass for Dublin Zoo, Membership for the Science Gallery, and the acclaimed Ingenious Ireland Walking Tours.

+ Amazing Science in Temple Bar Gallery + Studios (11:30-16:30 on Sat+Sun)
Reinventing the first American Science Fiction Magainze, published in 1926, with twenty-first century science through a blend of creative writing, 1920’s shock graphics and pop-culture.

+ Illusion at Science Gallery (It is listed separately in this edition of the Dublin Event Guide, but it is part of the Festival of Curiosity this weekend.)

+ Lego Education Station at Filmbase, Curved Street, Temple Bar (11:30-16:30)

+ Physics Busking – Science on the Street in Temple Bar (Sun: 12:00-16:00)
Be amazed by Science Demonstrations for everyone on the streets of Temple Bar

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.

If you go to the Maker Faire this week, you might as well check out that great Science Gallery Exhibition: The exhibition will run from 12 July-29 Sept, but I won’t be able to remind you every week, so you better go early. :-) Admission is free.

The exhibition is all about Illusions and it is a “perception-shattering insight into the human mind, playfully combining the techniques used by magicians and explored by psychologists.”

More than 20 installations will deceive your eyes (and ears) and will show you that what we perceive is often radically different from the reality. You will find impressive and amazing things, but nothing will be boring! The exhibition is suitable for all ages, so bring your children or – if you don’t have any – just bring yourself.

I have seen nearly every Science Gallery exhibition and I would say this is definitely one of the best.

ILLUSION was curated by psychologist, author and magician Richard Wiseman, and was researched by deception artist Paul Gleeson and a large group of mediators are available in the gallery to explain all the things that you see (or hear) to you.

Have a look at the website below to see an outline on what is on show. I strongly recommend that you see the show and tell me afterwards what you thought about it: dublineventguide@gmail.com (During the week (Tues-Fri) the exhibition is open until 20:00 and from 12:00 and on Sat+Sun; 12:00-18:00).

An indoor market in Coolock with over 40 traders with a wide range of goods and a café on site as well.

Ireland’s “most fun run” is taking place on the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire. At the Rainbow Run, which is suitably sponsored by washing powder company Vanish, the participants will be doused from head to toe in coloured powder. Participation is not free (it costs EUR 32.54 (!) to participate) but you can watch the event for free and you are invited to take part in the post race party.

The 5 km run is not really a race, it is not even timed. It is just good fun and who can have something against that. Participants and guests are asked to wear white clothes and be prepared that you will definitely get colourful. All details about the run and the colour used etc are explained on the website below (in the FAQ section). Tickets are still available on the day.

Sillybilly provides event entertainment and they have a whole range of events taking place in July and August. At events they usually provide Music & Magic Shows and Ballon modelling and often also Face Painting.

A few of the upcoming events are:

Sat 27 July: 14:00-16:00 IKEA – Sillybilly.ie Magic Show with Balloon Modeling
Sun 28 Jul: 13:00-15:00 Bewley’s Hotel – Sillybilly.ie Face Paintint and Balloon Modelling

For all other updates check out twitter.com/Sillybillyie

An Arabic language tour with Karma Shawa will take place in the Chester Beatty Library. Admission is free.

The IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings and is increasing it to a daily screening.
In celebration of the Irish Jewish Gathering (21-28 July) and the contribution of Irish Jewry to the cultural life the IFI present a selection of short films made by Jewish-Irish filmmakers in July.
The daily programmes are here
01+05+09+13+17+22+26+30 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-july-2013/
02+06+10+14+18+23+27+31 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-july-2013/
03+07+11+15+19+24+28 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-3-july-2013/
04+08+12+16+20+25+29 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-4-july-2013/

A Japanese language tour with Hiromi Anzai will take place in the Chester Beatty Library.

The “Dublin Sketchers” is an informal group of typically hobby artists who go somewhere different in Dublin every Sunday (e.g. National Museum, Maritime Museum, Dublin Flea Market, Farmleigh, Botanic Gardens, Dublin Castle), 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 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!

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

Come to the Family Drawing Sundays in the RHA. All children are welcome to use the RHA Art Cart, in the RHA Atrium. Admission is free. For further information, contact Ruth Carroll on 01 6612558 or via ruth@rhagallery.ie

The Giddy Studios Instant Painting Project will take place in the Town Square as part of the Dundrum Town Centre Summer Festival. Paint your very own piece of pottery with your friends and family. Admission is free and no booking required.

Oscar’s Cafe Bar invites to their Jazz Brunch every Sunday. The brunch starts at 11:30 and there will be Jazz Music from 14:30-17:00. Admission is free.

The line-up is 28 July: Colette Cassidy

Barisons Wind Orchestra is the leading youth wind orchestra in Surrey, UK. Comprised of 20 woodwind, brass and percussion players, the band performs an eclectic blend of musical styles ranging from Vaughan Williams ‘English Folk Suite’ to film music such as ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. The Barisons Chamber Choir has a repertoire ranging from classical pieces such as Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Karl Jenkin’s The Armed Man, to Gospel, Pop and Swing.

The Barisons Wind Orchestra & Chamber Choir are on a concert tour in Ireland and will perform in Bray on the Bandstand on Sunday from 15:00. 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.

The Film Screening “Rodin-The Sculptor’s View” will take place.

Admission is free and no booking is required, however places are limited.

Saucy Sundays is a weekly free live music afternoon and evening in the Grand Social. The line-up and links to all bands/performers are available via the Saucy Sundays Facebook Page (see link below). In brief: Motorcycle Display Team, Tracks, Shay Cotter, Kicking Bird, The Winters, Waking Up Sunday, The Moves, Ciara Ashmore.

The Trinity Bar, nect to the Cetntral Bank on Dame Street, has live music four nights/afternoons every week and admission is free:
Tues – 20:00: Theo Red (Alternative Rock)
Wed – 20:00: Tara Hill (Folk Rock, Celtic and Traditional)
Thurs – 20:00: Pachino Brothers (cover versions, oldies and own material)
Sun – 17:00: Traditional LIve Music

A four week Yoga course takes place from 14 July. All levels are welcome. Bring a yoga/excercise mat. Admission is free, donations are welcome.

The wedding and party band The Long John Jump Band play every Sunday evening in Café en Seine. Admission is free.

“Psycho-geography: An exercise to Remember My Future” is a play that voyages through the theatres of Diana’s memory who came from the US with her parents to Medellin in the 90s, one of the most violent cities in the world. As an immigrant for the second time and adult for the first time, she had to come to terms with her personal and family stories in the midst of an ongoing history of war.

This is an open dress rehearsal for Diana De Fex’s solo show. admission is free and all are welcome. After the dress rehearsal, the play will premiere at the Camden Fringe festival in London.

“A MUSING” is the stand-up comedy and original poetry performance by Dave Hynes and special guests. It takes place on the last Sunday of the month with doors at 18:30 and the performance at 19:00. Admission is free.

Accents Coffee & Tea Lounge is an alcohol free cafe, open until 23:00 on 7 days a week.

Rackhouse Pilfer, a six-piece bluegrass, folk, alt-country and Americana Band from Sligo, are performing in the Live from the Window slot in Whelan’s. Admission is free.

The Vodafone Comedy Festival is taking place this weekend in Iveagh Gardens. The festival is definitely not a free event with tickets for each of the 36x 1.5-hour comedy slots going for a ticket price of EUR 20-28. EUR 56 for an evening (approx. 3 hrs) of comedy seems steep to me, but I am no expert! The programme is here www.vodafonecomedy.com/programme/ and I will let you decide.

The reason why I am mentioning the Vodafone Comedy Festival is because they do also have a free programme in Iveag Gardens: The Vodafone Nut Hut is providing the folloiwng free events:

Sun 28 July
15:30-17:00 Bookworms – Kevin Gildea & Guests
19:00-20:00 Gunther’s Sunday Roast – with Karl Spain, Kevin Gildea & Ian Coppinger

During the Bray Summer Fest there are numerous gigs taking place on the Bandstand at the Seafront and all gigs are free. Two gigs take place per night. The first starts at 20:00 and the second at 21:30. The line-up is:

Sat 27 Jul: Kodachromes / The Boonettes
Sat 28 Jul: 15:00 Barisons Wind Orchestra & Chamber Choir
Fri 02 Aug: The Cujo Family / Empire Saints

Find all details on the website www.braysummerfest.com or download the programme brochure here www.braysummerfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/BSF-2013-Brochure.pdf

Every Sunday a band will play from 21:00-22:30, a Latin Beat Club, Brazilian DJs and Salsa Classes (from 18:00) are additional features. 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 Sun+Mon. 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).

Rogério from the Brazilian dance project “Forró de Lampião” in Dublin tells me: Forró de Lampião is Brazilian music that has the same roots as Samba and there is a whole culture that has developed around “forro”. Every Sunday, free dance classes take place in the Grand Social (new loation!) and if you are interested, just turn up one Sunday.

“Rhythm Rocker at The Globe” is a weekly event on Sunday night in The Globe in Sth Great Georges Street, Dublin 2. It is a Rockabilly, R’n’R, Roots night with alternating (week by week) live bands Pavement Kings, Donna & The Sazzy Catz, The Mosquitoes and The Pacifics from 21:00 and with DJs from 23:00-01:30. 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.

The weekly Sunday Roast is a free event in the Mercantile where live music is combined with free roast potatoes. The line-up for the upcoming Sunday Roast is available via the Sunday Roast Facebook Page (see link below). In brief: The Cold Draw, Waking up Sunday and Los Cripis.

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 Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

Bootcamp Ireland run outdoor fitness classes and are now on the hunt for new recruits. To give you a chance to try out their training, they are running free BootcampGO session this month at a whole variety of parks in Dublin.

“BootcampGO is a free one-hour mixed ability group fitness class led by Bootcamp Ireland’s instructors. Sessions are designed to give newcomers an introduction to “Life Style Sports Bootcamp Ireland” a fun, exhilarating and highly effective way to get outside and get fit with a group of like-minded class mates.” All classes are free but places limited. Check the website below for locations and availability at your local Park.

The upcoming locations are
29 July: Bushy Park (10:00) + Marlay Park (18:15)
30 July: Mummy Bootcamp Marlay Park (10:30) + Castleknock College (18:30)
31 July: Herbert Park (19:15)
01 Aug: Bushy Park (18:15)

A series of lectures in memory of Proinsias Mac Cana are to be delivered in the Royal Irish Academy and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies by Professor David Dumville Sixth-century Professor in History, Palaeography & Celtic University of Aberdeen. The theme is “From Late Antiquity to Early Modernity: Towards a New History of Gaelic Literature, A.D. 250 – 1750” and the individual talks are

10:00: The questions of barbarity, civility, and modernity in Gaelic history and culture
11:30: The colonial question and post-colonial analysis: the evil empire and its long shadow

Admission is free, booking is not required and everyone is welcome.

For more information see www.celt.dias.ie/antiquity

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.

For July and August, the National Gallery is inviting to near daily summer talks (two talks of 30 min, Mon-Sat) on aspects of Irish & European art. All talks take place in the National Gallery Lecture Theatre and admission is free. No booking is required.

The themes are:

+ Monday & Thursday: 13:00: Early 20th century Irish art / 15:00: Highlights of the Gallery’s Collection
+ Tuesday & Friday: 13:00: The World of Jack B. Yeats / 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection
+ Wednesday: 13:00: Exploring a Picture / 15:00: Aspects of Irish Art
+ Saturday: 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection

You are invited to a yoga & relaxation class at Exchange Dublin on Mondays at lunchtime. All levels of experience are welcome. The class will focus on finding and creating space to breathe, relax and expand into the body as we move and practice yoga. Please wear comfortable, loose clothing and bring along a yoga mat if possible. The class is free of charge but donations are welcome.

The IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings and is increasing it to a daily screening.
In celebration of the Irish Jewish Gathering (21-28 July) and the contribution of Irish Jewry to the cultural life the IFI present a selection of short films made by Jewish-Irish filmmakers in July.
The daily programmes are here
01+05+09+13+17+22+26+30 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-july-2013/
02+06+10+14+18+23+27+31 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-july-2013/
03+07+11+15+19+24+28 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-3-july-2013/
04+08+12+16+20+25+29 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-4-july-2013/

Poet and Lecturer Mark Granier will read poetry from ‘Poems to Learn by Heart’ edited by Caroline Kennedy. In ‘Poems to Learn by Heart’ Caroline Kennedy has chosen poems of deep emotions as well as ordinary experiences and poems that cover a range of human experiences and imagination. Admission is free and no booking required.

Please note: the reading will take place in the JFK: Homecoming exhibition space in 2 Kildare Street.

Dawn Duncan, author of Irish Myth, Lore and Legend on Film, will give an illustrated talk on ‘Childhood and the Magic of Myth’, focusing on the child’s struggle to overcome grief and achieve identity, and will discuss symbols of the heroic journey in Into the West, The Secret of Roan Inish, and In America.

Admission is free, but you have to collect your tickets from the IFI Box Office.

“Code for Dublin – Hack the Lockout” is a Community Hack Night (organised by Curate Dublin). Expert mentors will facilitate helping you build mobile apps, augmented reality, navigation aids, and citizen journalism. The idea is to assist a soon-to-be launched “Dublin Tenement Experience” museum by inventing digital tools to support their summer events.

Code for Dublin will run weekly through the summer (24 June – 26 August) and will highlight events surrounding dublintenementexperience.com. By the end of the summer you will be a coder/hacker and will have helped tell the story of Dublin’s past and life in the tenements.

Participation is free, but a donation of EUR 5 is requested to cover the cost of renting the venue and food/snack. Bring your Laptop (or tablet with keyboard) so that you can participate fully. If you have trouble finding the place, ring Shannon on 086-2282551. Free tickets and more information can be obtained on www.eventbrite.com/event/7226421421/eorg

The Lazy Band will perform in Bewley’s Cafe and special guest will be Niamh O Brien Rhiannon ( www.rhiannon.ie/ ). Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

The Monday Echo is a weekly songwriter and poetry live showcase held on Mondays in the basement of The International Bar. Usually, the show has 3 songwriters and 3 poets who perform for roughly 20 minutes each. Admission is free.
The weekly line-up can be found via the Facebook Page below.

“The Monthly General Meeting”, a monthly “nomadic night of creativity” will be in Generator at the Smithfield Square and the theme is this month “Own worst Enemy”. Admission is free.

The Comedy Crunch is a free Stand Up comedy event every Sunday and Monday. 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 4-piece band Loose Trad are performing every Monday in Mother Reilly’s. www.loosetrad.com/ Admission is free.

Every Monday, a mix of musicians from bands like The Seven Deadly Skins / Animal Cracker / Upbeat Generation / Crete Boom & more come together to play a free night of Rock & Reggae.

The Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

Bootcamp Ireland run outdoor fitness classes and are now on the hunt for new recruits. To give you a chance to try out their training, they are running free BootcampGO session this month at a whole variety of parks in Dublin.

“BootcampGO is a free one-hour mixed ability group fitness class led by Bootcamp Ireland’s instructors. Sessions are designed to give newcomers an introduction to “Life Style Sports Bootcamp Ireland” a fun, exhilarating and highly effective way to get outside and get fit with a group of like-minded class mates.” All classes are free but places limited. Check the website below for locations and availability at your local Park.

The upcoming locations are
29 July: Bushy Park (10:00) + Marlay Park (18:15)
30 July: Mummy Bootcamp Marlay Park (10:30) + Castleknock College (18:30)
31 July: Herbert Park (19:15)
01 Aug: Bushy Park (18:15)

“These Are a Few of My Favourite Things” is the title of a Walking Tour that Emily Gallagher will on Tuesday now as well. 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 egaldog@gmail.com or 085-2725095

“As part of the Irish Patchwork Exhibition, workshops for beginners will be led by members of the Irish Patchwork Society. Join the experts and get top-tips on how to get started at patchwork. Ages 8 upwards.”

Admission is free but pre-booking with the Visitor’s Centre at 01-8570909is required.

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 series of lunchtime lectures on different aspects of Irish family history research take place in July and August 2013. On Tuesday Jane & Maurice O’Keefe from Irish Life and Lore will talk about “Sense of Place through Irish Life and Lore”. Admission is free and no booking is required.

For July and August, the National Gallery is inviting to near daily summer talks (two talks of 30 min, Mon-Sat) on aspects of Irish & European art. All talks take place in the National Gallery Lecture Theatre and admission is free. No booking is required.

The themes are:

+ Monday & Thursday: 13:00: Early 20th century Irish art / 15:00: Highlights of the Gallery’s Collection
+ Tuesday & Friday: 13:00: The World of Jack B. Yeats / 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection
+ Wednesday: 13:00: Exploring a Picture / 15:00: Aspects of Irish Art
+ Saturday: 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection

The IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings and is increasing it to a daily screening.
In celebration of the Irish Jewish Gathering (21-28 July) and the contribution of Irish Jewry to the cultural life the IFI present a selection of short films made by Jewish-Irish filmmakers in July.
The daily programmes are here
01+05+09+13+17+22+26+30 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-july-2013/
02+06+10+14+18+23+27+31 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-july-2013/
03+07+11+15+19+24+28 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-3-july-2013/
04+08+12+16+20+25+29 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-4-july-2013/

“Through Streets Broad and Narrow: Benedict Kiely’s Dubliners” is the title of a lecture by Dr. Thomas O’Grady. The lecture is on the work of Benedict Kiely by the Director of Irish Studies at University of Massachusetts, Boston, Dr. Thomas O’Grady. Dr. O’Grady will be introduced by author, screenwriter and musician Ferdia MacAnna.

Admission is free and all are welcome.

This is an open mic night with Special Guests. Arrive, sign in (from 19:00) and play and if you are a performer you get a free beer. Admission is free.

A meeting group for women (age 18 and over) to learn to celebrate femininity, discuss themes ideas and philosophies, share, heal, drink tea, support each other, have some fun and make new friends. Discover and celebrate your inner Goddesses together.

Admission is free, but donations of up to EUR 5 to cover tea and for the use of the space are appreciated.

Open Mic Night with The Last Tycoons in O’Donoghue’s on Suffolk Street every Tues from 20:00. It’s free and anyone can get up, sing a song or do whatever they like.

The Trinity Bar, nect to the Cetntral Bank on Dame Street, has live music four nights/afternoons every week and admission is free:
Tues – 20:00: Theo Red (Alternative Rock)
Wed – 20:00: Tara Hill (Folk Rock, Celtic and Traditional)
Thurs – 20:00: Pachino Brothers (cover versions, oldies and own material)
Sun – 17:00: Traditional LIve Music

Exchange Words, a new scriptwriting (film and theatre) group is starting up again. It is a safe space where writers, artists and actors can come together to collaborate, create and have fun. The workshop is free and open to all.

More detail is here

www.exchangedublin.ie/ai1ec_event/exchange-words-is-back?instance_id=1296118

The weekly “Grand Folk Club” will feature Trad, Ballads, Americana, Folk, World Music & More. This Tuesday, the line-up is: The Annulments (Contemporary / Roots ). Admission is free.

White Chocolate is playing Rock Covers from 23:30 in The Mezz in Temple Bar.

The Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

Celebrate the start of the Celtic harvest festival of Lughnasadh with a look at a selection of intriguing objects linked to the Celts in the National Museum. Meet at the Reception Desk. No booking required. Tour suitable for all ages.

A guided walk “A Walk to Farmleigh covering it’s history” with Joyce Dillon. will take place in Phoenix Park. Participation 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.

Bird beaks can tell us a surprising amount about their owners. Join Birdwatch Ireland to find out more on this tour. Admission is free and no booking is required. Suitable for families with children aged 6-12 years.

For July and August, the National Gallery is inviting to near daily summer talks (two talks of 30 min, Mon-Sat) on aspects of Irish & European art. All talks take place in the National Gallery Lecture Theatre and admission is free. No booking is required.

The themes are:

+ Monday & Thursday: 13:00: Early 20th century Irish art / 15:00: Highlights of the Gallery’s Collection
+ Tuesday & Friday: 13:00: The World of Jack B. Yeats / 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection
+ Wednesday: 13:00: Exploring a Picture / 15:00: Aspects of Irish Art
+ Saturday: 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection

The IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings and is increasing it to a daily screening.
In celebration of the Irish Jewish Gathering (21-28 July) and the contribution of Irish Jewry to the cultural life the IFI present a selection of short films made by Jewish-Irish filmmakers in July.
The daily programmes are here
01+05+09+13+17+22+26+30 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-july-2013/
02+06+10+14+18+23+27+31 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-july-2013/
03+07+11+15+19+24+28 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-3-july-2013/
04+08+12+16+20+25+29 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-4-july-2013/

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.

If the terms in the title don’t mean anything to you, then it is very likely that this talk might not be for you. But – if you are intrested, read this to learn more. If the terms do have a meaning in your life, then check this out:

Gilt Tech isinviting to a Lucene presentation featuring LucidWorks CTO/cofounder Grant Ingersoll and Gilt Senior Engineer Ugo Matrangolo. Doors open at 18:30 with presentations beginning at 19:00. Go here to RSVP amd check all the details on the website below.

The IFI’s monthly Film Debate is taking place on Wednesday. Join in the debate at this month’s The Critical Take, when Martin McCabe, GradCAM Fellow at DIT; filmmaker Margaret Corkery; and Columb Gilna, IFI Collections Officer, will discuss three films. Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s Play, Pablo Berger’s Brothers Grimm inspired Blancanieves and the re-issue of Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder, showing this month in 3D.

Admission is free, but you have to collect tickets at the IFI Box Office.

Stretching the definition of the term “home” a good bit, Professor Mike Cronin, Academic Director, Boston College-Ireland will talk about the historic visit of JFK to Ireland in 1963 and entitled his talk “How nice it is just to be Irish: President Kennedy’s trip home.”

Admission is free and no booking required.

“Why so serious?” presents the first in a series of cult comedy classics. The first film to be screened will be the 1999?s sci-fi comedy ‘Galaxy Quest’, starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell and Alan Rickman.

Admission is free. Doors are at 19:00 and the screening starts at 20:00.

Bootcamp Ireland run outdoor fitness classes and are now on the hunt for new recruits. To give you a chance to try out their training, they are running free BootcampGO session this month at a whole variety of parks in Dublin.

“BootcampGO is a free one-hour mixed ability group fitness class led by Bootcamp Ireland’s instructors. Sessions are designed to give newcomers an introduction to “Life Style Sports Bootcamp Ireland” a fun, exhilarating and highly effective way to get outside and get fit with a group of like-minded class mates.” All classes are free but places limited. Check the website below for locations and availability at your local Park.

The upcoming locations are
29 July: Bushy Park (10:00) + Marlay Park (18:15)
30 July: Mummy Bootcamp Marlay Park (10:30) + Castleknock College (18:30)
31 July: Herbert Park (19:15)
01 Aug: Bushy Park (18:15)

The King Kong Club is a weekly music game-show in the Mercantile. 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.

The list of performers is not yet announced on their Facebook Page and I am not sure if it will be put up there, but check it anyway.

The Trinity Bar, nect to the Cetntral Bank on Dame Street, has live music four nights/afternoons every week and admission is free:
Tues – 20:00: Theo Red (Alternative Rock)
Wed – 20:00: Tara Hill (Folk Rock, Celtic and Traditional)
Thurs – 20:00: Pachino Brothers (cover versions, oldies and own material)
Sun – 17:00: Traditional LIve Music

“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.

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 Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

The Ferocious Mingle Marcade (Market and Arcade) place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday it is a fancy dress market. It’s a flea-market type permanent market with stalls and “chalets” for traders. The Oscar Verne Café on site and (at least at the weekends) live music adds even more character.

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 Dublin Food Co-op is open every Thursday at Newmarket for organic wholefoods and sustainable household products, plus over a dozen producer stalls offering organic fruit and veg., baked goods, dairy produce, wines, hot and cold food, etc.
The Co-op is also opened on Saturdays 09:30 – 16:30. 12:00-20:00.

The IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings and is increasing it to a daily screening in the summer months. The times vary a little from day to day (for the double bill on Saturdays 12:45), so make sure that you check the link below for the relevant day.

The daily programmes are
01+04+06+08+12+14+16+18+20+22+26+28+30 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-free/
02+05+07+09+11+13+15+19+21+23+25+27+29 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-free/
03+10+17+24+31 July: Saturday Double Bill www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-double-bill-free/

03+10+17+24+31

A lunchtime lectures on different aspects of Irish family history research will take place: William Roulston from the Ulster Historical Foundation will discuss Emigrant records.

Admission is free and no booking is required.

In its 13th year, Dublin City Council’s Art Office is inviting you to “Opera in the Open” every Thursday at 13:00 during August. Admission is free and the programme for 2013 is:
01 August: Tosca (Puccini)
08 August: Werther (Massenet)
15 August: The Turn of the Screw (Britten)
22 August: L’Elisir D’Amore (Donizetti)
29 August: Candide (Bernstein)
The leaflet is here: www.dublincity.ie/Press/Documents/OperaInThePark.pdf

For July and August, the National Gallery is inviting to near daily summer talks (two talks of 30 min, Mon-Sat) on aspects of Irish & European art. All talks take place in the National Gallery Lecture Theatre and admission is free. No booking is required.

The themes are:

+ Monday & Thursday: 13:00: Early 20th century Irish art / 15:00: Highlights of the Gallery’s Collection
+ Tuesday & Friday: 13:00: The World of Jack B. Yeats / 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection
+ Wednesday: 13:00: Exploring a Picture / 15:00: Aspects of Irish Art
+ Saturday: 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection

A Cinema in the Open film screening will take at 16:30 and at 19:00 on Thursday in the Pembroke Square area of Dundrum Twon Centre. The Movies will be announced 48hrs in advance and should be listed on the website below.

Bootcamp Ireland run outdoor fitness classes and are now on the hunt for new recruits. To give you a chance to try out their training, they are running free BootcampGO session this month at a whole variety of parks in Dublin.

“BootcampGO is a free one-hour mixed ability group fitness class led by Bootcamp Ireland’s instructors. Sessions are designed to give newcomers an introduction to “Life Style Sports Bootcamp Ireland” a fun, exhilarating and highly effective way to get outside and get fit with a group of like-minded class mates.” All classes are free but places limited. Check the website below for locations and availability at your local Park.

The upcoming locations are
29 July: Bushy Park (10:00) + Marlay Park (18:15)
30 July: Mummy Bootcamp Marlay Park (10:30) + Castleknock College (18:30)
31 July: Herbert Park (19:15)
01 Aug: Bushy Park (18:15)

“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 egaldog@gmail.com or 085-2725095

Processing Dublin is a social gathering for all interested in creative coding. Developers, designers, artists, hobbiests & the curious are all welcome. It is not just restricted to Processing coders, many themes and tools are presented, just bring your creative technology projects and ideas ! Processing Dublin was set up by Stephen Howell and Evangelos Kapros to spread the good word about programming and how it can be used within the arts and creative industries.

Processing Dublin organise meetings that are free and open to everyone on the 1st Thursday of every month.

Dimestore Recordings run a weekly event in Sweeney Mongrel’s, Dame Street (formerly Le Cirk) with a variety of bands and performers. It starts at 20:00, follow the link for the line up.

The Trinity Bar, nect to the Cetntral Bank on Dame Street, has live music four nights/afternoons every week and admission is free:
Tues – 20:00: Theo Red (Alternative Rock)
Wed – 20:00: Tara Hill (Folk Rock, Celtic and Traditional)
Thurs – 20:00: Pachino Brothers (cover versions, oldies and own material)
Sun – 17:00: Traditional LIve Music

Bad Boy Jake are every Thursday until the end of February in the newly re-opened Rathmines Inn, playing their rock, blues and Americana.

Jaime Nanci & The Blue Boys are playing a weekly gig in the Mercantile Hotel on Thursdays. Their music is swing, blues, bebop and doo wop. Admission is free.

The Max Zaska group and the Patrick Groenland group will perform on alternating Thursdays from 21:00 in the International Bar on 23 Wicklow Street.

“Thirsty Thursday” Open Mic Night from 21:00 in the Bridge Inn in Chapelizod Village.

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

Every Thursday a free Trad Session takes place in McNeills and often there are high profile Trad musicians performing. Until the end of August, that Thursday Session is part of the Steeple Sessions programme (www.steeplesessions.com )

Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters and The Hip Neck Blues Collective are performing in Whelan’s on Thursday. Admission is free before 22:30 and the gig starts at midnight.

The Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

Every year during the Dublin Horse Show, works from Ireland’s leading craft designers and creative art students are on display in the RDS Concert Hall. The RDS Student Art Awards and RDS National Crafts Competition Exhibition are an opportunity to view some of the best examples of work by craft designers and art students this country has to offer.

The exhibition runs in parallel wit the Horse Show, but the only day when admission is free is on Friday 02 Aug. After that you need a ticket to the Horse Show to get access to the exhibition.

The Ferocious Mingle Marcade (Market and Arcade) place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday it is a fancy dress market. It’s a flea-market type permanent market with stalls and “chalets” for traders. The Oscar Verne Café on site and (at least at the weekends) live music adds even more character.

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 IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings and is increasing it to a daily screening in the summer months. The times vary a little from day to day (for the double bill on Saturdays 12:45), so make sure that you check the link below for the relevant day.

The daily programmes are
01+04+06+08+12+14+16+18+20+22+26+28+30 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-free/
02+05+07+09+11+13+15+19+21+23+25+27+29 July: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-free/
03+10+17+24+31 July: Saturday Double Bill www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-double-bill-free/

03+10+17+24+31

For July and August, the National Gallery is inviting to near daily summer talks (two talks of 30 min, Mon-Sat) on aspects of Irish & European art. All talks take place in the National Gallery Lecture Theatre and admission is free. No booking is required.

The themes are:

+ Monday & Thursday: 13:00: Early 20th century Irish art / 15:00: Highlights of the Gallery’s Collection
+ Tuesday & Friday: 13:00: The World of Jack B. Yeats / 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection
+ Wednesday: 13:00: Exploring a Picture / 15:00: Aspects of Irish Art
+ Saturday: 15:00: Masterpieces of the European Collection

The new Flea Friday, a Flea Market in the Dark Hose Inn on Fridays will start from 19 April. You will find clothes, jewellery, cake, records, art, etc at the market. Admission is free.

Friday Night Live with Music at the Mill Pond will take place at Dundrum Town Centre. The perfomers will (hopefully) be announced on the website below before the event.

A free Greek and European Folk Dance class open to all. Contact Katerini Papathanasiou on papath.kat@gmail.com

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.

During the Bray Summer Fest there are numerous gigs taking place on the Bandstand at the Seafront and all gigs are free. Two gigs take place per night. The first starts at 20:00 and the second at 21:30. The line-up is:

Fri 02 Aug: The Cujo Family / Empire Saints

Find all details on the website www.braysummerfest.com or download the programme brochure here www.braysummerfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/BSF-2013-Brochure.pdf

“Dublin Tribal Spirit” is a weekly event that gives you the great experience of a drumming circle with african drums and authentic tribal rhythms. Tom and Sinead, who run that event are providing lots of drums for it and teach you the rhythms.

There is no formal admission charge for this event, but donations are expected. The organisers bring their own 20-30 drums to it every week, so they are looking for donations to keep the event going.

The Addison Lodge are inviting local bands, musicians, poets, comedians and performers to share their talents at the new Addison Lodge Open Mic Nights in Glasnevin (opposite the Botanic Gardens). The event takes place every week. Admission is free.

The Stillorgan Orchard provides regular live music. The upcoming gigs are detailed on the website below.