Dublin Event Guide 513: Easter at Farmleigh, Mad Hatters Tea Party, Cruinniu na Casca,

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

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

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

A whole range of Parkruns take place every week (and if you know some more, please tell me):
+ Malahide Park, Dublin Road, Malahide, Co. Dublin
+ Cabinteely Park, Old Bray Road, Cabinteely, Dublin 18
+ Shanganagh Park, Shankill, Co. Dublin
+ Marlay Park, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin, Co. Dublin
+ St. Anne’s Park, Raheny, Dublin 5
+ Father Collins Park, Donaghmeade/Clongriffin, Dublin 13
+ Tymon Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24
+ 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 LEAPin Summit is a day-long event full of talks by young entrepreneurs and change makers, addressing a young audience to empower them to think outside the box and to inspire them to “leap” into action.

Admission is free, but registration is required via the link below. On that page you will also find the full list of speakers.

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.

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 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.

Please note: The Science Gallery is open on Saturday, but closed on Easter Sunday and Monday!

The exhibition “Humans Need Not Apply” (10 Feb – 14 May) in the Science Gallery is looking at the influence robots will have on our society, on our lives and on jobs. How will robots replace humans? How can robots be creative? And is automation maybe going too far?

About 27 exhibits will ask and answer these questions. When you come into the exhibition space in the Science Gallery the little desk lamp robot Pinokio will greet you with all its friendliness and curiosity (that’s MY interpretation of Pinokio’s behaviour). And the three Doppelgänger robots upstairs will move, even dance with you. But more robots and automation will also have possibly some negative effects and “The Great Disengagement” looks at how we human beings might rebel against robots when they have taken our jobs and more away.

The exhibition has many many facets and it is extremely interesting. There are fascinating and intriguing exhibits and maybe more unexpected ones like the “tickle robot”. I strongly recommend the exhibition and can definitely say that it is suitable for ALL ages, even younger kids can get something out of it.

Use the help of the amazing mediators, who can explain everything you see, especially if you don’t want to read all the explanations that are next to every exhibit.

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

Admission is free.

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

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

Admission is free.

“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.

Check out the eel that swallowed a frog, a smelly pilot whale skull and giant fossil skeletons found in Irish bogs at this tour at the “Dead Zoo” (which is the Natural History Museum) and discover more about the history of the collections and the animals on display.

Admission is free. The tours take place at 14:15 and 15:30. Suitable for Age 8+.

Singer/Songwriter CC Breez will play a gig in the Bowery.

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.

Nile St James will play Soul, Funk and Blues at this gig.

Admission is free.

The Poor Boys will play a gig in Swords.

Admission is free. The start time is a guess as the Facebook Page doesn’t help with that information.

The D-Riculous All Stars will play a gig in Sin E on Saturday.

Admission is free.

The Queen Tribute Act “Flash Harry” will perform in The Church on Saturday.

Admission is free.

Deep Sky Objects will play a gig from midnight. Support will come from “Montauk Hotel”.

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

HAPPY EASTER!!

It is Easter Sunday today and unlike on Christmas Day, life continues. Easter is a different time of a festival than Christmas and so there will be all pubs and shops open today. On the museum side, though, you might have to expect some closed doors, but the National Gallery and the three National Museum sites in Dublin are open. (The Science Gallery and the National Print Museum are closed.)

Despite the pubs being open, it is possible however that some of the regular events won’t happen today because some event organisers sometimes take a day off too. ;-)

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

Admission for buyers is free.

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

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

An Easter Design & Crafts Market will take place on Sunday in Filmbase with Designers, Milliners, Homewear, Paper Crafts and Textiles Designers.

Admission is free.

The yearly Easter Programme at Farmleigh House is back. On Sunday and Monday whole range of events with a particular focus on children will take place.

There will also be a Food & Craft Market and a Plant Fair. Music on the bandstand (14:00-16:00) will be provided by the Blanchardstown Brass Band on Sunday and by the Drogheda Brass Band on Monday.

The programme for the kids consists of Puppet Shows (12:00, 13:15 and 14:15), Storytelling (13:00, 15:00 and 16:15) Drop-in Art Activities (11:00-16:30) and an Easter Egg Challenge (14:30-16:30).

There is also a Birds of Prey Show Display with Hawks, Falcons and Owls.

The full programme can be downloaded in PDF format here.

Admission to all events is free. The children’s events are on a first come first served basis.

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 + 15:30 and only 20 places are available on each tour.

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

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

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

The Brocante Market will take place on Sunday. It is a collection of antiques, furniture, vintage jewellery, collectables and curiosities from the past and present, second-hand, refurbished, antique and hand-crafted stuff for your house and garden. If you are an interior designer or just have and eye for style and are looking for a special piece or maybe a bargain then this is the market for you. The market is held every 3rd Sunday of the month.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

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

The 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.

Rumble in the Jumble is a bric-and-brac market in the Food Co-op. Unlike some of the other markets there (Sunday Fusion, Dublin Flea and Pure Vintage Market), the Rumble in the Jumble Market doesn’t seem to have that strong a “personality”. It seems to be a bit of everything. That’s not a bad thing, but makes it harder to write about. ;-)

Also on Sunday, the Brocante Furniture & Vintage Market will take place in the Green Door Market building on the other site of the Whiskey Distillery. So you get two markets in the same place.

The National Gallery is running a series of free themed family drop-in workshops from 11:30-13:30 every Sunday.

Inspired by the collection and the exhibitions in the National Gallery, these workshops are suitable for all ages from approx. 18 months to age 8. You can choose to stay for as long or as short a time as works for you.

The space will be divided by age and ability, and each child will be encouraged by Artist and NGI Education Assistant Caomhán Mac Con Iomaire and the week’s guest artist to create their own work on the week’s theme.

Admission is free and no booking required. Numbers are limited to 40 people at any one time but you can drop in and out whenever it suits you and as long as there is still space. Children have to be supervised at all times. The event takes place in the Atrium.

This week’s theme is: Design a Treasure Hunt

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.

The official Easter Rising Commemoration will take place on Sunday outside the GPO. The president and all sorts of politicians will attend this Military Ceremony. It usually involves some prayers, a reading of the Proclamation and the laying of a wreath by the President.

If you want to go, be there early otherwise you won’t get access. But you can see the whole event much better on RTE NOW if you are interested.

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 Mad Hatter Tea Party is back in Deerpark. There will be Make & Do activities for kids and a Teacup Ride, Giant Chess, Croquet and Hatwalk Fashion Show will be activities. Alice, the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter will also be there.

Admission is free. The event is roganised by dlr Events.

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 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

The Bagots Hutton Jazz Brunch takes place on Sundays from 12:00 with Jazz music from 14:00. The Noel Dumont and band will perform a mix of jazz, soul and lounge music.

Admission is free.

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.

“Spiritual and Dramatic: other paintings by Caravaggio and his followers in Rome” is the next Sunday talk with Adrian Le Harivel.

Admission is free.

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 famous Workman’s Club Bank Holiday Weekend Parties continue this Sunday with Live Music from The Dead Sets, Sun Mahshene, The Urges and Time Will Pass.

Is addition there is the Workman’s Karaoke Club and DJs spinning 80s, 90s and 00s tunes.

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

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).

No Recession will play a gig in Swords, but the start time has not been specified. So 21:00 is just a guess.

Admission is free.

Pretty Beast will play Rock & Electronics.

Admission is free.

Pretty Beast will play Rock & Electronics.

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.

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

Admission is free.

The Unusual Suspects will perform a gig in The Church on Sunday.

Admission is free.

The Dublin Blues Cartel will be in Whelan’s again and will perform mostly a version of New Orleans R’n’B with a classic rock twist, sandwiched with swing, Rock’n’Roll, Soul, Funk, Blues and rap of all eras. Admission is free.

The yearly Easter Programme at Farmleigh House is back. On Sunday and Monday whole range of events with a particular focus on children will take place.

There will also be a Food & Craft Market and a Plant Fair. Music on the bandstand (14:00-16:00) will be provided by the Blanchardstown Brass Band on Sunday and by the Drogheda Brass Band on Monday.

The programme for the kids consists of Puppet Shows (12:00, 13:15 and 14:15), Storytelling (13:00, 15:00 and 16:15) Drop-in Art Activities (11:00-16:30) and an Easter Egg Challenge (14:30-16:30).

There is also a Birds of Prey Show Display with Hawks, Falcons and Owls.

The full programme can be downloaded in PDF format here.

Admission to all events is free. The children’s events are on a first come first served basis.

Four the third year in a row a big cultural event will take place in Dublin on Easter Monday. In 2015 it was a celebration of pre-1916 Dublin in O’Connell Street, then in 2016 it was the big Easter Rising commemoration all over the city centre and this year this is followed by another big event that – without explicit historical background – celebrates creativity and culture in Ireland through a rich variety of live music and dance, coding, art and music workshops, talks and tastings, readings and screenings, special events and more.

Cruinniú na Cásca (I am told it means “Meeting at Easter”) is organised by RTE and runs from 11:00-18:00 as a family-friendly and completely free cultural event. There will be four main zones in Dublin at Custom House Quay, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle and Smithfield with a few more events taking place in Tallaght and a couple of other places in the City Centre.

There will be 19 events in the Customs House area, 60 in the St, Stephen’s Green area, 41 at Dublin Castle and 29 at Smithfield. So with nearly 150 events, you can imagine that I won’t be able to list them all here in the Dublin Event Guide (for Free Events). Instead, I suggest that you go to cruinniu.rte.ie/area/dublin/ where the full list can be found.

So how should you approach this big event? You have two options: Either work out a plan beforehand by checking the different events in the various zones and by putting a timed plan together. But with relatively long walking distances between the zones (for example from St. Stephen’s Green to Smithfield), you will probably waste more time than you get to spend at events. For that reason, I will select the zone that offers the most events that I might like and will stay there or maybe transfer just once to another zone. Yes, you might miss out on some great events, but you still get a nice mixed bag of culture.

One event that you shouldn’t miss (and I am admittedly TOTALLY biased here! :-) ) is the 20 minute performance of the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir on the bandstand in St. Stephen’s Green. You might know that I am actively involved with the choir in a technical role, so I will definitely be at the bandstand from 16:40-17:00.

By the way: The name “Cruinniú na Cásca” is – in my opinion – surprisingly marketing un-friendly if also non-Irish speakers are intended to be addressed. An easier “spellable” English-language subtitle might have helped, but at least our vocabulary after the event will be enriched by two new words. (In addition to the “Conas ata tu”. ;-) )

“Forgotten Voices” is a 2-hour walking tour that will explore the lives of the people who lived in Dublin’s inner city from the Georgian Period to the middle of the last century.

Meeting point is at the entrance of the Four Courts Dublin. The tour is free but donations are welcome and booking is required via email to jsfolkloregirl024@gmail.com or – if you can’t book beforehand – just show up on the day.

Private group bookings off up to 25 people can be accommodated at a different time and or day on request.

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 Choral Foundation conists of two choirs (Piccolo Lasso Children’s Choir and The Lassus Scholars) with a total of nearly 100 singers.At this MusicTown Festival event, the two choirs will entertain their audience on a Walking Tour through Dublin with a number of outdoor concerts. They will sing Dublin songs, folk songs and songs from the movies and this route:

Wolfe Tone Sq -> Italian Quarter -> Millenium Bridge -> Temple Bar Square -> Andrew Street – > South William Street -> South King Street.

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.

A puppet theatre performance by The Moon and Sixpence, Ireland’s travelling marionette theatre company, will take place at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre on Monday at 13:30 and again at 15:00.

Admission is free.

The Hugh Lane Gallery is running a Highlights Tour on Easter Monday.

Admission is free.

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 “3 Will Tour” is an “innovative Collaboration with Paula Cox, Paul Creane, and The Man Whom”. They will perform in the Harbour Bar on Easter Monday.

The time, however, puzzles me! The website says “11:59pm”. That’s a midnight gig? It’s possible, but why? And why on a day when everybody needs to go to work again on Tuesday? In case the time is wrong, I have put it at 21:00 here. But please check before going to the Harbour Bar.

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).

Gavin Povey is playing Rock ‘n’ Roll and more on the piano.

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

Admission is free.

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.

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.

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!

This talk will look at the statue of George Bernard Shaw and it will be given by Valerie Alexander. The talk is part of a series of short in-focus talks in front of key works in the Gallery.

Admission is free. Meet at the statue in the Millennium Wing.

“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

This tour of the exhibition “Yeats: The Life and Work of William Butler Yeats” looks in particular at his great contribution to the Irish Cultural Revival. Highlights will include his involvement in the foundation of the Abbey Theatre and partnership with Lady Gregory, the influence of Douglas Hyde and his promotion of Irish history, culture, art and folktales throughout his life.

Admission is free.

Commemorate Easter 1916 with a family friendly tour of the “Proclaiming a Republic: The 1916 Rising” exhibition.

Admission is free and tours will take place at 14:30 and 15:30. No booking required but places are limited and will be allocated 15 minutes before the tour starts. Suitable for adults and children aged 7+.

The Rathmines Library invites to a screening of a Russian film on every Tuesday in April.

Admission is free, but you will have to contact the library on 01-4973539, to find out the title of the film.

Did you ever want to try your hand at programming a robot, controlling your house from your phone or simply flashing some lights? This workshop will give you taste of how inputs and outputs on small computers such as the Raspberry Pi and Arduino, can be used to create smart solutions to everyday problems.

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

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.

“What Should We Forget? Memory and the philosophy of time” is the next Philosophy talk at Blackrock Library with Professor Sean Enda Power on Tuesday.

How valuable is memory? Some remembered events seem to only harm us, with no further value. Is there any value in holding on to them? Perhaps we cannot forget them. But, if we could, should we?

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-2888117

As part of One City, One Book, James Scannell from the Old Dublin Society will give a talk about German Spy Hermann Goertz and his time in Ireland during the Second World War.

Admission is free.

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.

The multidisciplinary talk series ‘Synesthesia’ (in collaboration with The Fumbally Exchange) will investigate our senses through discussions about design, science and performance. The second talk will be about our sense of time (chronoception).

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

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.

A Wildlife Tour of the People’s Gardens in Phoenix Park with the OPW Gardeners will take place on Wednesday. The meeting point will be inside the gates to The People’s Gardens (near Parkgate Street’s main entrance to Phoenix Park).

Admission is free.

Join the “Ancient Egyptian Animal Adventure” and explore two Museums in one day. Begin and collect the trail at the Museum of Natural History on Merrion Street and check out the animals of Africa. Then move across to the Museum of Archaeology on Kildare Street, where you will discover ancient Egyptian animal gods.

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.

Sharon Green runs creative collective “Queens of Neon”. Queens of Neon organise outstanding weddings and produce brand events at festivals, in addition to their own events.

At First Up she talks about her work and aspirations.

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

The next free public tour for parents, guardians, and carers of infants and young children will take place on Wednesday. The route of the tour is suitable for prams and strollers. Meet in the Millennium Wing.

“Spies Lies and Secret Messages” is a Fun Workshops with Aoife Munn in Dun Laoghaire.

The event will take place at 14:00-15:00 and at 15:30-16:30 and is suitable for Ages 7+.

Admission is free, but booking is required via Booking essential via 01-280 1147.

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.

Songwriter and poet Martin Hansard will read and perform songs from his debut book titled ‘IFIKA YOUIKA (The journey through the eye of a songster)’.

Pearse Street Library’s Speaking Words series, where writers read from their work, poetry, prose and the occasional short play, takes place on a Wednesday evening once a month. The readings include musical interludes and are often accompanied by imagery from the visual arts. Light refreshments always included.

Admission is free Refreshments and chat from 18:00.

Dublin Radio station Near FM will be hosting a series of talks about “Dublin and the Great War”. The talks will discuss women in war time, anti-war agitation, the influence of the Russian Revolution and the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the last talks will be:

19 April
Tom Burke: The Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Jennifer Wellington: Remembrance and the Great War

In addition to the talks, there will be songs from the era by the An Góilín Singers.
The events will be recorded and broadcasted in the summer.

Admission is free.

Local historian Michael O’Flanagan will give this talk about the historic Kilmainham Mill, on the banks of the Cammock, and with a history stretching at least as far back as the 16th century. The old Kilmainham Mills site has some fine mid-19th century industrial architecture, including a brick chimney stack.

Admission is free. Booking is recommended via 01 4533793

In this talk Dr Brian Hanley talks about the IRA and Nazi Germany.

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

“An Evening of Classical Music featuring excerpts from the 1920s to 1940s” in connection with the “Dublin: One City, One Book” events for Echoland by Joe Joyce will take place on Wednesday.

Admission is free, but registration is required via the link here.

Literary Magazine “Gorse” is launching their 8th edition in the Liquor Rooms with readings from the magazine’s contributors.

Admission is free.

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.

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

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

Admission is free, donations are welcome.

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

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

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

The next Inn Jokes Comedy night will featue Patrick McDonnell, Paul Tylak and Erin McGathy. MC and organiser is comedian Colm O’Regan.

Admission is free and 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).

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.

This is a chance to explore some of the artefacts from the Museum’s collection of objects for handling with Museum educators. It is a drop-in handling session for all ages.

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.

“Empty Teacups: Living Without Tea in WWII Ireland” is a talk with John Porter about the society’s reaction to tea rationing during WWII.

Admission is free and booking is required via the link below.

Twice every year, the Central Library together with the Local Enterprise Office in Dublin City are running a series of six free Business Lectures for everybody who wants to start or grow a business. The lectures will cover subjects such as the characteristics needed to run and fund your business. Digital marketing strategies and writing business plans will also be included.

The next series will take place on Thursdays from 18:30-20:00 between 23 March and 27 April.

Admission is free, but booking is required here. All topics and speakers are listed on that same website, but to make it easier for you, they are also here:

23 March: Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur – How You Can Create and Produce Ideas
30 March: Creating the best Business Plan for your Business
06 Apr: Market Research Skills – What You Need To Do To Be Successful
13 Apr: Managing your Online Presence – Having A Digital Plan To Help You Increase Sales
20 Apr: Financial Support and Grants for Entrepreneurs
27 Apr: Essential Supports and Services for Entrepreneurs – Who’s Out There To Help You

“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.

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

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

Admission is free.

Hard Rock Rising Battle of the Band competition is back and the best local acts twill win the chance to perform at a halftime show at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Admission is free.

Good Name presents “Oose” at their slot in the Bernard Shaw Pub.

Admission is free.

Sarah Louise Keane, Clara Byrne and Evan Dempsey will perform in the “Live at the Liquor Rooms” slot on Thursday.

Admission is free.

A new weekly Table Quiz takes place in the Grand Social. Every Thursdayteams 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 Role of Urban Gardens in Pollinator Conservation” with Dr Jane Stout will explain how bee and hoverfly decline has stimulated widespread concern and actions, public and private, to conserve pollinators.

The talk will address the challenges to pollinator conservation in urban areas, discuss current research both in Ireland and elsewhere, and introduce guidelines developed by the All Ireland Pollinator Plan.

Admission is free.

Lagunitas Beers Presents “4/20 Party”. With Marcas Carcas & The Trail Gang and with support from Dave Griffin.

Admission is free.

The Orchid Collective will play Indie Folk Rock in the Harbour Bar.

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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 + 15:30 and only 20 places are available on each tour.

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

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.

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

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

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

Massimo Ammaniti, a well-known Italian developmental psychoanalysts, will be in Dublin and will give a talk about “La Famiglia adolescente” in Italian.

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

The free talk “Your Story is Your Superpower” will take place on Friday.

Our story is the heart of everything we do in life. It shapes our struggles and successes. Our greatest purpose, power and pain all come from the same place: our story. Exploring and embracing your unique story creates a thousand times more confidence, clarity and inspiration than a thousand abstract positive slogans.

Dave Rock from “Speaking Rocks” tells his story and will help you to find courage, creativity and clarity in your story.

Admission is free. More detail is on the Facebook Page below.

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 FSU Choir of the College of South Iceland Selfoss was founded as a mixed voice choir in 1983 by students at the FSU Collage in Selfoss, Iceland. Since its foundation, it has become one of the best known choirs in the south of Iceland. The choir is made up of 30-40 singers, male and female, ranging in age from 15 to 22 years.

Admission to their concert in St. Ann’s Church is free.

Jack Brouwer will be in the Hard Rock Cafe for an acoustic gig.

Admission is free.

The Dun Laoghaire Musical & Drama Society is inviting to a Fundraising event. Admission is free, but participation in the Horse Racing event is not.

Dundalk band “Accidents In The Workplace” will play a gig in the Bowery.Their music is funk, rock, blues etc.

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.

Hoodoo Reelin are playing a gig in Sin E.

Admission is free.

Leo O’Kelly and Garvan Gallagher will play a gig in the Patriot’s Inn.

Admission is free.

MINDRIOTmt and theis support Brand New Dead Things are playing a gig in Whelan’s.

Admission is free before 22:30 or if you sign up to the guest list via the website below.