Dublin Event Guide 512: MusicTown, Dublin Live Music Trail, Fusion Sundays, Trinity Week, Messiah on the Street

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.

Rama Navami is a Hindu Spring Festival and the Irish Indian Cultural Association is inviting you to celebrate this festival with them.

Find out all details on the Eventbrite site below.

Admission is free, but registration is required.

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.

Join Cartoon Saloon animator Rory Conway and discover how simple shapes can create complex characters in this interactive character design workshop.

The workshop will take place from 10:00-11:00 and again from 11:30-12:30 and it is suitable for children aged 6+.

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

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

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

The Contemporary Music Centre presents “Our Tunes – Immerse Yourself in Sound” as part of the Music Town festival.

“The children will set out on a musical journey from listening to creating. Exploring music through the ages, they will be encouraged to discover and be intrigued by the eclectic cellist, the virtuoso pan pipes player, the mesmerising flute & singer duo, the happy violist and the skilled percussionist performing with water.” Composer Karen Power will then lead them in a music composition workshop.

The programme is curated by cellist Adrian Mantu (Galway Music Residency/ RTÉ ConTempo Quartet) and it will take place from 10:00-13:00 for 6-8 year olds and from 14:00-17:00 for 8-10 year olds.

Admission is free, but registration was required via the link below. However at this stage registration has closed BUT you could go to the venue and hope for a cancellation. Prepare your child, though, because there might not be a cancellation!

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.

Japanese artist Hiroko Imada will demonstrate the woodblock printmaking process in the Chester Beatty Library. The event has been organised as part of the Experience Japan Festival.

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.

Hard Working Class Heroes and First Music Contact are organising six weekends of “Dublin Live Music Trails” this year. The performances will be 20 minutes long and will be acoustic in all sorts of usual and unusual venues. It is feasible to see & hear ALL gigs because they are all in walking distance and are happening consecutively, but you can also just dip in and out.

The first Music Trail weekend will take place during the MusicTown Festival this Saturday and Sunday (08+09 April) and the line-up and venues are listed below.

Admission is free to all gigs

Line up and schedule for Saturday are:

12.00 Gutter Bookshop: Maria Kelly
12.30 Dublin Ink: Damola
13.00 9 Crowes: Barq
13.30 Oxfam Georges Street: Young Earth
14.00 Stags Head: Peppy
14.30 Honest To Goodness: Participant
15.00 Irish Design Shop: Saramai
15.30 Tourist Office Suffolk Street: Cult Called Man
16.00 Irish Whiskey Museum: Train Room
16.30 Marys Bar: Fontaines

A map with all venues can be found 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. Grand Social’s Bar and Gourmet Coffee options are available.

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.

The Youth for Human Rights World Tour is coming to Ireland for the first time this year. There will be international guest speakers and discussions about human rights issues here and now. And there will be free food and entertainment.

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

Cartoon Saloon animator Rory Conway will introduce 13-16 year olds to the principles and processes involved in designing appealing and interesting characters, sharing techniques of shape, silhouette, 2D drawing and character construction.

The workshop will run from 13:30-15:00 and again from 15:15-16:45.

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

“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.

The Contemporary Music Centre presents “Our Tunes – Immerse Yourself in Sound” as part of the Music Town festival.

“The children will set out on a musical journey from listening to creating. Exploring music through the ages, they will be encouraged to discover and be intrigued by the eclectic cellist, the virtuoso pan pipes player, the mesmerising flute & singer duo, the happy violist and the skilled percussionist performing with water.” Composer Karen Power will then lead them in a music composition workshop.

The programme is curated by cellist Adrian Mantu (Galway Music Residency/ RTÉ ConTempo Quartet) and it will take place from 10:00-13:00 for 6-8 year olds and from 14:00-17:00 for 8-10 year olds.

Admission is free, but registration was required via the link below. However at this stage registration has closed BUT you could go to the venue and hope for a cancellation. Prepare your child, though, because there might not be a cancellation!

In the Emerging Artists Series of the Music Town festival, Marc Edison will host Naoise Roo and Hvmmingbyrd for an afternoon of music, song and chat. Hear the music and learn from the muisicians in a Q&A session.

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

“Mannskoret Arme Riddere”, the official male choir at the University of Bergen, Norway, will perform a concert in the Kathrine Brennan Hall at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Admission is free.

A Few Good Men are playing a gig in Swords.

Admission is free.

The Dublin International Choral Festival is a yearly celebration of choral music in Dublin’s iconic Cathedrals and churches.

And at this concert in St. Patrick’s Cathedral the Guilford High School Voices and Guilford High School Concert Choir from Connecticut, USA will sing choral works from the classical and contemporary repertoires. They will be joined by Dublin’s Rockmount Ladies Choir.

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

Butterscotch is a cover band that will play funk and R&B at their gig on Saturday.

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.

Montauk Hotel are a Dublin-based four piece indie-shimmer-pop act formed in 2016 who are influenced by the 80s bands The Cure and The Smiths, Montauk Hotel have created a unique shimmer pop sound that they brought to the Dublin live music scene late last year. The band h

Admission is free.

Pete Pamf will play a gig in the Harbour Bar. His music style is described as “Alternative”.

Admission is free.

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

Admission for buyers is free.

MusicTown from 07-16 April is a celebration of Dublin’s rich music heritage and lively contemporary music scene. When the festival was proposed by Ray Yeates (Dublin City Arts Officer) three years ago, it was suggested that it should focus only on classical music, but he had invited a large group of people with an interest in this area and luckily he did listen to them.

An important corner stone, and the reason why it takes place at this time in April, is Händel’s Messiah and it’s first performance in Dublin on 13 April 1742.

Over 11 days there will be many extra concerts, gigs and performances in Dublin and they are all listed on www.musictown.ie/schedule/

Many of the free events (but probably not all) will also be listed as separate events in this and the next Dublin Event Guide (for Free Events).

The Great Ireland Run is taking place in Phoenix Park on Sunday.

Participation is not free, but maybe you want to cheer on some runners or just watch them. It seems aslo as if there will be some entertainment along the course with about 5 stages along the whole distance, bit I have no information about the type of music/bands that will perform.

It is a 5km and a 10km run with start times of 09:30 for the 5km and 11:00 (women) and 11:20 (men) for the 10km run. Runs for kids start later in the day. The Start line is on Chesterfield Avenue and the Finish line on Furze Road.

The run takes over most of Phoenix Park and there is NO car parking available in Phoenix Park on Sunday (keep that in mind if you plan to go to the Zoo or for a walk in Phoenix Park.) In addition many roads in the park will be closed.

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.

Please note: The 10:00 and 12:00 tour will NOT take place on 09 April due to an event in Phoenix Park.

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

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

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

Finally since last year, guided tours were provided and were meant to run for three months until end of October 2016. But the interest was so great that the OPW decided to continue the tours with a reduced schedule over the winter. And since 02 April there will be tours again every Friday and Sunday at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 + 15:00 and only 20 places are available on each tour.

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

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

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

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

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

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

The National Gallery 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: Rock the Baroque

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.

Hard Working Class Heroes and First Music Contact are organising six weekends of “Dublin Live Music Trails” this year. The performances will be 20 minutes long and will be acoustic in all sorts of usual and unusual venues. It is feasible to see & hear ALL gigs because they are all in walking distance and are happening consecutively, but you can also just dip in and out.

The first Music Trail weekend will take place during the MusicTown Festival this Saturday and Sunday (08+09 April) and the line-up and venues are listed below.

Admission is free to all gigs

Line up and schedule for Sunday are:

12.00 Gutter Bookshop: Majia Sofia
12.30 Dublin Ink: Vulpynes
13.00 9 Crowes: Aik J
13.30 Oxfam Georges Street: Comrade Hat
14.00 Stags Head: Patrick Freeman
14.30 Honest To Goodness: Naoise Roo
15.00 Irish Design Shop: Clarence Winter
15.30 Tourist Office Suffolk Street: Miles Graham
16.00 Irish Whiskey Museum: Brian Casey
16.30 Marys Bar: Tiz Mc Namara

A map with all venues can be found on the website below.

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

Admission is free.

The exhibition “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.

A day-long percussion extravaganza at the Royal Irish Academy of Music featuring workshops, masterclasses, an array of pop-up performances and highly-charged collaborative concerts by percussionists from Ireland and special musical guests.

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

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

The next concert will feature the Ficino Ensemble performing works for harp and string quartet.

T.ej is a TEDx-style speaking and networking event with a Japanese twist. There will be a whole range of Japan-related talks and a screening of the Japan Foundation film “The Letter”. The film starts at 15:30 and you need a ticket to enter. (Over 18 only!)

The programme for the day is:
12:55 Opening & welcome
13:00 Japan: Land of Contrasts
13:15 How to Make Home-Made Sushi in Ireland
13:40 The Dream of a Summer Day
13:55 Our Shared Japan
14:10 Drawing the Sword
14:25 The Power of Pop Culture in Promoting Japan
15:00 My Japan a series of 3 min presentations
15:30 Film Screening “The Letter” (Japanese Film Festival 2017)
A Networking Reception follows after the film.

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

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.

An Intercultural Tour in Japanese Language with Community Ambassador Hiromi Anzai will take place.

Admission is free. Meeting point is in the atrium of the Library.

The Passion Project is a contemporary interpretation of The Passion and it will be performed in Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard.

The two-day performance entitled ‘The Passion Project’ will see well-known actors Donal O’Kelly and Roxanna Nic Liam lead a cast of hundreds of local people performing as actors, musicians, dancers and singers. The audience will become participants as they engage with the story of a young homeless woman who challenges a property developer.

All details including a schedule can be found on the website below. Admission to the performances is free.

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.

The Music Town 2017 Concert at the Chester Beatty Library this Sunday is “The Book of the Dead: Supernatural encounters at the margins of death.”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead is the inspiration for this recital of songs concerning supernatural encounters at the approach of death’s hour. A fragment of the Book of Death is exhibited in the Chester Beatty Library. It is a guide for the soul of the deceased through a series of trials to the Egyptian afterlife in the field of Rushes.

Admission is free.

The concert will take place at 14:00 and at 15:30.

The National Print Museum is inviting children (Aged 3-7) to their Education Area for a free storytelling session.

Admission is free with places offered on first come first served basis.

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

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

A talk about the “Establishment of the Phoenix Park in 1662” will take place on Sunday.

Admission is free.

“Guido Reni: Workshop Practices and Painting Techniques” is the title of this week’s Sunday Talk in the National Gallery with Art Historian Dr Aoife Brady

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.

You are invited to an afternoon of words, art, music and fist-fighting in the ring. The launch of “New Songs for the Greater Glory of the Irish State”, a collaborative book consisting of 24 radical poems whose core is praise of the Irish state will take place. The book was written by Anthony Augustus Colclough. There will also be 24 original works of art by visual artist David Lunney and 24 translations into Irish, by writer, poet and lyricist Proinsias Mac a’Bhaird.

The book will be launched by poet Michael O’Loughlin and a selection of poems will be read in Irish and English.

This will be interspersed with bouts of fist-fighting, highlighting the energy and virility of language and with live musical performances. In addition an exhibition of work created specifically for the project by artist David Lunney will be in the venue.

“The poems are at once heartfelt and playful, responding to infrastructural achievements and struggles, including municipal lighting, street paving and the water supply.”

Admission is free.

Travel around European traditional dancing culture without a ticket at the weekly Bal Folk Dance Sessions.

And if you don’t know how to dance, don’t worry! Workshops are provided and admission is free (donations are appreciated)

The event takes place every Sunday in the Cobblestone Pub.

This week, there will be two workshops followed by a social dance. The workshops are both by dancer and teacher Angela:
+ ADAMA VE SHAMAYIM – Learn the spectacular choreography of this Israeli dance
+ SBRANDO – Learn this energetic group dance from Italy.

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.

Every Sunday a Blues gig will take place in the Bowery.

Admission is free.

Raimonda Masiulyte (vocals) & Eamonn Moran (guitar) will perform jazz in The Barbers Pub.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

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

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Gives will play a Funk gig in the Harbour Bar.

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.

MusicTown from 07-16 April is a celebration of Dublin’s rich music heritage and lively contemporary music scene. When the festival was proposed by Ray Yeates (Dublin City Arts Officer) three years ago, it was suggested that it should focus only on classical music, but he had invited a large group of people with an interest in this area and luckily he did listen to them.

An important corner stone, and the reason why it takes place at this time in April, is Händel’s Messiah and it’s first performance in Dublin on 13 April 1742.

Over 11 days there will be many extra concerts, gigs and performances in Dublin and they are all listed on www.musictown.ie/schedule/

Many of the free events (but probably not all) will also be listed as separate events in this and the next Dublin Event Guide (for Free Events).

Trinity Week is a week long programme of events in TCD for students and staff, but also for the general public. This year the Faculty of Health Sciences will host the programme and the theme is “Health in Our Changing World: Discover, Understand, Act”.

All events are listed at www.tcd.ie/trinityweek/

There will be talks and walks and even a Chariots of Fire Race on Wednesday at 10:30. Most events are free.

Please note that I have NOT included any Trinity Week events separately in the Dublin Event Guide, instead you have to check them all out via the link above.

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.

“Director Mario Martone’s film, a scrupulously researched and cinematically staged period biopic, gives us the full sweep of the restless and often terribly unhappy events of 19th century Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi’s life, set within the turbulent context of early 19th-century Italian society, politics, and literature.”

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

Joe Joyce, the author of Echoland, which is the book that “One City, One Book” focuses on this year, will be in Garristown Library for a talk about his book writing.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-8355020

“George Russell (a.k.a AE): Literary witness to Irish history” is a talk by Daniel Mulhall (Ambassador of Ireland to Great Britain).

George Russell (AE), poet, painter, mystic and prominent public figure during the opening decades of the 20th century, was born in Lurgan, Co. Armagh on 10 April 1867. He became a leading figure in the Irish literary revival of the 1890s and was involved with W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory in setting up the Abbey Theatre in 1904.

Admission is free.

In connection with the One City, One Book event, dlr LexIcon invites to “An Evening of Songs and Melodies from the 1920s to the 1940s”.

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

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

Admission is free.

The Dublin Cycling Campaign is inviting to their next monthly meeting and the topic will be the introduction of the 30 km/h speed limit in Dublin. There will be a presentations by a Dublin City Council Engineer and three members of the Love 30 campaign.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

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 second Monday, the Bowery will run a Comedy Night.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

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

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 and 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 Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce (IC4) is inviting to “Lean Analytics: Using Data to Build a Better Startup Faster”, a 4-hour workshop by Alistair Croll. Alistair is the author of four books on technology and entrepreneurship, including the best-selling Lean Analytics.

Lean Analytics, the best-selling companion to The Lean Startup, shows how to use data to build a better business faster and is considered a must-read for entrepreneurs.

Admission is free, but booking is required.

MusicTown from 07-16 April is a celebration of Dublin’s rich music heritage and lively contemporary music scene. When the festival was proposed by Ray Yeates (Dublin City Arts Officer) three years ago, it was suggested that it should focus only on classical music, but he had invited a large group of people with an interest in this area and luckily he did listen to them.

An important corner stone, and the reason why it takes place at this time in April, is Händel’s Messiah and it’s first performance in Dublin on 13 April 1742.

Over 11 days there will be many extra concerts, gigs and performances in Dublin and they are all listed on www.musictown.ie/schedule/

Many of the free events (but probably not all) will also be listed as separate events in this and the next Dublin Event Guide (for Free Events).

Trinity Week is a week long programme of events in TCD for students and staff, but also for the general public. This year the Faculty of Health Sciences will host the programme and the theme is “Health in Our Changing World: Discover, Understand, Act”.

All events are listed at www.tcd.ie/trinityweek/

There will be talks and walks and even a Chariots of Fire Race on Wednesday at 10:30. Most events are free.

Please note that I have NOT included any Trinity Week events separately in the Dublin Event Guide, instead you have to check them all out via the link above.

“Combating Hate Speech in Print and Broadcast Media” is a one day seminar as part of the EU project “Respect Words – Ethical Journalism against Hate Speech”. The event is organised by Near FM and admission is free. Registration is required via the link below.

The Chester Beatty Library is inviting 12-14 year olds to a workshop about Middle Eastern Food.

“Join Abraham Phelan (Silk Road Café) for an introduction into the fascinating world of Middle Eastern ingredients, herbs and spices. Learn all about sumac and where chickpeas come from. Or find out what is the most expensive spice in the world? You will then be shown how to make falafel and hummus. Limited to 15 teens per session.”

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

“Les Petits Chanteurs de Strasbourg – Maîtrise de l’Opéra National du Rhin”, the children’s choir of the Strasbourg Opera will be in Dublin for a few concerts and their opening event will be at the launch of the “All Together in Dignity” project “When voices unite: Breaking the Silence to Leave No One Behind”.

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

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!

A series of lunchtime lectures in City Hall deal with “Remembrance & Commemoration: The First World War”.

The First World War was at the time the most devastating conflict in world history – never before had so many people been slaughtered and so many countries been involved. The commemoration of this tragic event required careful consideration. This series looks at commemoration in Belgium, Germany, Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State as they explored the legacy of a cruel war and tried to give a voice to the young men who had been killed or survived.

Admission to these lectures is free for the first 130 people. Doors open at 12:30 and the lecture begins at 13:10.

The four lectures in April are:
+ 04 April: Ireland and the Great War in Belgium. Lecture by Piet Chielens
+ 11 April: ‘Enough People have died: No one else should be killed in battle!’ How Kathe Kollwitz became a pacifist during World War I. Lecture by Dr Alexandra von dem Knesebeck.
+ 18 April: The Islandbridge Memorial Gardens. Lecture by Carole Walker
+ 25 April: Islandbridge – People, Places, Pictures. Lecture by Patrick Hugh Lynch

The Pop-up Talk “Banks of a Canal” by Gustave Caillebotte” with Barry Carroll will take place in front of the painiting in the Millennium wing.

Admission is free.

“Answering Questions in an Interview – Tips and advice to help you succeed” is a free talk by Kirsi Aalto, Corporate Psychologist.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01 873 3996

“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

Ballyfermot Library will run an Easter Arts and Crafts workshop for kids aged 6-9. Only 12 places are available so booking is required via 01 6269324. Admission is free.

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.

A live version of the Irish Times Women’s Podcast #Lostgirls will take place in Smock Alley Theatre on Tuesday.

Hosted by Roisin Ingle and in association with Plan International Ireland, the three speakers will talk about forced marriages, displacement and other violations women have to suffer.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Farag Elle a Lybian singer/songwriter who lives in Dublin.

For more details and to book your place at this free events, follow the link below.

Following the regular 2-hour workshop that introduces you to 3D printing is another 2-hour workshop “Let’s get technical”. It builds on the basic introduction workshop and introduces more technical tools for 3D modelling.

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

Blackrock Library invites to a trilogy of talks with professors of philosophy discussing philosophical questions around aspects of our lives.

The first one is “Philosophy and God” with Professor Paul O’Grady on Tuesday.

“For over two millennia, philosophers have used reason to consider issues about God’s existence and nature. In this talk, Paul O’Grady will explore some of the arguments for and against the existence of God.”

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

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.

“How to stack the odds against bowel cancer and save lives” is the next talk organised by the Irish Cancer Society Research Department.

Each year more than 1,000 Irish people die from bowel cancer. Half of bowel cancers are preventable and, if caught early, 19 out of 20 patients can be cured but the number of patients surviving past 5 years is dramatically lowered if the disease is not caught before it progresses to a late stage. Ireland has a free national bowel screening programme for over 60 year olds, but only 4 in 10 of those eligible take up the offer of the screen.

Prof. Robert Steele from the University of Dundee, Scotland, an expert in the prevention, early detection and treatment of bowel cancer, will outline the factors which increase the risk of bowel cancer and discuss the devastating impact of this disease.

Deirdre Ryan, screening promotion manager at the National Screening service, will explain the national bowel cancer screening programme.

This event is free but registration is required via the link below.

This event will be streamed live on the Irish Cancer Society Facebook page.

This is an event in German.

Stefanie Sargnagel is an Austrian author who shares thoughts, political comments and grotesque poetry about her precarious life on Facebook and has written three books that made her a cult figure in Austria.

Stefanie Sargnagel will read a selection of her texts (in German) and will discuss themn afterwards.

Admission is free, but booking is required.

Chamber Music, James Joyce’s first publication, is a collection of 36 lyrics meant to be put to music. They are mainly love poems and Olivier Litvine newly translated Chamber Music in an attempt to preserve the rhythm and intense lyricism of the original and come up with an autonomous equivalent in French.

The new translation will be launched at this event. Admission is free, but booking is required via the website below.

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

Admission is free but booking is required via 01 6689575.

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 “Dublin Rock Line” is a choir that invites everyone to sing with them for fun. There are no audtions and everyone from beginner to advanced is welcome.

Admission is free. but registration 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 band “Gossip” plays a gig in Bruxelles and admission is free.

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.

MusicTown from 07-16 April is a celebration of Dublin’s rich music heritage and lively contemporary music scene. When the festival was proposed by Ray Yeates (Dublin City Arts Officer) three years ago, it was suggested that it should focus only on classical music, but he had invited a large group of people with an interest in this area and luckily he did listen to them.

An important corner stone, and the reason why it takes place at this time in April, is Händel’s Messiah and it’s first performance in Dublin on 13 April 1742.

Over 11 days there will be many extra concerts, gigs and performances in Dublin and they are all listed on www.musictown.ie/schedule/

Many of the free events (but probably not all) will also be listed as separate events in this and the next Dublin Event Guide (for Free Events).

Trinity Week is a week long programme of events in TCD for students and staff, but also for the general public. This year the Faculty of Health Sciences will host the programme and the theme is “Health in Our Changing World: Discover, Understand, Act”.

All events are listed at www.tcd.ie/trinityweek/

There will be talks and walks and even a Chariots of Fire Race on Wednesday at 10:30. Most events are free.

Please note that I have NOT included any Trinity Week events separately in the Dublin Event Guide, instead you have to check them all out via the link above.

National Botanic Gardens Head Guide and author Glynn Anderson is inviting to a guided bird walk, uncovering the rich bird life of the Gardens. Bring binoculars if you have them, to take a closer look.

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

A workshop for 15-17 year olds about Kofta (That’s food! ;-) ) will take place.

“Join Abraham Phelan (Silk Road Café) for an introduction on all things kofta (savoury meat, cheese or vegetarian ball). You will work with your own private chef and learn the different ways of creating dishes using the basic kofta recipe including kofta pil tahini. Limited to 15 teens.”

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

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

“Remapping Trinity: A Literary Atlas of the University” is an event I can’t get my head around. It is a two day event that will create a literary atlas of Trinity College, but it is not clear how or what this atlas is meant to be and do.

It also is not clear who the event on 12+13 April is for and even the webiste is a little difficult to navigate (Big buttons with no description of what is behind them.)

It seems to be a free event, but you have to find out on your own what is really behind it.

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 come face to face with the animals of Africa. Complete the trail at the Museum of Archaeology on Kildare Street, where you will discover ancient Egyptian animal gods.

Admission is free and no booking 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.

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 “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.

“The Light that Failed: the 1957 Dundrum railcar collision” is a talk by James Scannell in the “Old Dublin Society (1934-2017)” talk series.

Admission is free.

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 list is here:

05 April:
Padraig Yeates: The influence of the Russian Revolution
John Dorney: Anti-war agitation in Dublin, socialists, pacifists and republicans

12 April
Niamh Murray: Irish Suffragettes and the Great War
Fionnuala Walsh: Women at work during the Great War

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.

Lisa McInernery second novel “The Blood Miracles” will be launched at this event.

Admission is free.

In 1939, with the bombing of the Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells theatres in London, the Irish Producer Tyrone Guthrie was entrusted with keeping over 200 actors, singers, dancers and musicians in employment, away from the blitz. He hired the Victoria Theatre and factories in Burnley, Lancashire, for rehearsals, before touring to remote venues and huge audiences appeared as if from nowhere.

Christopher Fitz-Simon will talk about Guthries based on information from the letters the producer sent to his mother and sister.

Admission is free, but booking is required.

Joe Joyce the author of this year’s “one City, One Book” book “Echoland” will be in Lucan Library to read from his works and to discuss his reasons for writing historical fiction from during the 2nd World War.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-6216422.

Naval historian and former radio officer Joe Varley talks about “Marconi and the Magic of Radio 1900-1950s”

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.

On 12 April 1961 Yuri Gagarin was the first human to fly into outer space. To celebrate the anniversary of the first human in space the screening of the movie “Gagarin: First in Space” will be screened and it tells the story of Yuri Gagarin’s amazing voyage.

The movie is a 2013 production in Russuan with English subtitles. The doors open at 19:15 and the film will begin at 19:30 sharp.

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

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.

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.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, “Shine a Light” is a Rolling Stones documentary from 2008. It will be screened in the Bowery and 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).

MusicTown from 07-16 April is a celebration of Dublin’s rich music heritage and lively contemporary music scene. When the festival was proposed by Ray Yeates (Dublin City Arts Officer) three years ago, it was suggested that it should focus only on classical music, but he had invited a large group of people with an interest in this area and luckily he did listen to them.

An important corner stone, and the reason why it takes place at this time in April, is Händel’s Messiah and it’s first performance in Dublin on 13 April 1742.

Over 11 days there will be many extra concerts, gigs and performances in Dublin and they are all listed on www.musictown.ie/schedule/

Many of the free events (but probably not all) will also be listed as separate events in this and the next Dublin Event Guide (for Free Events).

Trinity Week is a week long programme of events in TCD for students and staff, but also for the general public. This year the Faculty of Health Sciences will host the programme and the theme is “Health in Our Changing World: Discover, Understand, Act”.

All events are listed at www.tcd.ie/trinityweek/

There will be talks and walks and even a Chariots of Fire Race on Wednesday at 10:30. Most events are free.

Please note that I have NOT included any Trinity Week events separately in the Dublin Event Guide, instead you have to check them all out via the link above.

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.

Every year on 13 April a concert takes place on Fishamble Street, just outside were in 1742 Georg Friedrich Händel’s Messiah had its World Premiere. This year is the 275th anniversary of this event and Our Lady’s Choral Society will again perform excerpts from Messiah. They will be supported by the Dublin Handelian Orchestra and soloist Peter O’Reilly (tenor). Conductor is Proinnsías Ó Duinn.

The performance will be on the street no matter what weather, so be prepared. It is a great event in a historic location and the finale of the performance is always lots of fun (you will be invited to participate!).

If you have the time and are in the area, go to experience it at least once.

Admission is free and no booking required.

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!

An In Focus Tour about “Biblical Papyri” with Kurt Kullmann (Guide, Chester Beatty Library) will take place on Thursday.

Admission is free.

This is a tour of the National Library exhibition “World War Ireland: Exploring the Irish Experience”. Find out about the Irish experience ‘over there’ and on the home front during WWI through the collections of letters, diaries, recruiting posters, newspaper reports, cartoons and leaflets in the museum.

WWI Ireland is in 2/3 Kildare Street.

Admission is free.

Can you find all the eggs hidden in the Museum’s exhibitions? Follow the trail and test your knowledge to find the Museum’s golden egg. Complete the trail to receive an edible reward.

Admission is free.

Music Together was established in 2006 to organise workshops for adult musicians with disabilities, leading to yearly performances in Greystones and Bray.

On Thursday, they will perform a concert in the Atrium of Trinity College. The event is part of the MusicTown festival.

Admission is free and donations will be appreciated for Music Together’s Summer Project.

Join Museum Educator, Trisha Ryan, on a specialised tour exploring the relics of the Patron Saints of Ireland: St. Patrick’s Bell Shrine, St. Brigid’s Shoe Shrine and the Crozier of St. Columba among many other treasures…and learn about the Cult of the Relics in Ireland.

Admission is free and no booking required, places are allocated on a first come first served basis. Meet at Reception. Suitable from age 14.

“No tengas miedo” is the film that will be screened on Thursday. It will be in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free.

FameLab, the global science communication project, which is an initiative by the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK, is back with the National Final.

Armed only with their wits and a few props, the top newest voices from the world of science and engineering across Ireland will deliver short 3-minute pieces on bizarre and pertinent science concepts – expect to hear anything from the destruction of planets to gene replication and how to make babies. Presentations will then be judged according to FameLab’s golden rule – the 3 Cs: content, clarity and charisma.

And as an audience member you will be involved in judging the contestants.

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

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.

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

EUROPA Dublin, ESN and the Economics Society are inviting you to a panel discussion about the Challenges for Ireland after Brexit. The discussion will take place in Room L023 in the Sutherland School of Law on the UCD Campus.

Find more details and the list of panelists via the link below.

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

“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

Connector is inviting to an evening of creating, innovating and networking through their “Connector Innovation Game”, which is a team-oriented exercise, created to inspire creativity in a fun and interactive way. The game consists of brainstorming cards which encourage players to innovate and come up with quirky creations, an ideal opportunity to meet and collaborate with like-minded innovators, while having fun with the game.

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

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.

Good Name present “Arborist”, an Americana band from Belfast.

Admission is free.

Highly Strung will play a live gig in the Hard Rock Cafe.

Admission is free.

Pete Cummins is playing Country and Folk at his gig 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.

The Luna Boys are starting a new residency in the Mercantile on Thursday nights.

Admission is free.

Bi Curious and guests will perform in Sin E on Thursday.

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.

Today is Good Friday. It is an important day for the Christian religions and their (active) followers and since the Irish State was always a very attentative to all things the church demanded in the past, it is still a day with special rules. However, oddly and unexpectedly, Good Friday is NOT a public holiday in Ireland. Many employers nevertheless do give a day off on Good Friday. Sometimes it is an additional day, othertimes it is a day that comes out of your budget of yearly leave a compulsory holiday.

Because alcohol sales is still forbidden (But this might change next year as it was announced just on Saturday.) most restaurants and all pubs stay closed on that day. Some museums also keep their doors shut, but all shops are open. If you are visiting Ireland, double check the locations you want to go to. If you are living here, you know the drill more or less. ;-)

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

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

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

Finally since last year, guided tours were provided and were meant to run for three months until end of October 2016. But the interest was so great that the OPW decided to continue the tours with a reduced schedule over the winter. And since 02 April there will be tours again every Friday and Sunday at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 + 15:00 and only 20 places are available on each tour.

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

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

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

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

The 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.

Jardanian Mountain Guide Mostafa Salameh, who reached the top of Mount Everest on Jordan’s Independence Day on 25 May 2008 is also the first Jordanian to climb Mount Everest and one in 13 who has managed to climb the 7 summits of the world.

Basecamp Outdoor Store has teamed up with Mostafa for his upcoming Everest Basecamp trek that will be taking place in January and this event is an information evening for this trek,

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