Dublin Event Guide 516: Geek Mart, New Market Collective, People’s Art Exhibition, Humans Need Not Apply

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A whole range of Parkruns take place every week (and if you know some more, please tell me):
+ Malahide Park, Dublin Road, Malahide, Co. Dublin
+ Cabinteely Park, Old Bray Road, Cabinteely, Dublin 18
+ Shanganagh Park, Shankill, Co. Dublin
+ Marlay Park, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin, Co. Dublin
+ St. Anne’s Park, Raheny, Dublin 5
+ Father Collins Park, Donaghmeade/Clongriffin, Dublin 13
+ Tymon Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24
+ Bushy Park, Terenure, Dublin 6

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

The Green Door Market is a new indoor food/Farmer’s Market that takes place just a few doors down from the Dublin Food Co-op at Newmarket in Dublin 8. Admission is free.

Opening hours are Thu-Fri 12:00-19:00 and Sat 09:30-16:00.

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

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

The Geek Mart is a monthly market for all things geeky. Every month, a room full of awesome nerds bring you a wide range of comic books, collectables, print and pixel art and original crafts ranging from knit-wear to decoupage.

On Saturday the 1st Birthday of this market takes place and I have to say that it stayed out of my focus for most of this year. THis will change now and I will do my best to include it every month.

Admission is free.

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 Castleknock Community College is running a Plant Sale on Saturday and Sunday. There will be Summer Bedding Plants, Hanging baskets, Window Boxes, Tubs & Shrubs, Wooden, Ceramic & Terracotta Garden Accessories and a Coffee Shop & Cake Sale will keep you fed and “watered”.

This is the 20th year of this yearly fundraiser for the college and approx. 10,000 plants etc will be solde over the weekend.

The funds will be used to buy a defibrillator and new equipment for computer rooms and music rooms.

Admission is free.

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.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Jacques Prévert’s death, the Alliance Française has organised a children’s collage workshop based around the works of Jacques Prévert. It is a unique opportunity to (re)discover the works of Jacques Prévert and to dive into his universe by letting your imagination run wild. Collage materials as well as many other surprises will be provided.

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

Six times will the “People’s Art 2017″ exhibition take place this year. It is an art exhibition on the rails/fence of St. Stephen’s Green.

(If you want to exhibit at one of the events in the future, check the website for cost and conditions.)

Visiting the People’s Art Exhibition is free and you will be able to admire (and buy) a huge amount of art works. The event starts close to 11:00 and typically finishes around 17:00, it runs from Friday until Sunday with the main activity on Saturday and Sunday.

People’s Art Dublin is a voluntary, part time, non profit making group, brought together by Dublin City Council to promote the visual arts to the public of Dublin. A huge variety of art/paintings are displayed and if the weather is nice it is a great art-filled stroll around Stephen’s Green. Definitely recommended!

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.

On the first Saturday every month, the “A Fabulous Market” will take place in the George Bar in South Great George’s Street.

You will find all sorts of art and crafts at this market

Admission is free. www.facebook.com/events/141985429671066/

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.

“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.

Drop-in and explore Ireland at the time of Celtic Kings. Find out more about the mysterious bog bodies and what they may have worn to special ceremonies, then make your own leather armlet to take home.

Admission is free and no booking required. Located in the Ground Floor Learning Space. Suitable for families with children 8+.

Dr Audrey Whitty (Keeper, Art & Industry) will lead a tour of the new exhibition “Shadow of Sodeisha: Japanese and Irish Art in Clay”.

Marking the 60th anniversary of the official commencement of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Japan in 1957, this exhibition displays the work of 12 leading contemporary ceramic artists from both Ireland and Japan.

Admission is free. Suitable for adults. Places will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis 15 minutes before the tour starts.

The Cultura Fest is a 5-day festival from Tuesday until Saturday, organised by the Portuguese Language Centre.

+ Day 5 – Saturday: Children’s book launch and play
On Saturday it is back to Filmbase (14:30-15:15) with a book launch and play for children (in Portuguese). Find details and register here.

Admission is free to all events, but booking is required via the links above.

The “Garden Drop-by Demo: Edible Window boxes” will take place on Saturday.

Are you thinking of growing summer salads but are stuck for space? You could start a miniature kitchen garden on your windowsill! Gardener Niamh Donohoe will teach how to grow and look after a choice of salads and herbs that thrive in boxes.

Admission is free. This Drop-by event takes place tin the Erasmus Garden.

Pat McManus will play a gig in the Harp Bar in the Carnegie Court Hotel in Swords.

Admission is free.

The Bowery has booked the Camembert Quartet to play a 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.

Mons Olympus are playing a gig in Sin E. They will be supported by “Slouch” and “That Snake”.

Admission is free. www.facebook.com/JetrockerEvents/

The Bionic Rats will play Reggae, Ska, Rocksteady in the Harbour Bar on Sunday.

Admission is free.

The Blues band Barefoot Magicians will play a gig in the Beerhouse on Saturday.

Admission is free.

The 2 Stroke String Sessions are playing oldtime fiddle and banjo tunes and Appalachian mountain tunes.

Admission is free.

The D-Riculous All Stars are playing a gig.

Admission is free.

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

Admission for buyers is free.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A monthly farmer’s market is being restarted again at Farmleigh House. It is a great event when some other activities take place at Farmleigh Estate in other cases it is a bit of a lonely or forlorn event

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Castleknock Community College is running a Plant Sale on Saturday and Sunday. There will be Summer Bedding Plants, Hanging baskets, Window Boxes, Tubs & Shrubs, Wooden, Ceramic & Terracotta Garden Accessories and a Coffee Shop & Cake Sale will keep you fed and “watered”.

This is the 20th year of this yearly fundraiser for the college and approx. 10,000 plants etc will be solde over the weekend.

The funds will be used to buy a defibrillator and new equipment for computer rooms and music rooms.

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.

Do you remember the monthly market in the Generator Hostel at Smithfield Plaza? It has moved!!

This monthly market is now called “New Market Collective” and will take place in the Green Door Market Hall at New Market Square in Dublin 8.

There will be IRish Design, Crafts, Makers and Collectors. And also Live Music and a Cafe.

On the same day, at the same time is also the Pure Vintage Market in the Dublin Food Co-op just a few buildings down on Newmarket Square, so you get two markets in the same place.

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.

Six times will the “People’s Art 2017″ exhibition take place this year. It is an art exhibition on the rails/fence of St. Stephen’s Green.

(If you want to exhibit at one of the events in the future, check the website for cost and conditions.)

Visiting the People’s Art Exhibition is free and you will be able to admire (and buy) a huge amount of art works. The event starts close to 11:00 and typically finishes around 17:00, it runs from Friday until Sunday with the main activity on Saturday and Sunday.

People’s Art Dublin is a voluntary, part time, non profit making group, brought together by Dublin City Council to promote the visual arts to the public of Dublin. A huge variety of art/paintings are displayed and if the weather is nice it is a great art-filled stroll around Stephen’s Green. Definitely recommended!

The next Pure Vintage Fair will take place this week and it is what it says on the tin. A market/flea market for vintage items, which will take place on the first Sunday of every month. There will be vintage clothes, furniture, collectibles, jewellery and many more vintage items. Sounds interesting and with 30 stalls, it is well worth a visit. There will also be food, hot drinks and a DJ.

Admission is free. www.facebook.com/events/280551949039127/

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: Still Life

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.

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.

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 “RIAM Series 5” with new music for Saxophone and Piano performed by Ken Edge saxophones and Conor Linehan piano.

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

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 resident dragonflies and damselflies of Ireland recorded in the Phoenix Park will take place in the Visitor Centre.

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.

This is a workshop that will introduce and explain the features of ‘shapenote’ singing from the Sacred Harp hymnal. This four-part a cappella music dates from the 16th through the 20th centuries, and is characterised by haunting harmonies, traditional modes, raucous songs, serene hymns, fast fugues, and high-energy anthems. The notation is written in shapes that correspond to degrees of the scale, making it easy to sight-sing. Experience is not a requirement.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

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

And if you don’t know how to dance, don’t worry! Workshops are provided and admission is free but donations are welcome.

This week there will be two workshops:
– Cotillion Waltz: fun group dance choreography imported from Saint-Petersburg.
– Circular Polkas: few group choreographies to the rhythms of Polka, easy and very enjoyable.
followed by Social Dancing.

A classical concert “For the Children” with Lambay Sinfonia and Cuisle Orchestra (Loreto College) with Karen Ní Bhroin (conductor) will take place. Works from Mendelssohn, Mozart and Haydn will be performed.

Admission is free, but a donation for the Chernobyl Children International after the concert will be very much 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.

The Firehouse Film Contest is a monthly competition and film screening for new short films (3-5 minutes) which are not older than one month. Screenings take place on the first Sunday of the month.

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 a Blues Band will play a gig in the Bowery.

Admission is free.

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.

The Night Before Larry Got Stretched is a traditional singing session run by a collective of young singers with an emphasis on encouraging ‘young’ singers to come together to share songs. This month it will feature French-American Zoe Loup as a guest singer.

Admission is free.

The Tiny Quartet will play instrumental jazz pop 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

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

If you regularly or occasionally buy books online, you can help the Dublin Event Guide hugely even without having to pay cent directly. In fact you even save money this way:

Buy your books from The Book Depository and get better prices and free (!!) delivery for all orders independent from the volume and when you click on the picture here before you buy, then 5% of what normally The Book Depository would get, they give back to the Dublin Event Guide. Everybody wins!

www.bookdepository.com?a_aid=dubevg

If you prefer Amazon to buy your books (for free postage you need to order a minimum of GBP 25), then use this Amazon link to help the Dublin Event Guide. Thanks!

The Research Workshop “Using the National Library” will provide you with “advice and guidance on researching the rich and varied collections of the National Library. The workshop will draw on case studies of personalities from the NLI’s collections and is suitable for anyone looking to embark on a research project or to enhance research skills in navigating the catalogue, accessing the various collections and interpreting the sources. The workshop is suitable for those who are using the library for the first time.
Places are limited so booking required.”

Admission is free, but booking is required via learning@nli.ie or 01 6030 259

“Get Writing! Creative Writing Workshops” is a series of tthree creative writing workshops on Mondays 08+15+22 May. The focus of the workshops, run by experienced facilitators, is on getting writing and gaining more confidence in putting pen to paper. Whether you are just getting started or have been writing for a while, these workshops are suitable for everyone.

The workshops are part of the ‘Dublin in the Coming Times’ initiative and participants will write their unique stories about Dublin, what it might become, and what it might feel like in the future as part of the excercises.

Admission is free, but participants are expected to attend all three sessions. Booking is required via 01 4973539.

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

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

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

Admission is free.

Song Cycle is a weekly Singer/Songriter showcase. The line-up is not always easily findable on the Whelan’s website, but admission is always free.

The Circle Sessions is an “Open Mic” that provides an opportunity for up and coming musicians, spoken word artists, poets and comedians to perform.

Come to this weekly show to perform or to simply watch a great mix of music, poetry, spoken word and comedy.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

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

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Curator Fiona Reilly will give a talk and lead a tour through the exhibition “Roger Casement: Voice of the Voiceless’”. Find out more about Casement’s humanitarian work in South America and Africa in the early 20th Century.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-6486 334 or educationarch@museum.ie

This short pop-up talk will look at ‘Pattern of Rooftops, Czechoslovakia’ by Mary Swanzy and give a brief insight into the work. The talk will be given by Niamh Keaveney and will take place in front of the painting.

Admission is free. Meet in front of the painting 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 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.

“Cadenza Strings” is a group of string players now retired from the former ‘Dublin Baroque Players’. They generally play for the love of it and for charitable and worthy causes. For this performance they are joined by soprano Anna Brady.

Admission is free but booking is required 01-2855317

This event will be an opportunity to discuss “the problems faced by women in today’s world, globalized and dominated by men, through carriers of women who will exemplify this topic with their personal experiences.

This question allows us to deal with different topics such as law, education, employment, stereotypes or discrimination. The idea is to give a wide overview of the challenges that women are facing today and to discuss their role in globalization.”

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

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

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

Admission is free.

EveryTuesday at 19:00, The Dublin Language Exchange takes place in the Czech Inn. It is the biggest free meeting of people from all around Dublin that are interested in learning languages and communicate with speakers of other languages.

Admission is free and the meetup is completely informal. No booking required.

One Foot Abroad is a company that organises walking holidays and they will be in BaseCamp to give general advise about walking holidays and to promote their walking holidays to the Mont Blanc and the Dolomites.

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

The RDS Rising Stars Concerts showcase new talent in Irish classical music and simultaneously provide an audience and a venue for talented third-level music students to help them gain valuable performance experience.

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

Rumours have it that the Bluegrass Collective will perform in Sin É on Tuesday and there might even be an open Bluegrass Jam! Admission is free.

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

The night is hosted by Cian from the tband MKAI.

Every Tuesday an informal sing along with Ukulele and Toy Musical Instruments takes place in the Stag’s Head. Just bring your instrument and come along. Beginners are welcome. Admission is free and further details (and a big book of songs) are available on the Facebook Page below.

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

The Lounge Quintet plays this gig every Tuesday: Jazz Standards, Latin and Bebop. Often guest musicians and singers join them. Admission is free, donations are welcome.

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

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

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

Every Tuesday, a pub quiz is taking place in the Woolshed.

Admission is free. Max team size is 6 people.

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

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

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

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

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

Joe O’Callaghan from MABS will talk about money management and will outline the role of MABS. In particular he will focus on mortgages, bank loans and credit card debts. The aim of the service is to assist people regain financial control.

Admission is free.

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.

At this Feltmaking Workshop with Miriam Brady you will learn how to felt a beautiful ornate 3D vessel using wool and silk. Each student will leave the class with their very own work of Art. All materials are supplied and the workshop is suitable for beginners.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-6269324.

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 Way of Tea: Japanese Tea Ceremony” with Sato Soshu and Sosetsu will be an opportunity to learn about the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, its history and complex aesthetics. You will discover the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, a form of powdered green tea. This demonstration is part of the Bealtaine Festival.

Admission is free, but places are limited and this is a popular event. Places are allocated on first-come, first-served basis.

“A life of two exiles: Waclaw Tadeusz Dobrzynski (1883-1962)” is a lecture by Ian Cantwell, grandson of the Consul-General Wac?aw Tadeusz Dobrzy?skito. It will accompany the Polish Embassy’s exhibition on the life and career of Consul-General Wac?aw Tadeusz Dobrzy?ski.

Admission is free.

The National Library is involved in “The National Neighbourhood: Around the Table” project. This project connects communities old and new across Dublin’s historic central area with artists of different disciplines to explore the food history of the area. Groups visited the library as part of the project. Themes of mothering, belonging, words and work were shared through mapping the story, role and journey of food in the city – from the docks to the markets, and from the streets to the table.

The short film “Around the Table” (24 min) was made as part of the project, and explores Dublin’s food history through the memories of Dublin’s dock workers, workers from Cadbury’s who explain why the ‘Flake’ produced in Dublin had the best taste to current developments in food choices.

Admission is free. The film will be screened on 03+10+17+24 May.

This free public tour for parents, guardians and carers of infants and young children will give parents etc a chance to visit the National Gallery. The route of the tour is suitable for prams and strollers.

Admission is free and no booking required.

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 launch of “Archie’s Problem” by Phil Hughes will take place in the Irish Writers’ Centre and you are invited.

Admission is free.

“Creative Gardening for Beginners” is a talk by Willie Brennan (Blarney Park Community Garden and Allotments and part of the Dublin Community Growers). Learn practical tips and hints on how to become more creative in your garden.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-4558159

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Nuns from the St. Elisabeth Convent in Minsk, Belarus will be in Dublin’s Russian Orthodox church “Holy Apostles Peter & Paul” to celebrate the Heart to Heart Festival. There will be workshops on icon painting, a folk puppet show, Monastic Choir concert and the nuns will sell monastery products.

The Festival will run from 11-14 May. Admission is free.

At the Toddler Take Over very young children can use their imagination and experience the magic of the world of arts. The event will use the current exhibition ‘A History of Play’ as a starting point, drawing ideas, colours and objects from the exhibition across the building. With a combination of non-free book-in (EUR 5 per child) and free drop-in events, children are invited to explore the little spaces that big people don’t usually see.
Join the artists and discover different arts mediums, draw, dance and play and nurture the creative potential of your child.

For more information ring the Box Office on 01-8852622 or check out
www.draiocht.ie/events/the_toddler_take_over_for_ages_1_4_years_2017

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 lunchtime concert for Voice and Piano is a performance recital with Francesca Placanica (soprano) and Aileen Cahill (piano). The programme will include a mixture of song settings of poems in English as well as arias and humorous French songs.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-8734333.

The Summer lunchtime recitals in St. Ann’s Church will start with a concert by Emma Kenrick (fulte) and Sophie Lee (piano).

Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

A Classical guitar programme “for perfect Summer lunchtime relaxation” will take place with Matthew Mazanek (guitar).

Admission is free.

The In Focus Tour “Chester Beatty’s Icons” with Kurt Kullmann (Guide, Chester Beatty Library) will take place.

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

From 27 April until 25 May the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama will run a Lunchtime at the Pepper Canister concert/recital series. Admission to all events will be free, but booking is advised via the Eventbrite link below.

The concerts and performers are all listed on the Eventbrite site below, but to give you a rough idea, I will list the”theme”:

27 April: Music by Britten, Traditional Irish, Scottish and Northumbrian Music
04 May: Music by Messiaen, Mower, Handel, Strauss and Dvorak
11 May: Music by Händel, Lalo, Strauss, Loewe and Walton
18 May: Music by Schubert, Bernstein and Poulenc
25 May: Music by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Saint-Saens

In addition there is another concert on 04 May, this time in the Unitarian Chrurch in St. Stephen’s Green with music by Barrios, Lauro, Villa Lobos, Grandjany & Ravel.

Spend an afternoon the German way, with “Kaffee und Kuchen” (coffee & cake) and conversation in German at the cafeteria of the Goethe-Institut. Kaffeklatsch will take place every second Thursday of each month.

Admission is free and you are welcome even if your German is a bit rusty.

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

WWIreland is at 2/3 Kildare Street. Admission is free.

Felices 140 is about Elia who gathers a few select relatives and friends at a luxury country house to tell them that she has won a jackpot of EUR140.000.000. From that moment, the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense and what started off as shared happiness, gradually transforms into greedy plotting to take Elia’s fortune.

Admission is free, the screening is in Spanish with English subtitles.

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.

French Chef Aymar Gourdet of Le Skinny Chef will give a demonstration on how to make traditional mayonnaise, pesto with wild garlic and basil, aioli, tartare, dressing and more, while wine specialist Sylvain Rigal will present wines from the Domaine des Frétillères to go with these delicious authentic condiments.

Admission is free, but booking is required via the website below and at the time of writing there were only 8 places left.

“Ethical by Design or Default?”is a discussion that is organized by the “ADAPT Ethics and Privacy Research Initiative”.

You will hear from engineers, scientists and designers on how the cutting edge of innovation will revolve around ethical design. What values guide the process, who decides on them, and how do we ensure systems prioritise personal autonomy, equity, and non-discrimination? How do our social codes and morals get built into tomorrow’s technology? Or do our vices and prejudices infiltrate technology design just as they permeate social media and politics? As smart systems and robots enter the realms of military, health, justice, and more, we should ask: are systems ethical by default or by design?

Admission is free, but booking is required via the website below (where you also find additional information about the event).

“Gardening Questions and Answers” with horticulturist Aoife Munn is a Bealtaine Festival event in Stillorgan Library. Come along to get all your gardening questions answered.

Admission is free, but registration is required via 01-2889655

The Hungarian Culture Days will be a programme of several events during the year, showcasing the very best in Hungarian culture, art and heritage and connecting with the Hungarian community in Ireland.

On Thursday, the launch of the Hungarian Culture Days will take place.

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

Stella O’Malley, psychotherapist and author of the book “Cotton Wool Kids” will talk about “Why self-care makes everything easier”.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-2955000

“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.

Cat Palace will be performing in the Good Name slot in the Bernard Shaw Pub.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

U-One is bringing “A Musical Journey” to the Hard Rock Cafe.

Admission is free.

Buffalo Soul will play a tribute gig to remember Bob Marley on the 36th anniversary of his death.

Buffalo Soul is a collective of musicians from all over the world based in Dublin playing cover versions of Bob Marley & The Wailers songs.

Admission is free.

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

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

Admission is free.

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.

Alternative rock band Empathy and rock band Boom Child will play a gig in Whelan’s.

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

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

Nuns from the St. Elisabeth Convent in Minsk, Belarus will be in Dublin’s Russian Orthodox church “Holy Apostles Peter & Paul” to celebrate the Heart to Heart Festival. There will be workshops on icon painting, a folk puppet show, Monastic Choir concert and the nuns will sell monastery products.

The Festival will run from 11-14 May. 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 + 15:00 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.

Tai Chi for arthritis with osteopath Marion O’Connor and physiotherapist Barbara Mullan is a six week workshop in the LexIcon Lab on the Fridays 12, 19, 26 May and 02, 09 and 16 June. There will be a workshop from 10:00-11:00 and again from 11:15-12:15.

There are only 12 places in each of the two sessions. It is for Age 60+ and participants are expected to attend all 6 sessions.

Admission seems to be free, but booking is required via marionoconnor358@gmail.com or 086 844 1359.

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.

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!

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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!

“Knitting for health and happiness” with Pauline Gallagher will teach you how to knit mindfully, as you increase your happiness, one stitch at a time, while creating gifts for yourself and others, imbued with loving kindness. This uses the fact that knitting can bring many therapeutic benefits such as relaxation, stress reduction, mood improvement, positive mindset as well as creative fulfillment.

The knitting workshop will take place four times in May on 05, 12, 19, 26 May. Knitters of all levels welcome including beginners. Suitable for Adults of all ages and teens from age 14.

Admission is free, but booking is required via theknittingclass@gmail.com or 01-2888117

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.

Musical director Jonathan Reynolds invited 6 local young people with intellectual disabilities from St John of Gods Services to create music and lyrics based on interesting sounds that inspire them and they have worked together for 6 months.

The group will perform their original compositions live using a selection of electronic instruments under the supervision and guidance of Jonathan and guest musician Marc Aubele.

Admission is free, but booking via the Eventbrite website below is required. The event will take place in Studio 1.

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

Admission is free.

Acoustic Karma will play Rock ‘n’ Roll form the 70s, 80s and 90s to the present day.

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.

Ray Brown from Tallahassee, Florida will be in Dublin with his band and will play a gig in Sin E.

Admission is free.

Heads Up are playing blues to progressive at this gig.

Admission is free.