Dublin Event Guide 561: St. Patrick’s Festival, Dublin Bay Prawn Festival, Offsite Fringe Festival

On Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day, Ireland’s National Holiday. Because the public holiday is on a Saturday this year, we will get an extra day off on the following Monday.

On St. Patrick’s Day itself the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take in Dublin (and elsewhere), but sadly usually the City Centre degrades right after the parade into a trouble zone with far too many drunk youths and a heavy police presence, Grafton Street and Temple Bar were in previous years areas to avoid and while every year there is the hope that things will turn out different, we still have the same problem year after year. Regrettably the St. Patrick’s Festival organisation has never made any attempt to offer an alternative to getting drunk to young people after the parade and that organisation doesn’t have responsibility for the state people put themselves into, it would be a good idea to see if alternative events after the parade could help solving the problem.

Many shops will close on St. Patrick’s Day, but as far as I know all “out of town” shopping centres (Dundrum, Blanchardstown, Liffey Valley) are open.

The Guinness Storehouse is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with live music, Irish Dancing, drummers, Djs and even a marching band.

Admission is a pricey EUR 17.50 and you might wonder why this event is mentioned here. Well, if you are called Patrick or Patricia or are named after any form of these names (the full list is here), then you (and only you) will get free admission. (Picture ID 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
+ Corcagh Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22

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

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

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

The 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.

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 2018.

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

The Drumcondra Village Market is now the “Art, Bites, Crafts Drumcondra Market”. And as you guessed it, it is an arts and crafts fair in the centre of Drumcondra. :-) There will also be some food and music.

The market is open on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30-15:30.

Admission is free.

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.

Two “City at Play” Funfairs will take place. One is at Merrion Square and the other at Custom House Quay. They are open from Saturday until Monday from 11:00-21:00 on Sat+Sun and from 11:00-20:00 on Monday.

Admission to the Funfair is free, but the funfair rides do have individual admission charges.

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.

Bray’s St. Patrick’s Festival will happen on Saturday and Sunday. There will be a parade on Saturday at 14:00 from Town Hall down Main Street then into Quinnsboro Road and on to the Seafront (Strand Road) via Seapoint Road.

At 17:00 the band Boomerang will play at the bandstand and later there will be numerous gigs in pubs and restaurants.

At the Seafront is a big Funfair (daily from 12:00-20:00)

And on Sunday the festival continues with an Open Air Ceili at the Boathouse from 11:00, a Puppetshow at the Boathouse from 12:00, a classic and vintage car show from 14:00-16:00 at the bandstand and a variety of gigs on pubs and restaurants in Bray.

On Monday Street Theatre at the bandstand (14:00 and 15:30) and more gigs in pubs will happen.

There are also two walks (Bray Head Walk on Monday at 12:00 and a Historical Walk 1t 15:00 on Sunday), but they both are booked out.

You can download the full festival brochure in PDF here or view it on the website below,

The Dublin Bay Prawn Festival is a Seafood Festival in Howth from Saturday until Monday. Pubs and Restaurants in Howth will celebrate the festival with special seafood dishes and at Howth Harbour there are food stalls and a main stage and a “Living Howth Stage. The full programme and the performers on the two stages are listed here:

Saturday / Sunday / Monday

The programme details are in this year very scarce. In previous years you would have found out a lot more on the pages above. Usually there are cooking demos, history tours and talks, exhibitions, children events, RNLI or Coast Guard events etc. This year none of this is mentioned. :-O

And another issue: Until 2015 the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival took place in late April, then – in their wisdom – the organisers moved it from 2016 to a six week earlier date to coincide with the St. Patrick’s weekend. For an outdoor festival like the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival a risky move. And it looks as if this year the Prawn Festival organisers should maybe reflect on that decision. St. Patrick’s Day is hardly ever warm, but this year it is extreme. Wrap up well!!

Admission to most events is free (Unfortunately the website doesn’t specify this year which events are free and which aren’t)

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday will assemble around Parnell Square and will get going at 12:00. It will wind its way along O’Connell Street (on the opposite side from the LUAS). then go to College Green, Dame Street, Lord Edward Street, Christ Church Cathedral. Here the parade will take a left turn and go along Patrick Street to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and then continue into Kevin Street and the full length until Aungier Street. This last bit is an extension of he route and it is a relevant extension (see below!).

Thee weather will be COLD but not as cold as originally expected. And every year there are up to 200,000 people standing along the parade route. The organisers will claim that it was more than half a million, but that is incorrect as simple calculations show. Still 200,000 is a lot and that means that you will not see much unless you are in the first 2-4 rows along the parade route. If you want to see the participants (7 colourful parade displays and 10 bands) and not just hear the bands, you either need to be there very early, bring a ladder (yes, people do that!) OR go to a place where the chance is a little better to get close to the parade. I would recommend Patrick Street, between Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral or probably even better at the end in Kevin Street. This is a new addition to the parade route and I would expect that there will be less people than in the totally overcrowded O’Connell Street and Dame Street, two areas you should definitely avoid!

DON’T bring a pram/buggy etc, you will NOT have a good day if you do. It is just much to crowded. Bring WARM clothes and if you don’t go early (people told me in previous years that they were at the parade route approx. 3 hours before the start to get a good place) don’t expect to see much.

The temperature will be around 2-3 degrees at 12:00 with a Felt Temperature of well below that (approx. -7 degrees I found). There won’t be any snow on Saturday, but there will be rain! The snow will start at around 18:00, but don’t expect it to be much and it will also not stay.

So all in all it will not be a great day for this parade and therefore watching it on TV from 12:15-13:55 might be an alternative worth considsering for some.

A St Patrick’s Day tour in the National Gallery will take place on Saturday.

Admission is free.

The Tallaght St. Patrick’s Parade starts at the Tallaght IT on Belgard Road and will go along the Main Street to the IT at the Greenhills Road where the festival will take place.

Admission is free.

Every Saturday a free guided tour will take place in the Chester Betty Library. The tour starts at 14:00.

In addition there is another free tour every Wednesday at 13:00 and one on Sundays at 15:00

At the Paddy’s Day Party in the Mezz, the live band line up is

14:30 Midnight Revellers
17:30 Steve, Carla & Ozzy
21:00 Shades of Lizzy
23:30 The Group

Admission is free.

The Porterhouse Temple Bar has three live bands playing on Paddy’s Day:

14:30-17:30 Sliotar
18:30-21:30 Liberty Hell
22:30-00:30 Coup of Grace

Admission is free.

A St Patrick’s Day tour in the National Gallery will take place on Saturday.

Admission is free.

A traditional St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Skerries Village will provide music, dancing, colourful floats and street entertainment.

Admission is free.

The Paddy’s Weekender 2018 is an event over 3 nights (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) with 13 Live Acts, the Karaoke Club and 25 Dj sets. It will take place in the Workman’s Club, the Garage Bar and the Bison Bar.

Admission is free to all of it!

The line-up is

SAT 17 MARCH:

The Workman’s Club
22:30 – 23.15 – THUMPER
21:35 – 22:10 – Montauk Hotel
19:55 – 20:30 – Joey Gavin
19:00 – 19:35 – spongebob eyelashes

Plus lots of DJ sets. easures” Room with Lisa Marie
Doors open at 16:00.
—————
SUNDAY 18 MARCH:
The Workman’s Club
22:55 – 23:30 – Slow Riot
22:00 – 22:35 – The Murder Capital
21:05 – 21:40 – Oh Boland
20:10 – 20:45 – FIELDS
Followed by The Karaoke Club with Anthony McMahon in The Venue til late
Doors open at 17:00
————
Garage Bar Live line-up:
THUMPER
Other Creatures
Slow Riot
Montauk Hotel
Oh Boland
Silverbacks
The Swedish Railway Orchestra
@InhalerDublin
Joey Gavin
The Murder Capital
FIELDS

The Big Paddy’s Day Party in the Bowery will feature Shogunz of Stank, Gin ‘n’ Juice and Djs.

Expect a LOT of Funky Hip Hop.

Admission is free before 22:00, but the Bowery is not telling us when the party will start.

Whelan’s is inviting to their St. Patrick’s Day event on Saturday. There will be bands from 17:00 and the line-up is

MAIN ROOM:
17:00: CHASING FELIX
18:00: TBC
19:00: SUSIE BLUE
20:00: THE GIRL TALK
21:00: THE CLOCKWORKS
22:00: THE FELONIES

UPSTAIRS:
17:30: MEAT CLOWN
18:30: TBC
19:30: HAYPARK
20:30: SHY MASCOT
21:30: SYLK
22:30: SUN MAHSHENE
00:30: DRIVELIGHT

Tickets were given out through a guest list, but the guest list is now closed. Nevertheless, the website says “The Whelan’s Full Irish guest list is now full but there’s plenty of room for everyone. The bar opens at 1pm, first band on at 5pm, Late Bar and Indie Club til 3am.” So maybe you did not at all have to sin up for the guest list? Not sure what this all means!

Because it doesn’t say anything else, I will assume that the event 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.

Propeller Hat & The Hanging Baskets (What a name! :-) ) will be playing Hillbilly Jazz in the Harbour Bar,

Admission is free.

Mute Fish is a brilliant band that mixes Irish Trad with Eastern European influences to create a high-powered form of traditional music in a way that you have never heard.

Admission is free and this is probably the best gig on a St. Patrick’s Day.

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.

A new weekly Car Boot Sale will take place in Dun Laoghaire just at the fromer Ferry Terminal. It is a huge car park and there will be a Carboot Sale and a Gourmet Market with spaces for small businesses, antiques & collectibles, gourmet food vendors and people clearing out their home and selling things from their car.

Admission is free (for buyers).

Offset is a big inspirational, educational and vocational conference for the design and creative industry. 2500 attendees meet in the Bord Gais Theatre from 23-25 March and among them there are many creative icons and practitioners from the fields of Graphic Design, Photography, Animation, Illustration, Fashion, Film, Industrial Design and Art.

The Offset Festival is not free, but it is accompanied by an Offset Fringe Festival, called Offsite Dublin, that brings lots of design and creative events to Dublin that are all free. The whole list of events (many are already booked out) can be found on the website below.

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 weekly Farmer’s market and Food Market is taking place in Clongriffin every Sunday. 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.

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 now the “Art, Bites, Crafts Drumcondra Market”. And as you guessed it, it is an arts and crafts fair in the centre of Drumcondra. :-) There will also be some food and music.

The market is open on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30-15:30.

Admission is free.

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

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

Admission is free.

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

The Drop-in family session “Shamrock Parade” will take place on Sunday.

Come to this art-making workshop where children and their parents/guardians/carers are encouraged to work together on creative projects.

This week, artist Vita Ryan will lead the workshop on the theme of Shamrock Parade. Using Erskine Nichol’s painting of St Patrick’s Day as inspiration, families will create artworks based on their own experiences of the holiday.

Drop-in and stay for as long (or as little!) as you wish! The workshops are suitable for children of all ages.

Admission is free and no booking is required.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings every day of the week. Currently there is at least one free tour every day. Check their website for details. Some special events will be listed separately.

Admission to the gallery and to most events is free.

The Big Day Out is a great, family-friendly day of street entertainment, science shows for kids, Irish language activities a small Ceili, and other activities for the whole family. A World Food Market will have the food available that allows you to stay at Merrion Square the whole afternoon.

On a nice weather day, this is the best event of the St. Patrick’s Festival, but the forecast this year is for very very cold weather and even snow or sleet. With plenty of events taking place outdoors, this will most likely have an impact on the day, but there are also a good few events in tents and marquees, so hopefully you will have a good afternoon even with the weather that we expect.

Admission is free.

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.

Bray’s St. Patrick’s Festival will happen on Saturday and Sunday. There will be a parade on Saturday at 14:00 from Town Hall down Main Street then into Quinnsboro Road and on to the Seafront (Strand Road) via Seapoint Road.

At 17:00 the band Boomerang will play at the bandstand and later there will be numerous gigs in pubs and restaurants.

At the Seafront is a big Funfair (daily from 12:00-20:00)

And on Sunday the festival continues with an Open Air Ceili at the Boathouse from 11:00, a Puppetshow at the Boathouse from 12:00, a classic and vintage car show from 14:00-16:00 at the bandstand and a variety of gigs on pubs and restaurants in Bray.

On Monday Street Theatre at the bandstand (14:00 and 15:30) and more gigs in pubs will happen.

There are also two walks (Bray Head Walk on Monday at 12:00 and a Historical Walk 1t 15:00 on Sunday), but they both are booked out.

You can download the full festival brochure in PDF here or view it on the website below,

The Dublin Bay Prawn Festival is a Seafood Festival in Howth from Saturday until Monday. Pubs and Restaurants in Howth will celebrate the festival with special seafood dishes and at Howth Harbour there are food stalls and a main stage and a “Living Howth Stage. The full programme and the performers on the two stages are listed here:

Saturday / Sunday / Monday

The programme details are in this year very scarce. In previous years you would have found out a lot more on the pages above. Usually there are cooking demos, history tours and talks, exhibitions, children events, RNLI or Coast Guard events etc. This year none of this is mentioned. :-O

And another issue: Until 2015 the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival took place in late April, then – in their wisdom – the organisers moved it from 2016 to a six week earlier date to coincide with the St. Patrick’s weekend. For an outdoor festival like the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival a risky move. And it looks as if this year the Prawn Festival organisers should maybe reflect on that decision. St. Patrick’s Day is hardly ever warm, but this year it is extreme. Wrap up well!!

Admission to most events is free (Unfortunately the website doesn’t specify this year which events are free and which aren’t)

The current exhibition in the Science Gallery is called “FAKE” and it will run from 08 March until 03 June.

The exhibition is looking at everything Fake from fake meat and fake cheese to fake emotions. In both the natural world and human society, faking, mimicking and copying can be a reliable strategy for success, a fake may be just as valuable as the real thing. But what about replicating taste, emotions, chemical signatures, facts and trademarks? When is authenticity essential and when is copying cool?

Some of the most interesting exhibits are:

+ synthHAsizer will let you record your own fake laugh and use sonic filters to remix it from fake to real.
+ Mississippi Swan: Daybew! will create fake music: A new album of songs every fifteen minutes or around 700 unique songs every day. You can trigger the creation of a unique album at any time.
+ Altered historic figures from the Daily Herald show the beginning of fake news
+ There is even a deli where you can buy fake food samples for EUR 2. For example they have fake cheese, fake meat or “Dubliner Red Cheddar” cheese that is neither manufactured in Dublin nor is it Red Cheddar, it is coloured white cheddar manufactured in Cork.

The website below lists all exhibits and provides some explanation so that you can either before or after your visit check further details.

All Science Gallery exhibitions are suitable for ALL ages, even younger children will be able to take part/follow. Some of the exhibits need a bit more of an age-appropriate explanation for younger kids than others, but nearly everything can be simplified for kids.

I strongly suggest to 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.

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 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 Improvisations for violin, piano and bass with Dominique Pifarély violin, Izumi Kimura piano and Ronan Guilfoyle bass.

This Family Tour is specially designed for children and their guardians, parents and carers to make the works on display in the National Gallery fun and engaging for kids.

Admission is free. Meet at the Merrion Square information desk.

A screening of the art documentary “Gerard Dillon – Painter and Decorator” will take place. It is a BBC Northern Ireland documentary about self-taught artist Gerard Dillon. Dillon was born in Belfast in 1916 in the Lower Falls district of West Belfast. He divided his years between his base in London and the west of Ireland, which was the inspiration for much of his work. Duration: 50 minutes

Admission is free.

Learn drawing techniques, including line drawing, shading perspective and decoration during these relaxed informal sessions. Suitable for ages 13+. Materials are provided but feel free to bring your own sketchbook; dry materials only.

Admission is free.

“Dublin: A Year in Words – Poetry and Spoken Word Trail” is a walk through the city stopping off in 7 locations for a spoken word/poetry performance.

Starting point is the St. Patrick’s Park next to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and outside the Blossom Tree Cafe.

Celebrate the breadth and diversity of the city’s living poets on a curated trail, based on the poet’s own work and the places that inspire them. Enjoy performances from an array of emerging and established poets including Natalya O’Flaherty, Phil Lynch, Erin Fornoff, Dagogo Harte, Aifric Ni Ruairc and Abby Oliveira. Host is poetician John Cummins.

Admission is free and a schedule is posted on the website below.

Some of the other venues for performances are Gutter Bookshop, Dublin Castle, Chester Beatty Library, International Bar, Apollo House, Busaras.

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

“Treasures of the National Museum” is a family-friendly tour of the iconic treasures in the National Museum, including the ‘Tara’ Brooch and the Ardagh Chalice.

Admission is free. Places will be allocated on a first come first-served basis. Suitable for Ages 7+

Celebrate the breadth and diversity of Dublin’s living poets on a curated trail, based on the poet’s own work and the places that inspire them. Enjoy performances from an array of emerging and established poets including Natalya O’Flaherty, Phil Lynch, Erin Fornoff, Dagogo Hart, Dairena Ní Chinnéide and Abby Oliveira. Host is poetician John Cummins.

This event is part of a trail taking place in various organisations from 13:00-17:00 on Sunday 18 March. For more details check the link below.

Every Sunday a free guided tour will take place in the Chester Betty Library. The tour starts at 15:00.

In addition there is another free tour every Wednesday at 13:00 and one on Saturdays at 14:00

“Hands on History: Symbols of Ireland” is a drop-in session, suitable for all ages – where you can explore and learn about some of the hidden meanings behind the symbols of Ireland.

Admission is free.

Sunday Sketching for the whole family takes place every Sunday in the Hugh Lane Gallery and admission is free.

Families are invited to explore and respond together the gallery’s collection and temporary exhibitions through discussion and drawing. Bring your own sketchbook along or use the drawing materials provided.

Admission is free and no booking required, although numbers may be limited. Suited for ages 6+.

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.

The Paddy’s Weekender 2018 is an event over 3 nights (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) with 13 Live Acts, the Karaoke Club and 25 Dj sets. It will take place in the Workman’s Club, the Garage Bar and the Bison Bar.

Admission is free to all of it!

The line-up is

SAT 17 MARCH:

The Workman’s Club
22:30 – 23.15 – THUMPER
21:35 – 22:10 – Montauk Hotel
19:55 – 20:30 – Joey Gavin
19:00 – 19:35 – spongebob eyelashes

Plus lots of DJ sets. easures” Room with Lisa Marie
Doors open at 16:00.
—————
SUNDAY 18 MARCH:
The Workman’s Club
22:55 – 23:30 – Slow Riot
22:00 – 22:35 – The Murder Capital
21:05 – 21:40 – Oh Boland
20:10 – 20:45 – FIELDS
Followed by The Karaoke Club with Anthony McMahon in The Venue til late
Doors open at 17:00
————
Garage Bar Live line-up:
THUMPER
Other Creatures
Slow Riot
Montauk Hotel
Oh Boland
Silverbacks
The Swedish Railway Orchestra
@InhalerDublin
Joey Gavin
The Murder Capital
FIELDS

Blues Got Soul, a four-piece blues band from Dublin is performing the music of the founding fathers of blues and blues masters in the International Bar every Sunday. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

The High Leeson is a Bluegrass band that plays every Sunday in the Leeson Longe.

Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

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

Pete Cummins, Grammy award winning songwriter will play a gig in the Leeson Lounge.

Admission is free.

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).

Sim Simma will play Reggae / Afro / Brazilian at this gig in the Harbour Bar.

Admission is free.

Soul Foolishness is in the Mezz for a gig. Admission is free.

The Dingle Berries are playing a gig in the Porterhouse on Sunday.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

Because the public holiday St. Patrick’s Day is this year on a Saturday, the following Monday will be a day off work for many. However, some international company’s do operate like on a normal day and most shops will be open.

Public transport is an varying schedules: Luas will run normal but has to stop during the parade. Dublin Bus will oeprate a Saturday service with some diversions. DART will run a Sunday service, but Tara Station will be closed until 16:00.

Offset is a big inspirational, educational and vocational conference for the design and creative industry. 2500 attendees meet in the Bord Gais Theatre from 23-25 March and among them there are many creative icons and practitioners from the fields of Graphic Design, Photography, Animation, Illustration, Fashion, Film, Industrial Design and Art.

The Offset Festival is not free, but it is accompanied by an Offset Fringe Festival, called Offsite Dublin, that brings lots of design and creative events to Dublin that are all free. The whole list of events (many are already booked out) can be found on the website below.

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

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

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

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings every day of the week. Currently there is at least one free tour every day. Check their website for details. Some special events will be listed separately.

Admission to the gallery and to most events is free.

Bray’s St. Patrick’s Festival will happen on Saturday and Sunday. There will be a parade on Saturday at 14:00 from Town Hall down Main Street then into Quinnsboro Road and on to the Seafront (Strand Road) via Seapoint Road.

At 17:00 the band Boomerang will play at the bandstand and later there will be numerous gigs in pubs and restaurants.

At the Seafront is a big Funfair (daily from 12:00-20:00)

And on Sunday the festival continues with an Open Air Ceili at the Boathouse from 11:00, a Puppetshow at the Boathouse from 12:00, a classic and vintage car show from 14:00-16:00 at the bandstand and a variety of gigs on pubs and restaurants in Bray.

On Monday Street Theatre at the bandstand (14:00 and 15:30) and more gigs in pubs will happen.

There are also two walks (Bray Head Walk on Monday at 12:00 and a Historical Walk 1t 15:00 on Sunday), but they both are booked out.

You can download the full festival brochure in PDF here or view it on the website below,

The Dublin Bay Prawn Festival is a Seafood Festival in Howth from Saturday until Monday. Pubs and Restaurants in Howth will celebrate the festival with special seafood dishes and at Howth Harbour there are food stalls and a main stage and a “Living Howth Stage. The full programme and the performers on the two stages are listed here:

Saturday / Sunday / Monday

The programme details are in this year very scarce. In previous years you would have found out a lot more on the pages above. Usually there are cooking demos, history tours and talks, exhibitions, children events, RNLI or Coast Guard events etc. This year none of this is mentioned. :-O

And another issue: Until 2015 the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival took place in late April, then – in their wisdom – the organisers moved it from 2016 to a six week earlier date to coincide with the St. Patrick’s weekend. For an outdoor festival like the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival a risky move. And it looks as if this year the Prawn Festival organisers should maybe reflect on that decision. St. Patrick’s Day is hardly ever warm, but this year it is extreme. Wrap up well!!

Admission to most events is free (Unfortunately the website doesn’t specify this year which events are free and which aren’t)

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!

Song Cycle is a weekly Singer/Songriter showcase in Wheelan’s.

Admission is 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 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).

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

Admission is free.

Blue Fish Diamond are playing Folk and Americana at this gig.

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).

Guitarist Jimmy Smyth will play a regular gig on Mondays in the Leeson Lounge with band Organised and occasional guests.

Admission is free.

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.

Offset is a big inspirational, educational and vocational conference for the design and creative industry. 2500 attendees meet in the Bord Gais Theatre from 23-25 March and among them there are many creative icons and practitioners from the fields of Graphic Design, Photography, Animation, Illustration, Fashion, Film, Industrial Design and Art.

The Offset Festival is not free, but it is accompanied by an Offset Fringe Festival, called Offsite Dublin, that brings lots of design and creative events to Dublin that are all free. The whole list of events (many are already booked out) can be found on the website below.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings every day of the week. Currently there is at least one free tour every day. Check their website for details. Some special events will be listed separately.

Admission to the gallery and to most events is free.

“Playing with Space” is a lunchtime talk series in collaboration with A Playful City and Dublin City Council, as part of the Offset Festival. It consists of three talks on 20, 21 and 22 March and the talks are open to all. No booking is required. Just come along.

Playing with Space is where design and play meet. How can we reimagine our city’s spaces to be inclusive, engaging and playful?

Offset, Dublin City Council and A Playful City are teaming up to bring together unexpected and cross-cutting perspectives into a conversation about what makes a city play. To look at Dublin city as a creative, cultural, playful and living space as well as one engaged with evolving.

The interactive talks will be zeroing in on the laneways of Dublin, examining and exploring challenges and possibilities for designing these spaces as intergenerational, accessible, and playful.

Key actors and influencers from across sectors – from set designers to game designers to architects to event curators and more…will come together to share their unique perspectives, while attendees will have the opportunity to contribute too.

Playing with Space will lead directly to tangible impact: the insights gathered during the series will feed into A Playful City’s work with Sean Harrington Architects to transform a selection of laneways in Dublin 1 into playful spaces.

DAY ONE – Tuesday March 20th

Sean Harrington – Sean Harrington Architects
Althaea Federlein – Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Iconic Offices
Niamh Moore – UCD Geography
Peter O’Gara – me&him&you design

MC: Manchan Magan

DAY TWO – Wednesday March 21st

Sarah Bacon – Winner of Best Set Design at the Irish Times Theatre Awards
Yvonne Farrell, Grafton Architects’ Director | Curator of the Venice Biennalle 2018
Simona Castelli, Senior architect – Grafton Architects
Joe Coveney – Visual artist

MC: Una Mullally

DAY THREE – Thursday March 22nd

Ali Grehan – DCC City Architect
Kate Moylan, Production and Costume Designer
Esther Gerrard, Bloom Fringe Festival

MC: Manchan Magan

Join Lisa Flanagan for a pop-up talk about Kasimir Dunin Markievicz’s portrait of his wife Constance, Comtesse de Markievicz “The Artist’s Wife, Constance, Comtesse de Markievicz (1868-1927)”.

Admission is free. Meet in front of the painting in the Shaw Room.

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.

Camden Comedy is a weekly comedy night on a Tuesday that I only found recently.

Every Tuesday they have a whole range of comedians and admission is free.

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.

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.

Ben Prevo will be for his weekly gig in the Bowery. Expect Blues, Funk, Jazz and even Country.

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).

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.

Offset is a big inspirational, educational and vocational conference for the design and creative industry. 2500 attendees meet in the Bord Gais Theatre from 23-25 March and among them there are many creative icons and practitioners from the fields of Graphic Design, Photography, Animation, Illustration, Fashion, Film, Industrial Design and Art.

The Offset Festival is not free, but it is accompanied by an Offset Fringe Festival, called Offsite Dublin, that brings lots of design and creative events to Dublin that are all free. The whole list of events (many are already booked out) can be found on 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.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings every day of the week. Currently there is at least one free tour every day. Check their website for details. Some special events will be listed separately.

Admission to the gallery and to most events 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.

“Playing with Space” is a lunchtime talk series in collaboration with A Playful City and Dublin City Council, as part of the Offset Festival. It consists of three talks on 20, 21 and 22 March and the talks are open to all. No booking is required. Just come along.

Playing with Space is where design and play meet. How can we reimagine our city’s spaces to be inclusive, engaging and playful?

Offset, Dublin City Council and A Playful City are teaming up to bring together unexpected and cross-cutting perspectives into a conversation about what makes a city play. To look at Dublin city as a creative, cultural, playful and living space as well as one engaged with evolving.

The interactive talks will be zeroing in on the laneways of Dublin, examining and exploring challenges and possibilities for designing these spaces as intergenerational, accessible, and playful.

Key actors and influencers from across sectors – from set designers to game designers to architects to event curators and more…will come together to share their unique perspectives, while attendees will have the opportunity to contribute too.

Playing with Space will lead directly to tangible impact: the insights gathered during the series will feed into A Playful City’s work with Sean Harrington Architects to transform a selection of laneways in Dublin 1 into playful spaces.

DAY ONE – Tuesday March 20th

Sean Harrington – Sean Harrington Architects
Althaea Federlein – Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Iconic Offices
Niamh Moore – UCD Geography
Peter O’Gara – me&him&you design

MC: Manchan Magan

DAY TWO – Wednesday March 21st

Sarah Bacon – Winner of Best Set Design at the Irish Times Theatre Awards
Yvonne Farrell, Grafton Architects’ Director | Curator of the Venice Biennalle 2018
Simona Castelli, Senior architect – Grafton Architects
Joe Coveney – Visual artist

MC: Una Mullally

DAY THREE – Thursday March 22nd

Ali Grehan – DCC City Architect
Kate Moylan, Production and Costume Designer
Esther Gerrard, Bloom Fringe Festival

MC: Manchan Magan

“Strong Women – a celebration in song and poem” is a “Speaking Words: Poetry and prose readings of writers own work” event.

Women and men from the Góilín Singing Club join writer Catherine Ann Cullen for an evening of songs and poems populated by Irish women real and imagined. From Molly Malone to Molly Bloom, from Constance Markievicz to Rosie Hackett, meet the fishmongers and the freedom fighters whose stories live on in our streets.

The event will start at 17:30, light refreshments from 17:00.

Admission is free.

Suzanne Behan is the granddaughter of John Walsh otherwise known as the 50 Francis Street Photographer. A keen photographer herself she is in the process of curating the thousands of photographs of Dublin and Ireland which her grandfather took throughout his career, working from his shop on Francis Street.

The event is free and all are welcome.

The Irish Texts Society invites to the lecture “Pilgrims and poets in fifteenth-century Gaelic Ireland” with Dr Bernadette Cunningham, Deputy Librarian, Royal Irish Academy Library.

Admission is free.

The Dwarf Jar House Trio (Daniel Rorke (sax), Cormac O’Brien (bass) and Matthew Jacobson(drums)) will play a weekly Jazz gig every Wednesday in Dwarf Jar Cafe and they usually have one or more guest musicians or singers supporting them.

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 Switcharoo” will perform in the Harbour Bar. 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.

The Wow Wignal Sessions is a weekly gig night in Bagots Hutton. The line up is usually announced just a few days before on the Facebook Page below.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free, donations are welcome.

“Shipwrecked! An open mic night on a Pirate Ship.” is the name of the Bowery’s Open Mic Wednesday.

Each week there will be an array of music, comedy, spoken word and all things in between.

Admission is free.

“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.

Dance Forro every week at this “Forro Wednesday” in the Woolshed for free.

Los Paradiso are playing Rockabilly, Tex Mex, Western Swing, Surf in the Leeson Lounge. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

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).

This is a weekly Jazz gig in the Chambers Pub.

Admission is free.

The Harleys are a popular coverband and they will be in the Mezz every Wednesday at midnight.

Admission is free.

Offset is a big inspirational, educational and vocational conference for the design and creative industry. 2500 attendees meet in the Bord Gais Theatre from 23-25 March and among them there are many creative icons and practitioners from the fields of Graphic Design, Photography, Animation, Illustration, Fashion, Film, Industrial Design and Art.

The Offset Festival is not free, but it is accompanied by an Offset Fringe Festival, called Offsite Dublin, that brings lots of design and creative events to Dublin that are all free. The whole list of events (many are already booked out) can be found on the website below.

All children worry at times, but for some children it can be a real challenge to manage their anxieties. As parents, when your child is anxious it can be difficult to know how best to support them. In this talk Dr Mary O’Kane BSc, MPhil, PhD Associate Lecturer in Psychology and Early Childhood Education offers parents practical advice on how to support their children during difficult times, helping them to manage their fears and gain confidence.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-4540681

“The ABCs of Healthy & Mindful Eating for Children” is a talk by Dr Bernadette Rock.

She will talk about how parents can influence how their children interact with food and eating. The talk will be to support parents in developing a healthy mind-set around food, and to encourage balanced eating habits in their children. Topics covered will include telling your children the truth about food, what to do if your dinner table is a place of conflict and how to handle “fussy” eaters.

Dr. Bernadette Rock is the founder of HeyDay Weight Loss and holds a Masters in Sociology and Social Research and a PhD in Sociology.

Admission is free. Booking is required via 01-8304341

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings every day of the week. Currently there is at least one free tour every day. Check their website for details. Some special events will be listed separately.

Admission to the gallery and to most events is free.

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!

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!

“Playing with Space” is a lunchtime talk series in collaboration with A Playful City and Dublin City Council, as part of the Offset Festival. It consists of three talks on 20, 21 and 22 March and the talks are open to all. No booking is required. Just come along.

Playing with Space is where design and play meet. How can we reimagine our city’s spaces to be inclusive, engaging and playful?

Offset, Dublin City Council and A Playful City are teaming up to bring together unexpected and cross-cutting perspectives into a conversation about what makes a city play. To look at Dublin city as a creative, cultural, playful and living space as well as one engaged with evolving.

The interactive talks will be zeroing in on the laneways of Dublin, examining and exploring challenges and possibilities for designing these spaces as intergenerational, accessible, and playful.

Key actors and influencers from across sectors – from set designers to game designers to architects to event curators and more…will come together to share their unique perspectives, while attendees will have the opportunity to contribute too.

Playing with Space will lead directly to tangible impact: the insights gathered during the series will feed into A Playful City’s work with Sean Harrington Architects to transform a selection of laneways in Dublin 1 into playful spaces.

DAY ONE – Tuesday March 20th

Sean Harrington – Sean Harrington Architects
Althaea Federlein – Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Iconic Offices
Niamh Moore – UCD Geography
Peter O’Gara – me&him&you design

MC: Manchan Magan

DAY TWO – Wednesday March 21st

Sarah Bacon – Winner of Best Set Design at the Irish Times Theatre Awards
Yvonne Farrell, Grafton Architects’ Director | Curator of the Venice Biennalle 2018
Simona Castelli, Senior architect – Grafton Architects
Joe Coveney – Visual artist

MC: Una Mullally

DAY THREE – Thursday March 22nd

Ali Grehan – DCC City Architect
Kate Moylan, Production and Costume Designer
Esther Gerrard, Bloom Fringe Festival

MC: Manchan Magan

The In Focus Tour “Chester Beatty’s Biblical Papyri” with guide Dr. Kurt Kullmann will take place.

Admission is free and meeting point is in the atrium of the Library.

“Using Social Media Effectively In Your Everyday Life Whether it’s for Business, Career or Leisure” with Greg Fry (Business Advisor & Social Media Strategist) is a talk in the Business Information Centre of the Central Library.

Admission is free.

A weekly Jazz Club event with live band is taking place at J.W. Sweetman’s.

Admission is free.

Every Thursday the Little Museum of Dublin waives their admission charges for two guided tours thanks to sponsorship from Guinness. The first tour is at 18:00 and the second tour is at 19:00. Make sure that you are there at least 10 minutes before the start of the tour to get one of the limited places.

The Little Museum of Dublin has a fascinating collection of artefacts from the last 100 years Dublin’s history.

On other days and other times, admission is EUR 10 for adults and admission is by guided tour only.

The talk “Alcohol – what we do and don’t know, and what to consider” will explore how alcohol might impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. The talk will highlight key findings from Ballyfermot local alcohol research and the types of support available. Presented by Clara Geaney, Treatment and Rehabilitation Co-ordinator and Acting Co-ordinator of the Ballyfermot Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force.

Admission is free.

Explore some of the highlights of the National Gallery exhibitons at this evening tour.

Admission is free. Meet at the Merrion Square information desk.

The Spanish Film “Los exiliados románticos” will be screened in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free.

Deirdre O’Grady, Emeritus Professor of Italian and Comparative Studies of University College Dublin will give a series of lectures about Puccini’s works and the topic on Thursday is

“Madama Butterfly (1904) and La fanciulle del West (1910). Puccini and America: two diverse visions.”

Admission is free, but bookign is required via the website below. The talk is in English.

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.

The Thursday Night Board Gaming event is running for more than 10 years already and it is a weekly event for all Board Game enthusiasts. But even if you are a Board Game newbie, you are welcome. Just come along! More information can be found here: www.meetup.com/IrishGamesAssociation/

Admission is free.

“Rhythm and Brews Craft Beer Club” is a monthly meet-up and beer review in Sin E. The next event is on Thursday and you will be able to try the beer of the month, talk about it with other beer enthusiasts and listen to live music.

For more info contact: gerard AT mentorpitch.com

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.

Guerilla Gigs are presenting Kandce, who will play Tribal Disco / Pop Cult.

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The BIMM Music College is organising the Midnight Hour on Thursdays in Whelan’s. The line-up has not yet been announced.

Admission is free.

Offset is a big inspirational, educational and vocational conference for the design and creative industry. 2500 attendees meet in the Bord Gais Theatre from 23-25 March and among them there are many creative icons and practitioners from the fields of Graphic Design, Photography, Animation, Illustration, Fashion, Film, Industrial Design and Art.

The Offset Festival is not free, but it is accompanied by an Offset Fringe Festival, called Offsite Dublin, that brings lots of design and creative events to Dublin that are all free. The whole list of events (many are already booked out) can be found on the website below.

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 2018.

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

The Culture Club invites members to explore and enjoy the collections at Collins Barracks through a series of specially arranged guided tours and activities in the company of museum staff followed by ’Tea & Chat’ and an opportunity to mingle. The Clubs take place on the last Friday of each month.

March’s Culture Club will join Museum Librarian Orla Fitzpatrick to look at the local history of Stoneybatter.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-6777444

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings every day of the week. Currently there is at least one free tour every day. Check their website for details. Some special events will be listed separately.

Admission to the gallery and to most events is free.

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.

A Lunchtime Piano Concert with Antonia Huang in the Shaw room of the National Gallery will continue the sequence of performances by the six Irish competitors who will take part in this year’s Dublin International Piano Competition.

Admission is free.

Women in Research Ireland are inviting to the seminar “Being Clockwise! Harnessing our body clocks to achieve a successful research career”.

Dr Annie Curtis is a researcher in the area of impact of clocks on the immune system. At this seminar she will discuss the ups and downs of her interesting and varied career and how you can use the body clock to enhance your chances of research success.

Find out more about the talk and book your place via the link below. Admission is free.

Tghe Franco Irish Literary Festival will take place from Fri until Sun (23-25 March) in the Alliance Francaise and in Dublin Castle. The theme this year is one that I have to spell wrong because otherwise spam filters will block this e-mail to you, but I know that you are clever and can “decode” it easily. The topic is “Seks and Sensibility”.

It starts with a Literary Cabaret in Friday evening in the Alliance Francaise and then continues on Saturday in Dublin Castle. All events can be found via the website here www.francoirishliteraryfestival.com/2018/timetable.htm Admission to all events is free.

The Literary Cabaret will be with Dusty Limits (host and singer), Bryan Mullen (piano), Azaria Starfire (dancer), Kat Moiselle (dancer), Kate Finnegan and Ilias Athanasiadis (acrobatic duo).

Cornucopia Café & Restaurant host live music three evenings a week (Thurs, Fri and Sat). The restaurant is a Wholefood & Vegetarian Restaurant and is open until 22:15.
+ Every second Thursday N.C Lawlor, a songwriter, session player and troubadour plays a mix of country, bluegrass & blues from 19:30-21:30.
+ Every Friday (19:30-21:30) Junshi Murakami plays Irish Harp.
+ Every Saturday (19:30-21:30) Nollaig Mann plays a collection of popular and jazz classics.

The 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.

Miles Graham is launching his newest single at this gig. Expect Funk, Soul, Blues.

Admission is free.

Hard Rock bands Stone Sea and Jet Fuel Chemistry will play a gig in Sin E.

Admission is free.

A rockabilly gig with Skinny Elvis will take place in the Leeson Lounge.

Admission is free.

Alternative rock band Empathy and Dance rock duo Freak Control will be in Whelan’s for a Midnight Hour gig.
Admission is free before 22:30.

The high-energy band Attention Bebe can’t be squeezed in a music category. Admission is free and the guys and girls are great, so go and give them a listen.