The new LUAS is finally rolling!!! Yes, it only took 4 years to build what was there already many years ago. (From 1872 until 1949, Dublin had a well functioning tram system with up to 97 km of tracks!!) On Saturday the first tests with super slow moving LUAS (5-10 km/h) will be carried out on the route from St. Stephen’s Green to College Green, to O’Connell Street and back.

And as it is typical for Dublin, the jokers have discovered this opportunity and decided to make it an event. More than 700 people confirmed on Facebook that they will attend and it would be sooo coool if they really did. I’d say the real turnout will be a lot smaller, but it is still a funny idea to celebrate the LUAS by cheering it on. (Just leave the alcohol at home!)

At 11:30 a photo call at O’Connell Street will take place with the Minister of Transport. Maybe that is the best place and time to show the support for the LUAS? :-)

Oddly Gardai and marshals will “protect” the LUAS during the tests. Bad sign for when full operation kicks in, if the new LUAS line needs protection, isn’t it? ;-)

On Sunday the tests will continue on the route from between Broadstone and Cabra and through the City Centre again, but no “Cheer the LUAS” activities are planned for the second day yet.

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

The Dublin Pride Festival will take place from 16-24 June with the parade happening on Saturday 24 June. This whole week there will be a good number of events and many of them are free.

Today, this will happen:

+ Good Mood Festival with talks and wellness workshops from 12:00 in Outhouse, 105 Capel Street
+ Shelbourne XI vs Dublin Devils – Soccer Match in Tolka Park at 14:00
+ Soap Box Session a mental health performance event in Outhouse, 105 Capel Street at 17:15
+ Newstalk Global VIllage – Pride Edition broadcast from Oscars Bar in Smithfield from 19:00

All details can be found on the events list on the website below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Jujube fruit (Red Date) has been around for thousands of years, but it is a relatively new arrival in Ireland as a superfood snack. Avoca stores in Dublin invite you to tastings this weekend and you can try the pitted jujube fruit, jujube crisps, stuffed jujube with cashews and almonds and hickory nuts.

The tastings will take place at the following times and locations:

Saturday, 17 June, 10:00-12:00 Avoca Malahide
Saturday, 17 June, 13:00-16:00 Avoca Rathcoole
Saturday, 17 June, 17:00-20:00 Avoca Monkstown
Sunday, 18 June, 10:00-12:00 Avoca Kilmacanaugue
Sunday, 18 June, 13:00-16:00 Avoca Dunboyne

The Jujube products are produced by Abakus Foods and the founder of the company, Helen Wang, will be in Dublin to talk about this healthy snack,

The fruit is full of flavonoids, phenols and antioxidants and the fresh Jujube fruit has 20x times more vitamin C than citrus fruits. It is also dense in Manganese and Iron and contains 18 out of the 24 important amino acids which are essential to the formation of more than 50,000 proteins found in the human body.

The Avoca locations are on the website below and more information about Jujube is on this site: www.abakusfoods.com/

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 Skerries Midsummer Festival Takes Place this weekend and there are plenty of free events on the schedule. It is a weekend of music, comedy, beachside, seabased and landbased activities.

Find more information, including the schedule for the day (you will have to search a little!) on the Facebook Page below.

By the way: If you are a long-term reader of the Dublin Event Guide, you know that the name of the festival is wrong. The start of summer was only 17 days ago, so only it is NOT mid-summer. The mid-summer misconception is based on the persisting wrong interpretation celtic calendar. I could go on about that. ;-) …but I won’t!

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.

A “Solarfest” is taking place at Dunsink Observatory this weekend, but the observatory is not huge and it is a VERY popular event, so all ticktets are gone.

So don’t get your hope up! But it happens often with free events that a number of people might not turn up on the day. If you are VERY interested in the Solarfest but didn’t get any tickets you will have no guarantee that you will get in, but you COULD risk it and see if maybe someone didn’t make it and you will get in.

There will be talks on Saturday from 11:00-13:00 and from 14:30-16:30 about Einsteinm, Solar Imaging, Sun Spots, Solar Physics, Solar Wind and Space Weather.

On Sunday a Family Day will take place from 12:00-14:00 with sun events for children. For this event tickets are ALSO booked out and the same situation applies as outlined above.

At the Blackrock Market in the centre of Blackrock, you’ll find 50 stalls selling collectibles, antiques, handmade goods, books, food & there’s free popcorn, ballons & facepainting for the kids.
Open on Saturdays and Bank Holidays: 11:00-17:30, and Sundays: 12:00-17:30.

The Terenure Bushy Park Market is taking place every weekk. The market has more than 30 stalls, offering a whole variety of foods and crafts.

Admission is free.

The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is inviting to a walking tour with St. Stephen’s Green head gardener Eilleen Brennan on Saturday to learn about the flora in St. Stephen’s Green. Meeting point is at the Fusilier’s Arch.

Admission is free.

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

The weekly Ha’penny Flea Market is an indoor market in the Grand Social Pub, which offers vintage Men and Women’s clothing, contemporary crafts, books, DVDs, vinyl records, vintage and handmade jewellery, vintage hair styles, art, photography and much more. Grand Social’s Bar and Gourmet Coffee options are available.

The exhibition “SOUND CHECK” (09 June – 24 September) in the Science Gallery is looking the influence sound has on our life. THe exhibition looks at lots of interesting ways to create sound.

It is highly interactive exhibition with lots of oppoertunities to create sound/make noise. Some of the main exhibits are a big sound pinball table, a synthesiser on a bike, musical swings, a room full of Moog Synthesiser equipment, a Uranium controlled Xylophone and there are fice “Sonic Bikes” that you cyn pre-book and loan out for a 1 hour guided tour in Dublin.

The exhibition is suitable for ALL ages, even younger children will be able to take part and nobody will be bored.

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 Chester Beatty Library and the Ireland Japan Association are inviting to an Ikebana Demonstration. Tomoko Ozaki will guide you through the art and techniques of flower arranging. Ikebana is one of the three classical Japanese arts of refinement along with Incense burning and the Tea Ceremony.

Admission is free, however places are limited and booking was required. The deadline for booking via 01 6787008 was 14 June, so it is too late for that and the event could be booked out. But free events often have a lower show number than the booked number was, so you could risk it and check at the library if they have a space for you.

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

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

Admission is free.

The Wellington Weekender is a weekend full of gigs and other events in the Workman’s Club, the Liquor Rooms and the Bison Bar.

The schedule for Saturday is:

13:00 Whiskey Tasting @ Bison Bar
14:00 Acoustic Stage @ The Workman’s Club
14:00 Bison BBQ Hot Wing Challenge @ Bison Bar
20:00 Katie Laffan @ The Liquor Rooms
20:00 Pleasure Beach @ The Workman’s Club
DJs until late.

Admission is free.

On Saturday is World Juggling Day and the Irish jugglers are meeting up in Merrion Square from 13:00 until 19:00. Admission is free.

In the evening a “Renegade”, a performance of circus skills (inlcuding juggling), will take place in the Dublin Circus Project, but I was unable to find out if it is free or not. So we have to assume that it is NOT free. More info about the Renegade event is here.

“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 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

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.

A weekly tour of the National War Memorial Gardens will take every Saturday from March until the end of October.

Admission is free. “Meet inside the gates” it says here.

Katie Laffan is performing her funk pop at this gig in the Liquor Rooms, which is part of the Wellington Weekender.

Admission is free.

Pleasure Beach is a quintet from Belfast and they will play a gig at the Workman’s Club Weekender 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.

Mescalito will play Psychedlic Funk Rock at this gig in the Harbour Bar.

Admission is free.

Sepiatonic, an electronic vaudeville act from Portland, Oregon will perform in Sin E.

They will be joined by the Dublin City Rounders.

Admission is free.

Singer/Songwriter and R&B producer Tadgh will perform a gig in Whelan’s.

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

The Camembert Quartet will be in the Bowery for 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.

The Dublin Pride Festival will take place from 16-24 June with the parade happening on Saturday 24 June. This whole week there will be a good number of events and many of them are free.

Today, this will happen:

+ Qu eer Walking History from the George at 14:00
+ Candlelight Vigil at Oscar Wilde Statue in Merrion Square at 18:00

All details can be found on the events list 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.

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 Jujube fruit (Red Date) has been around for thousands of years, but it is a relatively new arrival in Ireland as a superfood snack. Avoca stores in Dublin invite you to tastings this weekend and you can try the pitted jujube fruit, jujube crisps, stuffed jujube with cashews and almonds and hickory nuts.

The tastings will take place at the following times and locations:

Saturday, 17 June, 10:00-12:00 Avoca Malahide
Saturday, 17 June, 13:00-16:00 Avoca Rathcoole
Saturday, 17 June, 17:00-20:00 Avoca Monkstown
Sunday, 18 June, 10:00-12:00 Avoca Kilmacanaugue
Sunday, 18 June, 13:00-16:00 Avoca Dunboyne

The Jujube products are produced by Abakus Foods and the founder of the company, Helen Wang, will be in Dublin to talk about this healthy snack,

The fruit is full of flavonoids, phenols and antioxidants and the fresh Jujube fruit has 20x times more vitamin C than citrus fruits. It is also dense in Manganese and Iron and contains 18 out of the 24 important amino acids which are essential to the formation of more than 50,000 proteins found in the human body.

The Avoca locations are on the website below and more information about Jujube is on this site: www.abakusfoods.com/

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 Skerries Midsummer Festival Takes Place this weekend and there are plenty of free events on the schedule. It is a weekend of music, comedy, beachside, seabased and landbased activities.

Find more information, including the schedule for the day (you will have to search a little!) on the Facebook Page below.

By the way: If you are a long-term reader of the Dublin Event Guide, you know that the name of the festival is wrong. The start of summer was only 17 days ago, so only it is NOT mid-summer. The mid-summer misconception is based on the persisting wrong interpretation celtic calendar. I could go on about that. ;-) …but I won’t!

A “Solarfest” is taking place at Dunsink Observatory this weekend, but the observatory is not huge and it is a VERY popular event, so all ticktets are gone.

So don’t get your hope up! But it happens often with free events that a number of people might not turn up on the day. If you are VERY interested in the Solarfest but didn’t get any tickets you will have no guarantee that you will get in, but you COULD risk it and see if maybe someone didn’t make it and you will get in.

There will be talks on Saturday from 11:00-13:00 and from 14:30-16:30 about Einsteinm, Solar Imaging, Sun Spots, Solar Physics, Solar Wind and Space Weather.

On Sunday a Family Day will take place from 12:00-14:00 with sun events for children. For this event tickets are ALSO booked out and the same situation applies as outlined above.

On the last day of Bikeweek 2017 a cycle wil ltake place from Phoenix Park to the Liffey, to demand a fully segregated Liffey Cycle Route from Dublin City. The cycle will finish on Guild Street with a short Picnic and some speeches.

The meeting point is at the Phoenix Monument in Phoenix Park.

After the cycle it is back to Phoenix Park via North Circular Road to go to the Cargo Bike Championships in Phoenix Park.

Admission is free.

The isha Foundation is inviting to a free morning session of yoga and meditation.

Admission is free, but booking is required via the link below. Suitable for all ages from 7 years.

Some information about the isha Foundation can be found at isha.sadhguru.org/

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

Admission is free.

The yearly Kite Fest will take place again on Dollymount Strand. there will be music, games, kite making workshops, displays by Master Kite Flier Andrew Beattie and kite flying competitions. In addition Hammockology show (and sell) their great hammocks, Electric Zoo & Gymboree Play & Music North Dublin will entertain the crowds and Pure Magic Watersports will provide kite tips.

A schedule with some further details is here: www.dublinkitefestival.ie/schedule/

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 next Rumble in the Jumble market takes place on Sunday. You will find Arts, Crafts, Vintage, Vinyl and more. A cafe and vegetarian food will also be available in the Co-op food hall.

Admission is free.

The Terns (birds!) have returned to the Dalkey islands for another season and the Tern Warden is inviting to a Tern Watch from Coliemore Harbour. You can drop in at ay time.

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.

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 “SOUND CHECK” (09 June – 24 September) in the Science Gallery is looking the influence sound has on our life. THe exhibition looks at lots of interesting ways to create sound.

It is highly interactive exhibition with lots of oppoertunities to create sound/make noise. Some of the main exhibits are a big sound pinball table, a synthesiser on a bike, musical swings, a room full of Moog Synthesiser equipment, a Uranium controlled Xylophone and there are fice “Sonic Bikes” that you cyn pre-book and loan out for a 1 hour guided tour in Dublin.

The exhibition is suitable for ALL ages, even younger children will be able to take part and nobody will be bored.

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 be part of the “Great Music in Irish Houses Festival” and is called “Dublin Musical Saunter”: Pianist Dearbhla Collins will accompany a number of young musicians and singers from the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

As part of the current “Sound Check” exhibition in the Science Gallery you can rent out a bike to experience Dublin in a completely different way:

Ya slip ta bang is an interactive composition mapped over the streets of Dublin that will unfold for you as you ride ‘sonic bikes’ along specific routes of the city. Accompanied by electronic music, the composition tells the story of recovering he roin addict Lucy Dolan as she returns to the city, revisiting important places in her life.

The sonic bike is a bicycle with frame-mounted speakers that plays different sounds and music dependent on where the cyclist goes and how fast they ride, via a mounted location-sensitive system.

The bikes can be rented for free for up to 1 hour on Fridays, Saturday and Sunday between 14:30 and 16:00. The rules and conditions are on the website below and that is also where you book the bikes.

The Cargo Bike Championships is a few short distance Cargo Bike races, a few bikes on display and a number of stalls left and right along Chesterfield Avenue. A 5km cycle for everyone will finish the day.

Admission is free.

I wish that same event was in Farmleigh House on Chesterfield Avenue it is just impossible to get a “event feeling”.

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.

The yearly St. Judes GAA clun family fun day will take place in Tymon Park on Sunday and there will be plenty of cycling events and other activities for children.

Admission is free.

Afternoon Jazz in Café en Seine. The Stella Bass Jazz Trio play every Sunday from 14:00-16:00 in Café en Seine in Dawson Street. Admission is free. A video is here www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8aKqtOB5S8

This Family Drop by Demo will cover “Become a Windowsill Gardener”.

“Learn to grow mini salads and sprouting shoots without soil! Microgreens are the small leafy sprouts of various edible plants. Packed with nutrients, they are quick to grow and especially great for kids to become little green thumbs. Join us to learn how you can grow these delicious greens very easily and all year long in your own home.”

Admission is free. The event takes place in the Erasmus Garden

“Bark in the Park” is a sponsored walk to raise money for the Irish Blue Cross animal charity, so it is NOT a free event, but you are meant to collect money from others to participate. Registration is closed now, but the organisers tell me that if you arrive on the day and give some donation there, they will still let you take part. So if it is for you, now you know about it! ;-)

In June 1917, two of the British Army’s Irish Divisions fought side-by-side at the Battle of Messines, in victory and then in defeat. At this talk Kevin Myers, journalist and writer, and a panel of historians including Damien Burke, Jesuits Archive, Lar Joye, the Museum’s curator of Military History and Dr. Jennifer Wellington, University College Dublin will discuss the Battle of Messines.

Suitable for adults. Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-6777444

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

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.

Dr John Loughman, UCD, will give a lecture on the representation of women in Vermeer’s art.

Admission is free.

As part of the festivities around the re-opening of the National Gallery after a 6 year renovation, the Cantando Chamber Choir will sing in the Shaw Room.

Admission is free.

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

Travel around European traditional dancing culture without a ticket at the weekly Bal Folk Dance Sessions. With the nice weather the dancing sessions have moved outdoors and will be in the Summerhouse (near the lake) in St. Stephen’s Green.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

The Wellington Weekender continues with more events in the Workman’s Club and The Liquor Rooms.

The schedule for Sunday is:

18:00 Cocktail Masterclass @ The Liquor Rooms
20:00 Hipster Bingo @ The Workman’s Club
20:00 The Workman’s Comedy Club @ The Vintage Room in Workman’s Club
The Workman’s Karaoke Club @ Workman’s Club
DJs until late.

Admission is free.

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 Des Hopkins Dixieland Jazzband is celebrating their first full year at this weekly Sunday evening gig.

Admission is free and this week there will be even some free Prosecco.

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

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

The Toledo International Youth Orchestra from Toledo, Ohio, USA will be in Christ Church Cathedral for a concert this Sunday and 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.

Lots to do at the Workman’s Club Weekender! One of the events is a Hipster Bingo with comedian Steve Bennett. Sounds intriguing! :-)

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).

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

What Gives are playing Funk in the Harbour Bar on Sunday.

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 Pride Festival will take place from 16-24 June with the parade happening on Saturday 24 June. This whole week there will be a good number of events and many of them are free.

Today, this will happen:

+ Dublin Pride Annual Debate in Outhouse in Capel Street at 20:00
+ Win, Lose or Drag – Pride Edition in the George from 23:00

All details can be found on the events list on the website below.

This short and informal talk will look at Daniel Maclise’s “The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife” from the perspective of the art handler team. Lynn McGrane and Luke O’Callaghan, exhibitions and collections services, will discuss the moving and transport of the large painting.

Admission is free. The talk will take place in front of the painting.

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 “New Parents’ Tours” are for parents, guardians, and carers of young children and will look at selected artworks on display. Their aim is to welcome families and visitors of all ages and encourage them to feel comfortable in the gallery rooms. The route is suitable for prams and strollers.

Admission is free.

If that topic “Technomoral Virtues and the Future of Human Flourishing” gets your attention, then check out the detailed description and book on the website below.

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!

Dr Kathryn Milligan, research fellow in the Centre for Study of Irish Art, will give a short talk on Harry Aaron Kernoff’s “Davy Bryne’s Pub, Dublin, from the Bailey”.

The talk will take place in front of the painting. Admission is free.

15 Steps to Building a Winning CV is the next talk in the Business Library. Liam Horan from Sli Nua Careers will give expert tips.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01 8733996

A Stand-up Comedy Night will take place in the Bowery and admission is free.

The line up will be David Hyne and Danny O Connor with guests Joseph McGucken, Marise Gaughen and Daniel Ryan

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

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

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

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

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

The 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.

The Dublin Pride Festival will take place from 16-24 June with the parade happening on Saturday 24 June. This whole week there will be a good number of events and many of them are free.

Today, this will happen:

+ Over 18s – BelongTo meet up in the BelongTo Office in 13 Parliament Street at 18:00
+ Pride Tuesday in The George. It starts at 23:00. Free in until 22:00.

All details can be found on the events list on the website below.

Anne Hodge, curator of prints and drawings, will give an informal talk on Frederic William Burton’s popular masterpiece watercolour “Hellelil and Hildebrand, The Meeting on the Turret Stairs”.

The talk will take place in front of the paintin. 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.

This tour is for people who are hard of hearing or have hearing impairments. Listening devices will be utilised to increase enjoyment and engagement with the reopened gallery and the national collection.

Admission is free. Meet at the Information Desk.

“From Yeats to Heaney: 140 years of Literature at the National Library of Ireland” by speakers Katherine McSharry (Head of Outreach) & Geraldine Higgins (exhibition curator) is an exploration of some of the writers who have loved the National Library and contributed to it in so many ways. It offers a glimpse of forthcoming exhibitions that bring their stories to the world. The National Library was founded in August of 1877 and has been closely linked with Irish writing and Irish writers.

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!

Caoilte O’ Mahony will give a short informal talk on Nathaniel Hone the Elder’s painting “The Conjuror”.

Admission is free. The talk will take place in front of the painting

“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

The Rathmines Library continues their clandestine film screenings. This month is is a film themed around gardens and gardening but unless you ring them on 01-497 3539, you won’t find out which film will be screened.

Admission is free

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

Admission is free.

“Jews and Irish in Modern and Contemporary Literature” is a public lecture by Professor Bryan Cheyette (University of Reading) as part of an academic workshop on ‘Reimagining the Jews of Ireland: Historiography, Identity and Representation’.

More information can be found on the website 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.

The Synesthesia talk series continues this week with a talk about Flavour (Taste/Smell). Our senses tell us about the world around us, and this talk series investigates our senses through discussions about design, science and performance.

At this talk you will find out who are the people leading the food and drink revolution in Ireland and why is flavour important?

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

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

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

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

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

The night is hosted by Cian from the tband MKAI.

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

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

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

The Trad Stage is a weekly Open Mic event in the Tivoli Backstage venue. Musicians are invited to perform live in front of an interested audience. Performances are primarily of Irish Traditional Music and Folk Singing, however it is possible to also see performances of traditional music from all over the world as well as performances of original compositions from local and international musicians.

Admission is free.

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.

The Dublin Pride Festival will take place from 16-24 June with the parade happening on Saturday 24 June. This whole week there will be a good number of events and many of them are free.

Today, this will happen:

+ Purple Grain Night Pride Lager Tasting in Street66, Parliament Street from 12:00 all day.
+ Outhouse Ride 4 Pride – A gym spin for charity in the Markievicz Leisure Centre
+ Individuality – BelongT for trans people in the Ombudsman for children office at 17:30
+ TENI Pride Poster Making in TENI, 2-4 Ellis Quay from 18:00

All details can be found on the events list on the website below.

The 35 people Benet Academy Choir from Lisle, Illinois, USA will perform a concert in the National Museum’s reception.

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.

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

A Summer Solstice Celebration is announced for 21 June in Merrion Square. This doesn’t seem to be an official or an organised event, but more like a non-organised community get together.

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.

Adrian Le Harivel, curator, will give a short informal talk on Angelica Kauffman’s “The Ely Family”.

Admission is free. The talk will take place in front of the painting

The Temple Bar “Night” Market is more an afternoon and evening market (14:00-20:00) and it takes place every Wednesday until September.

You can buy Arts & Crafts at this market.

In previous years the missing food and drink stalls (probably to protect the pubs and restaurants in Temple Bar) was mentioned by visitors as a critique.

This tactile tour is specifically made for visually impaired visitors to the National Gallery. There will be tactile/sensory boxes which everybody can use but they might help visually impaired people even more.

Admission is free. Meet at the Information Desk,

Dr Brendan Rooney, Curator of Irish Art at the National Gallery of Ireland, will talk about Harry Jones Thaddeus (1860-1929)’ painting “The Friends of the Model”.

Admission is free. The talk will take place in front of the painting.

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 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 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.

Wedding bands “Like A Version” and “The Bratz” will be in Harry’s for a showcase.

Admission is free, but registration is requested via info@tigerlilyentertainment.com

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.

The Dublin Pride Festival will take place from 16-24 June with the parade happening on Saturday 24 June. This whole week there will be a good number of events and many of them are free.

Today, this will happen:

+ The LadyBirds – BelongTo Meetup in BelongTo offices from 18:00
+ Ceile (Gayli) in Pantibar, Capel Street from 21:0ß
+ Pride Thursday in The George at 22:00. Free until 22:00.

All details can be found on the events list on the website below.

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.

Pat Liddy will will lead this Let’s Walk & Talk around the eastern end of Phoenix Park. First laid out in the 1660s as a royal hunting demesne, it has been a public park since 1745. The tour will unravel some of the great stories of the park and will take in the people’s gardens, the former army headquarters, Garda headquarters, the zoo, the Wellington testimonial, the cricket clubs and Chesterfield Road.

Admission is free. Meet at Conyngham Road entrance to Phoenix Park.

All details are here.

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.

“AE at 150: a conversation on George Russell’s life and art” is part of a series of short talks on the well-known activist, artist, and critic. The event will explore Russell’s contribution to the Celtic Revival, from his poetry and paintings to his work with the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society and The Irish Homestead. Speakers include Nicholas Allen, Roy Foster, Deirdre Kelly, Roisin Kennedy, and PJ Matthews.

Admission is free.

“Women Should Be Both Seen & Heard” is a lunchtime seminar series for women and other under-represented groups in research and academia. This second seminar is about “Getting the word out!”, when Dr Susan Kathleen Fetics (Marie Sk?owdowska Curie Actions Fellow at the School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin) will talk about how to educate the public about your research: Key steps to prepare for your target audience.

Admission is free. The seminar is a “brown-bag” lunchtime seminar, so you are invited to eat your lunch during the seminar.

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

The lunchtime recital “Itotake – Japanese Shakuhachi and Guitar” with Reidoh Konno – shakuhachi, Yamashiro Reiryo – shakuhachi and Yanagimachi Masataka – guitar will take place.

Admission is free., donations are appreciated.

Joanne Drum, education officer, will give a short and informal talk in front of Thomas Gainsborough’s “The Cottage Girl”.

Admission is free.

The public lecture “Ulysses Green-appraised: James Joyce and Environmental Politics” by Dr Yi-peng Lai of the National Sun Yat-sen University (Taiwan) will examine the diverse ways in which nature and nation are (re)imagined in Ulysses, specifically exemplified in James Joyce’s composition of the tree wedding in relation to his contemporary environmental politics.

More information on the website below!! Admission is free.

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

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

On other days and other times, admission is EUR 7 for adults and admission is by guided tour only.

The Colombian Film “Gente de Bien” will be screened in Spanish with English subtitles.

Admission is free.

Michelle MacDonagh, a member of the National Gallery of Ireland guide panel, will give a short talk on Joshua Reynolds’ Parody on Raphael’s School of Athens.

Admission is free. The talk will take place in front of the painting.

“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.

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!

Admission is free.

Future Fears are headlining the “Live at the Liquor Rooms” gig this month.

Admission is free,

Trio “Cat Palace” around singer/songwriter David Blaney will play a gig 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.

The Scrath are playing a gig in Whelan’s.

Admission is free.

The band “U-one” will be in the Hard Rock Cafe for a gig. I wonder if their music is in any way related to the other small band called U2? Not sure, but might be a good guess.

Admission is free.

Miles Graham will be in the Harbour Bar. He will play Soul and Funk,

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.

I have to admit that I don’t really know what this is, so I will just quote the original description:

“This and Tha! With Claire Batt! Dublins newest, prog, rock, crispy hoisin owl, plumbus and whatever else your having yourself night! Presented by Bitches Brew, AKA DJ Negligee. Launch night will see Mescalito and Bi Curious blow the roof of Sin E. With a late bar and DJ set after.”

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.

Hatchlings is a four piece band from Maynooth that get their influences from jazz, folk, R’n’B, rock and classical music. They will play a gig in the Midnight Hour slot in Whelan’s.

As far as I know the Midnight Hour gigs are completely free on Thursdays. On Fridays and Saturdays you can get in for free if you either arrive before 22:30 or if you sign up for the guestlist.

The Dublin Pride Festival will take place from 16-24 June with the parade happening on Saturday 24 June. This whole week there will be a good number of events and many of them are free.

Today, this will happen:

+ Pride Warm Up with Veda in Street 66 from 21:00
+ Hee Bee Bee Gees – Dublin Bear Pride in Oscar’s Bar from 21:00
+ Glitterbomb Pride Firday in The George from 21:00 (free until 22:00)
+ Dublin Bear Pride in Street 66 from 00:00

All details can be found on the events list on the website below.

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

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

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

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

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

Dublin City Hall has a museum/exhibition in the basement, called “The Story of the Capital”, it is an exhibition 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.

As part of the current “Sound Check” exhibition in the Science Gallery you can rent out a bike to experience Dublin in a completely different way:

Ya slip ta bang is an interactive composition mapped over the streets of Dublin that will unfold for you as you ride ‘sonic bikes’ along specific routes of the city. Accompanied by electronic music, the composition tells the story of recovering he roin addict Lucy Dolan as she returns to the city, revisiting important places in her life.

The sonic bike is a bicycle with frame-mounted speakers that plays different sounds and music dependent on where the cyclist goes and how fast they ride, via a mounted location-sensitive system.

The bikes can be rented for free for up to 1 hour on Fridays, Saturday and Sunday between 14:30 and 16:00. The rules and conditions are on the website below and that is also where you book the bikes.

The Science Gallery are inviting to a talk by NASA’s acting administrator Robert M. Lightfoot. He will talk about the role of NASA. From the range of their current and future missions, to their steps to improve aeronautics and develop new rockets and spacecraft, Robert will discuss NASA’s bid to carry us further into the solar system than ever before. He will also discuss the current research happening on the International Space Station.

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

Top NASA leadership in Dublin? That doesn’t happen too often. If you don’t want to miss that unique experience to hear it from the man in charge, book quickly!

Claire Crowley, curatorial assistant, will give a short and informal talk on Jan Wyck’s “The Battle of the Boyne”.

Admission is free. The talk will take place in front of the painting.

The Look and Respond tour in the National Gallery is designed for dementia-sufferers and their carers.

Admission is free. Meet at the information desk.

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.

Jack Brouwer is bringing his “Acoustic Brewtality” gig to the Hard Rock Cafe again.

Admission is free.

There will be live electronica with the band Grouse and dub/reggae with Rewind.

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.

Soul Purpose will play Classic Soul Covers.

Admission is free.

It is not completely clear if this event is still continuing or if Gavin Povey’s stint in the Leeson Lounge has ended:

“Gavin Povey and The Fabulous Oke She Moke She Pops” will play New Orleans style Piano Rhythm & Blues, Boogie Woogie and Rock’n’ Roll. Gavin Povey has played piano with Van Morrison, Finbar Wright, Kirsty MacColl, Steve Cropper, Shakin’ Stevens and many more.

Admission is free.

The Chin Dimples will play a funk gig in the Bowery on “Funky Friday”.

Admission is free.