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.

Battle for the Bay, Dublin’s yearly watersport event, is back this weekend on Saturday and Sunday.

The best kite surfers from Ireland and the world will show their skills and Stand Up Paddle board races will take place. And on land, there will be live music all day from DJs and bands, a beach market (with vintage clothes, vinyl records, Arts & Crafts, jewellery) a Farmers Market Food Village, Kids Zone with fairground rides, Beach Volleyball and a Biodiversity Village where you can explore the wildlife of Dublin Bay. And at a Global City Balance Challenge you can balance on a slackline for 10 seconds. This global challenge will pit city against city to see which one gather the highest number of people who can manage 10 seconds on the slackline without falling off.

On Saturday at 16:00 a Stand Up Paddle board world record of the Most SUP on the ferry wave will take place.

Don’t forget the sun tan lotion!

Admission is free. You will find the event schedule via the links on this page: www.battleforthebay.com/#whats-on

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
+ Tolka Valley Park, Finglas South, Dublin 11
+ Porterstown Park, Castleknock, Dublin 15

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.

Over 1000 young people from 15 countries will come together in the RDS to demonstrate their apps, websites, games and hardware projects. There will be a number of talks and opportunities to try out the newest tech innovations.

Admission is free for everybody under 18. (The rest of us have to pay 15 Euro at the door.)

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

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

The 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.

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.

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.

Áras an Uachtaráin is the residence of the President of Ireland in the middle of Phoenix Park. It started as a modest brick house for the Phoenix Park Chief Ranger in 1751, was then turned into th ‘occasional residence’ for the Lords-Lieutenant and gradually evolved into a huge mansion. After Ireland gained independence it was turned after 1937 into the residence of the Irish president.

Every Saturday a number of public tours take place and admission is free. Tickets will be issued at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre on the day, on a first come, first served basis. Group and/or advance booking is not possible.

The tours will be at 10:15, 11:30, 12:45, 14:00 and 15:15 and take approx. 1 hour.

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.

During this Biodiversity Week event with the Herpetological Society of Ireland, Rob Gandola and Collie Ennis will run a hands-on session to learn about biodiversity in Ireland including the secret lives of our native reptiles and amphibians.

Admission to this Drop-in Activity is free and the event is suitable for all ages.

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 yearly Calcutta Run takes place on Saturday. It is a 5 and 10km run from Blackhall Place to Phoenix Park and back. The run is a fundraiser by the members of the Law profession of Ireland. Participants are expected to raise funds, but after the run there is a Festival at the finish line in the grounds of the law society with BBQ and bar, live music, tennis, kids activities and family fun.

Admission to that event is free.

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 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.

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.

Qigong is a traditional Chinese form of meditation coordinating slow flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and a calm state of mind.

Come to this gentle Qigong practice outdoors on the Roof Top Garden of the Library (weather permitting) or indoors with a view of the roof garden. Suitable for all ages.

Admission is free and no booking required, but numbers are limited.

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

A Mindfulness tour is taking place in the National Gallery. This is a guided tour at a slower pace. Looking closely and moving quietly and mindfully through the Gallery spaces, you encounter each work with curiosity, allowing you to connect deeply with it. The tour will end with quiet reflection in silence and stillness.

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

“Gold, Amber and Bronze – Discovering Bronze Age Ireland” is an event with Museum educator Trisha Ryan Take a look at the newly refurbished Ór – Ireland’s Gold Exhibition. Learn about the raw materials used by the Bronze Age people of Ireland and how objects, such as the Lunula, Sun Discs and Gorgets, were made and the special meanings and properties they held for people.

Admission is free and places are allocated on a first come first served basis. Meet at reception. Suitable from ages 12+.

The Children’s Workshop “Origami” will take place on Saturday.

Come and get creative with paper and learn about the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. Did you know ‘Ori’ means fold and ‘Kami’ means paper? Having mastered the basics of this elegant art, you can then transform a sheet of paper into something exciting like an animal, tree or flower. Materials supplied. Meet at the Visitor Centre

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-8040319. Suitable for ages 8 to 12.

The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes that wound through China to the Mediterranean Sea. Though silk was the major trade item, many other plant-derived goods were exported along this route, such as cotton and wine. Hear the fascinating tales surrounding the uses and folklore of these plants while also catching some of our most beautiful Chinese plants at their best.

Admission is free. Meet in the Visitor Centre.

An outdoor dancing event with Cuban Salsa & Bachata will happen on the (round) bandstand in St. Stephen’s Green. From 15:0-15:30 there will be a Cuban Salsa Class for beginners and this will be followed by social dancing and Ruedas.

Admission is free.

Come this Irish Sign Language Tour of the Botanic Gardens. Find out more about our fascinating plant collections – from Wild Ireland, to the African desert to the tropical rainforest.

Admission is free. Meet at the Visitor Centre

The band Chancer willplay a gig and will be supported by Stevie Darragh and StitchJones.

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.

Shane Tadgh Nolan is a producer/songwriter who will perform hip-hop and R&B at this gig. He is joined by electronic duo SYLK.

Admission is free.

Absolutely Yo will play Rockabilly, Alternative Roc and Country in the Leeson Lounge.

Admission is free.

Bunoscionn will play a gig in the Bowery from midnight and there is an admission charge of EUR 5. But I would hope/expect that you arrive there a good bit earlier you would get in for free.

Dundalk bands Orwells’84 and Kelso will play a gig in Whelan’s.

Admission is free before 22:30

Revolver will be in the Porterhouse again for a late night gig on Saturday.

Admission is free.

Jazz Punk Band Vernon James will be in the Grand Social for this 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.

Battle for the Bay, Dublin’s yearly watersport event, is back this weekend on Saturday and Sunday.

The best kite surfers from Ireland and the world will show their skills and Stand Up Paddle board races will take place. And on land, there will be live music all day from DJs and bands, a beach market (with vintage clothes, vinyl records, Arts & Crafts, jewellery) a Farmers Market Food Village, Kids Zone with fairground rides, Beach Volleyball and a Biodiversity Village where you can explore the wildlife of Dublin Bay. And at a Global City Balance Challenge you can balance on a slackline for 10 seconds. This global challenge will pit city against city to see which one gather the highest number of people who can manage 10 seconds on the slackline without falling off.

On Saturday at 16:00 a Stand Up Paddle board world record of the Most SUP on the ferry wave will take place.

Don’t forget the sun tan lotion!

Admission is free. You will find the event schedule via the links on this page: www.battleforthebay.com/#whats-on

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 Magazine Fort in Phoenix Park was for a long time completely neglected, but it is hugely 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 30 years (!!) and there were numerous speculations about the reasons for that.

Finally since 2016, guided tours are provided and this year from April until end of October there will be three tours every Sunday at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00. Only 20 places are available on each tour and if there is a big event in Phoenix Park the tour will be cancelled.

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

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

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

The Drumcondra Village Market is 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.

Africa Day 2018 will take place in Farmleigh House to celebrate African culture in all its variety. It is a family-friendly event with music and dance on three stages, children entertainment, workshops, crafts and food at an African Bazaar and a fashion show.

Headline acts on the music stage are Irish band Kila (15:30-16:40) and AfroSoul band Fedah (17:00-18:00), but there will be many talented other performers as well.

In an unusal and surprising move, this year’s event requires you to have a ticket for admission. Tickets are free and can be obtained via the Eventbrite site below. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the ticket requirement will negatively impact the event. Free events need to be hugely oversubscribed (i.e. a lot more tickets need to be issued than there is capacity) because many ticket holders don’t turn up. If the organisers got the numbers wrong, the event will be empty. We will see!
Get your tickets via this link. At the time of writing this, there were only 2700 tickets left.

Also a first: This year there will be no parking at Farmleigh House at all! For a venue that is quite far away from public transport, that is not great news. Luckily though Dublin Bus will provide a free shuttle bus from Parkgate Street.
Find out all details about how to get to Farmleigh House here.
———–
A schedule of all performances and list of all events is available here.

This will be most likely the last Dublin Flea Market EVER at Newmarket Square!!! So if you want to have a last chance to experience this great event in its home location, then Sunday is the day!!

The next Dublin Flea Market is taking place in the Food Co-op, 12 Newmarket, just off Cork Street, Dublin 8 on Sun from 11:00-17:00. The flea market takes place every last Sunday of the month and admission is free. For more information or if you want to sell your own stuff, check out www.dublinflea.ie

“A bizarre bazaar of vintage clothing, bric-a-brac and what nots, old and new. Stalls include hand-made goods, art, jewelry, furniture, records and lots more unwanted items that may just be your treasure!”

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 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 tour “Baroque art and Guercino” will take place. Explore baroque art in the collection, including the work of Italian artist Guercino.

Admission is free.

A Drop-in family session will take place on Sunday. It is a art-making workshop where children and their parents/guardians/carers are encouraged to work together on creative projects.

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

Admission is free.

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.

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

The 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

Colman Pearce Piano
Stuart O’Sullivan piano
Gillian Williams violin
Arun Rao cello

And they will play works for Cello and Piano.

The Dublin Alternative Flea Market in the Vodoo Lounge will be an opportunity to find lots of preloved alternative treasure. Admission is free.

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.

Barry Jay Hughes and Padraig McMahon will perform at the Sunday Songbrunch. There will also be an Open Mic and Closing Jam.

Admission is free.

The tour “Baroque art and Guercino” will take place. Explore baroque art in the collection, including the work of Italian artist Guercino.

Admission is free.

Raimonda Masiulyte will sing Soul and Jazz at this weekly gig. She will be backed by Eamonn Moran on guitar.

Admission is free.

Bark in the Park will take place in St. Anne’s Park. It is a sponsored walk at 15:00 to raise funds for the Irish Blue Cross, a animal charits and veterinary care provider. Before the walk, there will be classes and demos from 14:00.

It is not completely clear what/is some elements of the event are free, but I guess that if you can’t afford to donate or if you don’t want to take part in the walk OR if you don’t have a dog, the event won’t cost you anything.

The “Dublin Sketchers” is an informal group of (hobby) artists who go somewhere different in Dublin every Sunday (e.g. National Museum, Maritime Museum, Dublin Flea Market, Farmleigh, Botanic Gardens, Dublin Castle, Science Gallery, …), sketch for one to two hours and then meet up for coffee afterwards and discuss their sketches.

There are some hugely talented people among them and it is a great idea to meet up with others who have the same hobby. Find out on their website below or on their Facebook Page where they will meet and join them if you do some sketching/drawing yourself. I know that the Dublin Sketchers often use the Dublin Event Guide to find interesting free events and I am delighted to be able to help!

Every Sunday a free tour takes place in the Hugh Lane Gallery.

Admission is free and booking is not required, but places are limited, so early arrival is recommended.

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

The Dublin heats of the annual “Bring Your Limericks to Limerick” competition will be held Books Upstairs, where poets will be invited to read their limericks aloud. All participants will be entered into the main competition to be in with a chance of winning the grand prize in the festival final in August… More details can be found on the festival website, limericksfest.wixsite.com/limerickliteraryfest

Admission is free,

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

The talk “Full of animated and interesting pictures: Dublin, 1850-1920” with Dr Kathryn Milligan, UCD will look at depictions of Dublin in art, 1850 to 1920.

Admission is free.

Unlike the three branches of the National Museum, the National Print Museum is normally not free, but every Sunday there is a free public tour for the next few weeks. Every visit begins with a short audio-visual presentation where the audience can observe active retired printers providing practical demonstrations of machines from the Museum’s collection.

The Public Tour at the “Proclaiming a Republic: The 1916 Rising” exhibition will give you a chance to explore some of the highlights of the Museum’s extensive Easter Week collection.

Admission is free and places are allocated on a first-come basis first-served basis 15 minutes before the tour starts. Suitable for Adults & Children 12+

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+.

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

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! ;-)

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

Admission is free.

The Dublin Bat Group is inviting to a Bat Walk in Dublin on Sunday. Meeting point is the Dropping Well Bar Car Park.

Wear sturdy comfortable walking shoes, a good jacket and bring a torch and children must be accompanied by a parent.

Admission is free, but booking is required via dublinbatgroup@gmail.com as places are limited.

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).

John Dee Graham & Sid Griffin will play a gig in the Harbour Bar.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

Every May the Bealtaine Festival takes place all over Ireland and it “Celebrates arts and creativity as we age”.

This is a difficult description as everybody ages and therefore the tagline doesn’t make THAT much sense. In essence, the organisers “Age & Opportunity” actually want to address the “older age”. Ok, that helps a little, but not too much either as nobody still really knows what the target age is. In previous years, a guidance of 55+ was given but that has disappeared and in all honesty most 55-60 year olds wouldn’t be close to insulted if they were classified as “older age”. ;-)

So where does that leave us? We don’t know really know!! So I guess if you feel older, this festival is for you and if you don’t, then the festival is not for you. ;-) I hope that explanation helps a little.

There will be many events throughout May and a good few of them are free. The website has a good enough search facility, although I never understand why event organisers subdivide Dublin into four or five “territories”. You can also download the brochure via this page (look for the Download link at the bottom – it is currently disabled, but I will try to get them to enable it next week).

To find events go to the WHAT’S ON page

In “Dublin City” there are approx. 72 events, but as I said, not all are free. Oddly, the events are sorted in reverse order, starting with the 30 May. Talk about confusing “older” users!?

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

“Female enfranchisement and its limitations, 1918-2018: Gender, politics, class and caste in Ireland” is a symposium at the Long Room Hub to commemorate 100 years of Suffrage in Ireland. It draws together established and early-career scholars in the fields of history, politics, art history and gender studies. The papers focus on the modern world and the invited participants have been asked to consider suffrage, gender, class, caste, colonialism, post-colonialism in Ireland, Europe and India.

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

This is an event for pre-schoolers (the Babas) and their grandparents (the Nanas and Papas): Have fun and enjoy some special time with your grandchild. Taking inspiration from the Chester Beatty Library collections, this event will encourage interaction between nanas, papas and babas through storytelling and gentle movement.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 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.

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

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

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

www.bookdepository.com?a_aid=dubevg

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

The Pop-up talk “Per Cantar Sonecti: When Music and Painting Meet” with Simone Sorini Syrenarum will look at the Italian Renaissance arias of Tromboncino, Virchi and Bossinensis – with lyrics by Michelangelo, Raffaello, Leonardo and others. The event is in Room 41.

Admission is free.

The Bealtaine Talk “Céad Míle Fáilte: Guidebooks to Dublin’s Fair City” with Maeve Casserly, NLI invites you take a trip back in time to see an array of guidebooks for Dublin. What kind of sites and scenes appealed to visitors from the 1890s? Where they different in the 1910s and 1960s? Using Dublin as a case study, you’ll see how the tourism industry has changed in Ireland since the 1890s through guidebooks, pamphlets, advertisements, and posters in the National Library collections.

Admission is free, but booking is required via learning@nli.ie

“Connected by Water through the Ages: Remembering the mighty Camac of old. Bring your old images of the river and its mills, laundries and millraces and sharing our stories to help us to remember”

The Camac is an historical river that shaped the city. It facilitated and influenced the course of industry in the South West of the City and County. Over 100 years ago, sawmills, papermills, woollen mills, grain mills, gun powder mills and several other industry-types lined its banks: many were so dependent on the Camac they constructed millraces to harness its power.

Dublin City Council and LAWCO (The Local Authority Waters and Communities Office) are hosting this largely social event where local residents, many natural historians among them, will come together to celebrate the river’s past and share personal stories and images of the hardworking river of yesteryear.

Admission is free.

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.

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).

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

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

Admission is free.

Every May the Bealtaine Festival takes place all over Ireland and it “Celebrates arts and creativity as we age”.

This is a difficult description as everybody ages and therefore the tagline doesn’t make THAT much sense. In essence, the organisers “Age & Opportunity” actually want to address the “older age”. Ok, that helps a little, but not too much either as nobody still really knows what the target age is. In previous years, a guidance of 55+ was given but that has disappeared and in all honesty most 55-60 year olds wouldn’t be close to insulted if they were classified as “older age”. ;-)

So where does that leave us? We don’t know really know!! So I guess if you feel older, this festival is for you and if you don’t, then the festival is not for you. ;-) I hope that explanation helps a little.

There will be many events throughout May and a good few of them are free. The website has a good enough search facility, although I never understand why event organisers subdivide Dublin into four or five “territories”. You can also download the brochure via this page (look for the Download link at the bottom – it is currently disabled, but I will try to get them to enable it next week).

To find events go to the WHAT’S ON page

In “Dublin City” there are approx. 72 events, but as I said, not all are free. Oddly, the events are sorted in reverse order, starting with the 30 May. Talk about confusing “older” users!?

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

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings 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 Pop-up talk “Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata” is taking place in room 27.

Join Dara McElligott for a pop-up talk in front of El Greco’s painting of Saint Francis receiving the stigmata.

Admission is free.

This is an event to discuss with the Brazilian community and everyone else interested the coup situation in Brazil, the meaning of Lula’s imprisonment, the importance of fighting for their freedom and prospects of anti-coup struggle in the country.

The debate will start with a lecture by Rui Costa Pimenta and a discussion will follow.

Admission is free.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Every May the Bealtaine Festival takes place all over Ireland and it “Celebrates arts and creativity as we age”.

This is a difficult description as everybody ages and therefore the tagline doesn’t make THAT much sense. In essence, the organisers “Age & Opportunity” actually want to address the “older age”. Ok, that helps a little, but not too much either as nobody still really knows what the target age is. In previous years, a guidance of 55+ was given but that has disappeared and in all honesty most 55-60 year olds wouldn’t be close to insulted if they were classified as “older age”. ;-)

So where does that leave us? We don’t know really know!! So I guess if you feel older, this festival is for you and if you don’t, then the festival is not for you. ;-) I hope that explanation helps a little.

There will be many events throughout May and a good few of them are free. The website has a good enough search facility, although I never understand why event organisers subdivide Dublin into four or five “territories”. You can also download the brochure via this page (look for the Download link at the bottom – it is currently disabled, but I will try to get them to enable it next week).

To find events go to the WHAT’S ON page

In “Dublin City” there are approx. 72 events, but as I said, not all are free. Oddly, the events are sorted in reverse order, starting with the 30 May. Talk about confusing “older” users!?

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

A somewhat odd trade fair exhibition is taking place on Wednesday in the RDS. Usually trade fairs or exhibitions focus on a single topic/theme, but if the purpose of the event is not to promote the theme but is driven by the commercial goals of the organiser, then you bundle as many different themes in the same event, market them all as separate events to their respective target groups and maximise the sale of exhibition stalls. Slightly cynical view? Well, if you look at the list of separate trade fairs that all happen in the same hall, you get the idea;

Tech Connect Live
The National Sales and Marketing Summit
Grow Your Business Online Expo
IT, Software, Data Summit
Grow SME
The CXO Summit
The Office Expo
The Mobile Tech Summit
The IOT and Industry 4.0 Expo
The Blockchain Summit
The GDPR Summit
The National Finance Summit

Admission to the event is free and “Delegates are free to move between events”..because they are in exactly the same exhibition hall! :-O

And there are LOTS of seminars as well, but a “seminar” might have 20 attendees only and is in the middle of the exhibition hall.

Admission is free and you can book your ticket via the link 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 Drawing Group for Adults in Rua Red runs free weekly drawing sessions on Wednesdays from 11:00-12:00. Materials are provided.

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.

Photo Detectives is a guided tour in the Photographic Archive. Delve into this exhibition that celebrates the work and play of the lively, online community who investigate the NLI’s photographs on Flickr. Who are the Photo Detectives? What do they find out? How does it all work? Join Seán Mulligan, one of the Flickr experts for this tour as he reveals the stories behind the images.

Admission is free.

A free guided tour will take place at the National War Memorial at Islandbridge every Wednesday at 14:00 from March until the end of October.

The tour will focus on World War I, in which nearly 50,000 Irish soldiers died. You will also hear about the main features of the gardens at this tour.

Meeting point is the car park at 14:00 (next to the Trinity College Boat Club). For further information and to check that it is taking place, contact 01-6770095 (Phoenix Park Visitor Centre).

“Suffragist City Women in Traditional Irish Music” is an hour of songs and tunes based on Suffragist City, the exhibition currently on display in the library. With musicians Mairéad O’ Donnell (Fiddle & vocals) Aisling Keogh (Fiddle) & Derek Copley (Banjo, Bouzouki & vocals).

Admission is free.

To celebrate Rachel Maclean’s exhibition “Just be yourself!” at the Hugh Lane Gallery come to this Conversation between artists Rachel Maclean and Jesse Jones.

Admission is free.

The Carnation Theatre’s new musical play tells the story of life by way of a bus journey. Nell and her best friend, Rita take the 33 bus each year to Balbriggan. A whole life will be lived and loved from school days to free travel. This is an invitation to remember shops, pubs, characters and local history along the journey.

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

This is a bilingual poetry event in Pearse Street Library:

Ceiliúradh ar shaol agus ar shaothar and fhile Máirtín Ó Direáin.The former Saoi of Aosdána and father of modern Irish-language poetry, Máirtín Ó Direáin spent most of his life in Dublin and had a complicated relationship with the city. Macdara Ó Fatharta agus Cathal Quinn – Aisteoirí / Enda Rilly – Ceol / Tristan Rosenstock – Fear an tí.

Admission is free.

Andrew Guy of Threshold looks at how to cope with sharing your domestic space with others. Suitable for all ages.

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

The talk “The 1918-19 influenza pandemic in Ireland: medicine, politics and people” with Dr Ida Milne will look at how the 1918-19 influenza pandemic inserted itself into all aspects of Irish society, from politics to family life.

Admission is free.

“Peru is a country with huge mineral deposits that has based its economic model primarily around the extraction of those minerals. As a result, it is home to some of the largest transnational mining companies in the world. Peru is also one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change, and has been suffering from an acute water crisis for years. Of the 31 million people living in Peru today, over 3 million lack access to safe water. This documentary produced by the environmental network Red Muqui brings to the fore the human stories at the centre of this fateful paradox. The film provides evidence of the extreme vulnerability of water sources and ecosystems in Peru, showing how the pollution produced by mining impacts not only on the environment but on the lives who live in this ‘mining country’. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session.”

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.

“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.

“Shipwrecked” is the name of the Bowery’s Open Mic on Wednesdays.

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

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).

Every May the Bealtaine Festival takes place all over Ireland and it “Celebrates arts and creativity as we age”.

This is a difficult description as everybody ages and therefore the tagline doesn’t make THAT much sense. In essence, the organisers “Age & Opportunity” actually want to address the “older age”. Ok, that helps a little, but not too much either as nobody still really knows what the target age is. In previous years, a guidance of 55+ was given but that has disappeared and in all honesty most 55-60 year olds wouldn’t be close to insulted if they were classified as “older age”. ;-)

So where does that leave us? We don’t know really know!! So I guess if you feel older, this festival is for you and if you don’t, then the festival is not for you. ;-) I hope that explanation helps a little.

There will be many events throughout May and a good few of them are free. The website has a good enough search facility, although I never understand why event organisers subdivide Dublin into four or five “territories”. You can also download the brochure via this page (look for the Download link at the bottom – it is currently disabled, but I will try to get them to enable it next week).

To find events go to the WHAT’S ON page

In “Dublin City” there are approx. 72 events, but as I said, not all are free. Oddly, the events are sorted in reverse order, starting with the 30 May. Talk about confusing “older” users!?

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

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.

Grangegorman Military Cemetery is in Blackhorse Avenue just outside Phoenix Park. It is the largest military cemetery in Ireland. It was first opened in 1876 to serve as a graveyard for the soldiers of what was then Marlborough Barracks, now McKee Barracks, and their families. Specific zones were laid out for English, Canadian, New Zealand, and Australian service men. The cemetery’s pedestrian gate is open from 10:00-16:00 seven days a week.

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.

At this Mental Health talk, Angela Amirault (Psychologist and Counsellor) will discuss “You can be happier in your life once you realise the only person you can change is yourself. If you are ready to react differently, you are ready for your life to be different”

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

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

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

www.bookdepository.com?a_aid=dubevg

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

The Temple Bar Craft Market during the week is back and it has moved to Thursdays in 2018. Organised by the Temple Bar Company the market will bring handcrafted jewellery, wood design, handmade soaps, original art, photography, fashion, specialised cards and stained-glass crafts.

The market starts at 14:00 and finishes at 20:00, but is still carrying the totally nonsensical and completely misleading name “Temple Bar NIGHT Market”. I will just ignore this unsuitable and incorrect name and will rename it to “Temple Bar Craft Market”. ;-)

From Thursday until Sunday of the bank holiday weekend (31 May – 03 June) the Gin Festival “Gin Fusion” will take place in the Bernard Shaw Pub and the Eatyard. There will be tastings, workshops, pop-up markets, classes, cocktail bars, pairings, food, DJs, live music, and more.

Admission is free, but you can pre-buy 10 Euro Eatyard vouchers via the website below.

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.

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

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

Glug is a Meet-up event for photographers, editors, publishers and image experts. The next one takes place on Thursday.

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

Do you have a story a tell? Would you like to see your own book for sale? Whether your interests are in fiction, natural history or fantasy, learn what is involved in publishing a book from writing the story to seeing the finished book on the shelf. Everything from writing style to financial costs is covered in this talk by Irish author Declan Murphy.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-8315521

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.

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.

Blues HQ will play a blues gig in Bray.

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.

At some stage on Friday 17 sailing ships (Tall Ships) who all participate in the Tall Ships Regatta 2018 will arrive in Dublin. The Tall Ships Regatta will be in Dublin from Friday until Monday, but don’t expect anything like the huge and wonderful event that we had here in 2012. Also, and VERY regrettably, the Dublin Port River Fest that was on the bank holiday weekend for years is NOT taking place this year.

You will be able to visit SOME of the 17 ships on Saturday and Sunday, but there is no land-based festival. The smaller ships will be in the Grand Canal Dock and the larger ones are on Sir Rogerson’s Quay.

The ships will be arriving from Liverpool and will leave on Monday at 12:30 to sail to the Golf of Biscay.

If you like looking at Tall Ships, this event has something for you. But I have to be honest and admit that I am a bit disappointed that Dublin City did cancel the Riverfest in 2018.

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 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.

The Centre for Creative Practices is inviting to “New Voices of Ireland – Meeting Point”.

“On this Get-Together day for Migrant and Culturally Diverse Artists, you will be able to find out about available funding opportunities, explore the benefits of professional mentoring, and learn all the dos and don’ts of running sustainable creative projects and business.”

Admission is free, but there are only 50 places, For booking and for more information, check the Facebook Page below.

The Cemetery at Arbour Hill is the last resting place of 14 of the leaders of the 1916 Rising. Among those buried there are Pádraig Pearse, James Connolly and Thomas Clarke. This tour every Friday introduce the Cemetery and will also explain the background and the event of the Easter Rising.

Admission is free and no booking necessary. The meeting point is inside the cemetery gates.

From Thursday until Sunday of the bank holiday weekend (31 May – 03 June) the Gin Festival “Gin Fusion” will take place in the Bernard Shaw Pub and the Eatyard. There will be tastings, workshops, pop-up markets, classes, cocktail bars, pairings, food, DJs, live music, and more.

Admission is free, but you can pre-buy 10 Euro Eatyard vouchers via the website below.

The Science Gallery will present a talk exploring the ethical issues relating to bionics and stem cell research around the world. Researcher Gordon Wallace will speak about his work in the area of nanotechnology and the promise of new medical solutions using stem cells and 3D bioprinting; Susan Dodds (University of New South Wales, Sydney) and David Hoey (Trinity College Dublin) will explore the ethical ramification. The event will be introduced by Simon Mamouney, Deputy Ambassador of the Australian Embassy in Dublin.

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

The Howth Tradfest 2018 is happening over the bank holiday weekend and will start on Friday 01 June and continue until Monday 04 June. There will be 20 events in 9 venues in Howth and many gigs are free.

Line-up and schedule can be found on the Facebook Page of the Tradfest and the link is below.

YouBloom is a music festival in Dublin with seminars and talks for people in the music business. It is not free and it looks sold out.

In parallel to the music summit, there is a gig schedule that includes gigs at the Bloom festival in Phoenix Park, but also in four venues in the city centre. The venues are

J.T. Pim’s, 4 South Great George’s St., Dublin 2
Mercantile, 28 Dame Street, Dublin 2
Berlin D2, Dame Lane, Dublin 2
Underground, 64 Dame Street, Dublin 2

and the schedule for Friday is

BERLIN D2:
18:45-19:30 Chasing Felix (IRL)
19:45-20:30 Makings (IRL)
20:45-21:30 Danu5ik (UK)
——-
THE UNDERGROUND
20:00-20:30 Birdwoman
20:40-21:15 Thomas Harvey
21:30-22:05 Hello Casanova
22:20-23:00 Heavy Soda
—–
MERCANTILE MAIN STAGE
19:00-19:45 Where’s Luke?
20:00-20:45 Lutenants
21:00-21:45 Claire Z
22:00-23:00 Carito Plaza
—-
MERCANTILE OUTDOOR STAGE
18:00-18:50 Katie Gallagher
19:05-19:55 Carito Plaza
—-
JT PIM’S
19:00-19:30 Tia Burke
19:40-20:10 Preetam Sengupta
20:20-20:50 Rachel Greene
21:00-21:30 Nick Aslam
21:40-22:20 Keith Plunkett
22:20-23:00 Katie Gallagher

Admission to all gigs is free.

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.

This is a gig by Stone Sea with support from Run in Red.

Admission is free.

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.

McGowans in Phibsborough run a monthly Singles Night. There will be music, games and ice breakers.

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

The Bionic Rats are playing Ska, Reggae and Rocksteady at this gig.

Admission is free.