The second half counts! – More events and suggestions for a great weekend!

Next Week

++ How the Great London Fire Began – Live Stream Mon 06 July 14:00-14:30 Online www.facebook.com/events/529737937698071/
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+ Animals and Volcanoes – Nature Live Online – Live Video Tue 07 July 12:00-13:00 Online www.facebook.com/naturalhistorymuseum/videos/587698442170708/
+ A human-centred approach to cultural heritage technologies – with Luigina Ciolfi – UCD Discovery Zoom for Thought Tue 07 July 14:00-14:15 Online www.ucd.ie/discovery/zoomforthought/ahuman-centredapproachtoculturalheritagetechnologies.html
+ Neil Hannon, Cathy Davey and Eve Belle – Other Voices Gig Tue 07 July 20:00 Online www.facebook.com/OtherVoices/posts/10158323946165428
+ Ruby Sessions at Home Tue 07 July 20:30-23:00 Online www.facebook.com/events/2411359412411716/
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+  Create and Connect on YouTube – Google Webinar Wed 08 July 11:00-12:00 learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage-ie/f2f
+ PhotoIreland Festival 2020 Launch Wed 08 July 18:00-19:30 Online www.eventbrite.ie/e/110531946026 (Booking required)
+ The Spanish Flu of 1918 – History Lecture Wed 08 July 20:00-21:00 Online www.facebook.com/events/886481258537269/
+ WeAddHeart Dublin – Online Meetup Wed 08 July 20:15-20:50 Online www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/weaddheart-dublin-lucan-online-tickets-101659121168 (Registration required)
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+ Ukulele Licence – Play Along – Rock Jam School Thu 09 July 11:00-11:30 Online www.facebook.com/rockjamschool/posts/2887635174698021 (Live Stream on vimeo.com/event/114987)
++ Wood Quay Summer Sessions – Big Spoon – Jazz Thu 09 July 18:00 Online www.facebook.com/WoodQuaySummerSessions/
+ Mad about Minibeasts – Q&A with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (for all ages!) Thu 09 July 14:00-15:00 www.facebook.com/events/1164741903891184/
+ The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2020 – Online Edition – Dance Workshop Thu 09 July 19:00-20:00 Online www.facebook.com/events/285451672666924/
+ Saint Sister and members of Crash Ensemble – Other Voices Gig Thu 09 July 20:00-21:00 www.facebook.com/OtherVoices/posts/10158323966045428
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+ Friday Night with Mikey Smyth – Online Gig for a charity Fri 10 July 20:00-21:30 www.facebook.com/mikey.smyth.37
+ Drops of Green – Live Gig Fri 10 July 20:00-22:00 Online www.facebook.com/events/3181643425257315/

I found a few more things to keep you going in between the events that are listed above. ;-)

1) Virtual Tour of the week
With this week’s virtual tour we are coming to our lovely surrounds of Dublin again and we are going to Marlay Park. The virtual tour lets you visit Marlay House and it is well done tour. Find it here: gturl.eu/MarleyTour

2) Kahn Academy for kids
I am not sure if I have mentioned it before and MAYBE now is not the best time, considering that the kids are on summer holidays. BUT there are always some kids who love to learn new things (Yes! They exist! ;-)  ) and if you have something to offer them, they might be very very happy. Have a look at the Khan Academy for Kids here learn.khanacademy.org/khan-academy-kids/  It is a great resource and all courses are free.

3) Traffic in Dublin
Last week I wrote about the closure of all side gates in Phoenix Park for traffic and it seems this has caused traffic mayhem in the whole area. Now residents in the neighbourhood of the park are campaigning for a re-opening of the gates and have set up a petition. Still very much at the beginning of the campaign, but maybe you can help: my.uplift.ie/petitions/reopen-gates-in-phoenix-park
Apart from the traffic issues, the main problem that I see is that Phoenix Park is so big that most of the park will become inaccessible for most people in Dublin if they can’t park their car in the park and then go for a walk.
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And Dublin City is also at it again! This time it is the closure of some more streets for testing “pedestrianisation”. Parts of South Anne Street, Duke Street, South William Street, Drury Street and Dame Court will be closed for four weekends from 25 July (from 11:00-19:00). www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/mixed-reaction-to-dublin-streets-closure-in-bid-to-boost-business-1.4295288
Dublin City claims that this is to accommodate the bigger number of pedestrians due to Covid, but then everything at the moment is justified with the Covid-excuse. Anecdotally the pedestrian numbers are actually still lower than before the lockdown period. The odd thing is that Duke Street and South Anne Street are partially pedestrianised already and the rest is never very busy with pedestrians. But there are a few car park spaces and they will be removed during that trial. The other odd thing is that that access too commercial car parks and to taxi ranks is still possible even during the trial, so that means the streets are NOT being pedestrianised on these four weekends because there will still be cars.
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Only Dublin City can come up with the mad idea to trial pedestrianisation WHILE the let cars drive through the same streets!

4) Some GREAT upcoming events
+ Summer Science Online by the Royal Society London from 13-17 July www.facebook.com/events/573662953295232/ (Registration required)
+ Big Bang Digital 2020 – Science, Engineering & Covid-19, 14 July 09:00-17:00 www.facebook.com/events/691628268292857/
+ Hotter than July online by Improvised Music Company with music, story-telling and creativity 17-26 July www.facebook.com/events/3072221199493392/
+ The Festival of Curiosity 2020 – Festival of science, arts, design and technology. 16-19 July festivalofcuriosity.ie/programme/ (Registration required)

5) Some Museums still closed
A good few museums and venues have opened again last week, but others are still closed.
The National Museum has opened the Decorative Arts & History Museum in Collins Barracks, but the Archaeology Museum in Kildare Street and the Natural History Museum in Merrion Street are still closed and won’t open until 20 July.
The Science Gallery in Pearse Street is also still closed and hasn’t announced yet when they will re-open.
The National Gallery has re-opened, but not fully. Some rooms are still closed and an explanation is here www.nationalgallery.ie/visit-us/opening-hours/phased-reopening-gallery

6) Online Courses
During the Covid lockdown, enrollments in Udemy courses increased by 425%! Wow! What did you learn during that time? In July most Udemy courses will cost between EUR 10.99 and 12.99, so it is not too late yet to learn something new. Use this link shor.by/GqCk because if you buy through that link, you help the Dublin Event Guide! ;-)

7) Books
A free Book summary per week can be found here: readitfor.me/91927
And to buy books I recommend Book Depository because they are usually cheaper than others and they always include delivery for free (and by using this link you help the Dublin Event Guide): www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=dubevg
Some of you have asked me to continue with the weekly book suggestions, so here is another one.
One I was about 15 years of age, I was fascinated by books from one specific author. I read as many as I could get hold of in the library of the small town I grew up in. The books were already written in the 19th century, but to me they were the quintessential adventure stories. I am sure you have heard of “Around the World in Eighty Days”, “A Journey to the Center of the Earth”, “Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” and you probably know now that I am talking about the author Jules Verne. I loved his style and couldn’t stop reading his books and that’s why he is my book recommendation this week. And even better, I found an “omnibus edition” with seven of his novels: “Jules Verne: Seven Novels”. www.bookdepository.com/book/9781435122956/?a_aid=dubevg