Dublin Event Guide 530: Dublin Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival, Fusion Sunday, 140th birthday of National Library and Museum, Dublin Quays Festival

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 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 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 National Museum and the National Library were both founded in 1877 by the Dublin Science and Art Museum Act and on Saturday 12 August both will celebrate their 140th birthday.

A family-friendly celebration will take place and everyone is invited.

At the National Library the programme will run from 14:00-17:00 with gospel music, pop-up displays and visits to the impressive and iconic reading room and the Yeats exhibition. Younger visitors will be invited to get creative and make birthday cards for the Library and to join in other arts and crafts activities. And a special birthday cake will be served to the first 500 visitors.

At the National Museum a family-friendly open day will take place from 10:00-16:00 at the at the National Museum in Kildare Street with themed art workshops, a pop-up photographic exhibition and a free 1877-inscribed cupcake for all.

Admission is free.

The Temple Bar Markets (Food Market on Meeting House Square, Book Market on Temple Bar Square and the Designer Mart near Cow’s Lane) are taking place every Saturday from 10:00-16:30.

Dublin City Hall has a museum/exhibition in the basement, called “The Story of the Capital”, it is an exhibition that you should definitely check out at some stage.

To celebrate the Easter Rising Anniversary, admission to that exhibititon was free in 2016, but lucky for us, Dublin City decided to also waive the admission charge for 2017.

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

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.

The exhibition “The Beautiful Beasts” will feature a weird and wonderful collection of animal sculptures. Along with a brand new limestone seal, you will find a flying horse, a tortoise with a secret story and a toucan in disguise.

Created by leading Irish and international artists from materials ranging from bronze, woods, ceramics, steel and stone. You can learn about the techniques used to create the artworks and feel samples of the materials used.

Admission is free. The exhibition is open on from Wednesday to Sunday every week and is suitable for Age 4+

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.

On three Saturdays in August (12+19+26) Crampton Court will be transformed into a family fun area. Kids, adults and their pets can enjoy different activities, including live music with The Pale, Call The Dancers and Jambo Jambo, ballet classes, folk dancing classes, Scooby Box Doggie dancing competition, kids art and book corner. There will also free treats and eats.

Admission is free. To reach Crampton Court go to Dame Street, find Brogan’s Bar next to the Olympia Theatre and enter Crampton Court under the words BAR of the Brogan’s Bar sign. ;-)

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.

“Kingly Attire” is a drop-in workshop for everybody from age 8+. Drop-in and explore Ireland at the time of Celtic Kings. Find out more about the mysterious bog bodies and what they may have worn to special ceremonies, then make your own leather armlet to take home.

Admission is free.

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 Dublin Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival is back for the 4th year from Fri 11 – Sun 13 August. It will happen in the Dame District (near Dame Court with The Mercantile, 4 Dame Lane, The Globe, Stag’s Head, etc ) and the Camden Quarter (Whelan’s).

The festival will celebrate music, cars, hairstyles, clothing and everything Rockabilly. All things 50s and 60s!

The full list of participating venues is Whelan’s, The Mercantile, Dame Lane Theatre, J.T. Pim’s, Sam’s Barbers, The George Bar, Globe Bar, Dame Tavern, Bankers Bar, Stag’s Head, and 4 Dame Lane.

Admission to all events is free.

In addition to the music in lots of venues, there will be a Car Show and a Fashion Show outside Whelan’s and an Outside Stage is also there. In previous years all the outdoors components took place in Dame Court at the back of the Mercantile, please note that this has been moved to Camden Street to Whelan’s.

The line-up for Saturday is:

—————-
Whelan’s Radio Nova Stage:
20:30 Route 66
22:00 Point Break
—————
Whelan’s Outside:
12:00 Car Show & DJ
13:00 Slim Jim and the Bone Breakers
13:45 Fashion Show
14:30 The Rockets
15:15 Fashion Show
15:45 Catty Town
—————-
Dame Tavern:
19:00 Kevin Molloy
20:00 Slim Jim and the Bone Breakers
—————-
Globe:
19:30 Cherry Divine
21:15 The Zodiacs
—————-
JT Pimms:
19:45 Dublin City Rounders
—————-
The Mercantile:
20:30 The Rockets
—————-
4 Dame Lane:
23:00 Zalupa

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.

A Ceremonial Military Guard will parade at the site of the “National Memorial to Members of the Defence Forces who died in the Service of the State”, at Merrion Square during July and August. Ceremonies will take place at the pyramid at Merrion Square opposite the back entrance to the Dail, every Saturday from 15 July to 19 August 2015.

Units from different sections of the Defence Forces (Army, Air Corps and Naval Service) will participate in this Military Guard Ceremony to remember their comrades. Every week different units will be involved and the details of the ceremony and the participating units are described on the website below.

The talk “Originality in art – what’s the relevance?” with artist and educator Sarah Edmondson will take place.

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.

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 12:30 and 16:00. The rules and conditions are on the website below and that is also where you book the bikes.

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 guided tour “The National Library’s History & Heritage” will explore the Library’s rich architectural history and heritage. The tour begins in the main hall of the Library and includes a visit to the Library’s iconic reading room.

Admission is free and all are welcome.

“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

A Drop-in Art Making event for all ages will take place with artist and educator Sarah Edmondson.

Admission is free and all materials will be provided.

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

The tour will focus on World War I, in which so many Irishmen 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 01-8155914 (Farmleigh House).

The In Focus Tour “The Art of Friendship” with Dr Mary Redfern ( Curator of the East Asian Collections Chester Beatty Library) will take place in the Chester Beatty Library.

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

A Polo Novice Tournament will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Polo Grounds in Phoenix Park, in connection with the Dublin Horse Show.

I wasn’t able to find many details. The All Ireland Polo Club Facebook Page doesn’t give much away and their website is not much better. So I did find that “All are welcome to watch!” and that gives me some hope that you can watch for free, but unfortunately I am not 100% certain.

I also wasn’t able to find out the starting times for all matches. On Saturday there is one at 15:00 and the other at 16:30, but there were no times given for Sunday.

So why do I mention it anyway? Well, Polo is not the type of sport that you see at every corner in Ireland, so it is something special and that justifies mentioning it even with the sparse information available.

Electric Octopus and support The Skazz are playing a gig in the Bowery.

Admission is free BEFORE 21:00. After 21:00 admission is EUR 5.

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.

A Blues Night with performer Dermot Byrne will take place.

Admission is free.

The HardChargers are in the Harbour Bar for a gig.

Admission is free.

Indie Rock band Third Smoke will play a gig in Sin E and they will be supported by Three Underneath.

Admission is free.

The bands Bob Skeleton and The Clockworks will play gigs in Whelan’s at midnight.

Admission is free.

The Perseid Showers will peak tonight so if you manage to get to a place where there is no light pollution (away from street lights), no clouds and if you also can avoid the moon light then you could see the

But it won’t be easy: A cloud-free Ireland is rare at best of times and to avoid light pollution you have to get away from Dublin. Phoenix Park is the minimum but better is North County Dublin or Wicklow, away from population centres where there are street lights. And what about the moon? Well, he is not helpful today! Moonrise is on Saturday at 23:05 and Moonset is on Sunday at 12:34 with a brightness of about 80%.

If you go to this site: www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/perseid.html it will tell you in what direction and what altitude you should see the Perseids.

The Perseids are small pieces of space debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle and they are visible from mid-July every year, with the peak in activity between 9 and 14 August. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches about 80 or more per hour.

Admission??? It is free! :-)

Wedding and Party band Revolver will be in the Porterhouse 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 Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon is a half marathon with some gigs along the route and a Finish Line Concert in Phoenix Park.

The Finish Line Concert will run from 10:15-13:00 with headliner The Riptide Movement (11:00-12:00) and support from Santoria and the Jive Cats. Admission is free and even if you didn’t take part in the run, you are welcome to come along for the gig.

The bands along the course are Brain Donation, More than Machines, NC Lawlor, Rachel McCormick, Dublin City Rounders, John Byrne, Stolen City, Starr, Water on Mars, The Rockets, The Luna Boys, Duelling Saddles.

The locations and times where and when these bands are playing are on the website below.

And a bit about the race: The race is a commercial event and not free. It starts at 08:30 and consists of a Half Marathon, a 10k race and at 12:15 there is also a short Family Fun Run. The start is at the 3Arena/Point Depot and the Finish in Phoenix Park. The race will go along the Liffey first Northside then Southside, then to Christchurch, then Heuston Station, Kilmainham to Phoenix Park. Here the 10km run will end. The Half Marathon (21km) will take the scenic and long route through Phoenix Park.

On Saturday already a 5km run will take place in Phoenix Park only. With Start and Finish in the part of Phoenix Park between Aras an Uachterain and Castleknock. All maps are selectable here www.runrocknroll.com/dublin/the-races/course/

Be aware that large parts of Phoenix Park will be closed on Sunday morning.

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 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 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.

The exhibition “The Beautiful Beasts” will feature a weird and wonderful collection of animal sculptures. Along with a brand new limestone seal, you will find a flying horse, a tortoise with a secret story and a toucan in disguise.

Created by leading Irish and international artists from materials ranging from bronze, woods, ceramics, steel and stone. You can learn about the techniques used to create the artworks and feel samples of the materials used.

Admission is free. The exhibition is open on from Wednesday to Sunday every week and is suitable for Age 4+

Every Sunday (with a few exceptions) an art workshop takes place for children from 6-11 years of age. Admission is free and children must be accompanied by an adult.

The themes for the workshop are:
13 August Paint a Summer Scene
20 August Medieval Life
27 August Farmer Ann
03 September Farmer Ann
17 September Medieval Life
24 September Paint an Autumn Scene

The full list can be found here phoenixpark.ie/media/phoenix-park-programme-of-events-2017.pdf

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 next Fusion Sundays Market will take place this Sunday in the Dublin Food Co-op.

It is a world culture market, an ethnic Bazaar, that focuses on the diverse ethnic culture present in Ireland today. The Market features a huge array of International stalls, ethnic food, live music and entertainment for kids. You can buy handmade goods, arts and crafts, recycled products, jewellery, clothes and food. The market is held every second Sunday of the month.

There is always a great atmosphere and I definitely recommend this monthly market.

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 National Gallery is running a series of free themed family drop-in workshops from 11:30-13:30 every Sunday.

Inspired by the collection and the exhibitions in the National Gallery, these workshops are suitable for all ages from approx. 18 months to age 8. You can choose to stay for as long or as short a time as works for you.

The space will be divided by age and ability, and each child will be encouraged by Artist and NGI Education Assistant Caomhán Mac Con Iomaire and the week’s guest artist to create their own work on the week’s theme.

Admission is free and no booking required. Numbers are limited to 40 people at any one time but you can drop in and out whenever it suits you and as long as there is still space. Children have to be supervised at all times. The event takes place in the Atrium.

This week’s theme is: Beach Days

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 Dublin Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival is back for the 4th year from Fri 11 – Sun 13 August. It will happen in the Dame District (near Dame Court with The Mercantile, 4 Dame Lane, The Globe, Stag’s Head, etc ) and the Camden Quarter (Whelan’s).

The festival will celebrate music, cars, hairstyles, clothing and everything Rockabilly. All things 50s and 60s!

The full list of participating venues is Whelan’s, The Mercantile, Dame Lane Theatre, J.T. Pim’s, Sam’s Barbers, The George Bar, Globe Bar, Dame Tavern, Bankers Bar, Stag’s Head, and 4 Dame Lane.

Admission to all events is free.

In addition to the music in lots of venues, there will be a Fashion Show outside Whelan’s and an Outside Stage is also there. In previous years all the outdoors components of this festival took place in Dame Court at the back of the Mercantile, please note that this has been moved to Wexford Street to Whelan’s.

The line-up for Sunday is:

————-
Whelan’s Radio Nova Stage:
20:00 N.C. Lawlor
21:00 THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT
————-
Whelan’s Outside:
12:00 DJ Beepbeep
13:00 Mick Heslin
14:45 Fashion Show
14:30 The Louisiana 6
15:15 Fashion Show
15:45 Riley and the Moonrakers
————-
Dame Tavern:
19:00 John Byrne
20:00 Mick Heslin
————
Globe:
19:30 Duelling Saddles
————
The Mercantile:
20:00 Screamin Blue Cats
22:00 The Jive Cats

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.

This tour is specially designed for children and their guardians, parents and carers to make the works on display fun and engaging for kids and to welcome families and visitors of all ages and encourage them to feel comfortable in the gallery rooms

Admission is free.

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 12:30 and 16:00. The rules and conditions are on the website below and that is also where you book the bikes.

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!

The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Swim will take place on Sunday with a start time of 14:00 for the men and 15:00 for the women. The race starts at the RNLI Base in Dun Laoghaire harbour, next to the East Pier, then goes out to the lighthouse at the end of the West Pier and then back to the starting point. It is a 2200m swim and is part of the Open Sea Race Series. About 300 swimmers will take part.

It is mentioned here because you can support the swimmers from the East Pier for free, not for you to throw yourself in the water! :-)

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 Drop-in workshop “Origami for Families” with Akiko Kidokoro will teach you how to make your own origami in the shape of animals, flowers and fish.

Admission is free and no booking required but the workshop is limited to 20 participants.

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

On 16 Sept is the International Zouk Day and on that day a dance Flashmob is planned to happen in Dublin and for the next seven weeks, starting this Sunday, a Dance Practice will take place at the Pavilion/Summerhouse in St. Stephen’s Green (next to the lake).

It is a 2 hour session and you will learn to dance this Brazilian partner dance that was born in Rio de Janeiro less than 30 years ago (early 1990s). You don’t need to have and dance experience and you also don’t need to have a partner to participate.

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

Hands on History is a chance to explore some of the artefacts from the Museum’s collection of objects for handling with Museum educators. It is a drop-in session for all ages.

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.

A Polo Novice Tournament will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Polo Grounds in Phoenix Park, in connection with the Dublin Horse Show.

I wasn’t able to find many details. The All Ireland Polo Club Facebook Page doesn’t give much away and their website is not much better. So I did find that “All are welcome to watch!” and that gives me some hope that you can watch for free, but unfortunately I am not 100% certain.

I also wasn’t able to find out the starting times for all matches. On Saturday there is one at 15:00 and the other at 16:30, but there were no times given for Sunday.

So why do I mention it anyway? Well, Polo is not the type of sport that you see at every corner in Ireland, so it is something special and that justifies mentioning it even with the sparse information available.

The Sunday Melt Sessions in the Mezz is a whole afternoon of bands, acoustic acts, spoken word, DJs and more. The line up is available via the FB Event Page below.

Admission is free.

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

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

The event takes place every Sunday in the Cobblestone Pub. This week you will learn Polish dances. You can expect lively dances like: Oberek, Mazurek, Polka and Wiwat.

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

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

Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

Every Sunday evening from 18:00-20:00, the Wiley Fox is hosting a trad session, where some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians will play for you.

Admission is free.

The Dixeland Jazzmen play a weekly gig in Sin E. Admission is free.

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.

Canadian Singer/Songwriter Christian Bridges will be in the Harbour bar for a gig.

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.

The Rock ‘n’ Rock and Swing Band “The Jive Cats” will perform in the Mercantile every Sunday from 22:00.

Admission is free.

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

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!

‘Choose, Catch, Snap! Get a Glimpse, a Glance, a Flash! Of directions you may wish your life to take! And discover decisions you may desire to make!’

Emily Gallagher will run a ‘just for fun’ photo trail weekly, involving participants following instructions for hunting for various specific snaps around the city centre, after which interpretations of the symbolic significance to the snaps will be shared!

Admission is free, but donations are welcome and booking is required via chooseyourowntracks@gmail.com or 085-2725095. Meeting Point is the Meeting House Square.

These tours are for parents, guardians and carers of young children and will look at selected artworks on display. The route is suitable for prams and strollers and all are welcome.

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).

Great news the great duo of Donal Kirk and Anto Drennan have found a new home. Originally they played a weekly gig in JJ Smyth’s until it closed and now they will perform in the Leeson Lounge and the same day as before.

They will play music from Lowell George Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Free, Bad Company, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Beatles, Bobby Bland, Vince Gill, Ray Charles, Etta James, Elvis, Ry Cooder, Dobie Gray, Guy Clarke, early ZZ Top, Dave Edmunds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson.

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).

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.

A Family Workshop in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral called “Singing in the Cathedral” will take place on Tuesday at 10:30 and again at 12:30. You will learn to sing music performed in medieval times and also what it takes to work as a team of bell ringers using chime bars and beaters. Suitable for ages 7+.

Admission to this very interesting workshop is free, but registration is required via the link below. Tickets are limited and for the 12:30 slot there are only 6 left at the time of writing this!

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.

This is a short and informal pop-up talk in front of Luca Giordano’s “Saint Sebastian tended by Saint Irene” with Aisling Dunne.

Admission is free. Meet in front of the painting in Room 41.

“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

Storyteller Roisin Murphy will tell “Stories From Around The World” including Japanese, Persian, Native American and Chinese stories.

Admission is free, but booking is required via 01-8691414. Suitable for children aged 7 to 10 years.

A 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 Talks is a talk series In the Liquor Rooms about our senses and at the 6th event the topic is “Sound”.

For the last 5 talks an event announcement was on the Liquor Rooms Facebook Page and an Eventbrite page allowed you to book free tickets. Both is missing this time. So maybe check early next week to see if the talks will take place.

This is a guided tour of historic Tallaght Village. See hidden gems such as Tallaght Castle, St. Maelruain’s, the Friars Walk and more.

Admission is free. Meet at the County Library, Tallaght. Register via the link below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

“All Aboard! An open mic night on a Pirate Ship.” seems to be the new name of the Bowery’s Open Mic Tuesday.

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

Special guests this week are: Storytellers “Candlelit Tales” and they will be sharing 2x nautical based stories-

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.

Did you ever want to give drawing a go? Or maybe you are a budding artist looking for like-minded people to draw with? The Creative Den in Rua Red runs free weekly drawing sessions on Wednesdays at 11:00.

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

Admission to the gallery and to most events is free.

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

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!

“Kingly Attire” is a drop-in workshop for everybody from age 8+. Drop-in and explore Ireland at the time of Celtic Kings. Find out more about the mysterious bog bodies and what they may have worn to special ceremonies, then make your own leather armlet to take home.

Admission is free.

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.

The Japanese film “When Marnie was There” will be screened. It is an animation from Studio Ghibli that tells the tale of an emotionally distant young girl who becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and the girl who lives there – a girl who may not be real.

In Japanese with English subtitles. 2014, PG (103 min). Admission is free.

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.

Speaking Words is an evening of poetry and prose readings of writers own work. On Wednesday Eithner Cavanagh will read from ‘Poetry with Wings’.

Admission free. Refreshments and chat from 18:00.

Candlelit Tales, a small group of storytellers, are coming to the Bowery to tell you about “The Dark Side of Lugh Lámhfada”. It will be Live Storytelling with Musical accompaniment.

Admission is free and donations are welcome.

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.

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

Admission is free, donations are welcome.

“The Song Room” is another open mic event. It takes place in The Globe in George’s Street at 20:30 every Wednesday.

“The Zodiac Sessions” is a regular open mic event from 20:30 in Bruxelles (between Grafton Street and Westbury Hotel) for unsigned musicians. Admission is free and there is a different line-up every week.

Bad Boy Jake are every Wednesday in the Gypsy Rose Rock & Blues Bar playing their rock, blues and American.

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

The Resident Open Mic is a new weekly open mic on Wednesdays with a bit of a difference: Each week a different established artist will go back to their roots by not just playing at the open mic but by hosting it. This gives the artists a chance to try out new songs, play some of their classics and most importantly it gives a chance for new songwriters to play their music in front of some of their favorite songwriters.

Admission is free.

Traditional Irish Music Session in Hedigan’s (The Brian Boru) in Phibsborough from 21:30 every Wednesday. If you play an instrument you are especially welcome (all levels are welcome).

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

Admission is free.

Every 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.

“Wildlife of the Burren” is a Drop-in event with Burren specialist Ann Bingham. See up close real fossils and discover the wildlife of the unique Burren landscape.

Admission is free. Suitable for all ages.

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.

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 12:30 and 16:00. The rules and conditions are on the website below and that is also where you book the bikes.

GirlCrew is a platform for women to make new friends. Find other women that are in a similar situation and find a gang to go to concerts, on travels etc.

GirlCrew is launching a new smart phone app this week and they are celebrating this with 19 events (many are free) over four days from 17-20 August.

The free events are a Creatives/Freelancers Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Mother & Baby Morning, Business Networking Lunch, Entrepreneurs Event, Saturday+Sunday Brunch, Photography Walk and Tech Talks.

Admission is free to them and there are a few more where an admission charge is indicated. Most events require booking.

To find the full list and all other details, follow the link below.

August is the month for the yearly “Opera in the Open” at the Amphitheatre behind Dublin City Offices and not far from Christ Church Cathedral. For four Thursdays a lunchtime performance of an opera will take place. This year the performances are:

+ 03 Aug: La Boheme – Giacomo Puccini
+ 10 Aug: Cox and Box – Arthur Sullivan
+ 17 Aug: Rita – Gaetano Donizetti
+ 24 Aug: Gianni Schicchi – Giacomo Puccini

Admission is free. In very bad weather it can happen that the event will get cancelled. In that case notifications should be on www.facebook.com/DublinCityCouncil

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 Workshop “Contemporary Collage” with artist and educator Sarah Edmondson will take place. She will discuss and explain the iconography present in Dutch 17th century genre paintings. A workshop will follow where you can create a collage using images from contemporary magazines, creating iconography relevant to the 21st century.

Admission is free but there are only 15 place and they will be allocated on first come, first served basis.

At this evening tour, you will hear the stories behind the National Gallery conservation and refurbishment project and then visit the historic wings highlighting key works from the newly conserved and hung National Collection.

Admission is free.

In 1964, Dr. Robert Moog introduced the world to a completely new type of instrument, the Moog Synthesiser, that would go on to change the course of music history. The Moog Sound Lab that is currently in the Science Gallery travels around the world showcasing the limitless capabilities of the Moog synthesiser sound. And while part of the Science Gallery Sound Check exhibition artists keen to explore the sonic potential that the Moog Lab has to offer can do a residency in the Moog Lab.

The artists will explore and experiment live in the exhibition space of the Science Gallery over the course of their week long residency, which will be open to the public. They will create a unique new composition and on Thursday Roger Doyle (composer, keyboardist and producer of own music) will give a concert in the studio.

Admission is free, but places are very limited. Access on first come, first served basis.

“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! More information can be found here: www.meetup.com/IrishGamesAssociation/

Admission is free.

The Dublin Quays Festival takes place from 17-20 August in five venues close to the Liffey: The Grand Social, The Wiley Fox, The Sound House, The Liquor Rooms, The Workman’s Club, Sin É and Bagots Hutton. Admission to all gigs is free.

An overview of all gigs day-by-day is on this Facebook Page here. The Facebook Page for the full event is here.

The five venues Sin É, The Grand Social, The Workmans Club, The Sound House and Baggots Hutton came together and have created the new Dublin Quays Festival from 17-20 September.

The line up for the Grand Social on Thursday is

+ Sussex Universities Big Band (USA)

Admission is free.

The Workmans Club, The Sound House, The Liquor Rooms, The Grand Social, The Wiley Fox, Sin E and Bagots Hutton are inviting to the Dublin Quays Festival and the line-up in the Workman’s Club is:

Thur 17 Aug: Death in the Sickroom
Fri 18 Aug: Super Silly / Jordan Adetunji
Sat 12 Aug: Orchid Collective / Little One
Sun 13 Aug: The Allison Spittle Show

Admission is free.

The “Live at the Liquor Rooms” gig series continues with a performance by Daniel Shiel on Thursday.

Admission is free.

Good Name are bringing PolyGlove, an electronic duo from Dublin to the Bernard Shaw Pub for a live dreamy techno gig.

Check them out here polyglove.bandcamp.com/

Admission is free.

10-piece band from Galway “Baile an Salsa” is mixing Irish Traditional music with Latin Amercian sounds.

Admission will be 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.

TheSoundFeed.com are presenting rock bands “Sub Motion” and “Vulpynes” at their new monthly showcase event.

Admission is free.

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

Admission is free.

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

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

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

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

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

Every Thursday “Left Right & Centre” play a mix of blues & soul with a bit of rock&roll.

Admission is free.

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

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

The Outlaw Country band “SpiritRiders” will be in the Leeson Lounge for a gig.

Admission is free.

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

GirlCrew is a platform for women to make new friends. Find other women that are in a similar situation and find a gang to go to concerts, on travels etc.

GirlCrew is launching a new smart phone app this week and they are celebrating this with 19 events (many are free) over four days from 17-20 August.

The free events are a Creatives/Freelancers Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Mother & Baby Morning, Business Networking Lunch, Entrepreneurs Event, Saturday+Sunday Brunch, Photography Walk and Tech Talks.

Admission is free to them and there are a few more where an admission charge is indicated. Most events require booking.

To find the full list and all other details, follow the link 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.

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

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

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

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

The 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.

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 12:30 and 16:00. The rules and conditions are on the website below and that is also where you book the bikes.

Summer Music at Sandford is a series of lunchtime concerts at Sandford Parish Church. Every Friday in July and August these classical concerts will take place.

The next one is with Derek Moylan (piano) playing music by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Debussy.

Admission free, but donations in aid of the Sandford Organ Restoration Fund are appreciated.

This is a short and informal pop-up talk in front of Jan van Kessel’s “The Dam at Amsterdam” with Caomhán Mac Con Iomaire.

Admission is free and meeting is in front of the painting in Room 37.,

A Garden Walking Tour with Carmel Duignan will take place on Friday.

Admission is free. Meet at the Walled Garden.

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 Dublin Quays Festival takes place from 17-20 August in five venues close to the Liffey: The Grand Social, The Wiley Fox, The Sound House, The Liquor Rooms, The Workman’s Club, Sin É and Bagots Hutton. Admission to all gigs is free.

An overview of all gigs day-by-day is on this Facebook Page here. The Facebook Page for the full event is here.

The Workmans Club, The Sound House, The Liquor Rooms, The Grand Social, The Wiley Fox, Sin E and Bagots Hutton are inviting to the Dublin Quays Festival and the line-up in the Workman’s Club is:

Thur 17 Aug: Death in the Sickroom
Fri 18 Aug: Super Silly / Jordan Adetunji
Sat 12 Aug: Orchid Collective / Little One
Sun 13 Aug: The Allison Spittle Show

Admission is free.

The five venues Sin É, The Grand Social, The Workmans Club, The Sound House and Baggots Hutton came together and have created the new Dublin Quays Festival from 18-20 September.

The line up for Sin É is

+ Friday 18 Aug: Leila Jane & The Healers
+ Saturday 19 Aug: Square Head / Joolz Jones

Admission is free.

Fiona Hart will be in the Liquor Rooms for a gig, which is part of the Dublin Quays Festival.

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.

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.

RobotRock, the 4 piece band that plays all the classic dance tracks from the last 30 years live: There will be Daft Punk, Gorillaz, Prodigy and more.

Admission is free.