The art event “Paintings from Sardinia to Dublinia” (see description in the EXHIBITIONS section), is ending with an event “Folk Dances and Muisc” in the Italian Institute of Culture. Giuseppe Basi will talk about Sardinia dances and music and the Irish Traditional Dance group “Caobh Chuallan” will perform Irish Dancing. There will also be Sardinian refreshements at the end of thie event.
Admission is free.

A free Greek and European Folk Dance class open to all. Contact Katerini Papathanasiou on papath.kat@gmail.com

Need to wind down after a tiring week? Free Sahaja Yoga Meditation (not physical yoga, but “yoga meditation”!) classes every Friday at 19:30 at 4/5 Eustace Street, Temple Bar (next to IFI, ring bell no. 3)

A drop in class, with newcomers welcome.

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.

“Dublin Tribal Spirit” is a weekly event that gives you the great experience of a drumming circle with african drums and authentic tribal rhythms. Tom and Sinead, who run that event are providing lots of drums for it and teach you the rhythms.

There is no formal admission charge for this event, but donations are expected. The organisers bring their own 20-30 drums to it every week, so they are looking for donations to keep the event going.

The Addison Lodge are inviting local bands, musicians, poets, comedians and performers to share their talents at the new Addison Lodge Open Mic Nights in Glasnevin (opposite the Botanic Gardens). The event will take place every week. Admission is free.

The Stillorgan Orchard provides regular live music. The upcoming gigs are detailed on the website below.

The Brady’s Sessions is a monthly singer/songwriter night in Gub Dandy’s at Brady’s Pub Terenure. Admission is free and this month’s Line-Up is:

Shauna Mackin
Joe Carroll
Finnian Kelleher
Karen Alice Dunbar
Caroline Reel
Sinead Dunne

The fourth Gospel Rising Music Festival is taking place this weekend in Bray. For fans of Gospel Music, this the event of the year. Over the 2.5 days from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, you will get a chance to hear some of the best Gospel Choirs from all over Ireland. Gospel Rising provides a range of workshops for paying attendees (you can still get a few remaining tickets) and then there are lots of free concerts and events in Bray as well.

The main festival gig will take place on Saturday evening on the bandstand at the Seafront in Bray, but check out the other events as well. These ones are all free:
Fri 10 May – 22:30: Gospel Jam, Martello Bar, Seafront, Bray
Sat 11 May – 13:30-15:30: Lunchtime Gig, Bandstand, Seafront, Bray
Sat 11 May – 19:00: Soul Session with Niall Donnelly, Bandstand, Seafront, Bray
Sat 11 May – 20:00: Gospel Rising Festival Gig, Bandstand, Seafront, Bray
Sun 12 May – 14:00-15:00: Gospel Rising Ecumenical Service, Bandstand, Seafront, Bray

This will be my fourth year at Gospel Rising and with approx. 30 of Ireland’s best Gospel Choirs, you will not find any better Gospel Music event.

Realistic Train and guests Brains will perform in the “Midnight Hour” in Whelan’s. Admission is free if you arrive before 22:30. www.facebook.com/events/445295195550233/

The French Community is coming together again and also invites everyone who likes France and French. The next French Friday will take place on 10 May and the theme is “A night of Electro” with two DJs playing Electrofunk/House and Dubstep/Drum&Bass. Admission is free.

Yes, you read correctly, the time is 04:30, NOT 16:30! :-) For this event you will be a real Early Bird becazse you want to hear their morning song.

Calling all early birds and nature lovers to see and hear a host of different birds in the company of Niall Hatch, Development Officer with Birdwatch Ireland for our very first Dawn Chorus event in Herbert Park

The Inland Waterways Dublin Rally will bring many canal boats into the Grand Canal dock. Boats are to assmeble at Lucan Road Lock on Friday 10 May. Then on Saturday from 07:00, the boats start moving from Lucan to Suir Road and then onwards to Portobello. They will stay overnight at Portobell and on Sunday from 07:00 they will move to Grand Canal Dock to arrive there before 13:00. A number of children’s events are organised for the afternoon at Grand Canal Dock.

You can watch the event happening and most likely can even walk along the quite slow moving boats on their way.

The fourth Gospel Rising Music Festival is taking place this weekend in Bray. For fans of Gospel Music, this the event of the year. Over the 2.5 days from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, you will get a chance to hear some of the best Gospel Choirs from all over Ireland. Gospel Rising provides a range of workshops for paying attendees (you can still get a few remaining tickets) and then there are lots of free concerts and events in Bray as well.

The main festival gig will take place on Saturday evening on the bandstand at the Seafront in Bray, but check out the other events as well. These ones are all free:

Sat 11 May – 13:30-15:30: Lunchtime Gig, Bandstand, Seafront, Bray
with Celtic Grace (13:30), Limerick Gospel Choir (14:00), A Glór Gospel (14:30)

Sat 11 May – 19:00: Soul Session with Niall Donnelly, Bandstand, Seafront, Bray

Sat 11 May – 20:00: Gospel Rising Festival Gig, Bandstand, Seafront, Bray
with Virginia Gospel Choir (20:00), The Really Truly Joyful Ennis Gospel Choir (20:30), Move 4 Parkinson’s Voices of Hope Choir (21:00), Gardiner Street Gospel Choir (21:45), Bray Gospel Choir (22:15).l

Sun 12 May – 14:00-15:00: Gospel Rising Ecumenical Service, Bandstand, Seafront, Bray

This will be my fourth year at Gospel Rising and with approx. 30 of Ireland’s best Gospel Choirs, you will not find any better Gospel Music event.

Flag enthusiasts will hopefully know all about this event, because some part is already over when you get this Dublin Event Guide. Since Thursday there were flag related talks and events in Dun Laoghaire. One of these odd but wonderful (for some!) events that are connected to “The Gathering” and possibly wouldn’t exist without it.

On Saturday there are a few more talks from 09:30 in the Assembly Hall and the County Hall and then from 15:00 a Flag Parade with Marching Bands, Community Groups and Vintage Cars will take place. Start and Finish will be at the People’s Park and it will go through the centre of Dun Laoghaire.

Everybody is welcome and admission seems to be free for all events and definitely for the Flag Parade. Find out more details on the website below.

The Dublin Food Co-op is open every Saturday at Newmarket for organic wholefoods and sustainable household products, plus over a dozen producer stalls offering organic fruit and veg., baked goods, dairy produce, wines, hot and cold food, etc. The Co-op is also open on Thursdays 12:00-20:00.

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.

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

Join author and Botanic Gardens guide Glynn Anderson for a guided bird walk. Come and discover what birds are here, bring binoculars if you have them and see what you can discover.

Admission is free, but booking is required via a doanloadable booking form from the website below.

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 Merchants Market on East Wall Road is a relatively new weekly market on Saturdays and Sundays with more than 80 stalls. There is everything from furniture and antiques to paintings and mirrors, electronics and hot food to bicycles and buns. Sounds interesting and I will check it out over the coming weeks. It is just a few minutes walk away from the Point Theatre/O2 (walk in the direction of the Port Tunnel). www.facebook.com/merchantsindoormarket

An indoor market in Coolock with over 40 traders with a wide range of goods and a café on site as well.

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.

Discover the beautiful restored Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden and learn about growing your own fruit and vegetables, herbs and lots more. Meet OPW professional gardeners Brian and Meeda at the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden. They have lots of advice to plan your perfect garden for the Spring months ahead. Please bring suitable footwear. Admission is free and car parking is available.

The Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden is located next to the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, and the Phoenix Café. The OPW professional gardeners are on site on the second Saturday of the month, (February to November).

“These Are a Few of My Favourite Things” is the title of a Walking Tour that Emily Gallagher will run every Saturday. 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 egaldog@gmail.com or 085-2725095

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.

Eason Story Time is back. As part of Eason’s “Get Into Reading” campaign, a specially selected children’s book will be read at 11:00 each Saturday in every Eason store in the country. On the website below are the dates and book titles from now until mid-June and for the next two months I have them included here:

11 May: Dinosaurs in the Supermarket by Timothy Knapman & Sarah Warburton
18 May: Squash & A Squeeze 20th Anniversary Edition by Julia Donaldson
25 May: Hugless Douglas & The Big Sleep by David Melling
01 Jun: I Am Not Sleepy & I Will Not Go To Bed by Lauren Child
08 Jun: This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers
15 Jun: Come On, Daisy by Jane Simmons

The People’s Art Exhibition is a brilliant event that takes place four times every year. The May event this weekend is the first this year. You can look at loads of different types of art from amateur and more established artists while you do your Saturday or Sunday walk. The paintings are hung on the railings around St. Stephen’s Green Park and you can buy or just look.

Let’s hope that the weather is good as otherwise it is not that much fun for the artists or the audience. If you have never been at the People’s Art Exhibition give it a go, you will enjoy it! :-)

A Community Day at the Project Arts Centre is taking place. The Project Arts Centre will be opening their doors for two days of free events and performances so that you can check out the centre.

On Friday RTE’s Arts and Culture show “Arena” will be live broadcast from there. “New Triangle” and the “Crash Ensemble” will play music and there will be interviews with Roger Doyle from New Triangle, with he artistic director of the Project Arts Centre Cian O’Brien and with writer and director Peter Sheridan and also with writer Philip McMahon.

On Saturday another whole range of events take place:

+ Priscilla Robinson, PROJECT CATALYST artist, presents the delicious Robinson’s Roadshow Café from 11:00
+ Come to a venue tour at 11:00, 13:00 or 16:30
+ Join a gallery walk & Talk at 12:00 or 14:00
+ Learn more about Commedia dell’Arte from 12:00-15:00
+ Take part in a Dance Workshop from 11:30-13:30
+ Take part in a Theatre & Performance Workshop from 14:00-16:00

Admission is free, but places are limited and you will have to book tickets for some of the events. Check the website below for details or ring 01-8819613

The Ferocious Mingle Marcade (Market and Arcade) place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday it is a fancy dress market. It’s a flea-market type permanent market with stalls and “chalets” for traders. The Oscar Verne Café on site and (at least at the weekends) live music adds even more character.

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

The Exchange’s arts and crafts market is taking place again and Admission is free. There will be handcrafted jewellery, mirrors, handbags, birdhouses, photography, cakes and all manner of of hand made goodies.

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. Dux & Co will offer food and the Grand Social’s Bar and Gourmet Coffee options are available.

The Harold’s Cross Festival was in previous years, just a family fun day on the Sunday, but this year the Harold’s Cross Community has ramped up their activities and are inviting to events from Friday 10 May until Sunday 12 May. The events for Sat are listed here www.facebook.com/events/447531862000832/ and for your convenience, I will include some of the main events below.

And here are the events:

12:00-13:30 ‘Let’s Walk and Talk’: a historic tour of the locality with Pat Liddy commencing in Harold’s Cross Park.
14:00-17:00 Fuinneamh – 14 ft Drum in the Park14:00-15:00
14:00-15;00 “Literary Figures Associated with Harold’s Cross” a Lecture / Workshop presented by Hugh McFadden in Mount Drummond Community Centre
15:00-16:00: “Where were the Liberties” a Lecture / Workshop presented by Eoin Baireád in Mount Drummond Community Centre
18:00-19:00 Recital by The Russian School of Music on the Park stage
19:00-20:00 Recital by RÊVE on the Park stage
20:00-21:30 ‘The Importance of Being Oscar’, a Lantern Lit Drama with Michael Judd on the Park stage
21:30-22.30 Star Gazing with Astronomy Ireland

All weekend:
– Scarecrow and “Park Art” by Eoin MacLochlainn and Paul O’Hare
– Photo Exhibition: Esther Moliné – The Black Apple Café

“Harold’s Cross – From Times Past Until Today” is the title of this Let’s Walk & Talk event.

Absorb the atmosphere of the Harold’s Cross Village Community Festival as we take a tour around one of Dublin’s most ancient suburbs. Whilst only a small amount of physical evidence remains from the earliest days, the area abounds in stories, curiosities and some striking buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Visit 2013 is taking place on Sat 11 May + Sun 12 May. On that weekend, artist’s studios all over Dublin city will open their doors to everybody. Artists show their creative spaces, their artwork and will be available for you to talk to them.

11 studios (on the Southside) will open their doors on Sat and a different set of 11 studios (on the Northside) will be open on Sun. The list of studios is on www.visitstudios.com/visit-information/ and there is also a map here. Admission is free.

Jenette Donnelly from Art for Art’s Sake will run two free studio tours going to all 11 studios. The Southside Tour will be on Sat 11 May. Meeting is at 11:45 at Tara Street Dart Station (outside, beside ticket desk) and the tour will end at the IMMA.

On Sun she will run the Northside Tour. Meeting at 12:00 at the Red Stables in St. Ann’s Park (in the courtyard). If you are not too sure how to get there, Jennette will meet the group in town a at 11:30 at Connolly Luas Station.

No booking required and for further information about Jenette’s Tour, contact artforartsake.gallery@gmail.com

The Dudley Corporation will launch their new LP in Tower Records at an In-Store event.

Astronomy Ireland are continuing their weekly Sun Shows at the Astronomy Ireland Shop in Swords. Each Saturday, the staff of the Astronomy Ireland Shop will be showing you amazing views of our nearest star. Using special filters and some of the largest telescopes in Ireland you will get to see sunspots bigger than Earth and huge solar flare bursting from our nearest star. If it’s cloudy, there will be a telescope demonstration and you will find out how you can safely observe the Sun and undertake some daytime astronomy using your own telescope.

The IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings on three days every week in May.
The Double Bill on Saturdays is described here:
04+11+18+25 May: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-double-bill-10/
The Monday/Wednesday programmes are here
01+06+15+20+29 May: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-26/
08+13+22-27 May: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-25/

“Kings of Ancient Egypt, known as Pharaohs, liked to have their names displayed in an oval shape known as a cartouche. Write like an Egyptian and create your own royal cartouche to take home.” Admission is free and no booking is required. Suitable for all ages.

FESTA is an “artistic nuisance” created by visual artist Kathryn Maguire to celebrate the impact and influence the Grand Canal has had on labour and leisure in Rialto and other areas through which it flows. Kathryn has produced floating artworks ‘US’ Again (a floating mirrored shed) and The Exchange (a floating vegetable garden created by the men’s Gardening Group based in St Andrew’s Community Centre using the iconic Dolphin’s Barn bricks).

FESTA is part of the Inland Waterway’s Dublin Rally on the Grand Canal on Sat+Sun. It also includes a series of events including public talks – the Festa Dialogues – on a barge docked at Suir Bridge on Sat from 14:00, featuring experts in the field of ecology, the built environment and the Grand Canal. Free ticketed boat rides and a nature trail will also take place. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

On Sunday at 16:00 a spectacle will take place in Grand Canal Dock, when hundreds of origami boats, made by young people from the Canal Communities, will be launched around the floating artworks. Children (aged 10+) are invited to a free workshop at 14:30 at the Waterways Ireland Visitor Centre to make the final origami boats to be included in this launch, all accompanied by jazz musician Nick Roth’s ‘Water Project’.

For more information & to register for FESTA dialogues and the nature trail please email: info@commonground.ie

On Sat the IPSC will hold a ‘Moving Gallery’, where people will walk from St. Stephen’s Green (Grafton St entrance) to the Spire on O’Connell Street carrying large photographs from Al Nakba and Palestinian flags

The event will take place to commemorate what Palestinians call Nakba Day which marks the 65th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (‘Catastrophe’) which saw the expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians, uprooted from their homeland to facilitate the foundation of the State of Israel.

Join Birdwatch Ireland to find out more about Irish birdlife – from wrens to eagles and everything in between. SUitable for families with children aged 6-12 years. Admission is free and booking is not required.

This National Gallery Family Programme is “Storytelling with Gordon Snell”. Admission is free and it is suitable for ages 4-10. Children should be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times.

HeadSpace is a new not-for-profit writing and art magazine based around mental health. It was founded when a group of young people, some of whom had spent time in psychiatric wards, felt that there was a lack of appropriate reading material available and that if they had the chance to read stories and see art that reflected their own experiences and spoke of hope and recovery they would feel elements of support and solidarity.

Issue 1 will be launched in the Twisted Pepper Basement on Saturday and will feature a short talk on the history of madness, poetry readings and live music from The Howayas.

Admission is free.

Brain Deady will perform in the “Live from the Window” slot in Whelan’s. Admission 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 All Hallows College Gospel Choir will perform a free concert with three guest choirs on Sat.

This is a weekly Saturday night jazz event in the basement Wine Cave of KC Peaches wholefood restaurant/café. Food will be served until 22:00 and wine, minerals & music will be available until later. Admission is free and a donation into a hat at the end of the evening is appreciated.

The Stillorgan Orchard provides regular live music. The upcoming gigs are listed on the website below.

80s rock band Shift will perform in the Midnight Hour slot on Saturday. Admission is free before 22:30.

The Inland Waterways Dublin Rally will bring many canal boats into the Grand Canal dock. Boats are to assmeble at Lucan Road Lock on Friday 10 May. Then on Saturday from 07:00, the boats start moving from Lucan to Suir Road and then onwards to Portobello. They will stay overnight at Portobell and on Sunday from 07:00 they will move to Grand Canal Dock to arrive there before 13:00. A number of children’s events are organised for the afternoon at Grand Canal Dock.

You can watch the event happening and most likely can even walk along the quite slow moving boats on their way.

For one week only, the Car Boot Sales has been moved to the Sunday to accommodate a football game in Tallaght.

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.

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 Long Mile Road Market behind Wigoders on Long MIle Road (across the road from Aldi) hosts more than 50 stalls and there is also a Cafe on site.

The Merchants Market on East Wall Road is a relatively new weekly market on Saturdays and Sundays with more than 80 stalls. There is everything from furniture and antiques to paintings and mirrors, electronics and hot food to bicycles and buns. Sounds interesting and I will check it out over the coming weeks. It is just a few minutes walk away from the Point Theatre/O2 (walk in the direction of the Port Tunnel). www.facebook.com/merchantsindoormarket

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.

On Sunday for a day-long strings extravaganza will take place at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Have fun making new discoveries and new friends while participating in coaching workshops from RIAM staff and renowned Italian string quartet, Quartetto di Cremona, as well as masterclasses from one of the world’s leading harp soloists, Australian Alice Gilles. There will also be an array of pop-up performances from the featured guests. Admission is free.

The Children’s Art Cart Workshops will be held again in the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre (01-6770095) every Sunday from 24 March to 22 December 2013. Currently the workshop is still free, but there is a possibility that a fee will be introduced at some point. Children must be over 6 years of age and must be supervised by an adult.
You can’t pre-book, so early arrival is required because there are only 20 places per session.

The themes are:
05 May: Creepy Crawlies in the Park
12 May: Animal Masks
19 May: Trees: What would we do without them
26 May: Make a surprise.

The Freshly Squeezed International Student Short Film Festival is a non-profit film event showcasing the work of film school students and recent film school graduates from around the world. This is the second year for Freshly Squeezed and it will feature lots of high quality short films, workshops/seminars and networking events. Sounds like a cool and interesting event!

The full programme is here www.freshlysqueezedfest.com/programme

In the evening from 21:15 the Afterparty will take place in the Sugar Club and the band on the night will be the great bluegrassy folk band Gypsy Rebel Rabble.

The first anniversary of the Fusion Sundays Market takes place this week and it is one great market. 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. Admission is free.

A Surf Safety Open Day will take place on Killiney Beach Sunday and everyone over the age of eight is welcome to attend and take part. There will be several events and competitions on the day, with plenty of prizes and there will also be a DJ playing music throughout the event.

The Dublin Lifesaving Team will be showcasing the Surf Lifesaving, which incorporates lifesaving skills in race formats. There will be demonstrations of surfing on rescue race boards and ski’s and mini races will be run after, some of these will include ring buoy throw, swim races and kayaking. Anyone can join in and compete with amateurs and novices encouraged to come along and participate.

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 People’s Art Exhibition is a brilliant event that takes place four times every year. The May event this weekend is the first this year. You can look at loads of different types of art from amateur and more established artists while you do your Saturday or Sunday walk. The paintings are hung on the railings around St. Stephen’s Green Park and you can buy or just look.

Let’s hope that the weather is good as otherwise it is not that much fun for the artists or the audience. If you have never been at the People’s Art Exhibition give it a go, you will enjoy it! :-)

The Ferocious Mingle Marcade (Market and Arcade) place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday it is a fancy dress market. It’s a flea-market type permanent market with stalls and “chalets” for traders. The Oscar Verne Café on site and (at least at the weekends) live music adds even more character.

A free Zumba Class takes place on Sunday and all levels are welcome.

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

“Join Irish and international writers, directors, casts and academics in a lively discussion as we look back at 2000 performances of g ay theatre in Dublin and plan for the future. Audience discussion welcome.” Admission is free, but booking is required.

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 Harold’s Cross Festival was in previous years, just a family fun day on the Sunday, but this year the Harold’s Cross Community has ramped up their activities and are inviting to events from Friday 10 May until Sunday 12 May. The events for Sat are listed here www.facebook.com/events/447531862000832/ and for your convenience, I will include some of the main events below.

And here are the events:

13:00-18:00 Mount Jerome – Open Day and Guided Tours of Crematorium
www.haroldscross.org/mount-jerome-crematory-tour/

14:00-18:00 HAROLD’S CROSS PARK EVENTS
– Let’s Paint with Kevin McSherry
– Dublin Living History Society Medieval reenactment tent
www.haroldscross.org/living-historyreenactment-group/
– Traditional and contemporary carnival games including bungee, chuggy and rodeo ride / Carnival stalls, Test your Strength Giant Buzz / Arts & Crafts Activities / Face painting / Balloons, Magician, Juggling and Florry the Fairy / Local sport and hobby groups
– Story Telling Tent (Guest Author Alan Nolan & a selection of children’s stories read by students of Dublin Academy of Dramatic Arts)
– On stage in the Park (MC: Ellen Cranitch Sound: Badlands Studios)
++ 14:00 Ukeristic Congress
++ 15:00 Harold’s Cross Stars – The Larkfield Four
++ 14:45 / 15:45 / 16:45 Clareville Baton Twirlers
++ 16:30 The Band of An Garda Síochána
++ 17:30 ‘Let’s Welcome Summer’ Parade

More information about Carnival, storytelling, parade and music here:
www.haroldscross.org/carnival-and-lets-welcome-summer-parade/
www.haroldscross.org/music/

ALL WEEKEND:
Scarecrow and Park Art by Eoin MacLochlainn and Paul O’Hare
Photo Exhibition by Esther Moliné at The Black Apple Café:

Photowalk on Sunday Morning: www.facebook.com/events/196568650467240/

For me the highlight would be to listen to the outstanding Larkfield Four and the not less great Ukeristic Congress.

12:00-13:30 ‘Let’s Walk and Talk’: a historic tour of the locality with Pat Liddy commencing in Harold’s Cross Park.
14:00-17:00 Fuinneamh – 14 ft Drum in the Park14:00-15:00
14:00-15;00 “Literary Figures Associated with Harold’s Cross” a Lecture / Workshop presented by Hugh McFadden in Mount Drummond Community Centre
15:00-16:00: “Where were the Liberties” a Lecture / Workshop presented by Eoin Baireád in Mount Drummond Community Centre
18:00-19:00 Recital by The Russian School of Music on the Park stage
19:00-20:00 Recital by RÊVE on the Park stage
20:00-21:30 ‘The Importance of Being Oscar’, a Lantern Lit Drama with Michael Judd on the Park stage
21:30-22.30 Star Gazing with Astronomy Ireland

All weekend:
– Scarecrow and “Park Art” by Eoin MacLochlainn and Paul O’Hare
– Photo Exhibition: Esther Moliné – The Black Apple Café

An indoor market in Coolock with over 40 traders with a wide range of goods and a café on site as well.

The Sundays at Noon Concert Series continues in the Sculpture Gallery at the Hugh Lane Gallery. Now in its 36th year, 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 Violin Sonatas by Mozart and Beethoven with Brian MacNamara Piano and Keith Pascoe Violin

Visit 2013 is taking place on Sat 11 May + Sun 12 May. On that weekend, artist’s studios all over Dublin city will open their doors to everybody. Artists show their creative spaces, their artwork and will be available for you to talk to them.

11 studios (on the Southside) will open their doors on Sat and a different set of 11 studios (on the Northside) will be open on Sun. The list of studios is on www.visitstudios.com/visit-information/ and there is also a map here. Admission is free.

Jenette Donnelly from Art for Art’s Sake will run two free studio tours going to all 11 studios. The Southside Tour will be on Sat 11 May. Meeting is at 11:45 at Tara Street Dart Station (outside, beside ticket desk) and the tour will end at the IMMA.

On Sun she will run the Northside Tour. Meeting at 12:00 at the Red Stables in St. Ann’s Park (in the courtyard). If you are not too sure how to get there, Jennette will meet the group in town a at 11:30 at Connolly Luas Station.

No booking required and for further information about Jenette’s Tour, contact artforartsake.gallery@gmail.com

The “Dublin Sketchers” is an informal group of typically hobby artists who go somewhere different in Dublin every Sunday (e.g. National Museum, Maritime Museum, Dublin Flea Market, Farmleigh, Botanic Gardens, Dublin Castle), 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 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!

A free Easy Origami drop-in session for children 8-12 will take place in the National Print Museum.

The fourth Gospel Rising Music Festival is taking place this weekend in Bray. For fans of Gospel Music, this the event of the year. Over the 2.5 days from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, you will get a chance to hear some of the best Gospel Choirs from all over Ireland. Gospel Rising provides a range of workshops for paying attendees and then there are lots of free concerts and events in Bray as well.

The main festival gig took place on Saturday evening, but there is still a chance to hear lots of Gospel Choirs singing at a free event:
Sun 12 May – 14:00-15:00: Gospel Rising Ecumenical Service, Bandstand, Seafront, Bray
Sun 12 May – 15:00-18:00: Entertainment on the bandstand with Hi Rez Youth Centre, Enniskerry Junior Gospel Choir, Gospel Rising Schools Program Gospel Choir, Mornington Gospel Choir, Shannon Gospel Choir

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 Sunday Dublin City Council are hosting an on-street sporting event in the heart of Dublin City. O’Connell Street will be tansfromed into a sporting arena so that you can get active while having fun.

Scheduled Events:

+ Fun Run (16:00) – A one mile fun run up and down O’Connell Street. Open to everyone.
+ Kids Street Athletics (14:00-17:00) – Speed, agility, balance and coordination will all be tested.
— Speed Bounce – test your speed and power in a 20 second bouncing test. Age 6 upwards.
— Standing Long Jump – see how you measure up in a test of power and jumping ability. Age 6 upwards.
— Balance Beam – test your ability to balance for 15 seconds on one leg on a narrow beam. Age 6 upwards.
— Target throw – a test of co-ordination and skill for 6-12 year olds.
— Medicine Ball throw – a test of strength and co-ordination. Age 6 upwards.
— Speed Gates – who will be fastest over 25 metres in an individual time trial. Age 6 upwards

Participation is free

Theatre director Michael Scott continues his series of ‘an audience with..’ type discussions with an exploration of women’s identity on stage through writing and performance. Guests Kathleen Warnock, IDGTF Festival Ambassador and playwright and Una Mulally of The Irish Times join Michael for an informal discussion at Exchange Arts. Audience participation is welcome.

Admission is free and no booking required.

Come to the Family Drawing Sundays in the RHA. All children are welcome to use the RHA Art Cart, in the RHA Atrium. Admission is free. For further information, contact Ruth Carroll on 01 6612558 or via ruth@rhagallery.ie

Many of our common garden plants are Chinese in origin. May is the best time of the year to see Peonies, the Handkerchief Tree, Wisteria and many others in full bloom. Come and see the Chinese plants at their best. Admission is free.

Terry Moore, Deerkeeper of the Phoenix Park, will talk about the herd of the fallow deer who live in Phoenix Park. Admission is free.

“Foreign Bodies” is a free play reading and is part of the Dublin G ay Theatre Festival. Admission is free and no booking is required.

The Bealtine public tour “Francis Bacon Archive and Books” will take place with Sarah Allen, Collections Assistant. Admission is free and no booking requird, but places are limited.

A chance to explore some of the artefacts from the Museum’s collection of objects for handling with Museum educators – a fascinating drop in handling session for all ages. Admission is free and booking is not required. Suitable for all ages.

“On The Wild Side of Europe” is a Journey through Europe in Music and Photos. This is an audiovisual show based on the fabulous images of Wild Wonders of Europe, the world’s biggest nature photo conservation project ever combined with Music by Kyrre Slind and The Foreigners. You can watch the trailer here. Admission is free.

Norish Fest is a Norwegian-Irish initiative to create an annual event for cultural exchange, social networking and business networking between the two countries Norway and Ireland.

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 next Sunday Sketching for 7+ Year olds has the title “Memories and Stories”. No booking necessary. Admission is free and early arrival is recommended.

Saucy Sundays is a weekly free live music afternoon and evening in the Grand Social. The line-up and links to all bands/performers are available via the Saucy Sundays Facebook Page (see link below).

The Trinity Bar, nect to the Cetntral Bank on Dame Street, has live music four nights/afternoons every week and admission is free:
Tues – 20:00: Theo Red (Alternative Rock)
Wed – 20:00: Tara Hill (Folk Rock, Celtic and Traditional)
Thurs – 20:00: Pachino Brothers (cover versions, oldies and own material)
Sun – 17:00: Traditional LIve Music

The wedding and party band The Long John Jump Band play every Sunday evening in Café en Seine. Admission is free.

“The Bloomsday Survival Kit crew are romping around Dublin reading Ulysses by James Joyce in the places it was set. Join them on Tuesday at Isaacs Hostel. Enjoy coffee and buns while listening to an old sailor weave tall tales. We’ll read the first half of Chapter 16 – Eumaeus….The one with the seaman!”

The Swedish Female Choir “Femima” will perform and admission is free.

The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir Mass invites to a Mass in St. Francis Xavier Church at the top of Gardiner Street near the junction with Dorset Street every Sunday at 19:30. The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir, one of the best known choirs in Ireland will sing during the mass and everybody is welcome independent from your level of religiousness.

Every Sunday a band will play from 21:00-22:30, a Latin Beat Club, Brazilian DJs and Salsa Classes (from 18:00) are additional features. 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.

The Comedy Crunch is a free Stand Up comedy downstairs in Stag’s Head, Dame Lane from 21:00 every week on Sun+Mon. 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).

Rogério from the Brazilian dance project “Forró de Lampião” in Dublin tells me: Forró de Lampião is Brazilian music that has the same roots as Samba and there is a whole culture that has developed around “forro”. Every Sunday, free dance classes take place in the Grand Social (new loation!) and if you are interested, just turn up one Sunday.

“Rhythm Rocker at The Globe” is a weekly event on Sunday night in The Globe in Sth Great Georges Street, Dublin 2. It is a Rockabilly, R’n’R, Roots night with alternating (week by week) live bands Pavement Kings, Donna & The Sazzy Catz, The Mosquitoes and The Pacifics from 21:00 and with DJs from 23:00-01:30. Admission is free.

Billy Treacy & The Ha’Penny Heads are playing Ballads, Folk, Trad and Classic Country every Sunday. Featuring Guitar, Mandolin, Fiddle and Banjo.

The weekly Sunday Roast is a free event in the Mercantile where live music is combined with free roast potatoes. The line-up for the upcoming Sunday Roast is available via the Sunday Roast Facebook Page (see link below).

Every Sunday (except at Bank Holiday weekends), the Ragtime, Roots and Country Blues Band “Cool Hand Dukes” play in the Porterhouse near Grafton Street.

The Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

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

The IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings on three days every week in May.
The Double Bill on Saturdays is described here:
04+11+18+25 May: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-double-bill-10/
The Monday/Wednesday programmes are here
01+06+15+20+29 May: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-26/
08+13+22-27 May: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-25/

At this Bealtaine event Irene Graham will give an interactive in-depth lecture and discussion on Memoir Writing and how to weave family history into your story. Admission is free but booking is required. To book a place call (01) 603 0259 or e-mail learning@nli.ie More details via the website below.

Iain Boal, the oral historian and cycling campaigner in the UK and US, will talk about The Green Machine Tour of Dublin, where he will meet local and elective community groups and publics to investigate the role of the commons in relation to Ireland’s post-boom economy. Iain is the author of The Green Machine, a book in which he describes how the bicycle is a green icon celebrated for its efficiency and the spare beauty of its design. Its freewheeling sociability and role as an instrument of women’s emancipation have made it a kind of “liberation technology”. Iain will be in Dublin for a week long residency as part of The Prosperity Project with artist Jesse Jones. More information here: www.dublincycling.ie/next-meeting Admission is free and everybody is welcome.

The Monday Echo is a weekly songwriter and poetry live showcase held on Mondays in the basement of The International Bar. Usually, the show has 3 songwriters and 3 poets who perform for roughly 20 minutes each. Admission is free.
The weekly line-up can be found via the Facebook Page below.

The Comedy Crunch is a free Stand Up comedy event every Sunday and Monday. 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 4-piece band Loose Trad are performing every Monday in Mother Reilly’s. www.loosetrad.com/ Admission is free.

Every Monday, a mix of musicians from bands like The Seven Deadly Skins / Animal Cracker / Upbeat Generation / Crete Boom & more come together to play a free night of Rock & Reggae.

The Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

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

The Green Machine Bicycle Tour will take place on Tuesday. The Green Machine is a bike and oral history research tour conducted by social historian Iain Boal and artist Jesse Jones as part of “The Prosperity Project”. It takes its title from Iain Boal’s book The Green Machine, in which Boal explores how the bicycle came to be a green icon celebrated for its efficiency.

Bring your own bike! Refreshments will be provided. Based on the information provided on the website, this event is most likely free, but the website unfortunately doesn’t confirm it explicitly.

“Torremolinos 73” presented by the Producer of the film Tomás Cimadevilla is a film screening in the Instituto Cervantes. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free.

Milk and Cookie Stories is a story telling event for for anyone who has a story to tell, or wants to hear a tale told well, in a relaxed, friendly environment – a place with tea, cushions, cookies and friends. Admission is free, everyone is welcome and stories of all kinds are welcome. If you would like to tell a story, just come along and sign up on the night, or “if you feel inspired to share your own home-baked goods with Dublin’s friendliest audience, we’ll also be having our awesome Bake-Off.” At the May event, the theme will be “Claim to Fame”. www.facebook.com/events/369102126533463

Do you want to improve your public speaking and leadership skills in a fun and supportive environment? Then this event could be perfect for you: The IE Temple Bar Toastmasters club meet every second Tuesday in the Temple Bar Hotel. And guests are invited to come for free for their first two club visit and you even get tea/coffee and biscuits.

Guests can take part in the Table Topics session where impromptu speaking skills are practised and you can sit back in the second half of the meeting and enjoy the speeches and evaluations. If you discover that the club is your cup of tea then you can join for a recession-busting subscription fee. When you go there, tell them that you found out about it in the Dublin Event Guide!

UCD Science Expression & the Healthcare Informatics Society of Ireland invite to the screening of “Welcome to the Machine” for International eHealth week.

Upon fathering triplets through IVF, award-winning filmmaker Avi Zev Weider was inspired to explore the nature of technology and ask what it means to be human.

A discussion will follow the screening.

Admission is free, but you have to book tickets this page www.entertainment.ie/wttm

This is an open mic night with Special Guests. Arrive, sign in (from 19:00) and play and if you are a performer you get a free beer. Admission is free.

The Plateau Sessions is an open mic night that features some special guest acts from all over Ireland and on Tuesday Bipolar Empire will give a taste of some new songs off their new album and also play some old favorites. Also joining them are Black Gold Gamble comprising of the same guys who make up the Knights Of Leon who decided they wanted to put out their own material.

Open Mic Night with The Last Tycoons in O’Donoghue’s on Suffolk Street every Tues from 20:00. It’s free and anyone can get up, sing a song or do whatever they like.

The Trinity Bar, nect to the Cetntral Bank on Dame Street, has live music four nights/afternoons every week and admission is free:
Tues – 20:00: Theo Red (Alternative Rock)
Wed – 20:00: Tara Hill (Folk Rock, Celtic and Traditional)
Thurs – 20:00: Pachino Brothers (cover versions, oldies and own material)
Sun – 17:00: Traditional LIve Music

The weekly “Grand Folk Club” will feature Trad, Ballads, Americana, Folk, World Music & More. This Tuesday with “Music of the Wicker Man”. Admission is free

White Chocolate is playing Rock Covers from 23:30 in The Mezz in Temple Bar.

The Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

A guided walk “Mountjoy to Magazine Fort” with Sonja Moore will take place in Phoenix Park. Usually the meeting point is at the Visitor Centre but this week the meeting point is the Ordnance Survey Entrance. Participation is free.

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

Central Library invites to a screening of the “The Glenn Miller Story” as part of its Bealtaine programme. The Glenn Miller Story traces Miller’s rise from pit orchestra trombone player to leader of the most successful big band of his era. Admission free and booking is required: Centrallibrary@dublincity.ie or 01-8734333 Open Learning Centre

The IFI continues with its free “Archive at Lunchtime” screenings on three days every week in May.
The Double Bill on Saturdays is described here:
04+11+18+25 May: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-double-bill-10/
The Monday/Wednesday programmes are here
01+06+15+20+29 May: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-1-26/
08+13+22-27 May: www.ifi.ie/film/archive-at-lunchtime-programme-2-25/

At this Bealtaine event, join Australian poets, Diane Fahey and Ali Cobby Eckermann for a poetry reading (13:10-14:00) followed by a poetry writing workshop from (14:30-15:45). Admission is free and booking is not required. All details are on the website below.

This is a free public tour for parents, guardians and carers of infants and young children. Admission is free and no booking necessary. The route of the tour is suitable for prams and strollers.

Dr Paul Fitters is a lecturer in the Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture in the National Botanic Gardens and originally from the Netherlands. His talk will be about how bulbs are used creatively around the world from the famous ‘Keukenhof’ in the Netherlands to James Joyce’s head in the National Botanic Gardens

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.

Refresh Dublin is an event that promotes design, technology, usability and standards and provide a cross-discipline insight into all things design, interactive, creative and technical, so that different disciplines can learn from each other.

The topic this time is definitely more geeky than at other times ;-) but the speaker, Donovan Hutchinson, had a big impact on the smart phone version of the Dublin Event Guide here. He has now a different focus and will talk about “Introduction to Node.js” Donovan provides an overview of what Node.js is and when you might, or might not, want to use it. If you have never heard of Node.js then let me tell you that it has to do with Server-side Javascript and it will help you to build low level applications.

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

“Words on the Street” is the title of the European Literature Night. Twelve Countries, Twelve Voices, Twelve Venues, One Great Evening is the summary of that night. In Dublin well known Irish people will read contemporary writing from twelve European countries in twelve venues, many of which are unusual and not normally easily accessible to the public.

Rosaleen Linehan, Naoise O’Muiri (Lord Mayor of Dublin), Eamon Morrissey, Seana Kerslake (IFtA shortlisted), Bryan Murray (actor), Ray Foley (98fm DJ), Rick O’Shea (2fm DJ), Sinead Desmond (Ireland AM), Mark Cagney (Ireland AM) and Niamh Sharkey (Children’s Laureate) will read in places such as Royal College of Surgeons, Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club, Little Museum of Dublin, Constitution Room in the Shelbourne Hotel, Taylor Galleries, Boston College, 6 Ely Place, Loreto College, The Sugar Club, Iveagh House, Newman House and Newman University Church.

A map and information booklet showing the location of the venues with information about the readers and readings, so that you can move from venue to venue, will be available from libraries in Dublin, Failte Ireland tourist offices, National Library and the venues. [Unfortunately that booklet is not available online. What a pity!)

The twelve participating countries will each be represented by a short (15 minutes) translated piece of a novel, poem or short story which will be read every 30 minutes so people can wander from venue to venue taking in readings from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain & the UK. The first reading in each venue starts at 18:30 and is repeated on the hour and half hour with the final reading at 21:00.

Sounds a bit like a Literary Culture Night. Admission is free and booking is not required.

The King Kong Club is a weekly music game-show in the Mercantile. Each week 6-7 bands/solo artists play three songs each. At the end of all the performances a clap-off with the King Kong Club Clap-o-Meter takes place and the winner goes through to a semi-final and it all culminates after six months of competition with The Grand Final, held in front of a panel of celebrity judges.

The list of performers is not yet announced on their Facebook Page and I am not sure if it will be put up there, but check it anyway.

The Trinity Bar, nect to the Cetntral Bank on Dame Street, has live music four nights/afternoons every week and admission is free:
Tues – 20:00: Theo Red (Alternative Rock)
Wed – 20:00: Tara Hill (Folk Rock, Celtic and Traditional)
Thurs – 20:00: Pachino Brothers (cover versions, oldies and own material)
Sun – 17:00: Traditional LIve Music

“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.

The next Inn Jokes Comedy Night will take place on Wednesday. Colm O’Regan, himself a superb comedian, has put a great line-up together again. The people performing are Barry Murphy, Eleanor Tiernan, Jarlath Regan and Tom O’Mahony.

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 Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

During May for the Bealtaine Festival, lots of events take place to celebrate creativity at an older age, The Royal Irish Academy of Music is inviting older people to two days (Thurs+Fri) of Chamber Music. There will be Chamber Music performances in the morning, at noon and at night by students of the Academy.

Great initiative! But it would have been even better if a starting time had been mentioned. I get “noon”, but when exactly should I arrive for “in the morning” or “at night”? Ring the Academy to find out on 01-6325300.

The Queen Mary II, the transatlantic ocean liner that for part of the year cruises between Southampton and New York, is expected to come to Dun Laoghaire on Thursday. You can’t get on board, but you can admire this huge ship from the pier.

The ship will be on a 11 day “Northern Wonders” cruise starting in Hamburg, continuing to Greenock, Dublin Bay, Liverpool, Invergordon, Stavanger and back to Hamburg. If you are fast you can still book a Balcony Stateroom from $1,799 per person for this cruise. Otherwise you can see the ship from morning until evening in Dublin Bay.

The Ferocious Mingle Marcade (Market and Arcade) place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday it is a fancy dress market. It’s a flea-market type permanent market with stalls and “chalets” for traders. The Oscar Verne Café on site and (at least at the weekends) live music adds even more character.

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

The Dublin Food Co-op is open every Thursday at Newmarket for organic wholefoods and sustainable household products, plus over a dozen producer stalls offering organic fruit and veg., baked goods, dairy produce, wines, hot and cold food, etc.
The Co-op is also opened on Saturdays 09:30 – 16:30. 12:00-20:00.

Franz Schubert’s Winterreise will be performed by Niamh Murray, soprano and Dr Antonio Cascelli, accompanist at this free Lunchtime Recital. Donations are welcome.

The next Let’s Walk & Talk event will take place on Thursday in Ballsbridge. Meeting point is at the Sandymount DART Station.

Hear about the development of Ballsbridge as a key township served by the world’s first suburban railway as well as a road from medieval times and blessed or cursed by a turbulent river. Accompanying Pat Liddy again on this walk will be Niall Hatch for another spot of birdwatching.

The film “Born to suffer / Nacidas para sufrir” will be screened in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free.

Two studies on France & Ireland will be launched by Prof. Michael Cronin (DCU) in the presence of the authors:

– Franco-Irish Connections in Space and Time By Eamon Maher and Catherine Maignant
– La France et l’Irlande : destins croisés (16e – 21e siècles) Edited by Catherine Maignant

Strong cultural, commercial, literary and intellectual links exist between France and Ireland and the book explores some of the connections that have been forged over space and time by groups and individuals travelling between the two countries.

Admission is free.

The Start Your Own Business Programme 2013, in association with Dublin City Enterprise Board, is a biannual (Spring & Autumn) series of 12 free lectures for you if you are contemplating self employment or have started recently and are in need of advice and expertise in all aspects of starting and/or developing a business in Ireland. This year the theme is Innovation for Business.

The lectures are:
16 May: Ethnic Entrepreneurship
23 May: Business Planning Structure

More details are here www.dublincity.ie/RecreationandCulture/libraries/Events/Pages/syob_2013.aspx The training programme is free, but booking is required via 01-8733996 or businesslibrary@dublincity.ie

A new regular Creative Writing Workshop will take place every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. It will involve adult learning and engaging through social play activity. There will be both word games and writing games to inspire the imagination for both story telling and story writing.

The workshops are free but donations are welcome and booking with Emily Gallagher, who runs the workshops, is required via egaldog@gmail.com or 085-2725095.

Doire Press invite you to the launch of Consent, a collection of poems by Kimberly Campanello. The book will be launched by Evelyn Conlon. Admission is free.

When Alfred Cope, a former British assistant undersecretary in Dublin Castle, was approached in the 1940s to give a statement to the Bureau of Military History (BMH) he refused, saying ‘Ireland has too many histories: she deserves a rest’.

History Ireland magazine editor, Tommy Graham celebrates the 20th anniversary of History Ireland and convenes a special Hedge School bringing together some of the country’s foremost historians: Prof Joe Lee (New York University), Prof Diarmaid Ferriter, (University College Dublin), Dr Mary Cullen (NUI Maynooth) and Dr Eamon Phoenix (Queen’s University Belfast), to discuss these questions.

This is a free event and seats are allocated on first come basis. However, you should reserve a seat by emailing: bookings@historyireland.com or phone 01-2933568

The Dublin Writers’ Forum welcomes writers of all genres, of all ages and all levels of experience. DWF is an open group of writers who share a common passion for all things literary. It is a safe ‘working space’ where on a weekly basis writers can bring their work to be critiqued by other writers.

Dimestore Recordings run a weekly event in Sweeney Mongrel’s, Dame Street (formerly Le Cirk) with a variety of bands and performers. It starts at 20:00, follow the link for the line up.

The Trinity Bar, nect to the Cetntral Bank on Dame Street, has live music four nights/afternoons every week and admission is free:
Tues – 20:00: Theo Red (Alternative Rock)
Wed – 20:00: Tara Hill (Folk Rock, Celtic and Traditional)
Thurs – 20:00: Pachino Brothers (cover versions, oldies and own material)
Sun – 17:00: Traditional LIve Music

Bad Boy Jake are every Thursday until the end of February in the newly re-opened Rathmines Inn, playing their rock, blues and Americana.

Jaime Nanci & The Blue Boys are playing a weekly gig in the Mercantile Hotel on Thursdays. Their music is swing, blues, bebop and doo wop. Admission is free.

The Max Zaska group and the Patrick Groenland group will perform on alternating Thursdays from 21:00 in the International Bar on 23 Wicklow Street.

“Thirsty Thursday” Open Mic Night from 21:00 in the Bridge Inn in Chapelizod Village.

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

Country Band “The Poisin Hearts” are playing in the Leeson Lounge on Thursday. Admission is free. www.reverbnation.com/countryband911

The 1930s and Swords will perfom in the Club Zebra slot in Whelan’s. Admission is free before 22:30

The Living Room describes itself as a Centre for Silence and Contemplative Arts (and has nothing to do with the pub with the same name!). The Centre is open to all with a contemplative attitude coming from any spiritual tradition or background. There are lots of free events and also other workshops (check the website). The daily free events are taking place Mondays -Fridays
+ 08:00-08:45: Common Early Morning Meditation
+ 13:00-14:00 Lunchtime Guided Meditation (Mon: John Main, Tue: Carmelite Wisdom, Wed: Centering in Love, Thurs: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Fri: Insight Meditation for Beginners)
+ 15:00-15:30: Accompanied Silence (also Mon+Wed+Thurs from 11:00-11:30)

During May for the Bealtaine Festival, lots of events take place to celebrate creativity at an older age, The Royal Irish Academy of Music is inviting older people to two days (Thurs+Fri) of Chamber Music. There will be Chamber Music performances in the morning, at noon and at night by students of the Academy.

Great initiative! But it would have been even better if a starting time had been mentioned. I get “noon”, but when exactly should I arrive for “in the morning” or “at night”? Ring the Academy to find out on 01-6325300.

The Ferocious Mingle Marcade (Market and Arcade) place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday it is a fancy dress market. It’s a flea-market type permanent market with stalls and “chalets” for traders. The Oscar Verne Café on site and (at least at the weekends) live music adds even more character.

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

The new Flea Friday, a Flea Market in the Dark Hose Inn on Fridays will start from 19 April. You will find clothes, jewellery, cake, records, art, etc at the market. Admission is free.

The Drimnagh Festival is taking place from 17 May. But before I tell you what is happening, maybe I should tell you where Drimnagh is because many might have difficulty pinpointing it. Drimnagh is in Dublin 12, which is surrounded by Dublin 6w, 8, 10 and 24. In Dublin 12 there are also Crumlin, Terenure and Walkinstown.

The festival will run from Friday until Sunday and the events on Friday are:

18:00: Drimnagh Parade with Crumlin Community Youth Band, Street Performers, Majorettes, Vintage Cars and Local Groups (Route: From Dromard Road to Keeper Road boxing club via Mourne Road.)
19:00: Launch of Festival in Keeper Road boxing Club by Michael Carruth & special guests and Boxing Exhibition
21:00: “The Voice of Drimnagh” Grand Final, Good Counsel GAA Club

It is not clear if all the events are free, but the parade definitely is!

A free Greek and European Folk Dance class open to all. Contact Katerini Papathanasiou on papath.kat@gmail.com

“The Palestinian Nakba – An Ongoing Catastrophe” with Mousa Abu Maria is a talk

Mousa Abu Maria is a Palestinian activist and farmer from the town of Beit Ommar, in the West Bank between Bethlehem and Hebron, which is currently surrounded by six Israeli settlements. He has spent spent several years in Israeli prison and he is the co-founder of a Palestinian-run grassroots organisation committed to non-violent resistance to the Israeli Occupation.

Need to wind down after a tiring week? Free Sahaja Yoga Meditation (not physical yoga, but “yoga meditation”!) classes every Friday at 19:30 at 4/5 Eustace Street, Temple Bar (next to IFI, ring bell no. 3). This is a srop in class and newcomers are welcome.

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.

“Dublin Tribal Spirit” is a weekly event that gives you the great experience of a drumming circle with african drums and authentic tribal rhythms. Tom and Sinead, who run that event are providing lots of drums for it and teach you the rhythms.

There is no formal admission charge for this event, but donations are expected. The organisers bring their own 20-30 drums to it every week, so they are looking for donations to keep the event going.

The Addison Lodge are inviting local bands, musicians, poets, comedians and performers to share their talents at the new Addison Lodge Open Mic Nights in Glasnevin (opposite the Botanic Gardens). The event takes place every week. Admission is free.

The Stillorgan Orchard provides regular live music. The upcoming gigs are detailed on the website below.