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Dublin Events and Dublin Festivals 2009 / 2010
(Dublin, Ireland)



Leading magazines for upcoming events and happenings are regularly published and there is a free weekly event guide that is readily available.

They contain up-to-date listings of events throughout Ireland, with a focus on Dublin and are aimed specifically at tourists and visitors.

These magazines are a useful source for shopping, dining and entertainment - providing you with a huge choice of things to see and do in Dublin.




Dublin National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• 17th March - St. Patrick's Day
• Good Friday / Easter Monday - late March or early April
• First Monday in May - May Day
• First Monday in June
• First Monday in August
• Last Monday in October - Autumn Bank Holiday
• 25th December - Christmas Day
• 26th December - Boxing Day / St. Stephen's Day

(If Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next weekday becomes a public holiday).

If you plan to visit at Easter, remember that theatres and cinemas are closed for the last three days of the preceding week.

Dublin Events in January - Dublin

• New Year's Eve / Day - there are celebrations throughout the city to welcome in the New Year
• Salmon and Sea Trout Season - starts January 1st and runs until September
• Irish Championship Hurdle - late January, major horse race at Leopardstown

Dublin Events in February - Dublin

• Five Nations Rugby Tournament - February to April, Ireland play against England, Wales, Scotland and France. Two of these games are played in Dublin
• Malahide Food and Drink Festival - late February, this festival also includes cultural activities

Dublin Events in March - Dublin

• Celtic Flame - mid-March, a national festival of contemporary and traditional music, song and dance
• St. Patrick's Day Festival - March 17th, numerous celebrations and street theatres fill the city, culminating in a parade
• Temple Bar Fleadh - mid-March, three-day festival of traditional music in honour of St. Patrick, in the lively Temple Bar area
• Irish Kennel Club Show - mid-March, annual championship dog show in Cloghran, County Dublin
• Feis Ceoil - late March, this is one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious classical musical festivals

Dublin Events in April - Dublin

• Colours Boat Race - first weekend, a rowing race along the River Liffey between Trinity College and University College Dublin
• Howth Music Festival - Easter weekend, this pretty fishing village on the outskirts of the city plays host to three days of popular music
• Dublin Film Festival - third week, festival of new and classic films held at various Dublin cinemas, including the Irish Film Centre
• Opera Ireland - a week in the April, Spring run at the Gaiety Theatre. Another short season is also put on in November

Dublin Events in May - Dublin

• May Day Parade - May 1st, celebrations and colourful parades through the city streets on this national holiday
• Dublin Garden Festival - late May or early June, large four-day horticultural show at Ballsbridge
• Laytown Beach Races - late May or early June, horse races on the beach, north of Dublin

Dublin Events in June - Dublin

• Music in the Park - June to August, various city parks hold free open-air concerts at lunchtime on weekdays and also on Sundays
• Photography Exhibitions - June to September, changing exhibitions on different themes in the Dublin Photographic Centre
• County Wicklow Gardens Festival - held at both private and public gardens south of Dublin all month, including Powerscourt
• Bloomsday - mid-June, walks, lectures and pub talks across the city to celebrate James Joyce's greatest novel, 'Ulysses'
• Maracycle - mid-June, thousands of cyclists race each other from Dublin to Belfast and back again
• Scurlogstown Olympiad Celtic Festival - mid-June, traditional Irish music and dance fair with a selection of festival queen, in Trim
• Music in Great Irish Houses - second and third weeks, classical music recitals in grand settings at various venues

Dublin Events in July - Dublin

• Dun Laoghaire American Week - first week, US-themed jamboree with bluegrass music, a barn dance and 4th of July fireworks
• South Docks Festival - third week, a community festival that centres on Pearse Street and City Quay, with shows and activities for all ages
• Temple Bar Blues Festival - third weekend, three days of live blues music featuring international stars

Dublin Events in August - Dublin

• Summer Music Festival - all month, St. Stephen's Green, free lunchtime concerts of both popular and traditional music, as well as sporadic Shakespeare performances in the open air
• Dublin Horse Show - second week, RDS Ballsbridge, premier sporting and social event including dressage, show jumping and a chance for ladies to show off their hats
• People's Photographic Exhibition - last weekend, St. Stephen's Green, displays of amateur photographers work on the railings around the green

Dublin Events in September - Dublin

• The Liffey Swim - first Saturday, since 1920 Dubliners have turned out to watch swimmers brave the River Liffey's murky waters from Watling Street Bridge to the Custom House
• Motorcycle Union of Ireland Killalane Road Races - second weekend, Skerries, road-racing final on the streets of this resort, north of Dublin
• All-Ireland Hurling Final - second Sunday, Croke Park
• All-Ireland Football Final - second Sunday, Croke Park, popular Gaelic football final
• Irish Antique Dealer's Fair - last week, RDS Ballsbridge, the country's most important antiques fair

Dublin Events in October - Dublin

• Dublin Theatre Festival - first two weeks, features new works by Irish playwrights and many foreign productions
• Dublin City Marathon - last Monday, starting and finishing on O'Connell Street, the route takes in many Dublin landmarks, including Phoenix Park and Trinity College. Every year thousands participate
• Hallowe'en (Samhain) - October 31st, on the night when spirits rise, children wear fancy dress and celebrations include a parade and fireworks

Dublin Events in November - Dublin

• Opera Ireland - a week in the November, Autumn run at the Gaiety Theatre. Another short season is also put on in April
• Toy and Train Collector's Fair - last Sunday, Rochestown Lodge Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, with model cars, dolls, comics and teddy bears. There are also other similar fairs in April and September

Dublin Events in December - Dublin

• Pantomime Season - December to January, traditional pantomimes performed at theatres in Dublin and throughout Ireland
• Christmas - December 24th to 25th, Christian celebrations include going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve
• St. Stephen's Day - December 26th, on the day after Christmas, catholic boys dress up as Wren boys (chimney boys with blackened faces) and sing hymns to raise money for charities
• Leopardstown Races - December 26th to 29th, this four-day meeting is the biggest in the country at this traditional time for horse racing

Dublin Concerts - Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is a great town for live music. On a given night, you can find almost anything, rock, pop, jazz, blues, traditional Irish, country, or folk. Music and dance concerts take place in a many of Dublin's venues, including theatres, churches, clubs, museums, sports stadiums, castles, parks, and universities, where international performers often play.

Smaller Concert Venues

• Club Mono, 26 Wexford Street, Dublin - Tel: +353 (01) 475 8555
• Eamonn Doran's, 3A Crown Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin - Tel: +353 (01) 679 9114
• Midnight at the Olympia, 74 Dame Street, Dublin - Tel: +353 (01) 677 7744
• Temple Bar Music Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin - Tel: +353 (01) 670 9202
• Vicar Street, 99 Vicar Street, Dublin - Tel: +353 (01) 609 7788
• Whelans, 25 Wexford Street, Dublin - Tel: +353 (01) 478 0766

 
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