ARE YOU STUCK for things to do this weekend? Here are our county-by-county recommendations, from 4 July celebrations in Wexford to an opera festival in Meath.
Clare: Ireland’s biggest traditional music festival gets underway in Miltown Malbay this weekend with a blast of recitals, workshops and lectures. The first céili of the week-long Willie Clancy Summer School is on tomorrow, and the festival’s main concert, a celebration of the festival’s ties to Scotland, takes place the following night. Prepare for crowds, because organisers say they’re expecting to exceed last year’s 5,000 attendance.
Donegal: Get the kids out for the annual egg and spoon, sack, tractor and three-legged races at this year’s Donegal Town Summer Festival. The grounds of Abbey Vocational School are the venue for tomorrow’s fun day, and there’s live music in the centre of town on both Saturday and Sunday night.
Dublin: Vintage car enthusiasts are in for a treat at the Irish Classic and Vintage Motor Show on the grounds of Terenure College. Take in the hundreds of vintage cars and motorbikes on display, before the best are awarded at a prize giving ceremony later in the afternoon. And there’s an autojumble for you to stock up at if your own motor’s in need of some TLC.
Galway: All shows are donate-what-you-can at Traidphicnic in Spiddal. Fís, Ré and The Bonnymen are among the strictly trad lineup this year. And there are plenty of kids-friendly events, with workshops in art, drumming, pottery, circus skills and sean-nós dancing across the village.
Limerick: Hip hop goes overground in Limerick city at Make A Move, a community arts festival featuring the work of local acts including Rusangano Family, Same D4ence and Deviant & Naïve Ted. Street artists and dancers will perform in locations across the city, before the cream of the crop take each other on at a special Sunday afternoon showdown in Dance Limerick. If that doesn’t hook you, Limerick author Kevin Barry will be talking literature tomorrow with Jim Carroll from The Irish Times.
Mayo: It’s straight up sun, sea and trad at the Festival of the Sea on Achill Island. This year’s week-long programme features guided walks, movies on the beach and daily music sessions in bars across the island. Get your runners on for tomorrow’s Achill half marathon, followed by a post-race party in the ballroom of the Wavecrest Hotel.
Meath: Looking for an opera festival this summer, but trying to avoid the unpleasantries of camping? You might enjoy this weekend’s Loughcrew Opera Festival, set in the majestic reception rooms of Loughcrew House. The two-day event showcases a new opera drama, The Puccina Scandal, based on the life of the legendary composer. Guests are invited to bring their own picnic for the hour-long interval.
Tipperary: The focus is music and drama at the Clonmel Junction Festival, now in its 15th year. American singer-songwriter Hank Wedel and blues band The Business are among the acts playing at free gigs across the town this weekend. Among the other highlights, on Sunday night, is the Irish premiere of Early Doors, an immersive, site-specific drama from theatre company Not Too Tame.
Waterford: UB40, Soul II Soul, The Darkness, Maverick Sabre and The Riptide Movement are the standout headliners of this year’s Daytripper, a two-day festival at the heart of Waterford’s historic Viking Triangle. The venue doesn’t disappoint either, with room for 2,000 at its purpose-built site on Bolton Street.
Wexford: John F Kennedy’s ancestral home, New Ross, will be in festive spirits this weekend for Irish America Day, Ireland’s ‘official’ 4 July celebration. There’ll be a flag raising ceremony tomorrow, Sunday entertainment on the quays and outdoor markets on both days – not to mention tomorrow night’s firework display. Expect a lot of red, white and blue bunting.
Wicklow: Now in its third year, Groove brings over 20 acts to two stages in the sprawling grounds of Killruddery House. Confirmed acts include Christy Moore, The Darkness, Wallis Bird, The Riptide Movement, Delorentos and Kíla. And you don’t have to worry about the kids at this family-friendly festival, as there’ll be a special activity zone complete with a nine-metre-high climbing wall and driving simulator to keep them occupied.
Originally published – 2 July
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