Festivals
Notions and necessities: From street photography festivals to fashion and unique furniture buys, it's all here
Festivals
'It's about being Irish and celebrating Ireland' - St Patrick's Festival 2025 launched in Dublin
Swimmers brave the cold for Christmas Eve charity in Co Down
Wed 25 Dec 2024 at 05:11
People and dogs take part in the London Christmas jumper corgi parade
Mon 09 Dec 2024 at 03:57
All Together Now reveals line-up for 2025 festival
Thu 21 Nov 2024 at 08:46
Glastonbury tickets sell out in less than 40 minutes
Sun 17 Nov 2024 at 05:56
A Magical Moment: Little Blue Heroes Turn on Dublin's Christmas Lights
Thu 14 Nov 2024 at 20:55
Your ultimate Halloween events guide: ancient vampires, prowling dragons and a giant newt called Alf
Thu 31 Oct 2024 at 06:41
A dollop of 'Deadpool' and a dash of DIY – we're mixing and matching as we dress up for Halloween fun
Tue 29 Oct 2024 at 22:30
11 free Halloween events happening in your Dublin area
Sun 27 Oct 2024 at 02:00
Murder, hauntings and witchcraft – the spookiest pubs in Dublin for a spot of grisly history with your pint this Halloween
Fri 25 Oct 2024 at 21:30
US star Gregory Porter 'thrilled' to be back in Ireland as Cork Jazz Festival kicks off
Thu 24 Oct 2024 at 11:07
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
10 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
‘We're not a one-trick pony like some places' – how Wexford town has defied rural decline as it gears up for the Fleadh
Up to 700,000 people expected to visit this week for Fleadh Cheoil The old adage 'you get out what you put in' springs to mind on a walk down the buzzing main street in Wexford town. On the Friday afternoon of the August bank holiday, pubs are busy, outdoor seating areas of cafes are full, and shop owners are finishing off their window displays ahead of the biggest celebration of traditional Irish music in the world.
Irish Daily Mirror
38 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Up to 75,000 visitors expected to flood Wexford for week-long Fleadh festivities
Up to 750,000 visitors are expected to flood into Wexford Town in the coming days for this year's Fleadh – the world's biggest Irish music festival. President Michael D Higgins officially opened the Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann festival in a vibrant ceremony yesterday, cheered on by thousands who turned out for the start of the spectacular seven-day event. In the coming days up to 750,000 visitors and over 5,000 competitors, along with countless performers will descend on the historic south-eastern town. The official opening featured performances from some of the county's finest performers, showcasing the best of Irish tradition and culture. Addressing the bustling crowds on Wexford's quay front, President Higgins praised the festival for its cultural importance and inclusive spirit. Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Wexford official opening by President Michael D Higgins He said: 'May I say how delighted I am to be in the beautiful town of Wexford, as we gather to celebrate the opening of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2025. This will be my final occasion opening the Fleadh Cheoil, mar Uachtarain na hEireann, a festival that holds a special place in my heart and in the hearts of the Irish people, both at home and abroad. 'As President of Ireland, I would like to say how immensely proud I am of the rich and vibrant Irish traditional music scene that continues to flourish. 'We are in the midst of a deeply creative period in our music, a folk musical revival fuelled by a resurgence of interest among young people who are embracing traditional music with enthusiasm, passion, creativity and talent. 'The Fleadh Cheoil is a perfect example of this vibrant scene, and the perfect platform to showcase such talent.' As well as being the country's cultural epicentre for over a week it's also a major boost for the local economy. Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Wexford official opening by President Michael D Higgins According to Wexford County Council chief executive Eddie Taff, the 650,000 visitors who came last year spent in the region of €65 million. There will be around 40,000 to 50,000 competitors taking part in 180 competitions over a three-day period from next Friday. Those musicians, dancers, singers and storytellers will compete at the different venues which are located across the town. And there's no fear of us getting lost, as there are 1,000 volunteers dressed in bright yellow T-shirts to help people find their way around Wexford town, where hundreds of gigs will take place. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Daily Mirror
38 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dublin's best new entertainment hotspots - from VR to "mind-blowing" illusions
We're past the halfway point of the school summer holidays and boredom is setting in. The annual sun getaway abroad is behind many of us and most parents have to work full-time. Kids can do summer camps, but teens can be tricky – and costly – to keep entertained. These spirited youngsters want to do stuff on their own, which is handy; but it's also nice to join them occasionally, when time allows. Surprisingly, one of the best places for family activities to suit teens is Dublin city centre. With a number of new attractions, it's become a teen-friendly capital. It's now home to some brand-new top entertainment options. These attractions – all opened this year – have positioned Dublin as a great city for family fun. I went out with my son Luc, 15, and his pals, to try them out. Here's what we thought of them. Little Museum of Dublin (L-R) Sarah Clancy, CEO Little Museum of Dublin, Mary Stack of Fáilte Ireland, Emma Blain, Lord Mayor and First Citizen of Dublin The capital's quirkiest museum has just re-opened after a €4 million renovation that took a year to complete. It's a new-look, modernised refit that brings the museum – located in a Georgian mansion on iconic St Stephen's Green – into the 21st century. However, it has retained its ethos as a 'hospitable, historic and humorous welcome to Dublin.' Visitors are first brought into a special screening room for a fully immersive introduction video, which features a cheeky Molly Malone. The tour is a crash course in Dublin history, carried out with wit, wisdom, eccentricity and charm. It's an educational and entertaining activity for teens - a bit wacky and never boring. The tour is less than an hour, moves at pace and is easy to grasp, with soundbytes like how Dublin went from 'Irish village, to Viking Town, to English city, to proud European capital'. The "Tara's Palace" dollhouse which is on display at the Little Museum of Dublin. It's a large, Georgian-style dollhouse, inspired by Irish houses, that took master craftsmen over 20 years to build and furnish. (Image: SAM BOAL/COLLINS) There's plenty of humour, and the teens were delighted by effervescent young guide Saul, a world-famous Irish dancer who treated us to a jig around the room. It's highly cultural, with plenty of mentions of some of the city's most impressive figures. These include Brendan Behan, Oscar Wilde, Maureen O'Hara and legendary U2 frontman Bono. It also reveals lesser-known tales of the city, such as how both the British and Irish sides in the 1916 Rising agreed to a ceasefire every day to allow the ducks to be fed in Stephen's Green. This one will amuse young culture vultures. I enjoyed the nostalgia of artefacts from the recent past, such as Callcards and Dublin Millennium milk bottles. Family tickets are €45; student entry is €16. Lane7 Lane 7 Dublin Stepping into Lane7 on Dublin's Clarendon Row is like stepping back into the 1980s. This is a bowling and gaming venue with a retro vibe, which the younger gang seem to find amusing. For me, it's nostalgia – for them, it's 'Leisureplex, but 80s' as they deemed it. Lane7 is far more swish than Leisureplex and is definitely set up for a night out, or a place to bring a date, or just a cool hangout. It's all graffiti walls and neon lights and funky bar areas. All the old-skool games are here, many with an American flavour. There's a bowling lane, a photo booth called the Kissing Booth, and beer pong. There's also darts, which was the biggest hit with this competitive bunch, and it's interactive, so the board does the 'math' for you. Lane 7 features state-of-the-art bowling lanes, immersive darts, retro arcade games, and a cocktail bar Classic arcade games include Space Invaders and you can also shoot hoops in a basketball toss game or play ice hockey on a board. The bar serves food and drink – with a large cocktail venue – but has a very strict age policy for alcohol, so no worries there for younger visitors. The Dundrum venue is bigger and has more games such as pool and shuffleboard, but to have a place like this to go in the city centre is special. A great, budget-friendly place for young people to meet friends and have fun and more social teens in particular will love it. World of Illusion World of Illusion Dublin This is a place for young scientists, or those with curious minds. A trip to the World of Illusion at Dublin's Central Plaza will leave you fascinated by how our perceptions of the world can be changed by our environment – light, colour, patterns and movement. Up to 70 mind-blowing visual illusions and interactive exhibitions are here to experience. We all loved the Vortex Tunnel, which is simply a static bridge in a dark room. However, add swirling lights and it creates the illusion of movement. So those crossing it feel like they're being thrown about, even though nothing is moving. The infinity mirrors in the Infinity Room is mesmerising: you're in a room the size of a large cupboard, but it feels like it goes on forever. The large kaleidoscope allows you to see your face as a kaleidoscopic pattern, while in the Ames room, you appear to change size, depending on what position you're standing in. The gravity-defying exhibition makes it appear as though you're being blown in the wind, while the head-on-a-platter installation makes it appear as though you're about to be eaten for dinner. The entire visit to the World of Illusion takes no more than an hour and a half, and there is plenty of wonder to discuss afterwards. Student entry is €18.70, while a family ticket is €63.75. For more info, see Sandbox VR Sandbox VR is a socially immersive gaming experience combining full-body motion capture and high-quality haptic It's amazing that a VR venue of such a size is in the city centre. Usually they're far out in the suburbs, involving a hike through traffic, so it's really convenient for it to be so accessible. But Sandbox is another level. It's not just some warehouse where you go to shoot up zombies, this is a social day out in the world's most advanced virtual reality experience. We played Red Light Green Light, based on the Netflix hit Squid Games, and it's all so hyper-real, it feels like you're inside the game. Teens who love tech and gaming love this place. We were kitted out with the most high-tech VR headsets, 3-D precision body trackers, custom hardware, sensors and haptic vests. All you could hear from the room was the screams of six teenagers having the time of their lives. They hadn't even left the building when they were planning their next trip back. One of the big draws is Toni, Ireland's first robotic bartender. After the game, players can head for the comfortable bar area for a few cocktails and mocktails. As we drank them, we got to watch footage of our game, showing us both in the real world and the VR alternative universe. With a total capacity of 150 people, Sandbox occupies 11,000 square feet of the new development, Grafton Place, at 39 Nassau Street, just steps away from Grafton Street. Prices vary from €30 to €50 per person, depending on whether the visit is peak or off-peak. For more of the latest breaking news from the Irish Mirror check out our homepage by clicking here
