OpenHouse Dublin
Open House Dublin (OHD) is Ireland’s largest architecture festival, inviting all citizens to explore their city. It works through a simple but powerful idea: showcasing outstanding architecture for everyone to experience. Buildings that aren’t usually accessible to the public open their doors for one weekend only, with tours provided by expert guides. All OHD tours are completely FREE!
Various city locations, Dublin
14-16th October
Free
Mountains to the Sea Downhill Challenge
After our very successful inaugral Mountains to Sea Challenge last year, we are pleased to say we are back again. This a family and community walk following the route of the Dublin Mountain Way from Ticknock Forest Park to Brady's in Shankill. The full walk is a combination of trail and country roads and is 18K (approximately 4 hrs duration). There are 3 start points; The First at Ticknck Forest Park (9:00 to10:00 ) Kiltiernan 10:00 -11:00) and Lordello Road 12:00-13:00 for those who would like to complete a more accessible and shorter walk. Please note the section from Glencullen to Barnasliggan is wheelchair accessible but good stopping power is required (this is seriously downhill!!) Complimentary light refreshments will be provided at Brady's
Ticknock Forest, Kellystown Road, Dublin 18
15th October
Free
Stephen Loughman Exhibition
Stephen Loughman's new exhibition at the Kevin Kavanagh gallery gathers an assortment of objects and scenes, while teasing the audience's eye with an aesthetic that is neither hyper-real, nor imaginary. Loughman's work is of its own world. He paints scenes you wouldn't mind placing improvising actors into... there are microphones without MCs, tabletop guns without shooters, and strange lobbies devoid of any wandering people.
Chancery Lane
13th Oct - 12th Nov
Free
Red Link Book Festival
The annual Red Line Book Festival returns to South Dublin this October with more of the best national and international contemporary writing that is of particular significance to the Irish literary landscape. With a mixture of competitions, readings, workshops, discussions and a prize-giving ceremony also featuring on its jam-packed festival programme, there's just about something for everyone. The Red Line Book Festival gives special insight into the fabulous new works and authors on the literary scene in 2016 while also celebrating the vibrant, friendly atmosphere which the communities of South Dublin have become famous for.
Various South Dublin Venues
12th-16th October
Free
Irish Masters
It's not often that you get the opportunity to see this many of Ireland's most accomplished nature photographers exhibiting in one place. However, the CHQ building will play host to an exhibition flaunting some of the natural wonders of the world, majestic creatures from land and sea, and geographical sculptures, hewn by weather and climate. Among the photographers exhibiting are father and son duo Ed Gordon and Peter Gordon. As landscape and travel photographers, they have shot some of the most incredible places on the globe.
IFSC, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1
15th Sept - 16th Oct
Free
Ireland's Family Pet Expo
A must-visit event for the Irish pet loving community, the one and only Pet Expo is on its way to the RDS. So whether yours trots, swims, soars or slithers, be sure you saunter on down for the best in pets for 2016. A true pet lover's paradise, Ireland’s Family Pet Expo is dedicated to promoting responsible ownership of pets. At this event, the 10th Annual Expo and the only one of its kind in Ireland, you’ll be treated to a world of shows, information and entertainment, along with the hottest products and latest news from the animal kingdom. Ireland’s Family Pet Expo is a fantastic day out for the entire family or for anyone who loves their pets. Well-behaved dogs are allowed on a lead.
RDS, Ballsbridge
15th-16th October
Adult €10.00
Sallins Trad Fest
The Feile na Sollan traditional cultural festival will be back in Sallins, County Kildare this October, promising a feast of Irish traditional music and cultural activities crammed into a weekend that celebrates all aspects of Irish traditional culture – language, music, dance and song. Among the highlights of the festival are plenty of Irish trad music sessions in the local pubs, an expo of Irish traditional instrument making, a barge trip on the Grand Canal, music master classes in a choice of instruments, and bilingual workshops in ceili dancing, singing and drumming. Irish language events will include arts and crafts for children, Bricfeasta as Gaeilge, a bilingual family show Sorcas na Samhna (Halloween Circus), a treasure hunt and storytelling for young children. The highlight of the festival will be a Saturday evening gig with Goitse, a hugely popular Irish trad group that are taking Europe by storm this year. We will see also the return of the popular Gradam na Sollan inter-school competition, where schools from North Co. Kildare, go head-to-head in singing and music competitions, with the winners taking home the Gradam na Sollan award.
Sallins, Co. Kildare
14-16th October
Free-various
Kikenny Saturday Market
Many different items for sale from clothes to jewellery to dvd's to books and much more
Dublin Road, Kilkenny
15th October
Free
Visit Emo Court
Emo Court was designed by the architect James Gandon in 1790 for the Earls of Portarlington and is a magnificent example of this neo-classical style. During the middle of the 20th century it was owned by the Jesuits, it was then acquired and extensively restored by Mr. Cholmeley-Harrison in the 1960s. The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland which were first laid out in the 18th century and contain formal lawns, a lake and woodland walks with many very fine trees and shrubs. A restaurant and tea rooms and guided tours available.
Emo, Co. Laois, R32 C44V
Adult: €4.00Child/Student: €2.00
Spirits of Meath Halloween Festival
Celebrate in Meath where Halloween began at the Spirits of Meath Halloween Festival with fun by day and fright by night.County Meath part of the Boyne Valley, the birthplace of Irelands Ancient East uniquely where it all began, is bringing you Ireland's biggest and scariest Halloween Festival – The Spirits of Meath Halloween Festival 2016!! From Haunted Hills to Eerie Graveyards; Tour of Shadows to Friendly Witches & Spooks and Spells; Thriller Nights to Terrifying Terror Houses – The Spirits of Meath Halloween Festival 2016 will delight & fright equally! A mixture of family and children friendly events for all.
Various locations, Meath
15th Oct-1st Nov
Free to various
OFFline Film Festival
OFFline Festival is now in its seventh year and welcomes a mix of international and Irish visitors to the autumnal beauty of the Irish midlands to view, discuss and share their love for all things film. The festival screens both feature films and shorts - with the latter only in competition. This competition sees in excess of 700 short films submitted every year to compete for the limited number of approx. 50 short film slots. Prizes on offer are: Best Irish, International, Documentary and Animation. Filmmakers who are selected for the festival are welcomed as guests of the festival.
Birr, Offaly
12th-16th Oct
€5 tickets
Teddy’s Zoo Adventure & Pinocchio
Two fantastic kids shows; one suitable for those aged up to 6 and the other suitable for those aged 4 - 10.
Cornmarket
16th Oct
€7
Halloween Train
Take a journey through the spooky forest on the Rathwood Express. Look out for Winnie the Witch and her spooky friends on this exciting adventure. Pick out and carve your very own pumpkin.
Rathwood, Wicklow
15-31st October
€10 per child & €6 per adult
Watch Connacht Rugby v Toulouse
Connacht play host to Toulouse at The Sportsground in the Champions Cup with kick-off at 5.30pm. The Sportsground, Galway
15th October
Free on RTE
Cleary Coyne Festival
The Claremorris Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann are holding a Traditional Music Festival, the “Cleary Coyne Festival”, on the weekend of 14th, 15th, 16th of October 2016. The traditional music weekend is organised annually in memory of the late Johnny Cleary and Mattie Coyne, who played central roles in the development and progression of Claremorris CCE down through the years.
Claremorris, Mayo
14th-16th October
Free
Visit the Claypipe Visitors Centre
The Clay Pipe Workshop & Visitor Centre is located in the village Knockcroghery between Athlone and Roscommon. For anyone interested in exploring the history of this 300 year old industry from the 1800's, you will not be disappointed, as you can witness the creation of the Clay Pipe onsite and find out the very history of this craft and maybe take away the finished product with you.
Knockcroghery Village, Co. Roscommon
15th October
Free
Sligo Rovers FC Vs Longford Town
An Aircity League fixture kicking off at 7.45pm.
The Showgrounds, Sligo
15th October
€5 children
Song of the Sea
This superb Irish animation from the director of 2009’s The Secret of Kells is a treat; an enchanting and very moving “family film”. Once again, the story is rooted in Irish folklore, with selkies, giants and faeries slipping in and out of a tale of a vanished mother, a grieving father, and two lost but resourceful children trying to make their way home.
Causeway Link, Ennis, Co. Clare
15th October
€6
Munster Maths & Science Fair
Held by Mallow Development Partnership. An event where primary and second level students can learn more about career options and has been a great success for five years now.
Mallow, Co. Cork
16
th October
FREE
East Cork Early Music Festival
The East Cork Early Music Festival features four days of live musical events featuring international and home grown talent. Enjoy music from Handel to Haydn and a showcase of music from 18th century Dublin. The 18th Century was a golden age for Irish classical music, when some of the world's most renowned composers and instrumentalists visited or lived in Ireland. To revive the music of that era is to evoke a time when international music and Irish social gatherings were synonymous. Other events to include flashmobs, workshops, children's concerts, open rehearsals for school students and pre-concert talks.
Cork
13th-16th Oct
Free-various
Dingle Folk Festival
This October sees the launch of a brand new music festival, the concerts are ticketed events and range from €15 up to €25. There are also free session trails taking place all over the town on the Saturday and Sunday.
Dingle, Dingle Peninsula
14th-16th Oct
Free-various
Megadojo 2016
To celebrate EU Code Week (Saturday 15th - Saturday 22nd October), CoderDojo Limerick is inviting young people from across the Midwest (and beyond) to join them for a day of technology based fun in Limerick Institute of Technology. They are looking for 1024 kids to take pat and will have coding workshops, demos from companies (big and small), talks and a hackathon. They will be running beginner and intermediate Scratch workshops for the younger attendees along with WebDev and hardware workshops for the older age groups. These are aimed across the skill levels so both existing attendees and those that might have a passing interest will find a workshop to suit on the day.
Limerick Institute of Technology, Moylish Park, Limerick
15th October
Free
Tipperary Dance Platform
Tipperary Dance Platform is an artist-led project organised by dance artists bringing many years of connections and experience in the dance sector. This year's carefully curated program proposes an inclusive and diverse selection of events for all types of audiences to attend and participate. A full week of shows, dance video projections and an exhibition. TDP'16 audiences can enjoy dance performances indoors or outdoors, and can participate in a variety of dance classes for all ages and experiences. TDP'16 is a family friendly festival that includes activities dedicated to young audiences. Tipperary Dance Platform is also a great opportunity to meet with artists during the public TDP'16 Forum, a dedicated space to discuss the way dance is made, or talk about the interaction between dance artists and their communities. TDP'16 is proud to present this year an outstanding line-up of artists from Ireland, France, Switzerland: Liz Roche Dance Company, Iseli-Chiodi Dance Company, Francois Veyrune and more! Come and be part of this dance movement that emerges in County Tipperary, attend and participate. No skills required, just bring your curiosity along, meet world-class artists and discover the legendary County Tipperary, a hop away from the Glen of Aherlow beautiful natural settings, in a friendly environment, and last but not least, at very soft rates.
Tipperary Excel Arts Centre, Tipperary
10th-16th Oct
Free to various
Waterford Viqueens
A flat-track roller derby league in Waterford
15th October
€5 entry and U12's are free!
2016 Waterford City Massed Bands Charity Concert
Over one hundred musicians from Waterford’s established, Marching, Concert, Brass, Pipes and Fife & Drum Bands, accompanied by a rhythm and String Sections, and aided by the haunting and chilling voices of Donna Roche, Soprano, and David Flynn, Baritone, under the baton of Mark Fitzgerald and Julie Quinlan with a music set that will raise the roof at the home of The Massed Band, The Sacred Heart Church The Folly on Friday October 14th at 8pm.
The Sacred Heart Church, Waterford
14th October
€10
American Legends
A tribute to Kenny Rodgers, Dolly Parton and Neil Diamond. Three of Irelands top entertainers, Joe McGreevy, Rachel Phillips and Adam McDonald join conspiracy to bring you this fantastic live show. Also featuring hit songs from some of the top US artists of all time. Shania Twain, Tina Turner, The Eagles, Roy Orbinson and many more.
Belvoir Players Studio Theatre, 94 Belvoir Drive 14th Oct
£10/8
Willow Weaving Saturdays
Join us @ Navan to learn how to use this natural product to create some stunning pieces of work. It is amazing what can be achieved with nimble fingers and willow. In the past we have made fencing, baskets, and even our beautiful pig ‘Sow-Anne’. Now it’s your turn to get involved. Help us to make a Celtic Bull for the 2017 Wickerman Celebration. We are going to make this part by part, legs, horns, ears etc….Suitable for 6 years + everyone is welcome to participate!
Navan
15th October
Free
Ed Reavey Trad Music Festival
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Cavan Town Branch present a festival celebrating the music of Ed Reavy, renowned Irish - American musican and composer of traditional Irish dance tunes. Born in Barnagrove, Cootehill, County Cavan, Ed emigrated to Philedelphia in 1912 where he lived for the rest of his life. An outstanding fiddler, he recorded in 1927 for the Victor record label and his many compositions are widely played and include such favourites as Maudabawn Chapel, The Lone Bush, The Hunter's House and the Cuilcagh Mountains. Concerts, exhibitions and talks, music sessions, Reavy tunes classes, instrument workshops, fiddle masterclasses.
Cavan town, Maudabawn, Cootehill and Ballyjamesduff.
13-14th Oct
Various free
Oktoberfest
A little slice of Munich is promised as with authentic German beers and foods from the Black Forest and other German delicacies such as currywurst, saurkraut and apple strudel on offer, as well as non-alcoholic drinks. Oktoberfest opened on Thursday and will run until Sunday October 16 daily from 1pm to 1am, with live music and other events each night.
Orchard Street, Derry
14-16th October
Free entrance
Seamus Grant Weekend of Traditional Music
The weekend aims to honor the memory of Seamus Grant by celebrating the local music, tradition and culture of Clonmany. This weekend is a tribute to a wonderful fiddle player from Co Donegal and will include performances from guest musicians, Music workshops for all levels and a genealogy section.
Clonmany, Co. Donegal
14-16th October
Free- €10
Sean Donnelly Folk Night
Sean Donnelly is the unmistakable voice of Northern Irish Folk singing, and has been a regular on the Folk Club circuit for many years. He has made countless Radio broadcasts and appeared on T.V Folk music programmes and has played major folk festivals at home and abroad. Come along and enjoy a night of the best folk songs and a bit of craic.
Newcastle Centre 10-14 Central, Newcastle
14th Oct
£10
Super Saturday
SHARE’s Super Saturday will be the 15th October with great activities for low prices.
Share Discovery Village, Lisnaskea
15th October
From £6
Karate Classes
Both Children’s and Adult classes available for some Saturday morning fun!
MACCA, Omagh
15th Oct
First Class Free