Despite this country’s persistent refusal to deliver a decent summer in recent years, summer music festivals have started to pop up in every town and village across the land. When Westport announced its own version, you could have been forgiven for yawning at the prospect of yet another lineup of has-beens and wannabes wailing mournfully in a muddy field, but the reality is decidedly different. The Westport Festival of Music & Food has earned its place on the festival calendar, with an eclectic mix of quality rock, folk, Celtic, and …
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Galway Arts Festival 2013
From small beginnings, the Galway Arts Festival has grown into Ireland’s largest international arts festival, showcasing both Irish and international music, dance, visual art, family events, and comedy. Now with an enviable reputation worldwide, the festival has placed Galway firmly on the map as an important cultural centre with attendance in 2012 topping 160,000. Previous festivals have showcased everyone from Joni Mitchell to Henri Matisse and Blondie to Brad Mehldau, and this year’s programme looks set to raise the bar even higher. Headline acts at the Festival Big Top for …
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Live at the Marquee Cork 2013
At a time when every town and village in Ireland seems to have launched its own music festival, Live at the Marquee would have to be something a bit special to stand out in the crowded summer schedule. Fortunately, it is. And this year’s playlist reveals the organisers’ commitment to quality artists shows no sign of waning. Whether you’re an ‘80s kid harking back to the days when Vincent Hanley’s MT USA brightened your Sunday afternoons, or whether the X Factor is the soundtrack to your life, there’s an artist …
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Kinsale Arts Festival 2013
When you think of art exhibitions, you probably imagine a gallery or museum lined with paintings and sculptures, but in Kinsale they like to do things a little differently. Kinsale Arts Festival stages events in every possible place and space throughout the historic seaside town, with churches, halls, harbours, and even boats playing host to theatre, music, literature, food, film, dance, and visual art. Local artists get the chance to feature alongside established artists of international standing, and the festival’s mission is to support emerging talent throughout the programme. The …
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Kenmare Food Carnival 2013
The Kenmare Food Carnival is one of those great ideas that you wonder why nobody thought of it sooner. Think of it: Kenmare is firmly established as a highlight on the gourmet’s tour of Ireland, so what better way to celebrate it than with a festival that showcases everything a foodie could wish for, from stellar restaurants to delectable bakeries. Launched in July 2012, the Kenmare Food Carnival highlights this small Kerry town’s status as one of Ireland’s food capitals, but without any of the exclusivity and snobbery that …
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Killarney on a Shoestring
Killarney recently made the news as the most expensive place to stay in Ireland, with the average hotel priced at €101 per night, but sometimes you have to look behind the headlines to find the real story. Sure, you can shell out for high-priced hotels in Killarney - just as you can in any tourist town – but we’ll show you how to take that €101 and make it cover your hotel and a whole lot more. Budget Beds You don’t have to sleep in a bunk bed to save money …
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A Biker’s Tour of Kerry
If you are a biker and you want to see the best of Ireland in a few days, head to Kerry. Challenging roads wind between miles of stunning coastline and towering mountains, with vast expanses of unspoilt countryside in between and picturesque towns filled with quality restaurants and lively pubs. Book a hotel in Kerry and you can spend the days on the open road, enjoying some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, knowing that a warm welcome and cosy comfort await you. Where to Stay When you’ve …
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The Sky Cat Laughs Comedy Festival 2013
Your sense of humour is a very personal thing, and what makes me cry with laughter might make you, well, cry. But, with a lineup that includes Chris O’Dowd, Rich Hall, Sil Fox, David O’Doherty, Kevin Bridges, Dylan Moran, Dom Irrera, and Marcus Brigstocke, the 2013 Sky Cat Laughs Comedy Festival is bound to have you rolling in the aisles this June bank holiday weekend. Book your hotel in Kilkenny early, as accommodation is at a premium for the event. The Cat Laughs comedy fest has been drawing the greatest …
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The Adrenaline Junkie’s Guide to Donegal
Most high-octane sports seem to involve either falling through the air, whooshing across water, or clambering up mountains, so Donegal is the perfect setting for whatever kind of outdoor action appeals to you. Home to the towering Bluestack Mountains, the rugged Donegal Bay, and the highest sea cliffs in Europe (Slieve League), Donegal is an adventure sports fan’s dream location. Book a hotel in Donegal and get yourself a bit of that action. Surfing Donegal is pounded by some glorious waves, making it one of Ireland’s best …
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Take A Yeats Tour in Sligo
If your routine is feeling a little drab and predictable and you could do with a little magic in your life, visit the “Land of Heart’s Desire” and see what inspired the Yeats brothers’ stunning poetry and painting. Yeats’ Country covers Sligo and parts of Leitrim and Roscommon, incorporating rolling expanses of mountains, lakes, and coastline that have influenced some of the most beautiful artistic creations the world has ever known. Book a hotel in Sligo and soak up the atmosphere on a scenic drive. Here are just some of …
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