What’s On

CARLOW

Arboretum Home and Garden Heaven, Leighlinbridge: Diarmuid Gavin opens the 2016 Carlow Garden Festival with

A Romp in My Garden

– hear all about creating an award-winning garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Learn about the Italianate pond, genteel terraces, topiary & great engineering (Saturday, July 23rd, 7.30pm,

25, discount for groups over 10). Call 059-9721558. info@carlowtourism.com, carlowgardentrail.com.

Various gardening locations throughout Carlow: Featuring 16 celebrated garden experts in 16 great gardening locations, the Carlow Garden Festival contains an interesting mix of top UK gardeners and the best of Irish garden broadcasters and writers, offering something to interest everyone (from Saturday, July 23rd, many events free). Call 059-9130411, info@carlowtourism.com, carlowgardentrail.com.

CLARE

Burren College of Art.

Beckett’s Last Act

, directed by Jim Dunk from the novel by Mora Grey. Performed by Pat Abernethy, Dave Marsden and Heather Jackson (Saturday, July 23rd, 8pm,

15). Call 065-7077200, julia@burrencollege.ie, isosceles.biz.

CORK

Bantry House Tea Rooms: Fashionista and

Huffington Post

contributor Alice Carey will read from her new book,

Manhattan to West Cork

, as part of the West Cork Literary Festival (Thursday, July 21st, 10am,

10). Call 027-52788/9, info@westcorkliteraryfestival.ie, collinspress.ie/west-cork-literary-festival-2016.html.

Quarter Park Party at Fitzgerald’s Park, Mardyke Walk: A free, all day family event with music from Shookrah, Sing Along social, ecological obstacle course, community games, story sesh hour, mindfulness with Darina O’Shea & much more (Saturday, noon, free). Call 087-7734241. louise@kearneymelia.com, quarterblockparty.com.

DONEGAL

Rathmullen Beach Car Park: Meet at Flight of the Earls sculpture. Guided Nature Walk from the seashore through the beach, high tide line, sand dunes, and the adjacent woodland (Tuesday, June 26th, 7.30pm, free). Call 087-2515525. tnoelfoley@eircom.net, antaisce.org/local/donegal.

DUBLIN

National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street: Fun afternoon of fairytales, library trails and drawing. As part of the workshop, book covers through the years will be examined and children will get to design their own futuristic book covers (Thursday, July 21st, 2pm, free). Call 01-6030200, info@nli.ie, nli.ie.

MART Gallery, 190a Rathmines Road: MART is proud to present Eggs Again, a new and evolving body of Brian Crotty's recent film, painting and sculptural work, using narrative and cinematic structures to investigate language, representation, and identity (from Thursday, July 21st, 1pm-6pm, Tuesday to Saturday, free). Call 01-5159692, info@mart.ie, mart.ie.

Sandford Parish Church, Sandford Road, Ranelagh: Summer Music at Sandford, lunchtime recitals, with David Tobin (violin) and Shirin Goudarzi-Tobin (piano), playing music by Bach, Rachmaninoff and Paganini (Friday, July 22nd, 1.10pm to 1.50pm, free, donations in aid of church organ fund). Call 01-4972983, doshea3@gmail.com, sandfordandstphilips.dublin.anglican.org.

Avila Carmelite Centre: A Day of conversation about Laudato Si and an introduction to the Community garden (Saturday, July 23rd, 10am, €20). Call Jackie 086-4095763 or 01 -6430200, info@avilacentre.ie.

St James’s Church, James’s St: Camino de Santiago, celebrating 800 years Dublin-Santiago de Compostela. Annual St James’s Day Mass (Sunday, July 24th, 10.30am, free), reception after Mass. All welcome. Call 086-0626819, sean.p.corrigan@gmail.com, caminosociety.ie.

KERRY

Baile an Fheirtéaraigh/Ballyferriter: This two-day historical conference of the Munster Geraldines will be officially opened by the Knight of Kerry, Sir Adrian FitzGerald, at the Óstán Ceann Sibéal at 7.30 on Friday, July 22nd, €5 per session, €20 weekend ticket. Call 086-3519635, geraldocarroll@eircom.net.

An Tinteáin Ceoil, An Clochán: Join Felicity Hayes-McCoy for an evening of reading, sharing and storytelling/tráthnóna seanchais, comhroinnte agus léitheoireachta for comharchumann forbartha an leith triuígh (Wednesday, July 27th, 7.30pm, free). Call 066-7138137, eolas@cflt.ie, collinspress.ie/storytelling-with-felicity-hayes-mccoy.html.

OFFALY

Birr Theatre & Arts Centre: CÚIG – Five Artists One Exhibition. This visually stunning exhibition features a variety of nature-inspired artworks from Vincent Devine, Emma Barone, Martina McAteer, Tara Barone and Maura Fahy (Thursday, July 21st, 6.30pm, free). Call 087-2809191, emma@emmabarone.com, birrtheatre.com.

WATERFORD

St Patrick’s Gateway, Patrick St: Based on research and creativity,

Threads

is a site specific theatre piece which tells the story of a young girl, Nora Gleeson, whose life gets pulled out from under her feet from her family home, to the Good Shepherd Laundry (Friday, July 22nd, 9pm,

10). Call 086-1589944.

WEXFORD

ART IN THE OPEN is the largest outdoor painting festival in Europe, taking place this year in the Three Sisters region of Wexford, Kilkenny and Waterford. There are up to 150 international artists signed up for this year’s festival (Sunday, July 24th, 9am to 6pm for paint-outs. Free to the public

60 to participants). Call 086-8539998, almahynes@hotmail.com, artintheopen.org.

WICKLOW

Bray Wheelers Clubhouse: Train & model collectors fair vintage and modern trains, diecasts, soldiers kits, paints, accessories, baseboards, star wars/sci-fi, display cases, buy/sell/swap/chat. All enthusiasts welcome (Sunday, July 24tsh, 10am-2pm,

1 for Alzeheimer Society). Call 01-4576751, coo@indigo.ie.