Details of Culture Night announced

More than half a million amillion people are expeted to take part in this year's Culture Night next month, according to the Temple…

More than half a million amillion people are expeted to take part in this year's Culture Night next month, according to the Temple Bar Cultural Trust (TBCT).

Details of this year's event - to be held on September 25th -  were announced in Dublin this morning.

Venues in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Letterkenny, Limerick, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Tralee, Waterford and Wexford will offer people of all ages the chance enter a "cultural wonderland", according Anna Murphy, a spokeswoman for the event.

Dublin highlights include a Dead Zoo at Large, which will feature live animals from Dublin Zoo at the National History Museum in Collins Barracks, short filmmaking workshops at Filmbase on Curved Street and an art treasure hunt on Francis Street.

People in Cork can take part in a tea dance with the Lord Mayor in City Hall, tour the streets with musicians and artists and discover the traditional fishing routes near the city.

Elsewhere, Galway will host a prose and poetry workshop, a "piano relay" will be performed in Letterkenny and artists in Limerick will teach visitors to design their own t-shirts.

Culture Night began in 2006 and with an attendance of 40,000. The growth year on year is a "reflection of the enormous positive contribution culture can make to our society", according to Grainne Miller, head of cultural development at TBCT.

"In these times, it is more important than ever for Culture Night to connect with families and strengthen the relationship between culture and the public", she said. "Against the backdrop of current economic difficulty we can imagine a different future where culture is recognised as an intrinsic dimension to our development and growth as a society."

All events are free but prior booking may be required. Most are open to all ages.

A separately organised culture night will also take place in the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast.