With plans to become a more international event in hand, this may be the last Kilkenny Arts Week as many of us know it. The classical music programme is the best on offer at summer festivals and the medieval city has some of the best venues for concerts and exhibitions.
This year's highlights include the European Union Baroque Orchestra in St Canice's Cathedral on Saturday at 8 p.m., Russian pianist, Boris Berezonsky in the same venue on Sunday at 8 p.m. and again on Monday at 8 p.m., with violinist, Vadim Repin and the RTE Concert Orchestra on Thursday next at 8 p.m. also in St Canice's.
Classical music aside, this year's Arts Week also offers the public a chance to see an interesting selection of visual art, with work by American photographer Stephen Johnson at Kilkenny Castle and sculpture by Maud Cotter, Derek Whitticase, David Kinnane and others at Butler House. Writers Jennifer Johnson, Paul Muldoon and Godfrey Duncan arc among those reading from their work throughout the week. A rich variety of fringe events runs alongside the official programme.
Birr Vintage Week
The residents of Birr, Co Offaly, are dusting down their ballgowns for tomorrow night's vintage costume ball in Dooly's Hotel. This stylish event is the first in a series which celebrates the heritage of this Georgian midlands town over the next 10 days. Saturday's, traditional fair day and opening parade starts on Sunday at 30 p.m. with vintage cars and motorbikes, floats and horses, and carriages.
Holiday makers in the area may like to check out the Birr Antiques and Fine Arts Fair from Tuesday to Thursday in the County Arms Hotel.
Limerick Food Festival
While world class chefs compete for the Grand Prix Mondial of cooking, locals and visitors can sample world cuisine on the menus of Limerick's Good Food Circle Restaurants. Many of the city's pubs will also be participating in the food festival, which runs from Sunday for a week. Open air concerts at Arthur's Quay Park throughout the week. Tel: 061 302035 for more details.
Athenry Medieval Festival
The townsfolk of Athenry have been making masks, practising maypole dancing and learning how to fight with medieval-style weapons over the last few weeks in preparation for their second annual festival, which begins today. Visitors to south east Galway should check out the medieval fair on Sunday from 2.30 p.m. Also don't miss the pageantry when the Norman wedding party turns into a squabble which ends in battle on Sunday night. The two day children's festival begins tomorrow.
Merriman Summer School
One of the heartlands of Irish traditional music, the Co Clare town of Ennistymon, is the venue for this bilingual summer school. This year's theme is Music and the People/An Ceol agus an Pobal. With concerts, sessions, singing and sets providing a lively backdrop to debate and discussion, students will get a chance to understand the diverse influences that have come together to make up the Irish musical landscape.
Broadcaster Dr Ciaran Mac Mathuna will open the summer school at 8 p.m. on Saturday, followed by the lecture, "A Map of Irish music", by Micheal O Suilleabhain. Introductory and refresher courses in Irish daily from Monday to Friday. Tel: 01 28411 74 for more details.
