BRIAN O'CONNELLpresents a round-up of summer events taking place around the country
THEATRE BY THE LAKE
Another season of theatre by the lake started last week in the Gougane Barra Hotel. First up is Aidan Dooley with Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer. The show begins at 8pm, and dinner and theatre cost €50. 026-47069, www.gouganebarra hotel.com
BLESSED ARE THE CHEESE-MAKERS
The Museum of Country Life in Turlough Village, Castlebar, Co Mayo has a one-day cheese-making course tomorrow between 10am and 5pm. Marion Roeleveld from Killeen Farmhouse Cheese will take participants through the process of making hard cheese. 094-9031755
POWERSCOURT
The gardens and Palladian pile at the Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry make a perfect out-of-town picnic location. Kids will be kept amused by an outdoor playground and activity course, near the majestic waterfall (which has a separate entrance). The gardens open between 9.30am and 5.30pm, €5-8. Admission to the house is free, while the waterfall or gardens cost €3.50-5. 01-2046000, www.powerscourt.ie
CRUMLIN ROAD GAOL
Open to the public since April, this Belfast landmark is the only Victorian-era prison left in Northern Ireland. Opened in 1845, it served as a remand centre during the Troubles, and now helps to tell the story of the growth of a city and the people who lived there. Guided tours are available tomorrow, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, until September 2009. Tours last an hour and admission is £3-5 (€3.50-5.80). www.gotobelfast.com
LOT OF LAUGHS
Starting tomorrow, the Carlsberg Comedy Carnival runs at the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin until Sunday. With not a dingy comedy cellar in sight, the shows take place in four purpose-built venues. Tickets cost €23-29.50. www. carlsbergcomedy.com
BUNRATTY CASTLE
One of Ireland’s most-visited tourist sites, the castle and folk park has a wide range of attractions, from insights of 19th-century rural life to a refurbished “big house”. For the adults, why not round off a visit with a medieval banquet in the castle, which runs nightly throughout the summer? 061-711200, www.shannonheritage.com
