November 17th-23rd
opera
Puccini's Turandot and Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking make up Opera Ireland's winter season at the Gaiety Theatre which starts today and runs until November 25th. Turandot tells the story of a princess who will only consent to marriage if her prospective suitor can answer three riddles, with death being the penalty for failure. Dead Man Walking is based on the story of Sr Helen Prejean, who became spiritual adviser to a death-row prisoner.
giving
Childline received more than 600,000 calls last year, but only two in every five calls were answered. Cheerios Childline Breakfast Together Week (Monday- tomorrow week) aims to raise €150,000 to help the charity answer more calls. Childline is looking for people to host fundraising breakfasts. To register, call 1800-555555 or e-mail breakfast@childline.ie.
women in business
National Women's Enterprise Day, at the Park Hotel in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, on Wednesday, is aimed at women already working in business or considering starting up their own business. Keynote speakers include Ruth Badger, a finalist on the TV show The Apprentice, and the author and Irish Times columnist Sheila O'Flanagan. See www.nwed.typepad.com.
literary festival
The annual Patrick Kavanagh Weekend, which starts next Friday and runs for three days, includes lectures, poetry, art, music, drama and storytelling, and it all takes place in the poet's birthplace of Iniskeen, in Co Monaghan. See www.patrickkavanaghcountry.com.
music
The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is touring next week, performing Shostakovich, Chopin and Tchaikovsky in Galway (Leisureland, Tuesday); Limerick (University Concert Hall, Wednesday); Cork (City Hall, Thursday) and Waterford (WIT Chapel, Friday). See www.rte.ie/ performinggroups.
Grammy-winner Lucinda Williams plays Dublin's Tripod on Thursday, with support from Fionn Regan. Tonight: David Gray (National Stadium), The Undertones (Tripod). Wednesday: The Go! Team (Tripod), The Proclaimers (Vicar St). Friday: (INEC, Killarney), The Pointer Sisters (Tripod).
freebies
The Christmas Lights Festival takes place in Dún Laoghaire from 4pm today, with a lights parade from the People's Park and fireworks at 5.15pm at the Harbour Plaza. Heavenly Gifts Fair, at the Minerva Suite at the RDS in Dublin today and tomorrow (10am-6pm), features antique furniture, art, clothes, jewellery and Christmas decorations. Peter O'Brien will be there for the weekend, signing copies of Limited Edition, a diary of his theatrical sketches. Dalkey Winter Fair, which takes place from 11am to 5pm today and tomorrow at Dalkey Castle in Co Dublin, features local art, crafts and food.
comic book heroes
Dublin City Comic Convention takes place at the Tara Towers Hotel, on Merrion Road, today and tomorrow. There will be signings, portfolio review sessions, panels and special guests. See www.dublincitycomiccon.com.
and finally . . .
Archaeologist Prof Clive Gamble will argue that the ability to fall in love enabled Homo sapiens to beat off rivals and take over the planet, in a public lecture entitled The First Humans: 'A Very Remote Period Indeed', at Trinity College Dublin next Thursday at 7.30pm. Tickets €7 at door, £5 at www.sal.org.uk.