A guide to what's going on this week
In a trio of concerts this week the Irish Baroque Orchestra- Ireland's only period-instrument orchestra - will, under the direction of Monica Huggett, perform pieces by Torelli, Vivaldi and others, with soloists Claire Duff and Laoise O'Brien. The series begins on Thursday at 8pm at St Peter's Church of Ireland in Drogheda (041-9876154), moving to St Patrick's, Newbridge, on Saturday at 8pm (045-448333) and, finally, to the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin on Sunday at 3pm (01-8721122). See www.christchurchbaroque.com
From Thursday until Sunday Temple Bar Trad, a festival of Irish music and culture in Dublin 2, will feature some of the country's leading traditional musicians, including Dervish and Lúnasa, plus workshops, photography exhibitions, storytelling, street theatre and a session trail. Call 01-6772397 or see www.templebartrad.com.
If you're interested in alternative health, the Woodlands Hotel in Waterford is hosting the Soul 2 Soul Festtoday and tomorrow, from 11am to 7pm. It will have more than 40 stalls, including "psychics, mediums" ethnic gifts, clothes and books. Admission is €6 (under-12s free). Call 051-304574.
Prof Ian Robertson, director of the Institute of Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, is holding a seminar on Wednesday at 7.30pm on how to "tune" your brain to avoid effects of mental ageing. Manage Your Mindis at the Stillorgan Park Hotel, Co Dublin; tickets cost €45. See www.seminars.ie.
Galway is hosting a French chamber music festivalthis weekend, with the pianists Pascal Rogé and Ami Hakuno, the baritone Gilles Cachemaille and the Ysayë Quartet. The concerts, which began last night at the Town Hall Theatre, include music by Franck, Ravel, Debussy, Fauré and Poulenc. See www.musicforgalway.ie.
The annual Yeats Weekend Winter Schoolstarts on Friday at the Sligo Park Hotel. The three-day event aims to allow participants to learn more about the poet against the backdrop of places that inspired him. See www.yeats-sligo.com.
And to Land's End .. . is an evening of trad music from the harpist and concertina-player Michael Rooney, the flautist June McCormack (who are husband and wife) and the singer Niamh de Búrca. Next week they're in Thurles, Co Tipperary; Castlebar, Co Mayo; Dublin; Ratoath, Co Meath; Castleblayney, Co Monaghan; and Wexford. See www.musicnetwork.ie.
Opera Theatre Company is celebrating 21 years of touring opera with Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel & Gretel, directed by John Ramster. It's at the Helix, Dublin 9, on Wednesday and Thursday, at 8pm. See www.opera.ie.
In the Heineken Cup, Munster take on Leicester at Thomond Park, Limerick, at 5.35pm today; Ulster face Toulouse at Stade Ernest. The men's and women's SuperLeague basketballfinals start on Friday at the National Basketball Arena, in Tallaght.