The empty wallet

SIMON TIERNEY finds ways to explore history on less cash

SIMON TIERNEYfinds ways to explore history on less cash

In The History Boys, Alan Bennett’s 2004 play, one of the characters describes history as “just one f***ing thing after another”. I guess we never get bored of history because every day more of it is made. It just keeps on going. Fields are fields but when they are more than five millennia old they take on a new meaning. The Céide Fields visitor centre (Ballycastle, Co Mayo, tel: 096-43325) offers visitors an understanding of the Neolithic landscape. There is a free family pass (worth €10) and a €10 voucher for the on-site Brambles restaurant available to the first eight readers to email ceidefields@opw.ie.

Historical Insights ( historicalinsights.ie) have walking tours of Dublin city every day (11am and 3pm, until the end of September; meet outside the front gates of Trinity College, no booking required). The tours are led by history postgraduates and relate sites to the general narrative of Irish history. There is a free pass (worth up to €12) to the first 10 people to email tours@historicalinsights.ie.

The next OPW "Free Day" is taking place on Wednesday, September 5th. Participating sites include Kilkenny Castle (The Parade, Kilkenny city, tel: 056-7704100) and the Casino, Marino (Cherrymount Crescent, off the Malahide Road, Marino, Dublin 3, tel: 01-8331618). See heritageireland.iefor further details.

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As part of Heritage Week 2012, Meet the Vikings is a free historical re-enactment at the National Museum (Kildare Street, Dublin 2, tel: 01-6777444), tomorrow at 2pm. Montague Heritage Services open up this world of woodworkers and textile makers and produce some Viking grub too.

A number of Irish museums run special baby-friendly tours for parents. The National Museum – Decorative Arts and History (Benburb Street, Dublin 7, tel: 01-6777444), or Collins Barracks as it is known, has its next Babies on Board tour on September 27th at 11.30am. The tour is free but booking is required.

Last but not least . . .

As part of the Tall Ships Races 2012, a huge floating cinema in Grand Canal Square in Dublin will be showing Jaws, its third and final nautical-themed film this week, at 9pm tonight. Admission is free.

There is a free guided bat walk on the grounds of historic Belvedere House (Mullingar, Co Westmeath, tel: 044-9349060) on September 15th at 8pm, in association with Bat Conservation Ireland. To book, email info@belvedere-house.ie. Bring warm clothes, a torch and a little courage.