Open doors for culture vultures

A feast of high-brow entertainment and sporting events gets underway this weekend with the launch of Culture Night later today.

Art galleries, theatres, museums and other cultural centres across the country are all opening their doors to the public this evening for a night of free events.

Now in its fourth year, Culture Night takes place in towns and cities across 11 counties.

In the capital some 124 venues are set to stay open late including Filmbase, the Royal Irish Academy of Music, the Science Gallery, Croke Park and the National Museum at Collins Barracks.

Among the highlights of this year's Culture Night is an evening of storytelling at the James Joyce House of the Dead on Ushers Quay in Dublin, the illumination of Wexford Opera House, a living-room céili in Roscommon and a walk along the city walls in Limerick.

As if that wasn't enough culture to keep people occupied over the coming days, the Athlone Literary Festival begins at the Prince of Wales Hotel tonight and continues till Sunday. Among those appearing at this year's event are Dermot Bolger and Irene Graham.

Elsewhere, the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival, which began yesterday continues with The Manganiyar Seduction, a theatrical display of Indian gypsy culture at the Gaiety, Conor McPherson's The Birdsat the Gate and Enda Walsh's The New Electric Ballroomat the Peacock among the highlights.

Theatre of a different kind takes place at the O2 Arena tomorrow where Bernard Dunne's super bantamweight WBA world title defence against Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym takes place. Meanwhile Galway Sports Ground is the place to be this evening as Connacht take on Ulster in the Magners League.

Staying in Connacht and the Galway International Oyster Festival continues this weekend while the 32nd Clifden Community Arts week concludes on Sunday.

In Dublin, the Bulmers Comedy Festival comes to an end on Sunday while the Irish Antique Dealers Fair is on at the Main Hall in the RDS. Drivers are warned that delays are likely close to the venue.

Drivers are also advised to avoid the Phoenix Park tomorrow due to the the Adidas half marathon which begins at 10am. To facilitate runners, most roads leading into and out of the park will be closed during the morning and into the early afternoon.

Met Éireann is forecasting a dry but cloudy weekend for most of the country.