FESTIVAL WATCH: CARLOW FLORAL FESTIVAL:Co Carlow may only be a neighbour of the Garden of Ireland, Co Wicklow, but it is home to one of Ireland's finest gardens, Altamont, with its stunning herbaceous border.
On Thursday at Altamont, the Office of Public Works is laying on a lecture by naturalist Dick Warner on wildlife gardening, as part of the Carlow Floral Festival.
The festival began on Saturday and runs until next Sunday. The festival has been in existence since 2002 and is helping to boost Carlow's profile as a second "garden of Ireland". The event includes talks and walks by some of Ireland's best-known outdoors experts.
Warner will also lead a forest walk today in Oak Park Forest Park, outside Carlow town. Tomorrow, Helen Dillon will talk about designing a small garden, in Hardymount, Tullow. Dermot O'Neill will discuss kitchen gardens in Kilgraney House, Bagenalstown, on Wednesday. And Eanna Ni Leamhna will talk on sensory gardening in Delta Sensory Gardens, Carlow, on Sunday. See www.carlowfloralfestival.com
TODAY AND TOMORROW:WHAT'S ON AROUND IRELAND
TODAY: Seamus Begley and Jim Murray conclude the third annual World Fleadhfestival at 9.30pm in Portlaoise's festival dome. The Yeats Festivalin Co Sligo continues with a poetry reading by Ciaran Carson in the Yeats Memorial Building at 8.30pm. The free music festival, the Farmleigh Affair, ends today, with artists such as Motema and Grupo Fantasma performing. Noon-7.30pm, Phoenix Park. The Clonmany Family Festivalcontinues with an open-air concert starring the Declan Nerney Band, beginning 8pm.
TOMORROW: The World Twenty20cricket qualifier will be held in Stormont stadium, Belfast, at 1pm. Ouroboros Theatre Ireland stage a performance of Brian Friel's Translationsin Kilmainham Gaol at 8pm. Booking: 01-4535984. The RTÉ Concert Orchestraplays an assortment of orchestral pieces at 1.05pm in the National Concert Hall. José Gonzalezis in the Savoy Theatre, Cork, at 8.30pm. RTÉ's reality TV show, Fáilte Towers, continues on RTÉ1 at 9.40pm.
Eugene Egan