July
Castlebar 4-day International Walks,
3 – 6 July,
www.castlebar4dayswalks.com
Willy Clancy Summer School,
5 – 13 July,
www.setdancingnews.net/wcss
Clonmel Junction,
Arts Festival,
5 – 13 July,
www.junctionfestival.com
Killarney Summerfest,
10 – 20 July,
www.killarneysummerfest.com
Ballina Salmon Festival,
11 - 20 July,
www.ballinasalmonfestival.ie
Cork Week Sailing Regatta,
12 – 18 July,
www.accbankcorkweek.ie
Boyle Arts Festival,
25 July – 1 August,
www.boylearts.com
Galway Races,
Horse Racing,
28 July - 3 August,
www.galwayraces.com
August
Waterford Spraoi,
Street Festival,
1 – 3 August,
www.spraoi.com
Kilkenny Arts,
8 – 17 August,
www.kilkennyarts.ie
Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann,
Traditional Irish Music Festival,
Tullamore, Co Offaly,
17 – 24 August 2008,
www.fleadh2008.com
Festival of World Cultures,
22 – 24 August,
www.festivalofworldcultures.com
September
Hillsborough Oyster Festival,
4 – 7 September,
www.hillsboroughoysterfestival.com
Apalachian & Bluegrass Festival,
Ulster American Folk Park,
Omagh,
5 – 7 September,
www.folkpark.com
Midleton Food & Drink Festival,
September,
www.midletonfoodfestival.com
Galway International Oyster Festival,
25 – 28 September,
www.galwayoysterfest.com
October
Kinsale International Gourmet Festival,
10 – 12 October,
www.kinsalerestaurants.com/autumn.php
Cork Jazz Festival,
24 – 27 October.
www.corkjazzfestival.com
Festival of Masks,
Trim, Co Meath,
24 – 29 October,
www.festivalofmasks.ie
November
Sionna,
Music & Dance Festival,
Limerick,
10 – 20 November,
www.sionna.com
William Kennedy Piping Festival,
Armagh,
12 – 16 November Armagh,
www.armaghpipers.com/wkpf/
Major Events:
North West 200, Portrush & Causeway Coast
11 – 17 May 2008.
Internationally significant motorcycle rally event held in the Coleraine / Portrush area. Attracting international motorcycle riders and enthusiasts, this year it is expected to attract over 150,000 spectators.
www.northwest200.org
Galway Arts Festival
14 – 27 July 2008
www.galwayartsfestival.com
Tour of Ireland (Cycling)
22 – 26 August 2008
From Kilkenny to Dublin,
via Cork, Killarney,
Tralee, Ennis and Galway.
www.tourofireland.ie
Autumn Cultural Weekend Breaks
Dublin Theatre Festival,
October 2008
www.dublintheatrefestival.com
Wexford Opera Festival
16 October – 2 November 2008
www.wexfordopera.com
Belfast Festival at Queens
17 October - 1November
www.belfastfestival.com
Hallowe’en Carnival Derry
31 October
www.derrycity.gov.uk/halloween
The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09
Beginning in Alicante, Spain on 4 October 2008, with various port stopovers around the globe including Galway, Ireland in June 2009, where a big spectacle and street carnival is planned.
www.volvooceanrace.com
Rally Ireland 29 Jan – 1 Feb 2009
29 Jan – 1 Feb 2009
Ireland will open the World Rally Championship in 2009 with the Irish edition taking place in Ireland’s North and Northwest.
www.rallyireland.org
More Events:
All Year
100th Anniversary of the opening of the world’s first modern art gallery, the Hugh Lane in Dublin
Special Hugh Lane Exhibition
26 June – 14 Sept,
www.hughlane.ie/centenary/about.shtml
400th anniversary of Bushmills’ distillery,
all year,
www.bushmills.com
April
Connemarathon,
6 April,
www.connemarathon.com
May
City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival,
1 – 4 May,
www.cityofderryjazzfestival.com
Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival,
Belfast,
9 – 11 May,
www.cqaf.com
Blues on the Bay, Warrenpoint,
22 – 26 May,
www.bluesonthebay.com
June
Castleward Opera,
Strangford Lough, Lisburn,
30 May – 21 June,
www.castlewardopera.com
Garden Show Ireland, Hillsborogh,
6 – 8 June,
www.gardenshowireland.com
Eigse Carlow, Arts Festival,
7 – 15 June,
www.eigsecarlow.ie
An Turas Mór,
4-day World Series Adventure Race,
15 – 21 June,
www.anturasmor.com
Taste of Dublin,
12 – 15 June
Taste of Cork,
27 – 29 June,
www.tastefestivals.ie
Cork Midsummer Festival,
Arts Festival,
15 June – 5 July,
www.corkfestival.com
Mournes Walking Festival,
27 – 29 June,
www.mournewalking.co.uk
Belfast Maritime Festival,
27 – 29 June,
www.belfastcity.gov.uk/maritimefestival/index.asp
West Cork Music Festival,
Chamber Music Festival in Bantry House,
28 Jun3 – 06 July,
www.westcorkmusic.ie
