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Ireland Festivals and Events 2008
Welcome to Guide to Ireland's Festival & Events information page. The Irish people have never needed much of an excuse to have a party or festival, whether it be based on art, culture, music, history or sport. A festival in Ireland is a unique expierience. Below, we have listed some of the main Irish festivals held throughout the country and their website addresses where you can find out more detailed information. We have listed them in date order below. |
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Temple Bar Trad, Irish Music and Culture Festival
Dates: Wednesday 23th - Sunday 27th January 2008
A lively four day celebration of traditional Irish music and culture,featuring live performances from some of Ireland's top musicians, including the world renowned bands Dervish and Lúnasa. Other festival events include workshops,photo exhibitions, Irish dance,story-telling, street theatre, children's events and a folk/trad music session trail throughout many of the bars and pubs in the area. |
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St. Patrick's Festival
Dates: March 13th - 17th 2008
St. Patrick’s Festival is now by far the biggest annual event in the country providing entertainment for all interests and ages. The Festival programme has music, theatre, family carnivals, comedy, street arts, visual arts, dance, a treasure hunt, symposium, cavalcades of vintage cars….. 4000 performers – 1.5 million spectators and 5 days of fantastic festival fun for all! St. Patrick would be very proud! |
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Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival
Dates: Thursday 1st - Sunday 4th May 2008
From Thursday 1st May to Sunday 4th May, the City's pubs, clubs and venues come alive to the sound of music for the 6th City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival. Visitors can also expect a weekend of top quality free music on the Guinness free jazz trail which has become a true festival favourite, featuring fantastic performances from some of the best local, national and international talent on the festival circuit today. |
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The Iniscealtra Festival of Arts, Clare
Dates: May 23rd - June 2nd 2008
The Iniscealtra Festival of Arts is an annual festival held at various locations in and around the beautiful lakeside village of Mountshannon in County Clare. The festival has been going from strength to strength and is now in its 11th year. Each year a theme is chosen which all of the varied events reflect, and this year the theme is Community. |
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The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Kilkenny
Dates: May 29th - June 2nd 2008
The 2008 Smithwick's Cat Laughs Comedy Festival will run from 29th May - 2nd June with an international line up of comedians from Ireland, England, America, Canada, Australia and some from as far afield as Scotland. |
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Wexford Opera Festival
Dates: October 16th - November 2nd 2008 For over fifty years the Irish coastal town has been seducing the world with wonderful productions of rare opera presented as part of a unique festival. The warm and vivacious welcome, the narrow and ancient Viking streets and the tiny, atmospheric Theatre Royal add to pleasures which include over forty daytime events as well as the eighteen evening performances of three major productions. |
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Life Festival
Dates: 4-5-6th of July 2008 You heard about it and now is back........ Life is Real
"The beauty of Life" will bring you this year to an incredible virgin venue never used before for a Festival. The time for everyone to begin their plans for life has arrived ... aspirations... dreams...a journey of discovery...a project of Love and illusion, faith and hard work believing in something special with a vision that all that we have ever dreamed about can be possible in Life. A 3 day international electronic and acoustic dance gathering will take place this July, the venue being one of Ireland's most beautiful Castles.
Lough Cutra castle is 25 min. from Loughgrea, Ennis and the beautiful coastal town of Kinvara. It's also just 50 miles from Shannon airport, 1 hour from Limerick, 35min. from Galway city centre and 3 miles from the farming town of Gort. |
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Kinsale Arts Week
Dates: July 12th - 20th 2008
Kinsale Arts Week is a multi-disciplinary Arts Festival being held in Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland from 12th to 20th July 2008. Each year it brings the best of local, national and international talent to Kinsale. For nine days in July the town is electrified by performance, exhibition and installation. |
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The Clonmel Junction Festival
Dates: July 5th - 13th 2008
The Clonmel Junction Festival is one of the most exciting and fastest growing festivals in Ireland. For nine days and nights Clonmel, Co. Tipperary is transformed and animated by hand painted banners, with flags bedecking the town centre, daily street theatre and free live music events. However the real heart of the festival is in the theatres and music venues which host over 50 performances of top class Irish and International acts. |
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Galway Arts Festival
Dates: July 14th - 27th 2008
Galway Arts Festival, Ireland's largest and most prestigious annual arts festival. Galway has long been considered a centre of cultural excellence with Galway Arts Festival the defining cultural expression of Galway. At the heart of all aspects of life in the city, Galway Arts Festival always promises a stunning fortnight of cultural activity and celebration. This years festival features over 400 writers, artists, performers and musicians from Canada, England, France, Scotland and the USA joining those from Ireland creating theatre, spectacle, street art, music, comedy, literature and music. |
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Kilkenny Arts Festival
Dates: August 8th - 17th 2008
The 2008 Kilkenny Arts Festival will run from 8th to 17th August. Kilkenny Arts Festival 2007 was a huge success! Ground-breaking theatre, music, literature, visual art, children’s events and outdoor performances abounded, with record crowds attending over 100 events, featuring almost 300 international, Irish and local artists, in venues all over Kilkenny City and County, over the festival’s 10 days and nights. |
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Rose of Tralee Festival
Dates: August 22nd - 27th 2008
The Rose of Tralee International Festival is one of Ireland's premier festivals. Over 200,000 visitors from throughout the world return year after year to Tralee in Kerry to enjoy the best in Irish and international music, parades, fireworks displays, nightly seisiuns, and of course the renowned Rose of Tralee Selection. |
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Festival of World Cultures
Dates: August 22th - 24th 2008
The Festival of World Cultures in Dun Laoghaire is an arts festival celebrating cultural diversity through an extravaganza of internationally acclaimed acts including music, film, circus, theatre, dance performances, club nights, markets, exhibitions, workshops & children's activities. Free events day and nights. |
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Galway Oyster Festival
Dates: September 25th - September 28th 2008 Galway International Oyster Festival. This unique event is about friends, fun, fabulous seafood combined with World class non-stop entertainment in the charming medieval city of Galway. There are always a few pleasant surprises at the Galway Oyster Festival. |
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Dublin Theatre Festival
Dates: September 25th - October 12th 2008
The Dublin Theatre Festival in 2008 will showcase the best of International and Irish theatre work, and promises to be one of the most exciting years to date! The programme details will be launched in early summer, and all details will become available online. |
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Cork Jazz Festival
Dates: October 24th - 27th 2008 The Guinness Jazz Festival is Ireland's biggest and most prestigious jazz event and is one of the most important events on Ireland's arts and cultural calendar. This year some 1,000 musicians from 25 countries will entertain the fans in over 75 venues citywide. The main concert venues are the Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork Opera House and the Triskel Arts Centre. The famous Guinness Festival Club at the Gresham Metropole Hotel offers world class jazz on five stages day and night ( daytime sessions have free admission) while the easy to find Guinness Jazz Trail offers entertainment in over 40 excellent pubs and clubs, most of it free of charge. |
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Belfast Festival at Queens
Dates: October 16th - November 1st 2008 Embark on a mad dash through more than 250 events from around the world as the Belfast Festival at Queen's celebrates 40 years of full on festival magic. |
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Last updated: 17th January 2008 |
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