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Best Time to Visit: Calendar of Events
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January
Connemara Four Seasons Walking Festival. Connemara and the Western Islands. Contact Michael Gibbons, Connemara Walking Centre (tel. 095/21379; fax 095/21845; http://indigo.ie/~walkwest/). Early January.
Dublin International Theatre Symposium. An annual event at the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College, Dublin 2. Contact Mary O'Donovan (tel. 01/ 280-0544; fax 01/239-0918; e-mail: panpan@iol.ie). Early January.
Coca-Cola International Cross-Country. International Amateur Athletics Federation world competition. Barnett's Park, Belfast. Call tel. 01232/602707, 028/9060-2707; fax 01232/309939, 028/9030-9939. Late January.
February
All Ireland Dancing Championships. West County Hotel, Ennis, County Clare. Contact Irish Dancing Commission (tel. 01/475-2220; fax 01/475-1053). Early February.
Rugby International, Ireland v. France. Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, County Dublin. Contact Irish Rugby Football Union, 62 Lansdowne Rd., Dublin 4 (tel. 01/668-4601; fax 01/660-5640). Early February.
21st Cavan International Song Festival. An international competition for original (popular) songs. Hotel Kilmore, Cavan, County Cavan. Contact Maire Maloney (tel. 049/433-1604; fax 049/32237). Mid-February.
March
Belfast Musical Festival. Held every year since 1911, this is a youth competition in speech, music, and drama. Balmoral, Belfast. Contact Desmond Shaw (tel. 01232/668944, 028/9066-8944). First two weeks of March.
Celtic Spring Festival. A cultural feast whose menu includes a drama festival and a celebration of the Irish language. Derry City. Contact Nuala McGee (tel. 01504/365151, 028/7136-5151). Two weeks mid-March.
The National St. Patrick's Day Festival. Street theater, sports, music, and other festivities culminating in Ireland's grandest parade, with marching bands, drill teams, floats, and delegations from around the world. Dublin. Contact Grainne Walker, Festival Office, St. Stephen's Green House, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/676-3208; fax 01/676-3208; www.paddyfest.ie). Mid-March.
Dublin Film Festival. The best in Irish and international cinema. More than 100 films are featured, with screenings of the best in Irish and world cinema, plus seminars and lectures on filmmaking. Cinemas throughout Dublin. Contact Aine O'Halloran (tel. 01/679-2937; fax 01/679-2929; www.iol.ie/dff/). Mid- to late March.
St. Patrick's Day. Parades and festivities in celebration of Ireland's patron saint. All over Ireland, North and South. March 17.
Inishowen Traditional Singers Circle--10th Annual International Folk Song and Ballad Seminar. Ballyliffen and Clonmany, County Donegal. Contact Colie Mullin (tel. 077/61210). Late March.
World Dancing Championships. West County Hotel, Ennis, County Clare. The premier international competition in Irish dancing, with contenders from as far as New Zealand. Contact Irish Dancing Commission (tel. 01/475-2220; fax 01/475-1053). Late March to early April.
April
AA Circuit of Ireland Rally. An international cycling race starting from Bangor, County Down, and finishing in Tallaght, County Dublin. Contact Mrs. Hilary Maginnis (tel. 01232/426262, 028/9042-6262). Early April.
Tour of the North. Cyclists from Britain, Ireland, and continental Europe compete in this race beginning in Ballyclare. Contact Bobbie Currie (tel. 01266/47205, 028/2564-7205). Early April.
Irish National Surfing Championships--Main Event. Surf's up, and Ireland's finest are here. Castlegregory, County Kerry. Contact Zoe Lally (tel. 096/49428; fax 096/49020). Early April.
Samhlamocht Chiarrai/Kerry Arts Festival. A spring festival of music, drama, film, dance, literature, craft, and visual art. Contact Maggie Fitsimmons, director (tel. 066/712-9934; fax 066/712-0934). Early April.
North-West Storytelling Festival. A spellbinding celebration of stories from the spinners of Ireland's tallest tales. Derry City. Contact Jenny Ross (tel. 01504/266946, 028/7126-6946). Late April.
Cork International Choral Festival. Ireland's premier choral event, featuring competitive and noncompetitive performances by adult choirs of international standing, as well as performances by Irish and foreign dance groups. Multiple venues in Cork. Contact Sheila Kelleher, administrator, P.O. Box 68, Cork (tel. 021/308308; fax 021/308309). Late April.
May
Belfast Marathon and Fun Runs. An epic race of 4,500 runners through the city. Start and finish at Maysfield, Belfast. Contact Cormac McCann, Belfast City Council, Cecil Ward Building, 4 Linenhall St., Belfast BT2 8BP (tel. 01232/320-202, 028/9032-0202). Early May.
County Wicklow Gardens Festival. Heritage properties and gardens, as well as many private grounds, open their gates to visitors on selected dates throughout County Wicklow and surrounding areas. Contact Wicklow County Tourism (tel. 0404/66058; fax 0404/66057). Mid-May to mid-July.
Sligo Arts Festival. A burst of music, street events, and exhibitions spread across 30 sites in renascent Sligo town. Contact Danny Kirrane (tel. 0471/69802). Late May to early June.
June
Edenderry Three-Day Canal Angling Festival. A festival organized by the Edenderry Coarse Angling Club to promote fishing in the area. Tourists are welcome to take part, provided they book in advance. Canals around Edenderry, County Offaly. Contact Pauric Kelly (tel. 0405/32071). Early June.
AIB Music Festival in Great Irish Houses. This is a 10-day festival of classical music performed by leading Irish and international artists in some of the Dublin area's great Georgian buildings and mansions. Various venues throughout Dublin and neighboring counties Wicklow and Kildare. Contact Crawford Tipping, Blackrock Post Office, County Dublin (tel. 01/278-1528; fax 01/278-1529). Mid-June.
Feis Na nGleann. A festival of traditional Irish music, dance, poetry, crafts, and sports. A chance to see a number of traditional Gaelic games. Ballycastle, County Antrim. Contact Paddy J. Clerkin Sr., 61 Coast Rd., Cushendall (tel. 012667/71349, 028/2177-1349). Mid-June.
 Bloomsday. Dublin's unique day of festivity commemorates 24 hours in the life of Leopold Bloom, the central character of James Joyce's Ulysses. Every aspect of the city, including the menus at restaurants and pubs, seeks to duplicate the aromas, sights, sounds, and tastes of Dublin on June 16, 1904. Special ceremonies are held at the James Joyce Tower and Museum, and there are guided walks of Joycean sights. The streets of Dublin and various venues. Contact the James Joyce Centre, 35 N. Great George's St., Dublin 1 (tel. 01/878-8547; fax 01/878-8488; www.jamesjoyce.ie). June 16.
Sense of Cork Arts Festival. A celebration of music, theater, literature, and visual art throughout Ireland's second city. Contact Hilary O'Malley (tel. 021/310597; fax 021/314033). Late June to early July.
Budweiser Irish Derby. One of the richest horse races in Europe, and widely accepted as the definitive European middle-distance classic. This is Ireland's version of the Kentucky Derby or Royal Ascot. It's a fashionable gathering of racing fans from all over Ireland and abroad. Curragh, County Kildare. For information, contact the Curragh Racecourse Office, the Curragh, County Kildare (tel. 045/441205; fax 054/441442). Note: An Irish Racing Calendar for each year is also available from the Irish Tourist Board. Late June.
July
Summer Schools. Study sessions meeting in Dublin include the Irish Theatre Summer School in conjunction with the Gaiety School of Acting at Trinity College, the Synge Summer School in County Wicklow, the James Joyce Summer School at Newman House, and the International Summer Schools in Irish Studies at Trinity College and the National University of Ireland. Contact the Irish Tourist Board. July and August.
Murphy's Irish Open Golf Championship. This is Ireland's premier international golf event, televised to more than 90 countries and featuring the world's top players. Druid's Glen Golf Club, Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow. For details, contact the Golfing Union of Ireland (tel. 01/269-4111; fax 01/269-5368). Early July.
Battle of the Boyne Commemoration. This annual event, sometimes called Orangeman's Day, recalls the historic battle between two 17th-century kings. It's a national day of parades and celebration all over Northern Ireland. Belfast and 18 other centers. Contact the House of Orange, 65 Dublin Rd., Belfast BT2 7HE (tel. 01232/322801, 028/9032-2801). July 12.
Galway Arts Festival and Races. A 2-week feast in the streets of Galway, featuring international theater, big-top concerts, literary evenings, street shows, arts, parades, music, and more. Five days of racing and more merriment, music, and song follow. Galway City and Racecourse. Contact Elizabeth McDonagh (tel. 091/562611; fax 091/562655). Mid- to late July.
Dun Laoghaire Festival. A weeklong celebration in the seafront suburb of Dun Laoghaire, 7 miles south of Dublin, with arts and crafts, concerts, band recitals, sports events, and talent competitions. Mid-July.
Guinness Blues Festival. Dublin's "West Bank" plays host to bands from England, Ireland, and the United States. More than 200 hours of blues performances, films, and workshops include a free open-air concert at College Green and a "blues trail" of free live blues in 18 pubs. Streets and pubs, Temple Bar area, Dublin. Contact Lisa Tinley (tel. 01/497-0381; fax 01/491-0631). Late July.
Lughnasa Fair. A spectacular revival in a 12th-century Norman castle. Costumed magicians, entertainment, and crafts. Carrickfergus Castle, County Antrim. Contact Gerard Treacy (tel. 01960/351273, 028/9335-1273). Late July.
August
International Maiden of the Mournes Festival. With the Mountains of Mourne as its setting, this festival includes concerts, music, dance, cabaret, banquets, and the crowning of the Maiden of the Mournes. Warrenpoint, County Down. Contact Liz Boyle (tel. 016937/73556, 028/4177-3556). First two weeks in August.
Kerrygold Dublin Horse Show. This is the principal sporting and social event on the Irish national calendar, attracting visitors from all parts of the world. More than 2,000 horses, the cream of Irish bloodstock, are entered, with dressage, jumping competitions each day, and more. Highlights include a fashionable ladies' day (don't forget your hat!), formal hunt balls each evening, and the awarding of the Aga Khan Trophy and the Nation's Cup by the president of Ireland. RDS Showgrounds, Ballsbridge. Contact Niamh Kelly, RDS, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (tel. 01/668-0866; fax 01/660-4014). Early August.
Puck Fair. Each year the residents of this tiny Ring of Kerry town carry on an ancient tradition by capturing a wild goat and enthroning it as "king" over 2 days of unrestricted merrymaking. Killorglin, County Kerry. Contact Michael Moriarty (tel. 066/976-2366; fax 066/976-2059; www.iol.ie/puckfair). Mid-August.
Kilkenny Arts Festival. This 1-week festival features a broad spectrum of the arts, from classical and traditional music to plays, one-person shows, readings, films, poetry, and visual arts exhibitions. Kilkenny. Contact Brian Kiely (tel. 056/63663; fax 056/51704). Mid-August.
Summer Music Festival, Dublin. St. Stephen's Green is the setting for this series of free lunchtime band concerts of popular and Irish traditional music, as well as afternoon open-air performances of Shakespearean plays, sponsored by the Office of Public Works. Last 2 weeks of August.
Rose of Tralee International Festival. A carnival-like atmosphere prevails at this 5-day event, with a full program of concerts, street entertainment, horse races, and a beauty and talent pageant leading up to the selection of the "Rose of Tralee." Tralee, County Kerry. Contact Eileen Kenny or Eleanor Carrick, Rose of Tralee Festival Office, Ashe Memorial Hall, Denny Street, Tralee, County Kerry (tel. 066/712-1322; fax 066/22654). Late August.
Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann. This is Ireland's major summer festival of traditional music, with competitions held to select the all-Ireland champions in all categories of instruments and singing. The venue changes each year. Contact Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Iireann (tel. 01/280-0295; fax 01/280-3759). Late August.
Ireland's Matchmaking Festival. Come and see how the pros do it. Lisdoonvarna, County Clare. Contact James White (tel. 065/74005; fax 065/74406). Late August to early October.
Oul' Lammas Fair. Ballycastle, County Antrim. Chartered in 1606, this is Ireland's oldest continuous fair, featuring horse and sheep sales and hundreds of street stalls. Contact Ballycastle Tourist Information (tel. 012657/62024, 028/2076-2024). End of August.
September
All-Ireland Hurling and Football Final. Tickets must be obtained months in advance for these two national amateur sporting events, the equivalent of the Super Bowl for Irish national sports. Croke Park, Dublin 3. Contact the Gaelic Athletic Association (tel. 01/836-3222; fax 01/836-6420). Two weekends in September.
Cape Clear Island International Storytelling Festival. Performances and workshops on a magically beautiful island that inspires stories of its own. Cape Clear Island, County Cork. Contact Chuck Kruger (tel. and fax 028/39157; www.indigo.ie/~ckstory). End of September.
Searching for the Elusive Irish Ancestor. Belfast and Dublin. An annual conference focused on family history and on practical research in the country's main genealogical archives. Includes lectures, tours, and entertainment. Contact Shane McAteer (tel. 01232/239885, 028/9023-9885; fax 01232/239885, 028/9023-9885; www.uhf.org.uk). Early September.
Galway International Oyster Festival. First held in 1954, this event attracts oyster aficionados from all over the globe. Highlights include the World Oyster-Opening Championship, a golf tournament, a yacht race, an art exhibition, a gala banquet, traditional music and song, and lots of oyster eating. Galway and environs. Contact Ann Flanagan (tel. 091/522066; fax 091/527282; e-mail: oysters@indigo.ie). Late September.
Irish Antique Dealers' Fair. Annual show sponsored jointly by the RDS and the Irish Antique Dealers' Association. This is Ireland's premier annual antiques fair. RDS Showgrounds, Ballsbridge, County Dublin. Contact Louis O'Sullivan (tel. 01/285-9294). End of September.
October
Dublin Theatre Festival. A world-class theater festival showcasing new plays by Irish authors and presenting a range of productions from abroad. Theaters throughout Dublin. Contact Tony O Dalaigh, director, 47 Nassau St., Dublin 2 (tel. 01/677-8439; fax 01/679-7709). Early to mid-October.
Derry City Two Cathedrals Festival. Derry City. 2000 marks the ninth year of this extraordinary celebration of harmony and counterpoint between Derry's Catholic and Protestant cathedrals. The combined Festival Chorus is joined by international musical luminaries in a 2-week world-class concert series. Contact Dermot Carlin (tel. 01504/268335, 028/7126-8335). Mid-October.
Cork International Film Festival. At theatrical venues across the city, this world-renowned film festival offers screenings of features, documentaries, short films, and special programs. Contact Georgia Hopkins (tel. 021/271711; fax 021/275945). Mid-October.
Wexford International Festival Opera. For more than 40 years, this event has been highly acclaimed for its productions of 18th- and 19th-century operatic masterpieces, plus classical music concerts, recitals, and more. Wexford. Contact the Box Office, Theatre Royal, High Street, Wexford (tel. 053/22144; fax 053/47438). Last two weeks of October.
Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. Ireland's no. 2 city stages a first-rate festival of jazz. (Meanwhile, not to be outdone, nearby Kinsale plays host to its own fringe jazz festival.) Cork City (and Kinsale). Contact Ray Fitzgerald (tel. 021/278979; fax 021/270463. Late October.
Dublin City Marathon. More than 3,000 runners from both sides of the Atlantic and the Irish Sea participate in this popular run through the streets of Dublin City. Dublin city center. For entry forms and information, contact the Irish Tourist Board. Late October.
Banks of the Folye Halloween Festival. A colorful riverside carnival of clowns, buskers, and street theater, with a spectacular fireworks display on the 31st. Derry City. Contact Nuala McGee, Derry City Council (tel. 01504/361515, 028/7136-1515). Late October to early November.
November
Belfast Festival at Queens. Ulster's best-known arts festival, this annual 19-day event attracts a huge following for drama, opera, music, and film events in and around Queens University. Queens University, Belfast. Contact Rosie Turner, Festival House, 25 College Gardens, Belfast BT9 6BS (tel. 01232/667687, 028/9066-7687; fax 01232/665577, 028/9066-5577). First two weeks of November.
December
Cinemagic International Film Festival for Young People. Ten-day festival of short and feature-length films for children and teenagers. Various venues throughout the North. Contact Frances Cassidy, 4th Floor, 38 Dublin Rd., Belfast BT2 7HN (tel. 01232/311900, 028/9031-1900). Early December.
Dublin Grand Opera. An operatic fling, with great works presented by the Dublin Grand Opera Society. Gaiety Theatre, South King Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/677-1717). Early December.
National Crafts Fair of Ireland. A retail fair, displaying the work of Ireland's finest craftworkers. RDS Showgrounds, Ballsbridge, County Dublin. Contact Patrick O'Sullivan (tel. 01/867-1517; fax 01/878-6276). Mid-December.
Woodford Mummers Feile. A festival of traditional music, song, dance, and mime performed by mummers in traditional costume. Woodford, County Galway. Contact Marie McMahon (tel. 0509/49248). Late December.
Christmas Horse Racing Festival. Three days of winter racing for thoroughbreds. Leopardstown Racetrack. County Dublin. Late December.
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