With everything from music and food festivals to crafting and super cars, August is set to be a bumper month of events around Ireland
Cork Craft Month: Throughout August
If you love arts and crafts, this is your month! With a diverse line-up of over 79 workshops and exhibitions, the programme of events for Cork Craft Month will include master classes, artist talks, trails and demonstrations, all available to explore throughout the month.
The opening Craft Fair at the Marina Market will bookmark the beginning of this year’s craft month, celebrating with local artists, crafters and makers, with insight into upcoming events to be held across three main locations; Benchspace studio in Cork City, Kilcoe Studio in Ballydehob, and Greywood Arts in Killeagh. Visitors can expect both physical and virtual events, along with free ISL activities, presenting endless opportunities for people of all abilities to enjoy the best of Cork’s local artisan crafts. Visit corkcraftanddesign.com for more details.
‘The Rise and The Fall’ by Liz Magor: Throughout August – 24 September
There’s a really interesting exhibition taking place in the Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art in Trinity College, Dublin. Liz Magor’s The Rise and The Fall presents a focused selection of works produced over the last five years that explores our relationship with the material world. Working with ubiquitous, manufactured objects that often go unnoticed, Liz Magor transforms them using inventive sculptural techniques that locate them on a spectrum between still life and the uncanny. Things such as blankets, containers, clothing and toys are found in relationships that generate a sense of care and meaning beyond their original use or function. See thedouglashyde.ie for more details.
‘The Creative Soul of the Midlands’ at Anam Gallery: Throughout August – 2 September
This exciting new gallery, featuring works by internationally acclaimed local artists, was officially opened in Roscommon town in July. The inaugural exhibition at Anam Gallery features works by local artists Joe Caslin and Una Burke, together with founder Rita Oates’ own collection. The exhibits include pieces worn by global pop superstar Rihanna, supermodel Cindy Crawford, Star Trek’s Michelle Yeoh and Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games franchise. Open Tuesday – Saturday from 12pm-4pm. Click here for more information.
Brú Ború Summer Season – Throughout August
Don’t miss the Brú Ború summer season of shows taking place at Brú Ború, Cashel, Co. Tipperary. Located at the foot of the historic Rock of Cashel, the stage shows run for two nights each week (Wednesdays and Thursdays) right up until the end of August starting at 8:30pm each night. The performing group has achieved international recognition on five continents and are in constant demand throughout the world for their performance of Irish authentic traditional music, song and dance. See bruboru.ie for booking details.
COLOURAMA at Kildare Village: Throughout August
Looking to add a pop of colour to your life? Kildare Village’s summer street festival celebrating art, music, wellness, and colourful fashion is taking place throughout the month of August. Spark your imagination with the help of Ireland’s leading artists, musicians, and wellness ambassadors, and shop over 120 brands to bring colour into your wardrobe. The COLOURAMA summer festival is a hub of celebration of all the things we love about summer in Ireland! Click here for more details.
Opera in the Open: 3/10/17/24 August
Dublin City Council has organised a number of free events to take place in the city-centre during the month of August, including the Luke Kelly Festival on 13 August and Funtropolis on 19-20 August. It will also stage Opera in the Open over the coming weeks.
This much loved annual opera season takes place for the first four Thursdays of the month of August at the Dublin City Council Civic Office Amphitheatre, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. Each performance of opera is undertaken in an abridged format, is narrated in English and lasts one hour during lunchtime from 1-2pm. See dublincity.ie for more details.
Lush Ireland Summer Tour: 4 – 28 August
Over the month of August, Lush will be spreading joy across Ireland and Northern Ireland with a pop-up tour full of freebies and a little early festivity! Each pop up location has been picked due to the high number of requests from customers for a Lush shop in that location. Free to experience over the summer holidays, visitors to any of the pop-up locations will be able to enjoy free hand and arm massages, product consultations and free samples to perfect their skin and body care routines.
The dates and locations for the Lush Ireland Summer Tour are:
4th – 5th August – Mahon Point, Cork
6th – 7th August – Dundrum, Dublin
11 – 13 August – Liffey Valley, Dublin
18 – 20 August – Derry, Orchart St, Foyleside
25 – 28 August – Victoria Square, Belfast
Click here for more information.
‘A Celebration of Lúnasa’ by Dingle Distillery: 1 August
Dingle Distillery is celebrating its fourth release in a series of nine limited-edition whiskeys. Lúnasa Single Malt will be launched with an unmissable event ‘A Celebration of Lúnasa’, which takes place on Tuesday, 1 August, in theThe Fumbally Stables in Dublin with limited tickets available. Whiskey enthusiasts and connoisseurs are invited to join in the celebration of Lúnasa, an ancient Celtic festival marking the beginning of the bountiful harvest season. Click here for tickets.
‘Summer in Dublin’: 6 August and 13 August
If you live in Dublin, there’s no excuse for your children to be bored this summer thanks to a series of free outdoor events taking place around the city this month!
DublinTown, the collective voice of businesses in the city centre, has two free outdoor family fun days taking place at city centre locations on consecutive Sundays this month – Capel Street, 6 August and South King Street, 13 August. Each Sunday, between 1pm and 5pm, the free outdoor events will generate a fun atmosphere and positive experiences for families to enjoy together in the city centre. See dublintown.ie for more details.
The Glass Menagerie: 8 August
If you’re a theatre buff, you won’t want to miss this fabulous production of Tennessee Williams’ most autobiographical work in The Everyman this month.
Bringing international and homegrown talent together, the stellar cast includes Natalie Radmall-Quirke, Darragh Feehely, Chloe O’Reilly and Lórcan Strain, directed by award-winning director Emma Jordan.
‘Closer Than You Think’ at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum: 8 – 31 August
History buffs, take note! This month, old rivals The University of Notre Dame and The U.S. Naval Academy face-off at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium for the 2023 Aer Lingus College Football Classic. In honour of the highly anticipated event, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum will host a temporary exhibition titled ‘Closer Than You Think’, which will explore the strong ties that exist between Ireland and Notre Dame, as well as Ireland and the US Navy. Click here for more details.
Boyne Valley International Film Festival: 11 – 13 August
After a hugely successful inaugural festival in 2022, co-directors, Collette Farrell and Frank W. Kelly are welcoming both filmmakers and audiences to the stunning Boyne Valley to celebrate film, including a special focus on films and filmmakers in the region.
Featuring work from filmmakers including Mia Mullarkey, Hannah Mammalis, Derek Ugochukwu, Pollyanna McIntosh, Myles O’Reilly, Aaron Monaghan and Clare Monnelly amongst many others, the festival will have an extended programme over three days featuring screenings, events and a range of awards to help support filmmakers. Click here for more information and tickets.
Kim Gaffney Art at The Dublin Horse Show: 9 – 13 August
The Horse Show at the RDS is an annual event that draws large crowds of horse lovers and country living enthusiasts. However, did you know that it’s not just about horse jumping – it also showcases a number of Irish artists, crafts and foods and clothing stands in its trade sections.
Wildlife, Landscape and Equine artist Kim Gaffney’s work uses subjects and colours that are sure to add a sense of presence and warmth to your home. Her original paintings lean towards a contemporary approach and she paints using oils on canvas. Kim uses her paintings to bring each animal alive and takes time to ensure each horse she paints connects with its viewer and has depth and soul. See dublinhorseshow.com for more information on what’s on offer over the weekend.
Fleadh 2023 on TG4: 10 – 13 August
Traditional Irish music lovers are in for a treat this month as the Fleadh Cheoil returns to Mullingar for 2023 back to where it all began in 1951. And TG4 will be ‘Fleadh Cheoil Central’ broadcasting four live shows from 10 – 13 August full of the very best of Irish song, music, and dance. The station will also be livestreaming some of the competitions on its player TG4.ie and you can follow the @TG4TV social channels for behind-the-scenes action and music in Mullingar.
House of Peroni Nastro Azzurro: 10 – 20 August
Pizza fans, rejoice! We’re about to get an authentic taste of Italy as the House of Peroni Nastro Azzurro makes its fiercely anticipated return to Temple Bar from 10 – 20 August.
This year, the House of Peroni Nastro Azzurro is back for a two-week residency at Dublin’s brand-new venue, Central Plaza, serving up an exciting menu of creative collaborators. You will be welcomed in by host and master mixologist, Federico Riezzo and fed with flavours of Italy from Stoneybatter’s Grano and owner Roberto Mungo, with sides of music by DJ-in-Residence, Kelly-Anne Byrne and a live mural creation from Artist-in-Residence, Claire Prouvost. Book your tickets here.
National Heritage Week: 12 – 20 August
If you want to know more about your community or local area, National Heritage Week is the time and opportunity you’ve been waiting for! An initiative from the Heritage Council, it celebrates Ireland’s natural, built, and cultural heritage. The Office of Public Work’s (OPW) programme features more than 80 public events, workshops, talks, tours, demonstrations, and experiences taking place at more than 70 OPW historic sites around the country. The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Living Heritage’, which encompasses the rituals, traditions and knowledge passed from generation to generation which, over time, define a community’s culture and history. Click here for more information.
Cloughjordan’s Living Heritage: 15 -16 August
Be a part of Cloughjordan’s Living Heritage in a free event in the Thomas MacDonagh Museum in Cloughjordan on the 15 and 16 August from 4-7pm as part of Heritage Week 2023!
For this unique event, organisers will create an online and in-person exhibition that illustrates Cloughjordan’s Living Heritage and how old skills, customs, places and objects have inspired unexpected throughlines from the past to the present day. To take part, participants need to identify an object, custom, practice or place with a living connection to Cloughjordan and bring it to the Museum between 4pm and 7pm on those dates. Click here for more details.
Cork on a Fork: 16 – 20 August
Ireland’s tastiest festival is back with a bang this month! Cork on a Fork Festival features plenty to see, do and devour in its 5-day programme with more than 100 tasty events and experiences to savour throughout Cork city. Established by Cork City Council in 2022 as a celebration of dining and nightlife in the city and the world-class produce found in the wider Cork region, this year’s festival has doubled in scale with many new events added to the lineup.
The festival programme includes more than 100 food events, including tasting trails throughout the city, cooking demos, masterclasses, street events and unique dining experiences to appeal to all tastes, interests and ages. See corkcity.ie for more details.
Bulmers’ Secret Orchard Gig: 17 August
If you’re a fan of the Bulmers’ Secret Orchard gigs, you’ll be delighted to hear that the next one will take place in Monroes, Galway on 17 August with some amazing headliners!
All events will give music fans a glimpse of what to expect at Bulmers Secret Orchard Clonmel, which will take place this year on 9 September. The gigs will be headlined by some of Ireland’s hottest homegrown talent, including Maverick Sabre, Bricknasty and DJ R3D. Click here for more details.
Art and Soul: 19 August – 10 September
Ireland’s biggest art and sculpture event, featuring works by Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Patrick O’Reilly, and Keith Haring, is set to return to the Culloden Estate and Spa in Belfast this summer. International art and sculpture fair, Art and Soul, will be hosted by Gormleys at the five-star resort from 19 August – 10 Sept, showcasing €7million worth of works by some of the biggest names in international and Irish art.
The free event will feature a major outdoor sculpture exhibition of 80 large sculptures and installations set throughout the 12 acres of landscaped grounds, which stretch down towards the shores of Belfast Lough. To celebrate the event, Hastings Hotels are offering deals on breaks and dining, including an Art and Soul ‘Sip and See’ package from €421 per night for two, including accommodation, breakfast, Bollinger champagne and canapés in Culloden’s summer champagne garden. See cullodenestateandspa.com for more details.
Mount Congreve Restival Festival: 19 – 20 August
We all know that even the smallest amount of time in nature can have a positive impact on your health. Simply being in nature, and connecting with it through the five senses will de-stress and calm you. With that in mind, Mount Congreve Gardens invites you to take leave of your cares and experience total relaxation during the Restival wellness festival taking place on 19 and 20 August at the beautiful 70 acres gardens in Waterford.
Restival-goers will have an opportunity to enjoy a two-day health and wellbeing event from 7am to 3pm daily with guided yoga, meditation, and pilates classes plus guided Shinrin-yoku forest bathing walks along with health and wellness talks. Click here for more details.
Super Car Weekend at Dundrum Town Centre: 26 – 27 August
Car enthusiasts, take note! This August, Dundrum Town Centre will host the second edition of its thrilling Super Car Weekend at the ‘Paddocks’, located in the red car park on level one of the Centre. Following the success of the amazing action last August, visitors can expect to see a collection of over 100 prestigious vehicles, from high end Lamborghinis to classic Aston Martins, as well as a series of interactive events. See dundrum.ie for more details.
The Coburg’s Gin Supper Club: 31 August
If you’re looking for a great location for a girl’s night out, group celebration or a treat for yourself, the Conrad Dublin has just the ticket! Continuing with the second of its Supper Club series with a focus on gin lovers, the 5-star hotel’s restaurant, The Coburg, is inviting food enthusiasts to join the event, either dining solo or in groups, and enjoy a thoughtfully curated evening of food and gin in a comfortable and convivial setting with like-minded individuals. Guests can look forward to a three-course dinner menu crafted by Executive Head Chef, Marek Sulg, with each dish carefully designed to complement the chosen gin pairings of the evening. Click here for tickets and more information.
Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer at Ballymaloe Grainstore: 31 August
Ballymaloe Grainstore in East Cork, will play host to a theatrical evening on Thursday 31 August that pays homage to a fearless Kerry-born adventurer. Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer will once again be performed by Galway actor, writer and director Aidan Dooley on his 20th year touring with this play. The multi-award-winning show has achieved critical acclaim with sold-out performances across Ireland, the USA, Australia, Europe, and the UK. Click here for tickets and more information.
KPMG Women’s Irish Open: 31 August – 3 September
Following its successful return last year after a ten-year hiatus, the 2023 KPMG Women’s Irish Open will be staged for the second time at Dromoland Castle, Co. Clare at the end of the month. Tension and excitement will be at fever pitch as Europe’s leading professionals battle it out for a total prize fund of €400,000. As well as that, it was recently announced that the KPMG Women’s Irish Open trophy has been created by Irish fine jewellery designer, Chupi, as a celebration of the international, elite players in women’s golf. The design was inspired by the upward swing of a golf stroke, elongated and abstracted to add grace and movement.
Speaking about the collaboration, Chupi said: “I am delighted to have been asked to design the trophy for the KPMG Women’s Irish Open. More than ever, Irish women in sport are finally being supported, recognised and celebrated for the great work they do and their achievements. I am honoured to have designed a trophy using sustainable materials that matches the strength, elegance and resilience of these women in sport.”
Click here for tickets and more information about the upcoming event.
