Events in Ireland in 2008 by Region
Events are listed on this page by County. Practically every small parish in Ireland has its festival, from the big events like the Arts Festivals in Kilkenny and Galway, to small local festivals and more quirky events like Puck Fair in Kilorglin.
You will probably need to book well in advance for major concerts and sporting events, but the festivals will have something to see and to even for those who just happened by - do join in, you will be made welcome!
| Region | Date | Event Type | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim | December 2008 | Theatre | Christmas Pantomime |
| Armagh | May 14th - 16th | Shows & Fairs | Balmoral Show |
| Armagh | 19th - 25th July | Summer Schools | John Hewitt International Summer School |
| Belfast | May 23rd - June 1st | Miscellaneous Events | Belfast Children's Festival |
| Carlow | June 7th - 15th | Arts Festivals | Eigse Carlow |
| Carlow | 14th Sept | Miscellaneous Events | Fenagh Steam Rally |
| Cavan | October 24th-26th | Festivals | The Culchie Festival |
| Clare | February 2009 | Traditional Music | Russell Memorial Weekend |
| Clare | Mar 6th - 8th | Literary Festivals and Events | Ennis Book Club Festival |
| Clare | July 5th - 13th | Traditional Music | Willie Clancy Summer School |
| Clare | 6th - 12th August | Traditional Music | Feakle Traditional Music Festival |
| Clare | Aug 17th - 23rd | Summer Schools | The Merriman Summer School |
| Clare | 12th - 14th Sept | Traditional Music | Tulla Traditional Music Festival |
| Clare | Aug 29th - Sept 5th | Festivals | Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival |
| Cork | December 2008 | Theatre | Pantomime: Sleeping Beauty |
| Cork | June 15th - July 5th | Festivals | Cork Midsummer Festival |
| Cork | June 28th - July 6th | Classical Music | West Cork Chamber Music Festival |
| Cork | 12th - 20th July | Arts Festivals | Kinsale Arts Week |
| Cork | 24th July - 21st Aug | Classical Music | St. Barranane's Festival of Music |
| Cork | July 2008 | Literary Festivals and Events | West Cork Literary Festival |
| Cork | 1st - 4th August | Sporting Events | Ahakista Regatta |
| Cork | August 1st- 10th | Sporting Events | Calves Week 2008 |
| Cork | 5th - 7th Sept | Festivals | Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival |
| Cork | 24th - 27th Oct | Festivals | Kinsale Jazz Festival |
| Cork | 10th - 12th Oct | Festivals | Kinsale International Gourmet Festival |
| Cork | Oct 24th - 27th | Jazz & Blues | Cork Jazz Festival |
| Derry | 12th - 15th June | Jazz & Blues | Limavady Jazz & Blues Festival |
| Donegal | March 25th to 30th | Festivals | Pan Celtic Arts Festival |
| Donegal | March 27th - 30th | Arts Festivals | Ar Ais Arís Traditional Arts Festival |
| Donegal | 10th - 20th July | Arts Festivals | Earagail Arts Festival |
| Donegal | July 26th - Aug 4th | Festivals | Mary from Dungloe Festival |
| Donegal | July 13th - 19th | Summer Schools | The MacGill Summer School |
| Donegal | August 24th | Sporting Events | Warriors Festival |
| Down | June 6th - 8th | Garden Events | Garden Show Ireland |
| Dublin | January 2009 | Exhibitions and Trade Shows | BT Young Scientist Exhibition |
| Dublin | January 2009 | Traditional Music | Temple Bar Trad |
| Dublin | Dec 22nd-Jan 6th | Theatre | Pantomime: Jack & the Beanstalk |
| Dublin | December 2008 | Theatre | Pantomime: Sleeping Beauty |
| Dublin | December 2008 | Theatre | Pantomime: Beauty & the Beast |
| Dublin | Dec 31st-Jan 1st | Miscellaneous Events | New Year: Christ Church Bells |
| Dublin | January 1st - 31st | The Visual Arts | Turner Watercolour Exhibition |
| Dublin | Feb 15th - 17th | Classical Music | The RTE Living Music Festival 2008 |
| Dublin | March 13th - 17th | Festivals | St Patrick's Festival 2008 |
| Dublin | May 1st - Aug 31st | The Visual Arts | Hard Rain Exhibition |
| Dublin | May 30th - June 2nd | Festivals | Docklands Maritime Festival |
| Dublin | June 20th - 29th | Film and Movie Events | Darklight Festival |
| Dublin | June 20th - 29th | Classical Music | Pipeworks Festival |
| Dublin | June 11th - 15th | Literary Festivals and Events | Dublin Writers Festival |
| Dublin | June 9th - 16th | Literary Festivals and Events | Blooomsday Festival 2008 |
| Dublin | May 29th - June 2nd | Garden Events | Bloom Garden Show |
| Dublin | 12th - 15th June | Festivals | Taste of Dublin Festival |
| Dublin | July 6th-12th | Summer Schools | Dublin James Joyce Summer School |
| Dublin | July 13th-20th | Festivals | Dublin Circus Week |
| Dublin | July 5th - August 30th | Film and Movie Events | Movies on the Square |
| Dublin | 22nd - 24th August | Festivals | Festival of World Cultures |
| Dublin | August 6th -10th | Shows & Fairs | Dublin Horse Show |
| Dublin | September 14th | Miscellaneous Events | Dublin Culture Night 2008 |
| Dublin | Sept 25th - Oct 12th | Theatre | Dublin Theatre Festival |
| Dublin | 6th - 21st September | Theatre | Dublin Fringe Festival |
| Dublin | 6th & 7th Sept | Exhibitions and Trade Shows | Rude Health |
| Dublin | Sept 4th - Oct 17th | The Visual Arts | Sculpture in Context |
| Dublin | 23rd - 27th October | Exhibitions and Trade Shows | Ideal Homes Exhibition |
| Galway | February 2008 | Comedy Festivals and Events | Tedfest |
| Galway | March 20th - 24th | Comedy Festivals and Events | Galway Comedy Festival |
| Galway | May 25th | Sporting Events | The Lough Corrib Cycle |
| Galway | May 16th - 18th | Classical Music | Galway Early Music Festival |
| Galway | 28th July - 3rd August | Sporting Events | Galway Races |
| Galway | 14th - 27th July | Arts Festivals | Galway Arts Festival |
| Galway | 8th - 13th July | Film and Movie Events | Galway Film Fleadh |
| Galway | 12th - 14th Sept | Festivals | Clarenbridge Oyster Festival |
| Galway | 18th - 28th Sept | Arts Festivals | Clifden Arts Week |
| Galway | 25th-28th September | Festivals | Galway International Oyster Festival |
| Galway | 13th - 19th Oct | Arts Festivals | Baboró International Arts Festival for Children |
| Galway | 4th -12th Oct | Festivals | Ballinasloe October Fair |
| Kerry | January 2009 | Festivals | The Shindig Festival |
| Kerry | March 15th - 17th | Festivals | The Kerry Pageant Festival 2008 |
| Kerry | May 28th - June 1st | Literary Festivals and Events | Listowel Writer's Week |
| Kerry | 23rd - 27th July | Festivals | Sneem Family Fun Festival |
| Kerry | 10th - 12th August | Festivals | Puck Fair |
| Kerry | Oct 24th-27th | Traditional Music | Patrick O'Keeffe Traditional Music Festival |
| Kildare | May 24th - 25th | Sporting Events | Racing at the Curragh |
| Kildare | 19th - 25th July | Summer Schools | Hopkins Summer School |
| Kilkenny | Jan 1st | Miscellaneous Events | Castlecomer Wellie Race |
| Kilkenny | May 29th - June 2nd | Comedy Festivals and Events | Cat Laughs Comedy Festival |
| Kilkenny | Aug 8th-17th | Arts Festivals | Kilkenny Arts Festival |
| Kilkenny | Sept 26th - Oct 5th | Festivals | Kilkenny Celtic Festival |
| Kilkenny | September 23th-25th | Exhibitions and Trade Shows | National Ploughing Championships |
| Kilkenny | Oct 26th | Miscellaneous Events | Irish Conker Championships |
| Laois | July 31st - Aug 4th | Traditional Music | The World Fleadh |
| Laois | 4th & 5th July | Rock & Pop | DOD Festival |
| Laois | Aug 29th - 31st | Rock & Pop | The Electric Picnic |
| Leitrim | Oct 24th-27th | Festivals | Mohill Arts & Storytelling Festival |
| Limerick | January 2009 | Literary Festivals and Events | Kate O' Brien Weekend |
| Limerick | 15th - !8th May | Sporting Events | The Irish Open - Golf 2008 |
| Limerick | July 9th - 13th | Classical Music | Shannon International Music Festival |
| Longford | Summer Schools | Goldsmith Summer School | |
| Louth | June 29th - July 4th | Traditional Music | Irish Harp Festival |
| Louth | 11th - 13th Oct | Miscellaneous Musical Events | Irish Steel Guitar Festival |
| Mayo | May 24th - 25th | Festivals | Feile na Tuaithe (Country Festival) |
| Mayo | July 11th - 20th | Festivals | Ballina Salmon Festival |
| Meath | 13th - 15th April | Sporting Events | Fairyhouse Easter Racing Festival 2009 |
| None | May 1st-31st | Festivals | Bealtine |
| Offaly | Aug 15th - 22nd | Festivals | Birr Vintage Week |
| Offaly | 17th - 25th Aug | Traditional Music | Fleadh Cheoil 2008 |
| Roscommon | July 25th - Aug 1st | Arts Festivals | Boyle Arts Festival |
| Roscommon | Oct 9th-12th | Traditional Music | Feile Frank McGann |
| Sligo | January 2009 | Summer Schools | Yeats Weekend Winter School |
| Sligo | July 26th - August 8th | Summer Schools | Yeats Summer School |
| Sligo | 11th - 14th Sept | Film and Movie Events | Dingle Film Festival |
| Sligo | 3rd - 5th October | Traditional Music | Sligo Traditional Singing Weekend |
| Sligo | October 23rd - 27th | Rock & Pop | Sligo Live |
| Tipperary | February 2009 | Literary Festivals and Events | Tipperariana Book Fair |
| Tipperary | July 25th - 27th | Traditional Music | Éigse Eatharlaí |
| Tipperary | July 5th-13th | Festivals | Clonmel Junction Festival |
| Various | Aug 24th - Sept 1st | Miscellaneous Events | National Heritage Week |
| Various | December 2007 | Dance | Ballet Ireland Spring Tour |
| Waterford | August 1st - 3rd | Festivals | Spraoi Festival |
| Waterford | Mid September | Theatre | Waterford Festival of Light Opera |
| Waterford | Oct 24th - Nov 2nd | Arts Festivals | IMAGINE - Waterford Arts Festival |
| Westmeath | May 23rd - 25th | Summer Schools | Trevor/Bowen Summer School |
| Westmeath | May 2nd - 10th | Theatre | All Ireland Drama Festival |
| Wexford | June 27th - 29th | Summer Schools | Byrne Perry Summer School |
| Wexford | Sept 25th - 28th | Classical Music | New Ross Piano Festival |
| Wexford | September 12th - 14th | Jazz & Blues | Blackstairs Blues Festival |
| Wexford | 16th Oct - Nov 2nd | Classical Music | Wexford Opera Festival |
| Wicklow | May - August | Garden Events | Wicklow Gardens Festival |
| Wicklow | August 1st - 4th | Arts Festivals | Greystones Arts Festival |
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