Holidaying at home in 2010
June 2010
With both the economic downturn and volcanic ash fallout affecting people’s travel planning in the early part of 2010, many Irish consumers are deciding to have a “staycation” and holiday at home in Ireland this year.
There is a wide variety of top international events taking place this summer on your doorstep – some do involve a cost, but “staycationing” can still work out far cheaper than travelling away.
There are also many free festivals, events and attractions the length and breadth of the country. Getting there is much easier too with an expanding motorway network, cheap internal flights and special offers to be had on bus and rail tickets.
Here are a few of the events and attractions you might consider visiting…
Festivals
Wherever you go in Ireland throughout the summer, you are never far from a festival. Some, like the Rose of Tralee, are world-renowned and include free entertainment by international acts.
Almost every village and town across the country also holds some community festivities during the summer. During these festivals you’ll usually find free street entertainment, concerts, fireworks, parades, face painting, funfairs etc, along with some unusual events, such as:
- Crowning a goat at the Puck Fair in Kerry (August)
- Pig racing in Timoleague in West Cork (August)
- Spraoi street theatre and world music on the streets of Waterford (end of July)
- The Kings of Concrete dance, music, Parkour and skateboarding event at Christchurch, Dublin (July)
For a full listing, check out AOIFE, The Association of Irish Festival Events.
Regattas and watersports
Regattas and water-based events take place all along the coast during the summer months. Some of the largest and best known are:
- The Kinsale regatta in Co Cork (end of July)
- The Dingle regatta in Co Kerry (14-15 August)
- The National Rowing Championships in Cork (August)
- The Coastal Rowing Championships in Whitegate, Co Cork (August)
- The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. This arrives in Kinsale, Co Cork from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia on 1 July for eight days of festivities which will culminate in a farewell from Cork Harbour on 9 July
- The Galway Hooker Association also runs festivals of traditional boat racing around Galway and the islands during the summer months
You can find more regattas and other festivals planned at DiscoverIreland.ie.
Getting around
See what the countryside can offer with a drive around the locality you’re staying in, or avail of a local bus tour. Popular routes include:
In Dublin, the Luas website offers a guide to free things to do along the Luas lines.
Top events - June
These are just some of the major events taking place right here at home…
Éigse Carlow Arts Festival
Carlow (11–20 June)
Includes exhibitions, performances, screenings, recitals, workshops, children’s programming and a range of street entertainment.
Sea Sessions
Bundoran, Co Donegal (25-27 June)
A surfing and extreme sports festival with music and extreme sport displays by the seaside. This year will include a surf competition, a mountain bike tour, BMX Mini Ramp, tag rugby and power boating as well as music from the likes of Paul Weller and the Fun Lovin’ Criminals.
Family entertainment in June
Peppa Pigs Party (Olympia, Dublin), Dinosaur Encounters (Ambassador Theatre, Dublin), The Wiggles In Concert (INEC, Killarney), Britain’s Got Talent Tour (the O2, Dublin).
Top events – July
European Triathlon Championships
Athlone (1-4 July)
The biggest triathlon ever held in Ireland will have amateur, elite and paraTri athletes competing by the Shannon over two and a half days.
Oxegen Festival
Punchestown, Co Kildare (9-11 July)
Features international music acts including the Black Eyed Peas, Eminem and the Prodigy, and Irish acts such as Ash and Republic of Loose. The festival has a funfair, a market for shopping and cuisine, a comedy section and a dance arena.
Festival of World Cultures
Dun Laoghaire (23-25 July)
A festival of world music, arts, crafts, food and culture at a local level with a programme of concerts, street events, workshops, club nights and more.
Galway Races Summer Festival
26 July to 1 August
Plenty of themed days, Ladies’ Day and Family Day and a Mad Hatters competition and of course the horse racing to be enjoyed throughout the festival.
Top events - August
Ladies Irish Open Golf
Kileen Castle, Co Meath (6-8 August)
The competition, which should attract some of the biggest names in ladies golf, will be held on the Jack Nicklaus Signature designed course, which will also host the 2011 Solheim Cup.
Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show
RDS, Dublin (4-6 August)
There’s a wide variety of equestrian events and stalls for all ages during the week of the show, including the Aga Khan Trophy with top international participants. Admittance tickets for a family of two adults and up to four children are available from €52 (booking fees apply).
Kilkenny Arts Festival
Kilkenny (6-15 August)
Ireland’s oldest running arts festival spanning ten days of art, music, literature and performance.
Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann
Cavan (16-22 August)
The 60th Fleadh Cheoil is set to be the largest ever as it returns to Cavan for the first time since 1954. Once the competitions are out of the way there are still the céilithe, parades and street sessions, as well as concerts featuring traditional Irish music, song and dance.
The Rose of Tralee International Festival
(20-24 August)
Over five days visitors can enjoy street entertainment, fireworks displays, the circus, colourful parades, a funfair, and a plenty of opportunities to meet and greet the roses.
Other events
- June: Riverdance (Gaiety, Dublin), La Boheme (Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin), Pink (Thomond Park, Limerick), JLS (Marquee, Cork)
- July: Westlife, Tony Bennett, Madness, Mamma Mia (all Marquee, Cork), Bob Dylan (Thomond Park, Limerick), Jamirroquai (Tullamore, Co Offaly),
- August: The Little Big Club (Helix, Dublin), Dinosaur Encounters (Ambassador Theatre, Dublin), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin)
- Also: Athlone Music Festival, Leonard Cohen (Lissadell House, Sligo), Kris Kristofferson (Royal Theatre, Castlebar), Galway United vs Liverpool FC XI (Terryland, Galway), Feeder (the Academy (Dublin)
Top attractions
Places to visit this summer include:
- The Guinness Storehouse Tour – a great insight into the 251-year history of Guinness, spanning seven floors with the Gravity bar at the top with 360 degree views of Dublin
- Dublin/Cork/Kilkenny/Galway City bus tours - several companies offer bus tours of Ireland’s major cities that encompass their top sights and local attractions
- A tour of Trinity College - tours of the campus can include a viewing of the college’s old library and the priceless Book of Kells
- Newgrange – a day tour can take in the Newgrange Neolithic tomb, the Boyne Valley, Hill of Slane, Battle of the Boyne site, Trim Castle, Hill of Tara, Loughcrew and other heritage sites in the County Meath area
- Blarney Stone and Castle- the Blarney Stone is known worldwide as the “Stone of Eloquence” and has been kissed by a host of US presidents, entertainers, world leaders and international celebrities (€10 adult)
- Phoenix Park and Dublin Zoo – the Park is inhabited with deer and hosts the zoological gardens, various monuments, Ashtowne Castle and park visitor centre, Dublin Zoo, Farmleigh House (which hosts concerts and other events) and of course the President’s residence, Áras an Uachtaráin.
- Lakes of Killarney and Muckross House - Muckross House and the lakes and mountains that surround it are all within the Killarney National Park. Muckross House offers plenty to see and do, with varied flora and fauna in the surrounding gardens, a craft shop, restaurant, and a tour of the house is available
- Cliffs of Moher, The Burren and Bunratty Castle and Folk Park - the Cliffs of Moher are world-renowned and are the tallest cliffs in Ireland and the visitor centre nearby has exhibits and experiences for young and old. The Burren is an area of limestone rock covering mountains and valleys and is home to flora and wildlife, and megalithic tombs and monuments older than Egypt's pyramids
- The Islands - from Achill to Aran to Sherkin, Ireland’s many islands have much to offer the visitor with storytelling and art workshops, sailing, angling, walking and, in some cases, “time-travel” where you can visit the derelict sites of early settlers and of some more recent migrants to the mainland
Useful 'staycationing' links