A weekend to celebrate the launch of the Heinrich Boll Academy Ireland begins tomorrow, timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of Boll's birth and the 40th anniversary of the publication of the famous Irisches Tagebucholl cottage artists' residence in Achill and will work by Netzwek Irland e.V, a newly founded German society with charitable status which has taken over the German side of the running of the cottage, and will co-operate with the European Centre for Communication and Education planned for Mulranny, to develop intercultural learning and culture - phone 09481697 for details . . . On St Stephen's Day in the O'Shea's Merchant on Mechant Quay, Dublin, at 5 p.m. there will be a festival of dancing, story-telling, mumming, rhyming and the Lord knows what else to commemoration the late set-dancer, Connie Ryan, and raise funds for the Cancer Care Unit at St. Vincent's Hospital - phone 01-8323020 for information . . . Dublin Corporation has instituted a £1,500 award for street performers to honour Thom Mc Ginty, the Diceman - contact the Arts Officer on 01-8722816 for details . ..