. Clonakilty Country and Bluegrass Festival: Bog the Donkey, The Buckleshiners, Hank Wydell band Open Kitchen are just some of the country bands on stage in this west Cork town from today until Sunday. Irish country star, Trudi Lawlor will close the show in the Dunmore House Hotel on Sunday night. Prizes for the best dressed guy and gal wearing country garb over the weekend.

. Desmond Greaves' Summer School: Three days of debate and discussion on such topics as history teaching in Irish schools, Wolfe Tone and Thomas Russell and the way forward for the North of Ireland. The venue for lectures is the Irish Labour History Museum, Beggars Bush Barracks, Haddington Road, Dublin 4. Tel 01-4973154.

. Kilkenny Arts Week: Moving into its last few days, Kilkenny city offers classical music concerts (the RTE Concert Orchestra in St Canice's Cathedral tonight), poetry readings (Bernard O'Donoghue in Bewley's Cafe, Market Cross tomorrow) and visual arts exhibitions in the Kilkenny Castle and Butler Mouse until Sunday. The Irish Youth Orchestra will give the closing concert in St Canice's at 8 p.m. on Sunday.

. Birr Vintage Week: Last day of the Birr Antique and Fine Art, Coin and Book Fair in the County Arms Hotel today. Children's fancy dress show, dog show and duck race followed by fireworks tonight. Don't miss the summer samba at Birr rugby club tonight from 11 p.m. Festival week ends on Sunday.

. Limerick Food Festival: Cookery demonstrations in several food stores today between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The international speciality food show continues at the Castletroy Park Motel today and tomorrow. Guinness gala buffet in the Limerick Inn Hotel tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Tel 061-302033

. Sligo Live 96: Frances Black, the Corrs and OTT in concert at the Sligo Sports Centre from tonight until Saturday night.

. Shakespeare Summer School: Three day summer school of lectures and workshops on the theme of Woman in all her Infinite Variety at Trinity College Dublin from tomorrow. Tel 01-8490686.

. Musical steam train trip: The Railway Preservation Society and Iarnrod Eireann are running a steam train trip from Dublin to Mullingar, with 1960s music and dancing (full bar) on board, on Saturday, departing Connolly station at 5.30 pm. Tickets: £15, booking office at Pearse Street station and Irish Rail Travel Centre, Lower Abbey Street.