FAMILY: CORK MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL
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Picnic while you’re entertained in Fitzgerald Park (June 14th) or watch the “rock stars of the circus world” – Circa from Brisbane (June 13th and 14th), or slip on your paws to enter the interactive musical world of Peter and the Wolf (June 21st), in an arts extravaganza staged over two weekends.
MUSIC: SEA SESSIONS
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Your only man when it comes to a weekend of music and surfing in Co Donegal. As always, a very strong line-up with Seasick Steve, Maverick Sabre, Black Grape, The Riptide Movement, the inimitable Lee “Scratch” Perry, Example and Sigma as highlights. For surfers, the Sea Sessions Expression Session stars the top 10 surfers in Europe.
MUSIC: LIVE AT THE MARQUEE
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The pop-up venue in a tent returns to Cork with a fine clatter of pop and rock acts including The Coronas (June 19th and 20th), Ellie Goulding (June 24th), Van Morrison (July 9th), Chic (July 10th) and The Frames (July 11th).
MUSIC: BODY & SOUL
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The Ballinlough Castle festival was the highlight of the 2014 season for many, with a perfect combination of good sounds and better vibes. This year’s slate of attractions includes the resurgent Leftfield (new album Alternative Light Source is very good), Natalie Prass, Matthew E White, Dan Deacon, Super Furry Animals, James Holden, Songhoy Blues and the superb Goat.
FAMILY: SOUL KIDS
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An enchanting, dedicated children’s strand of the Body & Soul Festival, including arts and crafts, circus skills and storytelling. It has its own tent in the family camping area to entertain the early-risers.
ARTS: A COUNTY UNDER WAVE
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The county of Sligo will be ringing with the words of Yeats this summer as Blue Raincoat Company present his complete works for theatre. If a spot of Purgatory on the summit of Benbulbin isn’t enough, over the August bank holiday weekend all 26 plays will be given performed readings by 26 different groups in iconic Yeats country locations.
MUSIC: ROYAL HOSPITAL KILMAINHAM
Three shows in the field beside the Irish Museum of Modern Art with Counting Crows (June 24th), Irish blockbusters Kodaline (June 26th) and the mighty Manu Chao (June 27th) in action. If they don’t float your boat, the Etel Adnan exhibition currently running in IMMA is highly recommended.
ARTS: HAY FESTIVAL KELLS
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A third year of Welsh wizardry from Hay-on-Wye brings Ben Okri, Lynda la Plante, Marian Keyes and many more literary luminaries to Co Meath. Kells also has strong historical and environmental strands, including a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, musician Brian Eno talking eco-activism and a tour of Tullynally Castle’s trees with – wait for it – Thomas Pakenham, honorary custodian of Tullynally Castle.
FAMILY: THE SECRET GARDEN
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Frances Hodgson Burnett’s much- loved children’s novel comes to life in Chapterhouse Theatre Company’s “open-air garden theatre” production, which is touring venues including Fota House, Cork (June 23rd); Malahide Castle ( 26th) and Powerscourt Gardens (28th) in Co Dublin; Belvedere House, Co Westmeath (July 1st) and Kilmokea Gardens, Co Wexford (July 5th).
MUSIC: WEST CORK CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
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Mouthwatering chamber music in the eye-popping environs of Bantry House. Plus talks, masterclasses, morning and evening concerts at St Brendan’s Church, as well as an exhibition of contemporary violin and bow-making.
MUSIC: SECRET GARDEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
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The only music festival in Ireland which can claim it’s the Irish Coachella thanks to its setting, like that Californian fest, in a polo grounds. The one-day bash features Damien Dempsey (a great man for the polo, we hear), O Emperor, The Cujo Family, The Eskies, Colimbia Mills and others. Under-12s go free.
MUSIC: KILLARNEY FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & FOOD
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Formerly billeted in Westport before hitching south, the Killarney Festival stars Duran Duran, ABC, Burt Bacharach, Father John Misty, The Undertones, Texas and many more. There’s also a chefs’ stage, the Tony Fenton stage and a comedy tent.
MUSIC: THE SCRIPT
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One of the biggest pop acts in these islands plays the biggest stadium in town. We reckon the lads who bought thousands of neon cowboy hats for G**** B***** last summer will offload plenty of them here.
