February 16th-22nd
Freebie
Gravitation 2008 takes place from noon to 4pm today and tomorrow at the new Skate Park facility in Monkstown Pool & Fitness Centre in Co Dublin, with expert displays from Irish and international skateboarders, roller-bladers and BMXers. www.dlrevents.ie
Film
The sixth Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, which kicked off last night at the Savoy and runs until Sunday 24th, is screening more than 100 films from across the world. Highlights include GW Pabst's silent masterwork, Pandora's Box, a world premiere of the Irish surfing movie Waveriders and Tom Kalin's Savage Grace, starring Julianne Moore. There is also a retrospective of the work of Jonas Mekas, founder of the Anthology Film Archives. See www.dubliniff.com.
The 5th annual Irish Film & Television Awards take place at the Gaiety Theatre tomorrow evening. www.ifta.ie.
Fair enough
Seasoned investors, property moguls and first-time buyers alike will be at Property Expo 2008, which takes place at the RDS this weekend (from 11am to 6pm today and tomorrow). www.propertyexpo.ie. The recently restored Royal College of Physicians building, on Kildare Street in Dublin 2, is the venue for a wedding fair tomorrow, from 2pm to 5pm. Entry is free but pre-registration is required (01-6698800). www.numbersix.ie
Music
Our Lady's Choral Society performs Dvorák's Stabat Mater on Tuesday at the National Concert Hall, conducted by Proinnsías Ó Duinn. Elsewhere you can see Sean Kingston (tonight, Tripod in Dublin), These New Puritans (Wednesday, Crawdaddy in Dublin), Groove Armada (Sunday, Trinity Rooms in Limerick), The Von Bondies (The Village, Dublin, on Sunday), Cathy Davey (Cyprus Ave, Cork, on Monday and Tripod, Dublin, on Thursday), Sons and Daughters (Whelans, Dublin, on Sunday) and Editors (Olympia, Thursday).
Sport
The ESB Senior Women's Hockey Interprovincials take place in Grange Road in Dublin this weekend. www.hockey.ie. It's a Magner's League weekend in rugby - Leinster take on Cardiff Blues at the RDS this evening (kick-off 7.30pm); Connacht play Ospreys in Swansea. In Gaelic Games, round two of the National Football League takes place this weekend, while in Croke Park the All-Ireland Junior and Intermediate Club Football Championship Finals take place tomorrow at 2pm. www.gaa.ie
Theatre
From Monday until Thursday the National Library of Ireland hosts Deirdre's Sorrows: Two Versions by WB Yeats and Ulick O'Connor, produced by O'Connor and directed by Caroline Fitzgerald. The cast includes Geraldine Plunkett and Brian McGrath (01-6030277). The Abbey stages another Sam Shepard classic, Fool for Love, at the Peacock from Tuesday until March 15th, directed by Annie Ryan (01-8787222). The George Farquhar Theatre Festival is taking place in Derry from this weekend until March 8th, staging works by the Irish dramatist in his home town, including The Recruiting Officer and The Constant Couple. www.blueeagleproductions.co.uk.
...and finally
Trócaire's annual 24-hour fast, which takes place on Friday, focuses this year on raising funds for development projects in El Salvador, where up to 40 per cent of the population has insufficient access to water. www.trocairefast.org.