Something for the weekend: August 28th-30th

Craft beer, bluegrass and a much-hyped GAA semi-final are all on the menu this weekend

The Natural History Museum on Dublin’s Merrion Square. File  photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
The Natural History Museum on Dublin’s Merrion Square. File photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

The Irish Game and Country Fair

The Irish Game and Country Fair takes place in Birr, Co Offaly, on Saturday and Sunday.

As well as showcasing country sports including hunting, fishing and falconry, the fair offers a range of family entertainment.

A “living history” village sees costumed re-enactors demonstrating archery, cannons and jousting, while the historic grounds of the castle will also be open to attendees.

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The Irish Craft Beer Festival

The Irish Craft Beer Festival takes place in Dublin's RDS on Friday and Saturday.

More than 200 different beers, ciders and whiskies, many available exclusively at the festival, are available to try from Irish brewers, including Trouble Brewing, Kinnegar and Eight Degrees Brewing.

The festival also features guest stalls for international craft breweries, as well as live music, food and industry talks.

Bandon Walled Town Festival

The Bandon Walled Town Festival runs from Friday to Sunday in Bandon, Co Cork.

A musical and historical celebration, the weekend sees a range of concerts, workshops and lectures exploring harp music in its renaissance, baroque and Irish forms.

The gala concert takes place on Saturday evening in St Peter's Church and features Bandon natives the Casey Sisters and harper Kathleen Loughnane.

They will perform pieces that celebrate the town’s history and the Irish harp music of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival

The Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival runs from Friday until Sunday in Dunmore East, Co Waterford.

Live performances of traditional bluegrass music, guitar and fiddle workshops and “pickin’ sessions” run all weekend at venues across the town.

The Grammy-nominated vocalist Claire Lynch plays at Killea Church at 2.00pm on Sunday.

All-Ireland GAA semi-final

The All-Ireland GAA semi-final between Dublin and Mayo kicks off at Croke Park at 3.30pm on Sunday.

After much hype, the match managed to sell out several days in advance, in what is set to be the biggest game of the season so far.

For those in Dublin over the weekend, gardaí have issued a traffic plan for the Croke Park area.

Merrion Square open day

The annual Merrion Square open day takes place in Dublin on Saturday. The one-day event gives the public the opportunity to explore the many buildings in the area.

As well as guided tours and special exhibitions in the Natural History Museum and National Gallery, lesser-known attractions like the Irish Traditional Music Archive and 58 Merrion Square, once home to Daniel O'Connell, are open to the public.