Sing along with the diverse range of talented choirs performing live at the annual Sligo International Choral Festival, taking place in venues across Co Sligo from 11-13 October. The festival is one of Ireland’s top choral festivals and sees choirs from all over Ireland and abroad perform in the heart of Sligo. There will be a diverse variety of male, female, mixed and youth choirs. The festival will have a number of master classes for both youth and adult choirs. There will be a grand concert to open the festival and there will be plenty of street choirs to entertain spectators. For more information and to book tickets, see www.sligochoralfest.com.
Get Spooked at Loftus Hall, Ireland’s most haunted house, located near the Hook Peninsula in Co Wexford. The mansion house was originally built in 1350 and is said to be haunted by the devil and by the ghost of a young woman. Bring your friends and take a tour of this ancient house and explore the folklore of Co Wexford. After the tour, make sure to calm your nerves with a hot cup of tea which is served in the idyllic house cafe. For more information and for tour prices, see loftushall.ie.
Immerse yourself in the wild rocky terrain of the west this week by visiting the Connemara Green festival from the 7-9 October. This exciting festival, which celebrates mother nature and tries to bring awareness to the unique wildlife of Connemara, is now in its second year. Based in Letterfrack village, there will be ecology walks, mountain hikes and a boat trip in the bay as well as kayak adventures. While there, taste the delicious foods of the Wild Atlantic Way at the Green Feast, where there is a six-course tasting menu in Connemara National Park. See www.connemaragreenfestival.ie.
Visit the picturesque heritage town of Birr, Co Offaly, where the OFFline Film Festival is happening from 8-12 October. Now in its seventh year, the festival welcomes a mix of international and Irish visitors to the midlands to discuss and share their love of film. The festival shows both films and shorts and sees an excess of 700 short films submitted every year. OFFline also has strong youth elements, with screenings and workshops taking place for school students. The 57-hour film-making challenge sees teams from all over Ireland and abroad churn out mini-masterpieces. For more information, visit www.offlinefilmfestival.com.
Experience 10 fascinating days at the IMRAM 2016 Irish language Literature festival, taking place from 6-16 October in various venues across Dublin. This year’s festival will feature a great lineup of literature, music, theatre, poetry, readings, talks, discussions and workshops. Highlights of the festival this year include Starman: The David Bowie Project, featuring Liam O’Maonlai, Game of Thrones as Gaeilge, featuring Catriona O’Leary, and theatre production Lón Leningrad among many others. Other key shows include multimedia shows fusing poetry, music and visual-based work by major poets such as Caitlin Maude and Eoghan Ó Tuairisc. Tickets are selling fast. For further information, see www.imram.ie
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