DISCOVER how Turlough Park House – a striking, Victorian Gothic mansion dating to 1863 and the former ancestral home of the Fitzgerald family – became the only National Museum of Ireland site located outside Dublin on Saturday 12 October from 2-3pm. Historian Christy Lawless delves into the story as part of the Open House Celebrations at The National Museum of Country Life in Castlebar, Co Mayo. Bookings required. For further information, call 094-9031 751 or email educationtph@museum.ie

SAVOUR a Taste of the Lakelands on Sunday 13 October. Based in Ballyleague and Lanesborough in Co Longford, this one-day festival will focus on local food and beverage producers supported by local craft businesses. Visitors can also look forward to cooking demonstrations from both renowned and local chefs. There is something for all ages to enjoy, so come along and experience this mouth-watering spectacle. Free admission. This event is part of Fáilte Ireland’s Taste The Island initiative. For further information, visit www.tasteofthelakelands.ie

CELEBRATE a decade of dancing at the 10th edition of Tipperary Dance Platform’s International Dance Festival, running until 13 October. Taking place in venues in Tipperary, Clonmel, Thurles, Lisvernane, Cashel and Nenagh, audiences are invited to enjoy the wide range of performances, exhibitions, live installations, screendance and masterclasses in a programme that will take place in venues, galleries, libraries and cinemas. View the full programme at www.tdp-danceplatform.ie

LEARN all about the organic section of the Irish Farmers’ Association, as the organisation hosts a producer day in Marlay Park in Dublin on Saturday 12 October in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland. With the aim of creating awareness of the chain from producer to the end consumer, the event will include talks, “meet the makers”, demonstrations and cookery events. There will also be exhibitions from across the food sectors, from well-known brands to artisan producers, while international guest speakers will also talk about the sustainable credentials of Ireland’s organic produce and the nutritional benefits. For further information, visit www.ifa.ie

EXPLORE your artistic side at the Ballina Fringe Festival in Co Mayo, which runs until Sunday 20 October. Sprung from one of Ireland’s best-known and longest-established summer festivals, Ballina Salmon Festival, Ballina Fringe Festival is another fish entirely – an exploration of life lived on the edge of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, served up in a festival of words, art and music. Highlights include performances from Camille O’Sullivan and Finghin Collins, a street art project and more. For the full programme, visit www.ballinafringefestival.ie