Dublin 8 to come alive this weekend with events to celebrate its history
Historical re-enactments, an outdoor concert in a cemetery, puppetry, circus acts, bespoke tours of Kilmainham Gaol and exclusive tours of the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s landmark exhibitions are just some of the events taking place in the historic surroundings of Kilmainham and Inchicore this weekend.
The free, family-friendly events are taking place as part of Culture Date with Dublin 8 – a neighbourhood initiative aiming to regenerate the areas and put Dublin 8 on the map as an internationally renowned cultural quarter.
Highlights of this weekend’s Culture Date with Dublin 8 line-up will include:
- A family fun day with children’s entertainment, historical re-enactments, puppetry, circus skills, poetry and more at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens Sunday, 20th May;
- An outdoor concert at the temple in Goldenbridge Cemetery Saturday, 19th May;
- Bespoke guided tours of Kilmainham Gaol, including a literary tour featuring women writers, and a family tour aimed at children between the ages of six and 12;
- Walking tours on the history of the Grand Canal and Goldenbridge by Pat Liddy, sponsored by Waterways Ireland;
- Exclusive guided tours of IMMA’s exhibitions, which include works by two of the greatest painters of the 20th-century, Lucian Freud and Frank Bowling, and works by Irish artist Brian O’Doherty; free entry to their landmark exhibitions all weekend; family workshops, activity packs and self-guided garden trails;
- A genealogy workshop and musical, and dramatic tours of Richmond Barracks;
- Guided tours of the Magazine Fort in the Phoenix Park.
Commenting in advance of Culture Date with Dublin 8, Grace McEvoy, Project Manager of Culture Date with Dublin 8, said, “We’ve a jam-packed weekend of family-friendly events ahead of us, from bespoke tours celebrating the literary history of Irish women, walking tours of the grand canal, and historical re-enactments to circus performers, there’ll be something for all the family to enjoy.
"This year, we’ve expanded the programme to include two flagship events – an outdoor concert with local musicians in the historical surroundings of the temple at Goldenbridge Cemetery on Saturday, and a family fun day in the Irish National War Memorial Gardens on Sunday – a fitting event as this year marks 100 years since the end of World War One."
Sounds so interesting lads.
“Culture Date with Dublin 8 is a unique opportunity for those living in, working in and visiting Dublin 8 to explore and celebrate the deep historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the area so we encourage everyone to come along and learn something new about this part of the city. We want to put Kilmainham and Inchicore on the map as attractive visitor destinations for tourists and locals alike, and make the area a culturally renowned area in its own right.”
Culture Date with Dublin 8 will also be participating in National Drawing Day, taking place Saturday 19th May. All venues will be encouraging the public to explore the theme ‘Inspirational Settings in D8’ through the course of the day.
The full line-up of events can be found here: https://www.
Advance ticket booking is required, and tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Further information can be found at www.culturedatewithdublin8.ie
