Long-standing tradition to celebrate the life and work of novelist James Loyce. Held every July, the festival comprises an afternoon of spoken word pieces, songs, other performances, and pub crawls.
For two weeks in July, this arts festival takes over the riverside city of Galway. It transforms into a vibrant arts festival busting with life and color - offering visitors music in circus tents, visual arts, and local food stands.
This cultural and religious day is celebrated worldwide, although any “Paddy” will tell you, no one does it like the Irish! The festival lasts five days and involves street parades, street performances, music, and sinking a few pints.
Through October and November, the town of Wexford hosts the Wexford Festival Opera. The event strives to showcase neglected works and international talents. Between performances, the area itself comes alive with full bars and restaurants.
Rough-edged Smithfield pub built for pints of stout and daily, unamplified Irish music. Musicians squeeze into a corner for acoustic sessions while the small room stays quiet to listen.
Preserved Victorian music hall on Dame Street with a restored cast-iron canopy out front. Tiered wooden balconies and standing stalls keep the room intimate for live gigs, comedy, and plays under an ornate Rococo ceiling.
