When it comes to planning your weekends, you really are spoiled for choice. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Mastercard to bring you the ultimate event guide every weekend for the rest of the year. Your weekend starts here:
Dublin
YARN Storytelling Festival Bray
We’re often told we have the gift of the gab here in Ireland, but what does that actually mean? Stories, seancaithe and scéalaí have been shared by the tradition bearers and storytellers from generation to generation, and the YARN Storytelling Festival celebrates this.
Taking place in various locations around Bray, there’ll be no scripts - these stories won’t be found in books, but in the minds of the story tellers. Weekend highlights include poetry in People’s Park, tales of exotic adventure and travel at The Harbour Bar by storyteller Sean Lynch, and a tour of the stained windows in Christ Church.
Vintage lovers and chilled out casual browsers alike will love whiling away an afternoon in one of Dublin’s best markets. On every Saturday from 12-6pm, the Ha’Penny flea has Vintage Clothes, Designer threads, Vinyl Records, Retro Furniture, and bangin’ music playing from speakers throughout the market to add a real buzz to your weekend.
Located in the Grand Social, this is the place to go to pick up some pre-loved vintage threads and add to your record collection - whether you’ll actually play them or choose to hang them up as hip artwork on your wall is completely up to you.
Top tip: Pop across the road after you’ve perused the crafts to pick up some freshly baked bread from Il Fornaio Enoteca, a charming Italian bakery.
Mastercard's November Taste Club
Do you yearn for the perfect Christmas table? Are you forever trawling through Pinterest in awe of the fabulous festive feasts being displayed? Well, if that's you, the November Taste Club in partnership with Mastercard is right up your alley.
The event takes place at MSL Ballsbridge (Mercedes Benz Showroom) on Thursday, November 23rd and you'll be greeted with a glass of Prosecco on arrival before getting stuck into a table decorating masterclass from Sharon Hearne Smith.
Following this, Michael Bermingham from MK Meats will be hosting a mini Christmas Butcher's masterclass and the folks from O'Briens Wines will be there to help you pick the perfect pairings for it all.
Now in its fifth year, Dublin Doc Fest is a short documentary film festival and screenings based in Dublin, Ireland, showcasing the work of both Irish and International filmmakers.
Each screening brings together unique stories from some of the most original voices working in documentary film today, with films exhibited against the backdrop of Dublin's most iconic and beloved spaces.
On Saturday evening, four exciting programmes of 14 short films will be screened at the Royal Hibernian Gallery, with themes such as incarceration, memory & family ties, feminism, freedom and Irish Hip Hop all getting screen time.
Proving that the zoo isn’t just for children, the latest temporary installment at Dublin Zoo is a showstopping Chinese Light Festival that runs until January 2018.
Follow the enchanted trail and discover a dazzling array of beautifully crafted, giant colourful lanterns inspired by wildlife, including a 16-metre high porcelain elephant tower and a 30-metre long Chinese dragon.
At the event, you can see a show of Chinese performers and acrobats before browsing the Chinese craft market for traditional gifts and unique items. Authentic Chinese foods and warm drinks are also available for visitors to purchase.
Galway
Quite possibly the most diverse night of comedy that Ireland has ever seen, Comediversity recognises that sometimes, for whatever reason, comedy lineups are very seldom as diverse as they could possibly be.
Teaming up with the Roisin Dubh in Galway city for their first event, they aim to showcase the very best of comedy coming from various diverse backgrounds i.e LGBT+, female acts, people living in direct provision, acts with disabilities, non national acts, and drag queens.
The comedy gig will be hosted by Ireland and the UK's only stand up comic from the Traveller Community Martin Beanz Warde, and all proceeds from tickets (€10 online) will go to two charities; Solais LGBT+ centre in Galway city and The National Women’s Council of Ireland.
Cork
Ireland’s oldest film festival, the Cork Film Festival takes place from the 10th until the 19th of November, showcasing a wide range of Irish and international independent films.
Films will be screened in the beautiful venues of The Everyman, the Triskel Christchurch, and the Gate Cinema. Saturday highlights include Village Rockstars, the story of a 10-year-old girl living in a remote village in northeast India who fights against stereotypes and poverty to pursue her dream of owning a guitar and forming a rock band.
Sunday screenings include Speilberg’s Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, an international shorts programme, and Song Of Granite; the life story of traditional sean-nos singer Joe Heaney, from County Galway, Ireland.
This local Taste Trail takes visitors around various venues in the town to sample both the food and the culture of Listowel.
Beginning at the Listowel Arms Hotel, it then heads to "The Street" made famous in the John B Keane piece written in homage to the part of Listowel he was born in, Church Street.
Leaving Church Street, you head across to William Street where Listowel's most famous dish (mutton pies!), traditionally served during Listowel Race Week will be recreated, before moving on to one or two more spots with surprise dishes and ending with a taste of Yerevan at an Armenian restaurant.
This event guide was brought to you with thanks to Mastercard®. Register on Priceless.com today to discover exclusive experiences and get privileged access to sporting events, shopping, dining and travel.
