Bank Holiday weekend alert.
With the stretch in the evenings getting grander and grander, it's a fitting time for the return of weekly series on things to do in Ireland at the weekend.
While it's still not full on festival season yet,
the weather forecast is great and we can almost allow ourselves to believe that winter has been and gone. Almost.
Anyway, here's a sample of what's in store throughout the country this coming weekend.
Westport's Annual Easter Walking Weekend
Take advantage of the fine weather this weekend and dust off your hiking boots for the 11th edition of the Westport Annual Easter Walking Weekend, which is getting more popular every year.
On the first day, participants will walk up the highest peak in Connacht, Mweelrea, which reaches a height of 814 metres, followed by Leenane hill in Galway on the second day.
You can get more details about the walks and additional accommodation options via the official website right
here.
Siul Eile Trail Walking Series
If walking is your thing, this weekend offers another chance to walk, explore and enjoy the wonders of our beautiful country thanks to the Siul Eile walking movement, which is in Cashel in Tipperary this weekend.
Trails will be divided into sections ranging from 15-30 km; the East Munster Way (73 km) in three stages, the Tipperary Heritage Way (56 km) in three stages and the Avondhu Way (104 km) in five stages.
Those that complete a full trail will receive bespoke medals with an individual feature of the trail represented on it, definitely a collectors item.
BNA 2019 Festival of Neuroscience
Believe it or not, brains are important. They pretty much control everything we do. If you'd like to learn more about the wonders of the brain then this is the festival for you.
Get yourself down to the Convention Centre in Dublin this weekend and prepare to have your mind blown.
Delegates can expect a jam-packed scientific programme, with the top experts in various brain-related fields offering research findings from the hottest topics in neuroscience.
As well as the scientific programme,
BNA Festivals include a parallel programme of activities which are free and open to the public.
Birr Castle Easter Egg Hunt
This weekend is all about our devotion to all things chocolate. You might cite some religious reason for its importance, but realistically, it's all about the chocolate. With such a promising weather forecast for the weekend, why not combine said love of chocolate with a glorious walk in the open air?
Visitors to Birr Castle this Sunday will get to do just that while meeting the Easter Bunny, Henny Penny, Larry the Lamb and the Mad Hatter while they're at it.
Living Inside: Six Voices from the History of Irish Prison Reform
A fascinating exhibition taking place in
Kilmainham Gaol, it tells the stories of six people whose experiences speak to the history of Irish prison reform, from prisoners’ protests against unhealthy living conditions to the psychological strain faced by prison officers.
Health is central to the history of prisons, both as a focus for reform and as a weapon of protest through hunger strikes and other desperate measures.
Each story shows how reform, health, hope, and fear have shaped the prison system we have today.
