We’ve got a long weekend coming up!
Well lads, the May Bank Holiday is here, so you’ve got an entire extra day to fill up before you’ve got to return to work on Tuesday.
We’re here to help you out with a small selection of things for you to do with your weekend that don’t involve you staying up until 2am on Monday morning to watch Game of Thrones.
Father Ted Festival, Clare
Hosted in Lisdoonvarna, the home of matchmaking, there’s absolutely loads here for Father Ted fans to enjoy, including big screen showings of Best of Dermot Morgan (Ted), Frank Kelly (Jack) and Pat Laffan (Pat Mustard), as well as documentary footage of cast and scriptwriters.
There’ll also be matchmaking (of course) with world famous local matchmaker Willie Daly. An All Priests and Nuns Karaoke and Fancy Dress contest, and the grand finale of a lovely Girls contest followed by DJ Frankie Fortune ’til late, with entries for Lovely Girls contest welcome up to 9pm.
Bray International Jazz Festival, Wicklow
It’s a very special year for the Bray International Jazz Festival, as acts from around the globe travel to Wicklow to perform in its 20th anniversary event. It’s been named “One of the very best small jazz festivals in Europe” by All About Jazz, and ”the connoisseur’s jazz festival” by the Irish Times.
This year’s festival boasts acts such as Kadialy Kouyaté, Marc Copland, No Tongues, John Scofield Combo 66, and Tin Men & Telephone.
Clip via Jazz Night in America
Connemara Mussel Festival, Galway
The Connemara Mussel Festival has been voted Voted No. 1 Best Irish Seafood Festival by Coast Monkey.
There will be free-to-attend food events in the Festival Marquee, as well as theatre, music and a Leonard Cohen tribute from Sophia Ammann.
There’ll also be a Great Pub Restaurant Bake-Off for local pubs. Guaranteed to make you hungry.
Definitely Oasis at the Button Factory, Dublin
With Noel and Liam no closer to patching up their many differences, Definitely Oasis might be the closest you get to seeing Oasis in the flesh any time soon.
The tribute act are absolutely spot on, and at just under €16, tickets to see these lads in the Button Factory on Saturday is a steal.
Clip via Definitely Oasis
May The 4th Be With You, all over Ireland
In honour of Star Wars day aka May The 4th Be With You, there will be Star Wars-themed events going on all across Ireland this weekend.
From 3 May to 5 May, different events will be happening across the country, including a Star Wars parade and Star Wars VR experience in Valentia.
There’ll also be a live recording of the Full of Sith podcast: the most-listened to Star Wars podcast in the world. That’ll be going down in Ceann Sibéal Hotel in Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry.
There’s a full breakdown of events here.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge