The Beauty Queen of Leenane

To mark the twentieth anniversary of its debut, Druid theatre company will stage Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane at the Gaiety Theatre from 18 to 29 October. The first in McDonagh’s Leenane Trilogy, the play was a resounding success during its initial run, transferring to the West End and Broadway and winning several Tony Awards. Now a new production is set for the irish and international stage, with a stellar cast including Marie Mullen, Aisling O'Sullivan, Marty Rea and Aaron Monaghan, directed by Garry Hynes.

Visitors to Dublin can expect 18 days and nights of exceptional theatre when the Dublin Theatre Festival returns to the city from 29 September to 16 October. Now in its 59th year, the Dublin Theatre Festival is designed to appeal to people of all ages, whether they are seasoned theatre goers or have never experienced the theatre before.

Cairo has its burial chambers and pharaonic mummies, Rome its noble tombs and subterranean catacombs but Dublin has its very own haunting and supposedly haunted crypts of St Michan’s Church! First built by the Vikings in the 11th century as the parish church for their suburb on the northern banks of the River Liffey, St Michan’s has seen much rebuilding and restoration especially in the 12th, 16th and 19th centuries.

If it’s music you’re looking for, then look no further than Hard Working Class Heroes, which returns to venues across Dublin from 6 to 8 October. The festival showcases emerging Irish acts and this year 100 artists will take to Dublin’s stages and serve up a feast of fantastic music in some terrific venues.

The Kerry Film Festival returns to the scenic town of Killarney for its 17th edition from 19 to 23 October. As always, there’s an excellent programme in store with Irish and international films heavily featured, including the Irish premiere of two excellent music documentaries, a curated programme of international short films, events and the world premiere of two Kerry features - Making It and Brackenmore - which open and close the festival.

Celebrate Cork's Maritime Heritage at Cobh Heritage Centre

When parent company Diageo relocated the Smithwick’s brand to Dublin in 2014, the city of Kilkenny found itself without a commercial brewery for the first time in 800 years.

Richard Harris Film Festival

Clear frosty nights are not to everyone’s liking but to those who want a wonderful view of the Cosmos then there is one place where awesome views are guaranteed: The Ballycroy National Park was established in November 1998 and is Ireland’s sixth National Park located along the Wild Atlantic Way in northwest Mayo.