Major Annual Festivals and Events
Saint Patrick's Day (March 17; www.stpatricksday.ie ): celebrations all over Ireland, including a national festival in Dublin and major events in all the larger towns and cities. Irish Grand National (April): horse racing at Fairyhouse (Meath). Cork International Choral Festival (April/May; www.musweb.com/corkchoral.htm ): one of the big ones. Foyle Film Festival (April/May): the best of new Irish and international film, Derry. North-West 200 (May): the island's biggest motorcycle road racing event takes place on a circuit at Portstewart, Co. Derry. Music Festival in Great Irish Houses (June): just what it says, classical music at venues around the country. Irish Derby (June): and other important races at the Curragh (Kildare). Willie Clancy Summer School (July): one of the biggest traditional music events of the year, based in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare. James Joyce Summer School (July; www.artsworld.ie/joyce-school ): strictly for Joyce buffs, Dublin. Galway International Arts Festival (July; www.galwayartsfestival.ie ): festival of music, theatre and general partying - one of the best. Galway Races (July/Aug): another important race meeting which is very popular. Yeats International Summer School (Aug): this Sligo event has often courted controversy through its exploration of nationalistic themes. Kilkenny International Arts Week (Aug): includes recitals, poetry readings, art exhibitions. Rose of Tralee International Festival (Aug; www.roseoftralee.ie ): a massive event, centred round a beauty contest. Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann (Aug; www.comhaltas com ): the most important of all the traditional music festivals, held in a different town every year. Oul' Lammas Fair (Aug): four hundred years old and still going strong, Ballycastle's traditional market fair is a major crowd-puller with music, dancing, sports and entertainment. All Ireland Hurling and Football Finals (Sept): the biggest sporting events of the year, separated by a fortnight, in Dublin. Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival (Sept/Oct): plenty of traditional entertainment accompanies the lonely hearts side of the festivities. Cork Film and Jazz Festivals (Oct; www.corkfilmfest .org ): Ireland's major film event and an enormously popular jazz festival. Wexford Opera Festival (Oct/Nov; www.wexfordopera.com ): a large gathering of international renown. Derry Halloween Carnival (Oct/Nov): street theatre, music and mayhem, especially during the fireworks display on October 31. Belfast Festival at Queen's (Oct/Nov): major arts festival, Ireland's equivalent to Edinburgh, nowadays complete with its very own Fringe.
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