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Get set for long days that stretch well into the night,  with a host of arts and cultural events  everyone will enjoy

Culture & the Arts

Oyster Festival, Hillsborough, County Down
So whether you fancy a bit of James Joyce, or would rather gaze at spectacular artworks, Ireland has all this and more.
James Joyce bust, St. Stephens Green, Dublin

What about Ireland’s literary connections?

James Joyce, CS Lewis, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Patrick Kavanagh, Samuel Beckett, WB Yeats, Brendan Behan, John B Keane, Seamus Heaney – Ireland’s writers past and present are renowned all over the world and the country’s literary culture can be felt everywhere from pubs to remote rural locations that inspired some of the greats. The Bloomsday Festival (celebrating the Joycean tome) and the Listowel Writers Week are just two of the top literary events around the country.
The Gate Theatre, Dublin

I want to go to the theatre!

Dublin enjoys an extraordinarily lively theatre scene with excellent productions at theatres like the Abbey and the Gate, the Olympia  and the Gaiety, as well as a raft of shows at acclaimed spots including Andrew’s Lane Theatre, the Project Arts Centre, the Helix and the Civic Theatre. And around the country, things are just as dynamic with places like the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, the Everyman Palace Theatre and the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork, and the Druid Theatre Company in Galway.
Bettystown, County Meath

I fancy a spot of art?

There are countless wonderful art galleries dotted throughout Ireland with a wide variety of exhibitions from innovative, modern installations to traditional oil painting. Try the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Hugh Lane Gallery and the National Gallery of Ireland in  Dublin, the  Limerick City Gallery of Art, Belfast Exposed, Northern Ireland's only dedicated photography gallery, and the Model Arts and Niland Gallery in  Sligo.
Mount Stewart, County Down

What about country houses and gardens?

Ireland is famous for its elegant historic country houses scattered across the country with grand interiors and magnificent gardens. Make sure you take time out to explore the beautiful house and gardens at Mount Stewart in  County Down, Russborough House in County  Wicklow, Anne’s Grove Gardens in County  Cork and the beautiful Japanese Gardens at the National Stud in County  Kildare.

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Did you know?

One of the 19th-century’s greatest writers, Anthony Trollope, was Postmaster at Drumsna, County Leitrim. As well as using his experiences in the postal service in Ireland in many of his novels, Trollope also became famous for a rather non-literary achievement – he invented the post box!

Learning to play the bodhran
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