A WEEKEND-LONG celebration of the cultural and historical life of Dublin 8 returns to Kilmainham and Inchicore this year.
The Culture Date with Dublin 8 festival takes place on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday 20 with a host of free, family-friendly events.
This year, the programme has been expanded with the announcement of two flagship events, and a series of pop-ups taking place throughout 2018.
Highlights of this year’s Culture Date with Dublin 8’s May line-up include a family fun day with children’s entertainment, historical reenactments, puppetry, circus skills, poetry and more at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens on the Sunday.
There will also be an outdoor concert at the temple in Goldenbridge Cemetery on the Saturday while there will also be bespoke guided tours of Kilmainham Gaol, including a literary tour featuring women writers, and a family tour aimed at children between the ages of six and 12.
As well as walking tours on the history of the Grand Canal and Goldenbridge by Pat Liddy, there will be exclusive guided tours of IMMA’s exhibitions, which include works by two of the greatest painters of the 20th-century, Lucian Freud and Frank Bowling, and works by Irish artist Brian O’Doherty.
Culture Date with Dublin 8 will also be participating in National Drawing Day, taking place on May 19 when all venues will be encouraging the public to explore the theme ‘Inspirational Settings in D8’ through the course of the day.
Culture Date with Dublin 8 was officially launched in the Irish National War Memorial Gardens with the help of local schoolchildren from St John of God School, Islandbridge, Dublin 8.
Grace McEvoy, Project Manager of Culture Date with Dublin 8, said: “Building on the success of the very first Culture Date with Dublin 8 last year, we’re delighted to announce an expanded programme of events for 2018.
This year, we’ll have two flagship events – a family fun day at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens and an outdoor concert at Goldenbridge Cemetery, and a series of pop-up events throughout the calendar year.
“Culture Date with Dublin 8 is a unique opportunity for those living in, working in and visiting Dublin 8 to explore and celebrate the deep historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the area,” she added.
“As well as the programme of events over the weekend, we’ve teamed up with local businesses and organisations, including Diageo and St James’s Hospital, so that their employees can experience the culture in the neighbourhood they work in.
“The festival connects with and amplifies the wider efforts being made to regenerate the area.
Kilmainham and Inchicore have so much to offer local and visitors alike and expanding Culture Date with Dublin 8 will help us to put the area on the map as a unique, sought-after, cultural destination.”
The wider calendar of Culture Date with Dublin 8 events taking place throughout 2018 is set to be announced in the coming weeks and will include tailor-made family tours of Kilmainham Gaol, film screenings, free exhibition entries and a specially designed Culture Date with Dublin 8 route for Culture Night on Friday, September 21.
Advance ticket booking will be required, and tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Further information can be found on the website at www.culturedatewithdublin8.ie