What's Happening in Dublin this weekend (September 22nd) - Free Events

Special Bumper Edition!

What’s the story in Dublin this week?

This weekend was a snap back to reality for everyone. Dublin lovers had to battle through the horrible weather that normally associates itself with Electric Picnic but obviously not this year. Excusing the rainfall, I hope this was the only tear on your faces this weekend.

But what did you get up to this weekend?!

Discover the buzz in Dublin this week! This weekend marks a special bumper edition, celebrating the culture of Ireland. This event gives a showcase of the diversity and riches the exists on the streets of Ireland every day.

Culture Night - Friday 22^nd September

Culture night celebrates everything there is to love about this small Island. This night highlights the culture, creativity and how this small island of approx. 6 million people accepts and celebrates culture diversity, everyday.

History

Culture night was initially an initiative by Temple Bar Cultural/Dublin city council set up in 2006.

By 2015, Culture night celebrated its 10^th birthday, with 3,000 events taking place across 40 towns and cities.

The year 2020, brought challenges to Culture night with the spread of COVID 19. In response, Culture night partnered with Irelands national broadcaster, RTE and held special broadcasts and live performances across all their platforms. A small Island but very innovative!

Culture night 2023, will bring another excellent showcase of Ireland’s diversity with special and unique workshops and events.

What is Culture night and Who is it for?

Culture night is a night to celebrate the greatness that is associated with this wonderful island of Ireland. It’s culture, arts, heritage, education, hospitality, tourism and health. It’s a night for all ages, whether it’s a date night or night to catch up with friends. It’s a guarantee that you’ll leave with a greater appreciation for the place you have decided to call home.

This annual night will have many events across Ireland and its completely free of charge. So, let’s look at five events taking place in Dublin and some other cool events around the country!

• Art Exhibition and Live Music

• Ardgillan Collective Open Studios

• Madams & Myths of Monto - Stroll though Nighttown

• Bonnie Boux Presents ‘Dance Yourself Free’

• DURTY DUBLIN – ‘From The Streets To Between The Sheets’ Graffiti & Street Art Exhibition

Art Exhibition and Live Music

The Windmill Quarter – 4.00pm - 8.00pm – No Booking Required

The Windmill Quarter, home to the Dublin Painting and sketching Club will be showcasing the arts and culture, central to Ireland. The work of 80 amazing renowned artists including Margo Banks, Patrick Cahill and June Wright will be on display for all to admire.

Complimenting these amazing artists will be classical music delivered by the incredible guitarist Daniel Soro. There is no better place to spend a Friday evening after work. Get on down!

Art Exhibition and Live Music • Culture Night

Ardgillan Collective Open Studios

Ardgillan Castle – 5.30pm - 9.00pm – No Booking Required

Ardgillan Castle and Demesne is one of Ireland’s hidden gems. Set in spectacular parklands overlooking the Irish Sea (with a secret beach), this spectacular heritage site has also become a creative hub to many local talented artists for the past 3 years.

The resident artists will open the doors to their studios to showcase the wealth of creativity that the Ardgillan Collective has to offer. The newly launched Ardgillan Gallery, in the basement of the Castle, has an exciting programme of exhibitions curated by local artist Aisling Dunne.

Visitors can enjoy live music in the Drawing Room of the Castle, the most extravagant room in the castle, as well as take the opportunity to wander through our tour rooms, which include our dining room, library, morning room and the kitchens.

What is also a fun fact, even though it is called a Castle it is technically a large country style house.

Madams & Myths Of Monto – A Stroll Through James Joyce’s ‘Nighttown’

Walking Tour – 4pm & 6pm – Tickets Required

Back in 1904, Mecklenburg Street (Railway Street) was a terrace of grand but fading Georgian houses, and it was here in the area known as ‘Monto’ that James Joyce set the Nighttown section of Ulysses, describing a visit by Leopold Bloom to a brothel run by an infamous ‘Madam’ known as Bella Cohen.

From the mid-1860s, ‘Monto’ was reputed to have been Europe’s most notorious red light district, controlled by Madams such as Bella Cohen, who exploited prostitutes with violence and money, keeping them in debt to pay for clothes and lodgings before dumping them as they grew older.

This tour will follow the route taken by Leopold Bloom on 16th June 1904 as we explore how the area got its name and prospered during a time of great poverty in Dublin. Discover Monto’s once famous inhabitants; its regular visitors and how this red light district situated in the shadow of Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral operated for so long before its demise in the 1920s.

Booking is essential as places are limited.

Bonnie Boux Presents ‘Dance Yourself Free’

Wood Quay Amphitheatre – 9pm – No Booking Required

"Miss Burlesque Ireland Bonnie Boux, aka ‘The Well-Behaved Lunatic’, is bringing her electric show ‘Dance Yourself Free’ featuring a fierce cast of dancers to Wood Quay Amphitheatre this Culture Night.

Promising a mix of mesmerising booty-shaking, hair-whips and high-heels, this classic burlesque show with hip-hop vibes has a comedic flare which is second to none.

Audiences will be dazzled by Daria Décoletté's showgirl sparkle, blown away by Avatar Guille's drop splits, intoxicated by the passion of Krump Creative DreadX aka ‘The Nerve’ and get fired up by Bonnie Boux's fierce dance troupe ‘The Killer Heels.’

This show, notoriously known as Ireland's Arse Factory, is hosted by the colourful Paddy Fabulous, who will lead the way through the wild and magical movement journey of ‘Dance Yourself Free.’

There is no booking required, I do note that the Culture Night website shows it as all ages, however with the time and description, I feel like this may be an oversight but who knows!

DURTY DUBLIN – ‘From The Streets To Between The Sheets’ Graffiti & Street Art Exhibition

The Icon Factory – 6pm – No Booking Required

The Icon Factory is proud to present the DURTY DUBLIN - 'From the streets To between the sheets’ graffiti and street art group exhibition on Culture Night.

This exhibition will feature graffiti and street art paraphernalia, artworks, odds and ends – including ‘slap tags’ and ‘stickers’ from all over the world (ARTBEAT), paste-ups (DZ.B2B), spray-painted art pieces and black book sketches (CROSK, SHUK, SOKER), photographs (DUBLIN URBAN ART) and for the first time ‘BOBBY’ ink drawings (KEVIN BOHAN). Also featuring music from DJ Skelly Be.

Some other events around the country!

Enchanting Horizons: Contemporary Mexican Artistry

Casa Mexico Art-Promoter Cultural Centre – 4.00pm - 8.00pm

The Casa Art Promoter cultural centre, located on the Phibsborough road, will be host to 27 distinguished Mexican visual artists with art that paints a thousand words ‘some say’. In addition, there will be sculpture work on display by the incredible Soria. Take in the diversity of art in Ireland. This amazing work showcases the Mexican art and culture embraced by Ireland. This wonderful event is in the heart of Dublin and requires no booking fee.

More details at Enchanting Horizons: Contemporary Mexican Artistry • Culture Night

Karen Crowley In Moate Library

Moate Library – 5.00pm – 6.00pm – Free

Located in the Moate Library, the very talented pianist Karen Crowley will be performing great classical pieces including Bach, Faure, Morricone, Grieg and many more. Being a dear piano lover myself, I’m a big admire of the renowned work of Karen Crowley. This will be a fantastic event, no costs, no booking, all you must do is turn up and enjoy!

More Details at Karen Crowley in Moate Library • Culture Night

Transistor Dreams

No.8 Gallery – 6.00pm – 8.00pm – Kildare Town

Explore the streets of Kildare town through the lens of renowned artist Aileen McGee. No.8 Gallery showcases a memory timeline of Aileen McGee’s life through her amazing art.

Transistor dreams is a series of paintings that capture Aileen’s memories, starting from her kaleidoscope of kinds and finishing with returning home from London. It can be very difficult for us as humans to capture our thoughts and emotions through words. Visit No.8 Gallery on Friday 22^nd of September to open your eyes to an alternative way to recreate your memories.

Details at Transistor Dreams • Culture Night

Under One Sky

Ballycroy Visitor Centre, Wild Nephin National Park – 8.00pm – 10.00pm

Join us this Friday from Mayo Dark Sky Park / Wild Nephin National Park for a magnificent audio-visual experience. Spectators will get an experience of a lifetime, sharing short stories and poems from culturally diverse perspectives appreciating the value of the dark skies.

The park located in Ballycroy, has also collaborated with Dark-Source to provide spectators with an atmosphere to appreciate the humility that the natural night sky has inspired for generations. Many of us look to the dark skies for advice and perspective alone, why not do it with others and reflect together.

For details on transport and location visit Under One Sky • Culture Night

Please share this event guide with your friends or family who might enjoy some of the events in here!

We’re working on something new to bring to the free events scene in Dublin and hope to publish soon.

If you have an event to share or to support The Dublin Buzz and have a shout out, you can contact me here!