Culture Date with Dublin 8 Festival Returns this May
- CultureHead Staff
- Apr 16
- 6 min read
-Festival will celebrate 250 year anniversary of Daniel O’Connell’s birth
-Over 100 events announced, including a church concert with Dublin 8 resident Paul Noonan of Bell X1
Experience and celebrate one of Ireland's coolest neighborhoods at the Culture Date with the Dublin 8 festival, from Wednesday, May 7th, to Sunday, May 11th. This year’s lineup boasts over 100 specially curated activities from walking tours, workshops and historic reenactments, to concerts, late night parties, theatrical performances and much, much more.
This year, the festival will honour the 250th anniversary of Daniel O'Connell's birth with a series of events, including a flagship concert at Goldenbridge Cemetery.
The programme for the festival was officially unveiled at a ceremony in St. Patrick’s Cathedral this morning, ahead of a launch party at Teeling Whiskey Distillery this evening. Speaking at the launch, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain, invited members of the public to come and be inspired:
“It is my honour to launch the programme for this year's Culture Date with Dublin 8 festival, which celebrates the Dublin 8 area as one of Ireland’s leading cultural destinations. From ancient history to modern art, Dublin 8 is home to some of Ireland's most culturally significant and diverse heritage sites and museums. I’m particularly excited about the series of events honoring Daniel O’Connell, the Liberator, champion of equality and dignity and former Lord Mayor of Dublin.”
Flagship Events
Among this year’s headline events the popular How to Gael Podcast will open the festival on Tuesday, 6th May, with a live, Dublin 8-themed episode at the Guinness Storehouse.
As part of the ‘Late in D8’ programme in association with CWB, Dublin 8 resident Paul Noonan, of Bell X1 and HousePlants fame, will be performing an intimate concert in the incredible setting of St. Catherine and St James Church, Donore, on Thursday, 8th May. Noonan, will be joined by composer Jim Lawler and GRAMMY Award winning producer, Ben Rawlins of SASO.
Historian and author Donal Fallon will host ‘A Pint of The Past’ , a unique evening of music and performance celebrating “Dublin 8’s forgotten pubs, breweries, and stories”. The event will take place on Saturday, 10th May, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and will be brought to life by the poet Stephen James Smith, folk singer MacDara Yeates, Irish storyteller Helena Byrne and other special guests.
Daniel O’Connell 250 Celebrations
This year, the Culture Date with Dublin 8 festival will commemorate the 250th anniversary of Daniel O'Connell's birth with a number of specially curated events.
A concert will be held at Goldenbridge Cemetery, on Sunday 11 May, paying homage to Daniel O’Connell’s 'Monster Meetings’. Curated by musician Fiach Moriarty, the event will feature reenactments of the notable speeches by Daniel O’Connell and Frederick Douglass, performed by Jim Roche and Peter Smith, along with contributions from spoken word artists Roxanna Nic Liam and John Cumins, historian Ultan Moran, as well as musician Sive, renowned pipe and flute player Louise Mulcahy and a performance by the Foley Irish Dancing Academy.
Author and journalist Caelainn Hogan is curating an evening of storytelling and performance to celebrate the Liberator's 250th birthday. ‘Liberation at the Back Lane Parliament’ will reflect on the legacy of Daniel O’Connell and explore future visions of liberation. The event will take place in Tailors Hall on Friday 9 May, with contributions from artist Day Magee, spoken word artist Osaro Azams, poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin and more acts to be announced.
Daniel O’Connell scholar Patrick M.Geoghegan will deliver a keynote lecture ‘Daniel O’Connell and the Campaign for Civil Rights’ at the The Hyatt Centric in The Liberties on Thursday 8th May, also known as ‘Liberation Day’. There will also be a talk and tour by Brian Crowley, the Collections Curator of Kilmainham Gaol Museum on Daniel O’Connell’s imprisonment in Dublin 8. The Dublin Cemeteries Trust will be leading tours of Goldenbridge Cemetery, the first non-denominational cemetery opened by O’Connell in 1828.
World Famous Breweries & Distilleries
Dublin 8 is home to some of the world's most renowned breweries and distilleries, all of which will open their doors to host bespoke events during the festival. This year marks a significant moment in the Teeling Whiskey story as the spirit of Dublin celebrates a Decade of Dublin Distilling in The Liberties. Teeling Whiskey will commemorate the 150th anniversary of The Great Liberties Whiskey Fire with a special talk by Las Fallon, historian and retired firefighter. Additionally Fionnán O’Connor, one of Ireland’s foremost experts on the history of single pot still whiskey will present an insightful talk and walking tour.
The Dublin Liberties Distillery will host the Irish Women in Jazz Podcast, as well as a masterclass on how to craft the perfect Irish coffee. Pearse Lyons Distillery will offer guided tours and whisky tasting, with all proceeds donated to charity, and Stillgarden Distillery will be offering tours with complimentary drinks. Over at Rascals Brewery there will be a screening of John Carney’s film Sing Street. Visitors can also join local historian Karl Deery for an immersive exploration of the Liberties, capping off the experience with beer tasting at Guinness Open Gate Brewery and whiskey tasting at Roe and Co Distillery.
Heritage sites
Some of Ireland’s most important heritage sites, churches and museums are situated in Dublin 8. At St. Patrick’s Cathedral expert tour guide Geraldine Moran will host a captivating tour sharing the hidden stories of the historic site. Farmleigh will host numerous talks and tours including “Arthur Guinness: The Man Who Brewed an Empire” and “A Legacy of Philanthropy: The Iveagh Trust”.
Visitors can explore the mummified cat and rat during a special tour of Christchurch Cathedral or take a Viking Knit Weaving Class at Dublinia. At the Edward Worth Library, Dublin city Historian Dr Cathy Scuffil will host a talk on “Rialto Buildings -the Place and the People” while participants will have the opportunity to explore Kilmainham Mill in association with the DCC Culture Connects programme.
Family Fun Activities
This year’s Culture Date with Dublin 8 Festival is filled with many family-friendly activities. St. Audoen’s Park will feature performances from St. George's Brass Band with family tours and activities in St Audoen’s Church. There will be an opportunity to dress like a monk at the Christchurch Cathedral’s family friendly crypt tour or be part of a LEGO treasure hunt at Marsh's library.
The Irish Museum of Modern Art will host a family-friendly tour of their current exhibition Art as Agency and at Kilmainham Gaol, visitors will have the opportunity to hear stories of crimes committed by children during a special children's tour . The Bee8 Initiative will provide a hands-on beekeeping class and renowned artist and illustrator, Aidan Harte, will host a ‘Lugs Branigan’ cartoon drawing workshop at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Walking Tours
Discover the incredible history of Dublin 8 through a series of engaging walking tours during the festival. Visitors can explore the life of Anne Devlin with a tour of the Liberties led by local historian Liz Gillis or learn about the celebrated satirist and author of Gulliver’s Travels on ‘The Swift’s Dublin’ walking tour. Discover the shrines of the Liberties on ‘The Marian Tour’ with author Caelainn Hogan and photographer 1eurofiddy or explore Dublin 8’s recent archaeological discoveries on the ‘Me Jewel and Darlin' tour led by the Friends of Medieval Dublin.
Elsewhere, ‘The Emergency, A Walk Through the Tenters,’ will guide participants through the Tenters area, focusing on the effects of World War II on the local community, while Arran Hendseron of Dublin Decoded has created new custom tours centred on the history and architecture of the Liberties.
Special Events
Retired Dublin City Council photographer, William ‘Billy’ Mooney, a longtime resident of Dublin's Tenters, is being celebrated through a photographic exhibition of his images, chronicling the city’s history at The former Bank on James Street. The Liberties Weavers are hosting an end-of-year exhibition with a talk by Cathy Scuffil, while St Patrick's Athletic introduces a pop-up museum featuring historic memorabilia from the 1930s to the present day.
The popular "Three Castles Burning" podcast will record a live episode discussing the famous 1970 music festival held at Richmond Park. Additionally, a live Irish language podcast Dáta Dúchais le Raidió Rí-Rá on the cultural heritage of Dublin 8 will be recorded by Cúán de Búrca and Cían Mac Coisteala.
Visual Arts
In a vibrant celebration of visual arts, several key events are set to take place. La Catedral Studios marks its 20th anniversary showcasing its contributions to the artistic landscape over the past two decades. Pallas Projects will present an exhibition by Michella Perera whose paintings explore personal and cultural narratives of South Asian immigrant communities. Visitors are invited to participate in guided tours of IMMA Exhibitions, while the NCAD Studio+ programme hosts several events in collaboration with The Liberties Community Project.
The Culture Date with Dublin 8 Festival will take place from Wednesday 7th to Sunday 11th May. Many of the events are free but booking is required.
This is just some of the highlights of this year’s programme for full details see culturedatewithdublin8.ie
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