While it’s natural to want to hibernate at this time of year, there are plenty of inspiring seasonal events to browse this month … no tricks, just lots of treats!
Hidden Hearth, Lisnavagh House and Gardens, Co Carlow
Directed by Oonagh O’Sullivan and Emily Bunbury, whose family reside in the historic estate of Lisnavagh, Hidden Hearth is taking place from October 11 to 13. This alcohol and substance free festival blends the arts, music, poetry, and Irish language and heritage into a mindful three-day experience. Festival-goers can engage in meditation, yoga, breathwork, and masterclasses on food, regenerative agriculture, rewilding and natural medicines; alongside thought-provoking talks and debates on climate change, farming, sustainability and environmental protection, all under the theme of “Roots, Fruits and Future”. Emily explains, “We aim to create a life-changing weekend that encourages attendees to celebrate community, to reconnect with our own spirit and with nature. We all live under the same sky, be that in Gaza or Galway, and we all want what’s best for our family and communities. It is only by sharing our experiences and having respect for ourselves, each other, our differences and the natural world that we can truly be happy, and have peace in our world and in our own hearts.” Tickets are priced at €80 for a day pass and camping tickets for the weekend cost €175; www.hiddenhearthfestival.ie
The 2024 Wexford Festival Opera, Co Wexford
Taking place from October 18 to November 2, this will be one of the biggest Wexford Festival Opera in recent years, spanning 16 days and 70 events; including two pocket operas featuring a new work by Colm Tóibín and Alberto Caruso. According to artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi, she wants to give the public “a peep behind the curtain, where anything can happen and everything is possible … with a touch of lightness.” Her theme is Theatre within Theatre as seen in the three main stage operas: Le Maschere by Pietro Mascagni (1901), The Critic by Charles Villiers Stanford (1916) and Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali by Gaetano Donizetti (1827); www.wexfordopera.com
Bram Stoker Festival, Dublin
The Bram Stoker Festival, taking place from October 28 to 31, is one of Dublin’s most anticipated and wide-ranging of festivals taking in plays, art installations and horror films. One of the many (free) initiatives is Borealis in Dublin Castle’s Upper Courtyard; an immersive sound and light experience with a soundtrack by Guillaume Desbois, which has wowed audiences globally. Meanwhile, at the Abbey Theatre you can sink your fangs into Bram Stoker’s gothic world by watching the staged reading of Stoker’s masterpiece, directed by Joan Sheehy. Dracula: Lucy’s Passion explores chapters 5 to 16 of Dracula, on Sunday, October 27. Don’t miss the Irish Film Institute’s Horrothon 2024 which runs simultaneously, celebrating everything that lurks in the shadows and creeps through the hallways. A highlight of the year will be John Farrelly’s An Taibhse (pictured), the first Irish-language horror film. This chilling tale follows the haunting of the father-daughter duo of caretakers looking after a remote Georgian mansion in 1852, during the bleak winter months emerging from the Great Hunger; www.bramstokerfestival.com
Harvest Festival, Killruddery House & Gardens, Co Wicklow
We don’t need much excuse to visit Killruddery, whether to wander around its pretty grounds and enjoy the leaf peeping or a coffee in the Grain Store. We’ll be there on October 26 and 27 when there is a Harvest Fete from 10am to 4pm, offering visitors an array of autumnal delights. Be sure to pick up a pumpkin! Bray Lions will be on hand to assist with carving, helping to raise funds for a vital cause: TLM cancer treatment for children in Tanzania. This charity was established by local hero, Dr Trish Scanlon; www.killruddery.com
Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, Galway
Taking place from October 11 to 20 October across Galway, this Festival offers over 50 events designed to inspire, and entertain, children and their families. This year’s programme has a distinctly European flavour; welcoming companies from Italy, Sweden, The Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland and England. One item on the programme caught my attention – BullyBully, a madcap musical that explores what toddlers and world leaders have in common. Sounds like a must-see; www.baboro.ie
Dublin Theatre Festival, Dublin
During the Dublin Theatre Festival, which runs until October 15, Caitríona McLaughlin, co-director and artistic director of the Abbey Theatre, fulfils a long held dream to direct Grania, written by Lady Gregory, based on the Irish legend of Gráinne, Diarmuid and Fionn; a story of love, lust, power and desire in its first ever production on the national stage, from September 21-October 26. “When Enda Walsh says he’s working on a new project, you grab it with both hands”, says McLaughlin. Walsh’s Safe House runs from October 3 to November 9 and is described as a song cycle, a gig and a smashed-up memory play about a woman living alone (played by Kate Gilmore) with her fractured thoughts; trying to make sense of it all. Another must-see is The House, a masterpiece by the late Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes, which features Marie Mullen in the main role and plays in both Town Hall Theatre Galway and the Gaiety Dublin. Also at the Gaiety is Mark O’Rowe’s much anticipated Reunion: The Gate’s autumn programme features Owen McCafferty’s acclaimed drama Agreement, based on the Good Friday Agreement (Andrea Irvine plays Mo Mowlam), while the family adventure The Borrowers has been adapted for the stage from Mary Norton’s much loved children’s novel. The Gate has a new membership programme which includes benefits such as discounted tickets, behind-the-scenes tours and advance bookings, starting from €65 per year; www.gatetheatre.ie
Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Cork City
Gregory Porter, Kamasi Washington, Seun Kuti, and Buena Vista All Stars Presents: One Night In Havana. They are among the headline acts to perform at this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, which takes place from October 24 to 28 (the Bank Holiday weekend). Celebrating its 46th year, the five-day festival features an eclectic line-up of performances (Gregory Porter is the headline act), as well as an extended music trail through the city, pop-up events, late night parties, boat trips, collaborations and brass bands marching through the city streets! www.guinnesscorkjazz.com
October Fest, nationwide
It’s seems slightly odd that many Octoberfest events actually happen in September but, if you missed the chance to celebrate the traditional Bavarian beer festival, there are a few venues where you can enjoy some toe-tapping oompah bands and beer – including The Bloody Stream in Howth this weekend and at Brickyard, Dundrum, which is hosting its own Hofbräu Dundrum Bricktoberfest until October 12. Complementing its impressive beer selection will be a special Oktoberfest menu, offering traditional German dishes (with a modern Irish twist), with Oktoberfest decor, also reflected in the staff uniforms. At the Eatyard, Drumcondra, until October 27, guests are also guaranteed steins of beer, bratwurst and lots of pretzels. There are lots fun competitions too, from Hasselhoff karaoke, to Ledenhosen limbo and blind beer tastings.
Scream Festival, The Nightmare Realm at Dublin City Market
The Nightmare Realm, voted Ireland’s Best Halloween Experience and Europe’s Best Scream Park, is returning to its haunt at Dublin’s City Market from Friday, October 4 to November 1 with a new immersive experience. Be warned the Village of Fear XV embodies everything that haunts your nightmares, with five new mazes, interactive secret rooms, an expanded Museum of Horrors, a food court, and a Halloween town; www.thenightmarerealm.ie
Space Week Ireland
Funded by Science Foundation Ireland and coordinated by MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory, the aim of Space Week Ireland, from October 4 to 10, is to ignite a passion for space science and inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and astronauts. (It also coincides with World Space Week). During the space-themed festival, events include workshops, lectures and exhibitions, on the theme of Space and Climate. Former NASA astronaut Steve Swanson is joining too on a nationwide road trip, which starts at the MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory on October 4 and continues to Cork, Galway, Offaly, Dublin and Kildare. (You can follow the journey virtually on the Blackrock Castle Observatory YouTube channel). There’s also a #NovaHunter photography competition and a special Space Week TV bringing the cosmos to communities across the country; www.spaceweek.ie
