Well, the Nobel prize winners have all left the country and our collective I.Q’s have dropped considerably! They will be missed. So, what’s new this week then?

1. Dark Knight Rises – July 20th – I can’t help but get excited about whatever block buster is on the verge of being released. Generally you leave the cinema with a dead feeling in your stomach, that once more that you’ve been duped. Hopefully this will not be the case in this instance, and reviews seem pretty positive. The Lighthouse are showing it at 5 in the morning, for those you need to see it first!

2. Waterboys – Iveagh Garden – July 20th – Possibly the gig of the week, but there’s a few good ones on, with Dufus Wainwright (Wed 18th) and Lisa Hannigan (Sat 21st) also playing the venue. Bruce Springsteen also has two nights at the RDS (17th and 18th) for those inclined, and the Fall are in the Button Factory on the 19th. You could be at a gig every night this week, if you put your mind to it! Waterboys are my tip though, as they have the Unthanks and Katie Kim as warm up acts, so hard to miss.

3. Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bray Wanderers – Sat 21st July – Carlisle Grounds – Thank God the footie is back! A few brief days for Irish folk to see some over paid English footballers in the flesh. Bray seem to be hogging most of them, but there’s a few around Dublin also.

4. World Street Performers Championship – 19th – 22nd July – Merrion Square will be home to a variety of odd performances, and should be worth a look.

5. A Woman of no Importance – Gate Theatre – The Gate doesn’t like to risk a limb, and showing Oscar Wilde should pack them in as usual. Previews start on Thursday (19th July).