Yes, that’s right, it all kicks off tomorrow, and it should be banging! Definitely worth a road trip from the big smoke (and all other quarters). Here’s some of our top picks…

Theatre – You can’t get much better for Shakespeare than the Globe theatre, and those that gambled on good weather for these outdoor events, might just get lucky (if it holds out, that is!). ‘As you like it’ runs daily from tomorrow. There’s also Cois Ceim’s ‘Swimming with my Mother’ and may other events.

Music – As ever, it’s mainly the music that draws me down to this neck of the woods. This year the names that jump out at me include Winged Victory of the Sullen (whose album  I must have listened to for about four months solid!) and Josh T Pearson along with many others (Jape, Rachel Grimes, Cian Nugent etc). Full list is here.

Literature – This section always seems to be strong for some reason, and there’s Anthony Cronin, John Banville, Mike Scott, to name but a few.