In terms of odd ball festivals, the Dublin Bay Prawn festival must rank pretty highly! It runs in Bray from the 25th – 28th of April. To find the full series of Prawn based events, go here.

It’s also the Garage Bar’s 3rd birthday (where do the years go?) Here’s what they’re promising: “Thursday April 25th, 7.30pm! Pull up a gasoline drum seat and admire the retro styled Americana interior while sipping away on a cold one (or two!) and listening to the DJ’s that have had the bar rocking since it threw open its doors in 2010! We’re talking Ken Mooney (The Urges), Sean Goucher (The Pacific #1s), Ruairi (Sweet Jane) and Paula C (September Girls) and loads more as well as drinks promotions on the night!”

Art –

“I knOw yoU is a dynamic exhibition by a new generation of young European artists” or so says the blurb on the new exhibition in IMMA @ NCH (Earlsfort Terrace). It features the work of over 50 artists, so should be something for everyone! Quite looking forward to this one, Tino Sehgal also continues in the same venue.

I knOw yoU–  IMMA Earlsfort Terrace – 19 April – 1st Sept 2013

Tino Sehgal: This Situation–  IMMA Earlsfort Terrace – until 19 May 2013

Analysing Cubism – IMMA Kilmainham – until 19th May.

Ben River ‘Ah Liberty’ Simone Kappeler in Gallery 2 –  Douglas Hyde until May 22nd.

Sean Scully exhibition Doric a is at the Hugh Lane  until 9th June. Sleepwalkers (mixed exhibition) continues until May 12th. Jonathan Cummins: When I Leave These Landings continues until 2nd June.

The sketchbooks of Jack B Yeats are at the National Gallery until May.

Chester Beatty – The Paintings is at the Chester Beatty (until Aug 31st)

The RHA have two exhibitions: Skin, an artistic atlas, RHA Charles Gallagher Gallery and Bill Foley, Recent Paintings, RHA Ashford Gallery. Both finish this week! April 28th

Private Galleries:

Aleana Egan’s ‘The Sensitive Plant’ is at the Kerlin from the 19th April until 1st June.

Patrick O’Reilly  starts at the Oliver Sears on the 25th April (until June 6th).

The Kevin Kavanagh Gallery (between exhibitions)

Sarah Longley is at the Peppercanister Gallery from the 19th of April until May 4th.

Material Fact (Group show including Silvia Bächli, Gerard Byrne, Paul Doran, Dennis McNulty until May 25th) is at the Green on Red Gallery.

Talks/ Lectures –

Dublin: One City, One book – focuses on Strumpet City by James Plunkett this month with events (readings, lectures etc) around the city! There’s a few events in the NLI that are worth a mention also. On Wednesday in the National Library “Bryan Murray (Fitz), John Kelleher (executive producer), Tony Barry (producer) and Ruth Hegarty (Lily) tell the story of the making of the iconic TV series. Other cast and crew members will be in the audience.” Details are here.

The wonderful Rob Manuel discusses ‘The Bottom Half of the Internet‘ along with the equally wonderful (possibly even more so!) Ed Melvin on internet currencies. Full details on our site are here and on their own site here.

The Roughly Speaking Series with a talk on the Irish Marketing Industry on the 24th and on the Irish Economy (with Prof Roy Foster) on the 27th at the Project Arts Centre.

There’s also a celebration of El Quijote at the Cervantes Institute in Dublin for world book day (tomorrow April 23rd), in tribute to the esteemed Spanish author, Miguel de Cervantes, we are holding a recital of fragments from El Quijote and a double lecture by hispanists Grace Magnier and Diego Martínez Torrón, featuring the singularities which make the Cervantes’ literature a universal treasure, and specifically his influence on the English-Speaking world.

Theatre

Digging for Fire by Rough Magic opens for real at the Project Arts Centre! Rough Magic are one of the best theatre comapnies in Ireland, and a new release from them is always something to get excited about!

The other new kid this week is Richard II at the Peacock. Expect reviews of both later this week!

Mrs. Warren’s profession continues at the Gate (our review is here).

Drum Belly continues at the Abbey Theatre (heavily recommended! our review is here). €10 tickets Monday to Wednesday, and it’s really good! Go check it out…

I Do Not Like Thee Dr. Fell is  at the New Theatre until April 27th.

Digging for Fire is at the Project Arts Centre until May 4th.

Hello Dolly! is at the Gaiety Theatre April 15th – 27th.

Wired to the Moon is at the Civic Theatre (April 17th – 20th)

Oliver Reed: Wild Thing and Peter Sheridan Break a Leg are at the Pavillion

Movies

The Lighthouse has a Baz Luhrmann season starting soon. Check it out!

Three new seasons are in full swing at the IFI with Spotlight on Irish Movies, Essential Cinema and a Pedro Almodovar season, details of all are here.  There’s a Q&A with the great man live via satellite tomorrow, along with his new movie I’m So Excited.

There’s also open air cinema in Fitzwilliam Square from ‘happenings‘, full details are here!  You only get 36 hours notice, and it’s a fiver in. Hope the weather holds up for that one! Last Friday is was ‘Some like it Hot’ and they got good weather for it! Hopefully they’re as lucky next time out.

Terminator 2 is part of Film Fatale on the 23rd of April at the Sugar Club

There’s also a season of movies in Meeting House Square, with details here.  Up! is on this week, on April 25th at 9.45.

Gigs

There’s a clear winner for our gig of the week, and that’s ‘A Hawk and A Hacksaw’. I saw them last time I was in Dublin, and they rocked my world! Well, maybe not rocked, maybe they folked my world.

Monday 22 April

Michael Schenker – Vicar Street

Il Divo – The O2

Thom Moore – Whelan’s

Ian Fisher and The Present – Whelan’s

Rds Rising Stars Music Recitals, Spring 2013 – RDS

Tue 23 April

A Hawk and A Hacksaw – The Workman’s Club (Just go see these guys!)

Marc Copland And John Abercrombie – NCH

Breaking Light – Whelan’s

Wed 24 April

Chelsea Wolfe – The Sugar Club

Birds Of Chicago – Whelan’s

Matt Cardle – Whelans

Thu 25 April

K-X-P – Whelan’s

Zebra Club Night – Whelan’s

dREA – Whelan’s

Hard Ground – The Workman’s Club

Fri 26 April

Kreator – The Academy

TouchWood – Whelan’s

Egyptian Lover – The Sugar Club

Yellowbridge – The Twisted Pepper

Solar Bears – The Button Factory

The FitzaFrenic – The Grand Social

Block McCloud, Blacastan and Tall Order -=The Twisted Pepper

Sat 27 April

Christy Moore – Vicar Street

Art Department – The Button Factory

The Jazz Rainbow Trio – NCH

Kila – The Button Factory

Brian Deady – Whelan’s

Big Country – The Academy

King Charles – Whelan’s

Oddsocks – Whelan’s

Sun 28 April

Kinky Friedman – Whelan’s

Rackhouse Pilfer – Whelan’s