Ireland Lifestyle 2026: Culture, Food & Social Life

The International Dublin Tattoo Convention is Ireland's premier annual celebration of tattoo culture, bringing over 250 top international and local artists together at the RDS Main Hall. Events range from author in-conversations, panel discussions, book launches and literary walking tours, to creative workshops, professional development events, and a full free family and schools’ programme. In this Performance Symposium we will collapse the borders between the internal human experience and the external lived experience — This time, we’re going bigger, taking over two halls at the RDS and increasing capacity by 50%, with 150+ sellers and thousands of shoppers expected for a full day of second-hand fashion, music, food and entertainment.

A birthday celebration turns febrile when a rural Irish family address their sister’s relationship with a refugee. The Magnificent explores the tensions and tenderness between them, as the consequences of their careers, lives and choices come knocking. With frolics and mayhem and of course Panto merriment, follow Robin’s journey as he knocks the deviou

Five people have been taken to hospital following a road collision in Louth, as the bank holiday road safety campaign continues. The biggest single patient safety issue about which HSE hospitals notified the health watchdog under new mandatory reporting requirements were procedures to help prevent newborn baby brain damage. Emmanuel Macron has been accused by trade unions of trying to curb the fundamental French right to protest as the government fast-tracks a bill to make protesters pay for damage caused by vandalism at street demonstrations even if they did… A status-yellow weather warning covering 11 counties will come into effect on Monday afternoon, with strong and gusty south to southwest winds set to sweep over Ireland again.

Gardaí issue appeal for help to name body of man that lay undiscovered for days at recycling plant How coverage over 'chest-feeding' speaker led to threats against a breastfeeding conference Ireland's welfare payments far from enough to keep people out of poverty 'Ireland is good at saving and can be better at investing with good advice' — how people can get the most out of investment accounts

Know Before You Go: Your Guide to Halloween in Longford and Westmeath this October & November

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In addition, the dialect and accent of the people of Northern Ireland is noticeably different from that of the majority in the Republic of Ireland, being influenced by Ulster Scots and Northern Ireland's proximity to Scotland. A larger minority have Irish as a second language, with 40.6% of people in the Republic of Ireland claiming some ability to speak the language in the 2011 census. During the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, a strong indigenous tradition of painting emerged, including such figures as John Butler Yeats, William Orpen, Jack Yeats and Louis le Brocquy.

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Directed by Ciarán Kelly and featuring alto soloist Leanne Fitzgerald and organist David Leigh, this is a lovely night out in city centre Dublin. Enjoy a warm, uplifting programme of choral music that brings together timeless tradition and some sing-along festive favourites. Join the Guinness Choir for a joyful Christmas celebration, featuring highlights from Bach’s magnificent Christmas Oratorio alongside a selection of much-loved seasonal classics. It promises to be a very special celebration of music, tradition, and the festive season. People can also try something new at our various family friendly workshops for all ages and enjoy festive music, hot drinks and treats.

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• John McAreavey makes kids proud as he completes first marathon in impressive time
• The most active categories are music, comedy, workshops, with popular venues including 3Olympia Theatre, 3Arena Dublin, Wigwam Dublin.
• The Bad Witch is up to mischief making gruesome dishes including her speciality, Witches’ Pie.
• Yellow weather warnings in place across the country after Storm Boelo

Poetry in Irish represents the oldest vernacular poetry in Europe, with the earliest examples dating from the 6th century. The island's most widely known literary works are in English, including works by James Joyce, Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and Ireland's four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature; William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. The island of Ireland has made a large contribution to world literature in various branches, in both the Irish and English languages. Other practices in Ireland include lighting bonfires, and having firework displays. There are also tales of the pooka and banshees, among others.citation needed

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• Join us at our in-person Open Day to experience what student life is like in Ireland's National Conservatoire.
• British and satellite-carried international television channels have widespread audiences in the Republic.
• The event will feature a chilling House of Horrors Haunted house, live entertainment on the big stage and fun activities for young people, families, and the wider community.
• Theatre serves here as a place to relate to our uncanny human existences addressing the collective unconscious at a time when violence and grief are undeniable aspects of our experiences.

Myra has fallen on hard times and is now homeless living on the streets of Dublin. Journey through the Haunted Trail, encounter playful characters and surprises, and discover ancient Samhain traditions in The Samhain Forest. This October, step into the magic and mystery of Samhain at Malahide Castle. As the forest’s magic begins to unravel, you’ll be tasked with collecting special ingredients needed to help restore balance to the enchanted woodland. Along the way, we'll trace the Irish roots of Dracula and explore the changelings, fairy Running daily from Saturday 24 to Saturday 31 October, 2pm-3pm, this is your chance to explore MoLI's darker side this Samhain.

As Other Voices heads for Dingle and its 25th edition, Home sets the journey in motion at St. James's Gate with an intimate night of music and song in the heart of the Liberties. Whether you're an experienced collector or completely new to the hobby, Ireland Card Show is a fun, welcoming A family-friendly event, Dublin by Night Fest celebrates Dublin’s Purple Flag status for safe, vibrant nightlife.

• Halloween is fast approaching and it’s time to delve back in the origins of Irish traditions and explore how Samhain became Halloween.
• Further weather warnings issued as 18,000 left without power after Storm Boelo
• Lisa Vanderpump from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and her husband, successful restaurateur, Ken Todd, talk to Brigid Boden from IrishETV about the Vanderpump Dog Foundation and their second annual World Dog Day festival.
• Both the BBC and ITV have local regional programing specific to Northern Ireland produced and broadcast through BBC Northern Ireland and UTV.

Events

Some towns even have local American football leagues. Beyond that, Ireland punches above its weight in literature, music, dance, and the arts. If you’re new in town, your local pub is often the fastest way to feel part of the community.

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Guinness Choir presents Bach’s Christmas Oratorio alongside festive favourites—a joyful celebration of timeless Christmas music. Join us for a wonderful evening of music as we bring Handel’s much-loved masterpiece to life, featuring its stirring choruses, beautiful arias, and unforgettable Hallelujah Chorus. Produced as always by the brilliant TheatreworX Productions, NEVERLAND promises a swashbuckling mix of festive fun, magical mischief, and spectacular adventure for the whole family.

With over 100 events taking place across five days in venues throughout Dublin City, featuring over 200 authors, illustrators, poets and musicians, the festival is packed with events for all ages. Theatre serves here as a place to relate to our uncanny human existences addressing the collective unconscious at a time when violence and grief are undeniable aspects of our experiences. Join us at our in-person Open Day to experience what student life is like in Ireland's National Conservatoire. We invite you to celebrate this Halloween weekend on a journey through the music that made it unforgettable.

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• Keep up-to-date with Irish entertainment news, gossip, photos, video, and reviews featuring Irish celebrities and pop culture, film and TV, music, dance, theater, literature, and more.
• During the 1990s and particularly the early 2000s, dozens of local radio stations have gained licenses.
• The entertainment experience they provide is next to none, showcasing the best of Irish entertainment.
• A High Court judge will this week hear a judicial review of an appeal by the Women of Honour for their Defence Forces tribunal legal costs to be paid on a continual basis.
• The 9 at 9 Election victory in Brazil, yellow weather warnings and social welfare payments.

Other popular papers include The Sunday Times (Ireland Edition), The Business Post, The Irish Mail on Sunday and the Sunday World. A wide variety of sports are played throughout the island, with the most popular being Gaelic football, hurling, soccer, rugby union, and golf. A significant recent change to pub culture in the Republic of Ireland has been the introduction of a smoking ban, in all workplaces, which includes pubs and restaurants. "Clubbing" has become a popular phenomenon amongst young people in Ireland during the celtic tiger years. Many modern pubs, not necessarily traditional, still emulate traditional pubs, only perhaps substituting traditional music for a DJ or non-traditional live music.citation needed

In Ireland most sports, including rugby union, Gaelic football, hurling and handball, cycling and golf, are organised on an all-island basis, with, where relevant, a single team representing the island of Ireland in international competitions. Other sports with material playing populations, including at school level, include tennis, hockey, pitch and putt, rugby, basketball, boxing, cricket and squash. Their propensity for rural living was influenced by a variety of factors including cultural traditions, a desire for privacy and autonomy, work opportunities and their fondness of the natural world. The most popular of these are the annual Dublin Saint Patrick's Day Festival which attracts on average 500,000 people and the National Ploughing Championships with an attendance in the region of 400,000. British and satellite-carried international television channels have widespread audiences in the Republic. In terms of Satellite-carried channels in Northern Ireland these are the same as for the rest of the United Kingdom including all Sky channels.

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Popular in Dublin

Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote returns following riotous presentations in 2025 of Sing a Song of Murder. The cult hit event Solve-Along-A-Murder, She Wrote returns to Dún Laoghaire for Halloween with an interactive screening of the spooky Murder, She Wrote episode "A Witch’s Curse". The Liberties Haunt brings Halloween to the heart of Dublin 8 on Saturday 31 October, with an evening of creepy circus clown Halloween fun!

The Irish magazine market consisting of international magazines, ranging from Time and The Economist to Hello! There are also two weekly papers, the Northside People and Southside People that cover local topics in the capital. Curiously Dublin remains one of the few places in Ireland without a major local paper since the Dublin Evening Mail closed down in the 1960s. There are quite a large number of local weekly newspapers both North and South, with most counties and large towns having two or more newspapers.

In ADRIFT, Kinahan explores the ironic rise of Irish anti-immigrant sentimen EXILE is a unique collaborative production, merging theatre and music to explore the extraordinary life of Fenian, poet, convict, journalist and orator John Boyle O'Reilly from Dowth County Meath. Through the eyes of their new nurse, Rose, we discover these unforgettable women who are complicated, contrary, and full of stories. TwinkleTown returns to Dublin City this Christmas with ice skating, the Santo Panto, festive food and drink, live music and much more. Join Lola, Buddy, Laurel, and a host of unforgettable new characters as they journey to a world of pirates, fairies, forgotten powers and belly laughs in Dublin’s Most Magical Panto! You will gain a real insight into the student experience and life at UCD.

This ‘genuinely funny' (Time Out) show features all the iconic moments you love, plus fabulous ZNAKI FM Launches Irish Edition, Expanding Its Global News and Entertainment Network new songs and dazzling dance numbers! Every night is built around the people in the room, with spontaneous moments, unpredictable stories and one-off interactions that can never be recreated. Enjoy a weekend filled with creativity, community and connection at our 2025 Christmas Fair. Rather than presenting one unified version, the concert takes you on a seasonal journey, alternating between Vivaldi's vivid Baroque original and Richter's contemporary reimagining.