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CULTURE NIGHT 2012 will take place today – offering the public a chance to peek inside some museums, galleries, churches, historic houses, artist’s studios and cultural centres.
The night is being celebrated all across the country, is open to all ages, and is completely free – so don’t miss your chance to enjoy your local and national culture!
Culture Night sees places usually closed to the public opening their doors for one night only, and a host of talks and events created specially for the occasion.
Check out some of the best on offer in the capital today…
Lios na nÓg
History
“Cullenswood by Candlelight”. Visitors are encouraged to explore Ranelagh’s most historic house, where Patrick Pearse founded St. Enda’s in 1908 and an community of artists and activists lived and worked.
From 6pm – 11pm
Houses of the Oireachtas
History/politics
Visitors will be given guided tours of the Dáil and Seanad Chambers and allowed to explore the historic corridors of Leinster House. (Booking required) The last tour commences at 10.15pm.
From 5pm – 10pm
Leinster House, Kildare Street
Windmill Lane Recording Studios
Concert, Music
The Hot House Flowers are set to play in Studio 1 on Culture Night.
Two sets are scheduled for Sept 21st (times to be confirmed) and tickets will be allocated on first-come-first-served basis – book you place on the day at Windmill Lane studios.
Visitors will be granted a tour of the iconic Windmill Lane Recording Studios along with an intimate live gig in Studio 1 where U2, The Script, Lady Gaga and Van Morrison have recorded.
From 5pm – 11pm
20 Ringsend Road, Dublin 4
Outside the Windmill Lane recording studio. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Photocall Ireland
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Dublin
History/Religion
Friends (Quakers) have held meetings for worship for more than 300 years. Find out more about Friends’ rich contribution to Irish history and society during short discussions and interviews with members of the Society.
From 5pm – 11pm
4–5 Eustace Street,
Temple Bar, Dublin 2
American College Dublin
Music, Theatre, Tour
The American College Dublin will hold a celebration of Oscar Wilde and Dublin in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, through words, theatre, video and music on Culture Night. Includes an exclusive production of ‘For Whom We Deliver’, by Donal Courtney, performed by the Gaiety School of Acting’s Youth Theatre Company. Conducted in the childhood home of Oscar Wilde.
From 5pm – 11pm
1 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
La Catedral Studios
Visual art
La Catedral Studios will be open for one day only to visitors, allowing the public to meet with the 24 artists working in combined-media. The Studios will throw their doors open to show their work and space where their creative daily work unfolds.
From 5pm – 11pm
7-11 St. Augustine Street,
Dublin 8
Image: courtesy of La Catedral Studios
Freemasons’ Hall
History
Visitors to the Freemasons’ Hall will be welcomed to the esoterically-styled meeting rooms of this Victorian gem in the centre of Dublin, the purpose built headquarters of the Freemasons in Ireland.
From 5pm – 10pm
17 Molesworth Street,
Dublin 2
The Mansion House
Heritage, Tour
Join a guided tour of the Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor since 1715 and scene of important civic and historic events. first-come, first-served.
Half hourly tours. First Tour 5pm, Last Tour 9.30pm.
From 5pm – 10pm
The Egyptian room, also know as the Royal Arch Room, in the Freemason’s Hall on Molesworth Street, Dublin. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland
New Arts Studio
Exhibition, Talk
The studios of 11 visual artists will open to the public for one evening – providing a rare opportunity to look behind the scenes and see how works of art are created and a chance to speak with professional artists.
From 6pm – 10pm
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies – Dunsink Observatory
Science, Technology
Come to an evening in Dublin’s historical observatory at Dunsink, once home to our greatest scientist and amateur poet, Sir William Rowan Hamilton and now part of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
From 5pm – 11pm
Dunsink Lane, Castleknock, Dublin 15
Patrick Crowley, one the recipients of the 2008 Gogarty Scholarship,at the Dunsink Observatory in Dublin. Photo: Leon Farrell/Photo
For more information on the hundreds of events taking place across the country, please visit the Culture Night website
Have a suggestion about a place to visit tonight? Let us know in the comments below…
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Anything open outside Dublin? :-s
Absolutely Tony. Extremely biased article.
Hey Tony,
There are hundreds of great cultural events taking place all over the county tonight and unfortunately we couldn’t cover them all – so this is a short top ten list of places/events that aren’t usually open to the public in the capital. There’s an invitation at the end of the article for people to share ideas in the comments section, so if anyone has a suggestion about places to go and events to attend in their area please share! Thanks :)
Jesus lads, do yee want The Journal to wipe your ars*s as well?! Check out http://www.google.ie
Gaius – ur avatar looks like Jigsaw from the Saw films.
Only wnding ya up Jennifer…full list published on the Cork City Concil’s web site…:-)
It must be tough to be from Cork with a permanent chip on your shoulder.
Who else is gona keep the rest of yiz on yer box Matthew?
The Quakers would be interesting. Used to live near their hall in Cork, very nice and welcoming people with a great history.
Cannot believe the garden gallery did not make the top ten.. We have a mosaic workshop at 1800 for the kids, pottery workshop for all. Mary McEvoy is doing a one woman show.. Two exhibitions of new art from Hazel Revington-cross and Kevin Meehan… Introducing works from very famous caricaturist Niall O ‘ Loughlin….. Sneaky preview of new oil paintings we are getting from American Artist Mike Hamblin….. Free wine, free food …. Phew shattered already.
Dave – to feature in Top 10 u had to be in Dublin. It’s called inclusivity aka Dublin snobbery. U seem to have a good evening planned. If I was nearer would deffo pay a visit ..
Thanks mate , appreciate the positivity
Neil its
Who do we contact to book the Oireachtas tour?
That’s booked out unfortunately. Tickets were made available in August and they always go quickly
Thanks @Jeff Rockett. Pity about that.
There will be tours of Leinster House as part of Open House Dublin in a couple of weeks time (5-7 Oct), pre-booking also required though: http://openhousedublin.com/index.php/site/tour/leinster-house/
Cheers @niamhsmith
You can also contact your local TD or a Senator to arrange a tour and also to see a sitting of either house.
Good to know.
Masonic temple anybody ?
Harold…. bring the car around front… I’m off..
Harold…. bring the car around front… I’m off..
I go to culture night every year and its always fantastic. Tried for the Masonic Lodge last year but the queues were too long. Heading down straight after work to get in line. Not going to miss out this time.
I think they do tours every Tuesday afternoon….
http://www.culturenight.ie/regional-culture-nights/
You’re welcome.
We are open too in the Dublin Unitarian Church on St Stephen’s Green with music and talks through the evening on Unitarianism, what it is and how it has developed in Ireland. Full details from http://www.dublinunitarianchurch.org/events.
A lot of the main bus routes are free within the city tonight for those of you with children, or can’t get bikes or are just a bit lazy.
I’m definitely heading down to the Dunsink Observatory. I have had a telescope for years but never get to see anything because of the lights where I live. I would love to see Jupiter up close for once, slightly obsessed I think.
Download the culture night app, it works great!
Also my advice, don’t bother with the big galleries that are open all year and are free anyway, don’t plan too much just hop on and off the Dublin Bikes and go to random stuff, and try to finish the night up around the stuff on Francis street where the party goes on to late with music and usually free drinks.
All of this taking place over 6 hours and “The Journal” gives us 4 hours notice. My, they really are on top of their game. Or did I miss an informative article by them sometime earlier in the week?
Oh come on!!! There has been loads of notice across all media for weeks!!!! Do you need to be spoon fed?
not in The Journal, that is my point.
Don’t forget folks, it’s also Park(ing) Day in Dublin and Limerick today until 8pm.
Check out: http://designingthelandscape.com/2012/09/20/parking-day-ireland-2012/
Temple bar hopping well done to all at Wdar for interview with Quakers
have your say