Free entry to over 70 OPW sites as heritage week begins
Sites include Doneraile Court and Estate, The Rock of Cashel, the Glendalough and Clonmacnoise monastic sites.
Also included are visitor centres at Portumna Castle and Gardens, Sligo Abbey, Donegal Castle, Charles Fort, Ennis Friary and Ionad an Bhlascaoid - the Blasket Centre.
Irish language tours will be available at many of the sites throughout Heritage Week 2025 which runs from tomorrow until Sunday, 24 August.
Organised by the Heritage Council, National Heritage Week has become one of the country's largest cultural celebrations with almost 2,400 events taking place during the week.
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Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Noel Gallagher spotted socialising in Maynooth pub ahead of Oasis Croke Park gigs
He was spotted socialising this evening in Brady's Clockhouse pub in Maynooth, Co Kildare. Dressed in black and sporting shades, the 58-year-old was swamped by well-wishers as he was escorted into the bar by bodyguards. He later sat at a table with a number of associates, but it's unclear if he had any pints or just stuck to water or soft drinks in the lead up to the band's two gigs this weekend. Noel is staying at the five star Carton House hotel, which is located on the outskirts of Maynooth. Notable guests down through the years at that luxury hotel have included Queen Victoria, Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco, Julie Andrews, Mick Jagger, Lana Del Rey, Peter Sellers and Marianne Faithfull. Noel flew into Dublin this afternoon, while Liam is expected in the capital tomorrow morning. The Oasis singer is tipped to be staying at the five star Powerscourt Hotel (formerly the Ritz Carlton) in Co Wicklow. Other members of the band flew into Ireland on Wednesday. Rhythm guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs and drummer Joey Waronker went for a swim at Killiney beach yesterday. The guitarist has re-joined Oasis alongside the Gallagher brothers and members Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Joey Waronker for their reunion tour, which continues in Dublin this weekend. It comes as the first images of the stage set-up in Croke Park emerged yesterday. Learn more The group have so far performed 15 nights around England, Wales and Scotland and are currently in Ireland enjoying a four-day gap between their last show of a three-night stopover in Edinburgh and Saturday's Croke Park gig. After their Dublin shows, the band is setting off to Canada, US, and Mexico, before playing at Wembley Stadium in London again on September 27 and 28. They will later head off to Asia, Australia and South America, with the last stop of their Oasis Live '25 tour in Sao Paulo in Brazil on November 22 and 23. After a 16-year hiatus, the Gallagher brothers announced last August they would perform together for the first time since the band's split in 2009. After almost a year-long wait for Irish fans, Oasis will bring their highly anticipated Live 25 tour to Croke Park for two sold-out nights on Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17, in front of 160,000 fans. This will be their first gig in Ireland since 2009, when the rock band performed in Slane Castle.
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
First Gallagher sighting in Ireland as Noel spotted in pub as Oasis fans descend on Dublin for historic Croke Park gigs
OASIS fans have been jetting in from HALF THE WORLD AWAY today ahead of the band's two monster concerts at Croke Park while Noel Gallagher was spotted hanging out at an Irish boozer. The iconic musician made his first public appearance ahead of the historic double gig at GAA HQ by stopping into a pub in Kildare. 8 Noel Gallagher was spotted in Brady's Clockhouse pub in Maynooth 8 It is the first sighting of Noel in Ireland ahead of the band's Croke Park gigs 8 Oasis fans made sure to get their hands on band merch 8 Brothers Sam and Joe Stevenson from Yorkshire are over for the shows The singer-songwriter, 58, was all smiles as he enjoyed some Irish hospitality at Brady's Clockhouse pub in Maynooth. And he ensured to stay hydrated in the Irish heat as he enjoyed a quiet Guinness with pals. But as word got around that Gallagher was in town, crowds gathered outside the venue and Noel left shortly after, waving to supporters as he made his exit. Anticipation for the comeback gigs is electric - and while Some Might Say the cost of tickets was sky-high, fans all agreed it was worth it for the chance to see their favourite band here. Lana Caperton, from Dallas, Texas revealed how she became hooked on the band after seeing the 2016 Oasis documentary Supersonic. Lana told The Irish Sun: 'I loved it but I was so bummed that I would never be able to experience Oasis live. The next thing I hear, Liam and Noel had buried the hatchet and were back together and doing a European tour. I decided I had to buy a ticket straight away.' The determined Texan ended up shelling out €600 for her ticket to Croke Park tomorrow due to dynamic pricing, but bagged a bargain on an Airbnb in the capital. Lana explained: 'When I booked it, the guy who rented it out had no idea about the Oasis concert so could have made a lot more money than I'm paying. 'I feel so lucky because I have never been to Dublin before and I'm really enjoying it. 'The architecture, the old bars, the city and the great weather because people are telling me I brought the good weather with me.' Celtic hero Neil Lennon spotted singing and dancing to Oasis song at Murrayfield gig Swedish fans Tea Graaberg, Klara Varga, Ida Wik and Helda Sedman all ended up in Dublin after they landed near the top of a Ticketmaster queue when the shows first went on sale. Klara said: 'Oasis aren't playing in Sweden so we came to see them in Dublin. 'We were worried they (Liam and Noel) would have another row and they wouldn't make it this far but delighted that they have.' All born in 2005, the four girls believe seeing Oasis live was a 'once in a lifetime thing'. Tea said: 'I don't think this is going to happen again so we wanted to be here to see it.' While they admit tickets to the concerts at Croker are expensive, the canny Swedes say they avoided sky-high prices in Dublin hotels by staying in a hostel and buying grub in supermarkets. Klara admitted: 'The restaurants are very expensive. We're students and we don't have much money but we are loving Dublin.' Zacharias Skold, Alex Wall and Johnny Norrena were also visiting from Sweden, and buying up Oasis merch at the pop-up shop in St Stephen's Green. 8 Noel waved to fans as he left the boozer 8 The stage being constructed ahead of the Croke Park gigs Johnny told us: 'I've been listening to sixties music since I was 13, first The Kinks and The Who, then The Jam, so getting into Oasis was a natural progression and a gateway to all other Britpop music.' While staying in an Airbnb, none of the four felt Dublin was overly expensive. 'FANTASTIC CITY' Alex said: 'We're from Stockholm which can be pretty expensive. The Guinness is cheaper over here and we are really enjoying the architecture of Dublin. It's a fantastic city.' American couple Angelo Santa Lucia and Christy Sickle from Miami, Florida revealed how Dublin had been their 'first choice' to catch Oasis live after they honeymooned here and in Iceland last year. Angelo told us: 'I think we paid $400 for standing tickets. We booked our hotel the same day. Dublin is not expensive compared to Miami!' The couple admitted that Oasis 'reminded them of being young' but the songwriting was timeless. 'PRICEY BUT WORTH IT' Good pals Olivia Gibb and Alex Dean from Philadelphia were also staying in a local Airbnb and looking forward to seeing Oasis for the first time. Alex said: 'I really love the boys. I have Irish ancestors and I've been to Ireland before. Sure Dublin is pricey but it's worth it.' Over at Croke Park, local resident Michael Taft who lives on Foster Terrace close to the Cusack Stand said he was looking forward to the gigs. 'GREAT EVENT' Michael told us: 'I think the Oasis shows are a great event. Just like a match day. Croke Park are very good at cleaning up afterwards. 'For me nothing beats a warm night sitting out in your back garden, listening to great music for free. 'You actually hear it better in my garden because I don't have to listen to people singing along like you do in the stadium.' IRISH TRIBUTE ACT CALLS FOR SETLIST SHUFFLE THE 'Noel Gallagher' of a leading Irish Oasis tribute act has called for the rock 'n' roll stars to do a 'shakermaker' on their setlist for Croke Park this weekend. Ballyfermot man Paul McKeever, who plays lead guitar in Oasis tribute band Live Forever, says his outfit regularly mix up their hits and Oasis should do the same after playing identical setlists at their comeback shows in the UK. Paul told The Irish Sun: 'No mistake, the concerts will be amazing. But if there was one thing I would say to Liam and Noel is switch the songs around. 'You can take your phone out and see what song Oasis are going to play next. We find that if we put Supersonic later in the set, it totally changes the dynamic of the set. 'That keeps it fresh for us. I'm also amazed they're not playing She's Electric in this set and Stop Crying Your Eyes Out as that's one of the biggest songs of the night for us.' With Irish tribute Live Forever playing Whelans tomorrow afternoon from 2pm to 4pm, Paul will be jumping in a cab straight after to see the real Oasis in Croke Park. Paul said: 'I paid €600 for a ticket on the pitch, a lot more money than I was hoping for, but I couldn't not go and see the real Oasis in action. 'It's half a homage, half an Oasis tax which I'm happy to pay. Because Oasis don't use any backing tracks. It's all live. They're the best band in the world.' Meanwhile the band prepared for their Irish homecoming today by playing a blistering soundcheck in the home of the GAA. Diehards near Croker were thrilled when anthem Cigarettes and Alcohol was belted out at 4pm. And band members have been enjoying the sights ahead of their two-night run at Croke Park. Oasis guitarists Paul Arthurs, also known as Bonehead, Gem Archer and drummer Joey Waronker, shared photos on social media of themselves swimming in the sea and hanging out on the beach. In a post on X, Bonehead posted a picture with Joey taking a dip in the Irish Sea, which was captioned 'Yes Dublin'. On Instagram, the musician shared some more photos, including one of the P 8 Oasis fans have come from far and wide for a chance to see the band live
Irish Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Red weather warnings in effect for holiday hotspots popular with Irish tourists
A wide range of weather warnings are in place for some popular holiday destinations across Europe this weekend as temperatures soar in a number of regions popular among Irish tourists. Red heat warnings are to come into effect for a number of tourist hotspots as temperatures could reach highs of 40C in several areas. The likes of Spain and Croatia are set to bask in scorching heat over the coming days. Irish weather expert Alan O'Reilly, who mans the popular @CarlowWeather account on X, advised Irish tourists to be aware of the weather warnings that will be in place over several holiday destinations this weekend. He posted: "A lot of weather warnings in Europe today and tomorrow Saturday including red warnings for heat in parts of Spain, Germany, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary and Poland." Northern Spain will see the hottest conditions over the weekend, while parts of central Europe are also going to see temperatures soar over Saturday and Sunday. This comes as Ireland is set to enjoy highs of up to 27C on Saturday as temperatures will remain above average for this time of year, though there will be the risk of showers and thunder. "Today will be largely dry and warm with good spells of sunshine," a Met Eireann spokesperson said of Friday. "Highest temperatures of 20 to 26 degrees with light northeast breezes. It will be warmest in the midlands and south. "Tonight will be dry with clear spells and a few patches of mist or fog developing overnight. Lowest temperatures of 10 to 14 degrees with mostly light northeasterly winds, but freshening along the south coast. "Saturday morning will be dry with sunny spells. During the afternoon and evening, some showers are likely to move up over Munster and into Connacht, possibly heavy or thundery. Highest temperatures of 21 to 27 degrees with moderate east to southeast winds. "Saturday night will be mild and humid. There will be some showers early in the night. It will become mainly dry overnight. Temperatures will fall no lower than 14 to 17 degrees with light to moderate east to southeast breezes. "Sunday will start out dry and mostly sunny. Scattered showers will move in from the southwest by around noon and will mainly affect Munster and Connacht through the afternoon and evening, some heavy or possibly thundery. Highest temperatures of 19 to 25 degrees in mostly moderate southeast winds. On Sunday night showers will die out and it will become mainly dry. Another very mild, humid night with lows of 14 to 17 degrees." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
