Temple Bar Trad, Irish Music and Culture Festival
Dates: January 26th - 30th 2011

A lively four day celebration of traditional Irish music and culture,featuring live performances from some of Ireland's top musicians, including the world renowned bands. Other festival events include workshops, photo exhibitions, Irish dance, story-telling, street theatre, children's events and a folk/trad music session trail throughout many of the bars and pubs in the area.

St. Patricks Day Festival
Dates: March 17th - 20th 2011

St. Patrick’s Festival is now by far the biggest annual event in the country providing entertainment for all interests and ages. The Festival programme has music, theatre, family carnivals, comedy, street arts, visual arts, dance, a treasure hunt, symposium, cavalcades of vintage cars….. 4000 performers – 1.5 million spectators and 5 days of fantastic festival fun for all! St. Patrick would be very proud!

Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival
Dates: Thursday 28th April - Monday 2nd May 2011

From Thursday 28th April to Monday 2nd May, the City's pubs, clubs and venues come alive to the sound of music for the 10th City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival.

Visitors can also expect a weekend of top quality free music on the Guinness free jazz trail which has become a true festival favourite, featuring fantastic performances from some of the best local, national and international talent on the festival circuit today.

Ballyhoura Walking Festival
Dates: Friday 29th April - Monday 2nd May 2011

The annual Ballyhoura International Walking Festival takes place from 29th April to the 2nd May 2011. The festival offers over 30 guided walks, led by people from local communities and the Ballyhoura Bears Walking Club. The schedule offers walks for all levels of ability from the undulating green pastures, woodlands and rolling hills to the high peaks of the Galty Mountains. The area is a walkers paradise with unspoilt beauty and a variety of landscapes and there is something for everyone at this years festival, whether you enjoy a family day out or a serious hike.

The Iniscealtra Festival of Arts, Clare
Dates: May 28th - June 6th 2011

The Iniscealtra Festival of Arts is an annual festival held at various locations in and around the beautiful lakeside village of Mountshannon in County Clare. The festival has been going from strength to strength and is now in its 11th year. Each year a theme is chosen which all of the varied events reflect, and this year the theme is Community.

The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Kilkenny
Dates: June 2nd - 6th 2011

The 2011 Cat Laughs Comedy Festival will run from June 2nd - 6th with an international line up of comedians from Ireland, England, America, Canada, Australia and some from as far afield as Scotland.

Life Festival
Dates: 3-4-5th of June 2011

You heard about it and now is back........ Life is Real
"The beauty of Life" will bring you this year to an incredible virgin venue never used before for a Festival. The time for everyone to begin their plans for life has arrived ... aspirations... dreams...a journey of discovery...a project of Love and illusion, faith and hard work believing in something special with a vision that all that we have ever dreamed about can be possible in Life.

A 3 day international electronic and acoustic dance gathering will take place this June, the venue being one of Ireland's most beautiful Castles.

Kinsale Arts Week
Dates: July 9th - 17th 2011

Kinsale Arts Week is a multi-disciplinary Arts Festival being held in Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland from 9th to 17th July 2011. Each year it brings the best of local, national and international talent to Kinsale. For nine days in July the town is electrified by performance, exhibition and installation.

Clonmel Junction Festival
Dates: July 1st - 10th 2011

The Clonmel Junction Festival is one of the most exciting and fastest growing festivals in Ireland. For nine days and nights Clonmel, Co. Tipperary is transformed and animated by hand painted banners, with flags bedecking the town centre, daily street theatre and free live music events. However the real heart of the festival is in the theatres and music venues which host over 50 performances of top class Irish and International acts.

Galway Arts Festival
Dates: July 11th - 24th 2011

Galway Arts Festival, Ireland's largest and most prestigious annual arts festival. Galway has long been considered a centre of cultural excellence with Galway Arts Festival the defining cultural expression of Galway. At the heart of all aspects of life in the city, Galway Arts Festival always promises a stunning fortnight of cultural activity and celebration.

This years festival features over 400 writers, artists, performers and musicians from Canada, England, France, Scotland and the USA joining those from Ireland creating theatre, spectacle, street art, music, comedy, literature and music.

Kilkenny Arts Festival
Dates: August 5th - 14th 2011

The 2011 Kilkenny Arts Festival will run from 5th to 14th August. Kilkenny Arts Festival 2010 was a huge success! Ground-breaking theatre, music, literature, visual art, children’s events and outdoor performances abounded, with record crowds attending over 100 events, featuring almost 300 international, Irish and local artists, in venues all over Kilkenny City and County, over the festival’s 10 days and nights.

Rose of Tralee Festival
Dates: August 19th - 23th 2011

The Rose of Tralee International Festival is one of Ireland's premier festivals. Over 200,000 visitors from throughout the world return year after year to Tralee in Kerry to enjoy the best in Irish and international music, parades, fireworks displays, nightly seisiuns, and of course the renowned Rose of Tralee Selection.

Festival of World Cultures
Dates: July 22nd - 24th 2011

The Festival of World Cultures in Dun Laoghaire is an arts festival celebrating cultural diversity through an extravaganza of internationally acclaimed acts including music, film, circus, theatre, dance performances, club nights, markets, exhibitions, workshops & children's activities. Free events day and nights.

Galway Oyster Festival
Dates: September 21st - September 25th 2011

Galway International Oyster Festival. This unique event is about friends, fun, fabulous seafood combined with World class non-stop entertainment in the charming medieval city of Galway. There are always a few pleasant surprises at the Galway Oyster Festival.

Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival
Dates: September 29th - October 16th 2011

The Dublin Theatre Festival in 2011 will showcase the best of International and Irish theatre work, and promises to be one of the most exciting years to date! The programme details will be launched in early summer, and all details will become available online.

Wexford Opera Festival
Dates: October 21st - November 5th 2011

For over fifty years the Irish coastal town has been seducing the world with wonderful productions of rare opera presented as part of a unique festival. The warm and vivacious welcome, the narrow and ancient Viking streets and the tiny, atmospheric Theatre Royal add to pleasures which include over forty daytime events as well as the eighteen evening performances of three major productions.

Cork Jazz Festival
Dates: October 28th - 31th 2011

The Guinness Jazz Festival is Ireland's biggest and most prestigious jazz event and is one of the most important events on Ireland's arts and cultural calendar.

This year some 1,000 musicians from 25 countries will entertain the fans in over 75 venues citywide.  The main concert venues are the Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork Opera House and the Triskel Arts Centre.  The famous Guinness Festival Club at the Gresham Metropole Hotel offers world class jazz on five stages day and night ( daytime sessions have free admission) while the easy to find Guinness Jazz Trail offers entertainment in over 40 excellent pubs and clubs, most of it free of charge.

The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's
Dates: October 14th - October 30th 2011

Embark on a mad dash through more than 250 events from around the world as the Belfast Festival at Queen's celebrates 40 years of full on festival magic.