The festivals picked, so far, to be millennial springboards are:

St Patrick's Festival:

The centrepiece of this festival, which started in 1996, is the now very colourful, carnival-esque St Patrick's Day parade to delight both Dubliners and visitors. The festival consists of events during the days surrounding March 17th, mostly to content the growing hordes of tourists who arrive in Dublin to drown the shamrock and are looking for an extended period of street fun, pub music and craic.

Kilkenny Arts Festival:

Set in picturesque medieval environs, the main strength of the Kilkenny Arts Festival programme is its classical music events, held in the city's atmospheric venues, most notably St Canice's Cathedral. Visual arts events are also well-represented, and there's a growing literary programme. But be warned: this event, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, takes place in August, when the narrow streets are already stuffed with visitors.

Belfast Festival at Queen's:

This November festival has benefited from a big injection of funds, now inviting big international acts like Merce Cunningham last year. This year there will, for the first time in the festival's 34-year history, be a Fringe Festival, hopefully reflecting more of the city itself. The programme invariably offers an impressive array of theatre, visual arts and literary lectures and readings.

Wexford Festival Opera:

Sounds of sopranos trilling out from open windows in the small town of Wexford characterise this October festival, now a regal 47 years old, which revolves around a menu of three rarely-performed operas (there are also recitals and concerts a-plenty). Buffs dressed to the nines come from all over to savour these little-known treats, performed to the highest standards with an international cast. A pity the tickets are so expensive that locals can rarely afford to go.

There are ongoing discussions with Galway Arts Festival and Cork Jazz Festival.