Artists in the making:Encourage the kids to get creative this Easter at one of Artzone's camps. Activities include collage, drawing, painting, print, 3D and clay.
Established by secondary school art teacher Gillian Blaney-Shorte four years ago, Artzone helps students to use art as a means of self-expression - and to have fun with it. Easter art camps are running in Rathfarnham, Dundrum, Malahide, Castleknock, Clontarf, Leixlip and Naas. Classes run for four days and cost €90 per student - which includes all equipment, a T-shirt and goodie bag. For full details on times and venues log onto www.artzone.ie. Pictured with their creations are Isobel Dempsey, aged 11, and Amy Condon, aged 10, from St Pius Girls' National School, Terenure. Clare McCarthy
Shaking that class
Mammies of Ireland will be packing the Point on Friday to see Daniel O'Donnell, the Donegal crooner. As the years wax and wane, the fortysomething singer remains as untouched by time as his hairstyle - and continues to deliver the kind of soft-focus tunes that have made him a star. Friday's concert, entitled The Rock'n'Roll Show, promises something a little more uptempo. Snigger if you will, but with 31 albums under his belt, and the ability to fill the Point two decades into his career, O'Donnell knows his game. See www.ticket master.ie or call 0818-719300. Fiona McCann
Crews make the cut
Between the jigs and the reels, the Irish have found a new rhythm to move to, and we're already making an impact internationally. This weekend you can see home-grown hip hoppers in action as they dance for the chance to represent the country at the World Hip Hop Championship in Los Angeles in July. Hip-hop and breakdance crews will be dancing off in the qualifying heats of the Irish Hip Hop Crew Championships, at the National Show Centre, near Swords in Co Dublin, this afternoon; the grand final is at the Helix tomorrow. Judges are arriving from around the world to watch the Irish crews popping and gliding, along with a guest emcee from Los Angeles. Last year the Irish junior hip-hop team came third in the international competition, beating all other European entrants. So step aside Mr Flatley, less of the one-two-threes and more of the Harlem shake. See www.irishhiphop.ie. Fiona McCann
Power bag
Everybody seems to be talking about Hillary these days. For most of us it's because she wants to be the next US president. For others her name conjures up a handbag-with-ambition from the new collection by Lulu Guinness. The Hillary, made from Italian leather, is understatedly cool, a little like the former first lady herself. Available in the subtle summer shades of slate blue and cream, it's an aspirational accessory for power women worldwide. Even presidents need a place to keep their lipstick and a hanky, after all. Available from Brown Thomas, €925. Fiona McCann
Rooted in ireland
What have the president of Azerbaijan and a train driver with a passion for orchids got in common? The answer is that they both own works by the botanical artist Rodella Purves, who currently has a solo exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens, in Dublin. It's the perfect setting for these illustrations of plants cultivated in Ireland - you can wander through the gardens, then compare the plant to the drawings. The exhibition includes more than 20 full-size plant portraits. Born in Scotland of an Irish mother, Purves has been producing illustrations for 37 years, so if you feel like bringing some of the outside inside, check out her work until May 7th. Phyl Clarke
Colour vision
Painting with vegetables? The Blackbird Gallery in Kilkenny is running an exhibition of new work by local artists Richard Coghlan and Alan Raggett (below). Coghlan uses charred organic matter, including root vegetables and fungi, to create his huge range of pigments. Raggett works within a palette of ultramarine, burnt sienna, titanium, white and yellow ochre for his abstract canvasses. The show runs until April 7th, at the Blackbird Gallery, Kieran Street, Kilkenny, Wed-Sat 11am-6pm.
• The Bog of Allen Nature Centre, at Lullymore in Co Kildare, is running an Easter camp on April 5th, for seven- to 13-year-olds, at which instructors will accompany your children pond-dipping, frog-searching and craft-making. €15 for three hours. Call Nuala Madigan at 045-860133
• Mount Usher Gardens in Ashford, Co Wicklow, is to house the newest Avoca Cafe, and both garden and shop will reopen on April 15th. The Pratt family signed an agreement with Madelaine Jay to take over the running of the Robinsonian gardens, which she rescued from developers in 1980. The gardens are to remain essentially the same.