January 12 - 18
wedding belles
Ireland's largest bridal exhibition, the Wedding Journal Show 2008, takes place at Citywest Hotel, Saggart, Co Dublin this weekend. There are hundreds of exhibitors, three couture catwalk shows per day and a honeymoon village to help you plan that post-wedding getaway. Brides interested in becoming Bride of the Year (which offers a prize package worth €50,000) can record a two-minute video application in the Big Bridal Diary Room. The show moves to Cork next weekend (January 19th and 20th) and to Belfast in February (22nd-24th). See www.weddingjournalshow.com.
art
In keeping with tradition, the National Gallery of Ireland's Turner watercolours are exhibited for the month of January and this year the exhibition is complemented by a display of 18th- and 19th-century silhouettes and miniatures from John Comerford, Henry Bone, John Miers and Nathaniel Hone the Elder. 01-6615133. An exhibition of new and recent paintings by British landscape artist Graham Crowley takes place at the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen from today until February 9th. Though Crowley has been painting scenes of west Cork landscapes for some time, this is the first time he has exhibited in Ireland. See www.westcorkartscentre.com.
sport
Round five of the Heineken Cup takes place this weekend. Leinster are at home (at the RDS) to Toulouse, while Munster are away to ASM Clermont Auvergne. Meanwhile in the European Challenge Cup, pool three rivals Connacht and Brive battle it out at the Sportsground in Galway on Friday evening at 6.30pm. There's horse racing this weekend in Punchestown (today) and Leopardstown (Pierse Hurdle, tomorrow).
gigs
Pickings are slim this week, with promoters assuming no one has any gig money left after the Christmas madness. You can however catch at Dublin's Ambassador tomorrow and on Monday evening; Tommy Tiernan at Vicar St tonight (and on Sunday, Thursday and Friday); and Dara O'Briain at Cork Opera House on Tuesday and Wednesday.
freebies
As part of The Abbey's Meet the Makers series, Hélène Montague, musician and composer talks about creating music for George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer, on Tuesday from 6.15pm. Tickets are free, but booking is essential (01-8787222). On Tuesday, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra hosts a free concert focused on composer John McLachlan. It is at 1.05pm at the National Concert Hall.
new year, new you?
The Dalkey Good Health Fair could help you stick to your New Year resolutions, with exhibitors covering all aspects of health, beauty and wellbeing, from diet and nutrition, to reflexology, yoga, pilates and physiotherapy. It takes place at Dalkey Heritage Centre today and tomorrow (11am-5pm). Free admission.
music for galway
Chase away the January blues with Music for Galway's Schubert Festival, which takes place from Friday until Sunday, January 20th at the Town Hall Theatre in Galway. The festival presents highlights of Schubert's prolific output in four concerts, featuring the ConTempo Quartet, Finghin Collins, James Lisney and soprano Lenneke Ruiten. It concludes with a special screening of the film, Winterreise, in association with the Galway Film Society. A ticket for all of the performances costs €50 (091-705962).
Michael Kelly