There's no need to leave home for the June long weekend: the Maritime Festival is here!

For most people, the June bank holiday weekend means battling the traffic on the M50, taking half a day to get somewhere which you could normlly drive to in an hour or two, in hopes of a couple of hours on the beach in the sun.  Luckily for me, there's so much going on in Dublin that weekend that we normally don't need to leave town - we can stay exactly where we are and enjoy all the events going on right here at home.  There's Bloom in the Park in Phoenix Park, the world-famous Flora Women's Mini-Marathon through the centre of the city, and Outdoor Movies in the Park in the People's Park in Dun Laoghaire.  But the highlight for me is the Dublin Docklands Maritime Festival, taking place on the quays along both sides of the River Liffey. 

Eurovision glory awaits our lady in purple!

It took a couple of years for me to figure out and appreciate the Eurovision song contest.  If, as I first did, you believe that it's a serious music contest, you might be left with a completely unrealistic view that Europeans are quaint and backwards, with fashion sense at least three decades behind the times and with blonde hair genetically programmed to lie plastered down with a side part like a Ken doll. 

Sulking through the World Cup

It's 3 weeks until the start of the 2010 World Cup, and Ireland is sulking.  The country is devastated to be missing out on a mad summer huddled in the pub, crowded around a flat-screen TV, screaming for the boys in green.   Perhaps if the Irish team had been fairly beaten, people would be taking it better.  But, even 6 months on from Thierry Henry's infamous hand ball, Ireland is still bitter.

The Dead Zoo is resuscitated: the Natural History Museum re-opens

The "Dead Zoo", more formally known as the National Museum of Ireland - Natural History, recently re-opened after three years of renovations.  It's well worth a visit, and is incredible value for money (being one of the very few tourist attractions in Dublin that are free).  We headed along to the Dead Zoo on Saturday, and the kids absolutely loved running around the glass cabinets, growling at the stuffed animals, and rummaging through the Discovery Area.

Silly songs from the 98FM Morning Crew

My drive into work can take anywhere between 40 minutes and an hour and a half, depending on how busy it is along the Canal.  On those days where traffic moves slower than Stephen Hawking, and each minute makes me that little bit later for a meeting, I'm glad of any distraction.  The 98FM Morning Crew does the job, and their Crew Tunes in particular make me laugh out loud.  Here are a few of my favourites:

A standing ovation for Evita, at the Gaiety Theatre

Evita, one of Lloyd Webber's most famous musicals, is playing at the Gaiety Theatre from 13 April to 1 May.  Those lucky few people who can get themselves a ticket for the final performances are in for a treat - it's a fantastic production, completely absorbing and over much too quickly.  Even my husband, who I dragged along to the threatre kicking and screaming, came out humming the catchy tunes.  The cast received a well-deserved standing ovation the night I went, and are sure to do so every night during their all-too-short stay in Dublin.

So you're trapped in Dublin by volcanic ash?

The volcanic eruption in Iceland, and the cloud of ash which has closed many European airports, has stranded many travellers in Dublin.  If you're one of them, and you don't feel like battling the throngs for the last few seats on the ferries, there's plenty to keep you entertained on this beautiful Spring weekend.  Here are just a few ideas: