Living in Ireland in 2026: Culture, Sport, The People & Where to Live

Ireland's cultural output relative to its size is extraordinary. Ireland offers a lifestyle anchored in natural beauty, cultural depth, and social warmth. Thoughtful reads, new discoveries and old favourites worth making time for. The songs, albums and artists we think are worth your time — this week and beyond.

This time, we’re going bigger, taking over two halls at the RDS and increasing capacity by 50%, with 150+ sellers and thousands of shoppers expected for a full day of second-hand fashion, music, food and entertainment. Join us at our in-person Open Day to experience what student life is like in Ireland's National Conservatoire. This Halloween, join guides and local farmers Philip and Daniel for a journey through the remarkable archaeological landscape on their farm at Newtown Hill.

In Ireland most sports, including rugby union, Gaelic football, hurling and handball, cycling and golf, are organised on an all-island basis, with, where relevant, a single team representing the island of Ireland in international competitions. Other sports with material playing populations, including at school level, include tennis, hockey, pitch and putt, rugby, basketball, boxing, cricket and squash. Their propensity for rural living was influenced by a variety of factors including cultural traditions, a desire for privacy and autonomy, work opportunities and their fondness of the natural world. The most popular of these are the annual Dublin Saint Patrick's Day Festival which attracts on average 500,000 people and the National Ploughing Championships with an attendance in the region of 400,000. British and satellite-carried international television channels have widespread audiences in the Republic.

TwinkleTown returns to Dublin City this Christmas with ice skating, the Santo Panto, festive food and drink, live music and much more. Join Lola, Buddy, Laurel, and a host of unforgettable new characters as they journey to a world of pirates, fairies, forgotten powers and belly laughs in Dublin’s Most Magical Panto! A thunderstorm of fame.” Irina (Aisling O’Sullivan), a fading star of the stage, returns to her family estate to see her volatile son Konstantin with her lover Boris in tow. This Christmas, the Gate Theatre invites audiences to step into the world of Bedford Falls with a stage production of the timeless classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. Every set within the enormous Dublin and Galway locations is hand-crafted, every character fully realised, and every child’s journey designed to feel truly magical from start to finish. Her innovative musical creations are matched by electrifying live performances – Clare brings her audiences on an exhilarating journey full of hope, celebration and heart.

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Travellers would often find work in rural areas, predominantly in farming, horse trading and tinsmithing. In historic times, texts such as the Táin Bó Cúailinge show a society in which cows represented a primary source of wealth and status. The Normans invaded Ireland in the 12th century, bringing British and French influences.

They had a significant influence on Ireland’s material culture at the time. The Vikings first invaded Ireland in the 8th century, from Denmark, Norway and Sweden in modern-day Scandinavia. Today, there are often notable cultural differences between those of Catholic, Anglican, and Presbyterian background. Irish culture has been greatly influenced by Christianity, most notably by the Roman Catholic Church, and religion plays a role in the lives of many Irish people. Some towns even have local American football leagues. Beyond that, Ireland punches above its weight in literature, music, dance, and the arts.

Irish ghost stories and funerary traditions travelled with the Irish diaspora and often became entangled with local customs to form entirely new traditions over the centuries. Join us as we leave daylight behind and explore the darker side of our mythologies and histories at EPIC! Along the way you’ll discover more about Bram Stoker’s life and the famous novel Dracula that shaped how the world imagines vampires today. Myra has fallen on hard times and is now homeless living on the streets of Dublin.

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The events, exhibitions, performances and experiences we think are worth your time. As the capital’s premier destination for festive family days out, school trips, and social gatherings with friends, our massive covered ice skating rink in Dublin offers an unforgettable experience on 100% real ice! The Big Scream Halloween Festival returns to Dublin’s North East Inner City for 13 days of spooky fun, community events and family-friendly activities under the theme The Undead – 13 Nights of Fright. Dublin regularly hosts free concerts, open-air markets, gallery openings, workshops and community festivals.

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• Tales from the Pale celebrates all things horrific – learn about the city’s ghosts and ghouls as you journey along the stadium’s rooftop walkway.
• The Royal Ulster Academy’s 145th exhibition reveals the extraordinary talent and emotional power of art in Northern Ireland
• Curiously Dublin remains one of the few places in Ireland without a major local paper since the Dublin Evening Mail closed down in the 1960s.
• A fun-filled family event, audiences are encouraged to come in costume, with prizes for the best dressed at selected performances—making it the perfect Halloween treat for children and gro

From 2nd to 31st October 2026, step into a world of illuminated pumpkin creations and wander through an enchanting outdoor trail filled with incredible carvings, imaginative scenes and unforgettable photo opportunities. This Halloween, Newbridge House & Farm lights up after dark with thousands of glowing pumpkins, spectacular hand-carved displays, live entertainment and autumn magic. Journey through the Haunted Trail, encounter playful characters and surprises, and discover ancient Samhain traditions in The Samhain Forest. This October, step into the magic and mystery of Samhain at Malahide Castle. Along the way, we'll trace the Irish roots of Dracula and explore the changelings, fairy Running daily from Saturday 24 to Saturday 31 October, 2pm-3pm, this is your chance to explore MoLI's darker side this Samhain.

Ireland’s Events Worth Exploring – and Experiencing

• DGW2026 presents a special series of exhibitions and events that showcase the creative and dynamic energy of Irish contemporary art, reinforcing Dublin’s cultural leadership on the European stage.
• Join Lola, Buddy, Laurel, and a host of unforgettable new characters as they journey to a world of pirates, fairies, forgotten powers and belly laughs in Dublin’s Most Magical Panto!
• Whether you're an experienced collector or completely new to the hobby, Ireland Card Show is a fun, welcoming
• GAA clubs actively welcome international members for hurling and football – you don't need to be Irish to play, and local clubs are highly sociable.
• The Normans invaded Ireland in the 12th century, bringing British and French influences.
• A fresh set of weather warnings has been issued by Met Éireann for Monday, with the last of those related to Storm Boelo having expired on Sunday afternoon.

There are quite a large number of local weekly newspapers both North and South, with most counties and large towns having two or more newspapers. There are also several news websites including The Journal, RTÉ News, BreakingNews.ie and Extra.ie. A few sports, such as soccer, have separate organising bodies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. National and international organisations have labelled Ireland as having a problem with over-consumption of alcohol. Nevertheless, the atmosphere in pubs has changed greatly as a result, and debate continues on whether it has boosted or lowered sales, although this is often blamed on the ever-increasing prices, or whether it is a "good thing" or a "bad thing".

• Yes — see everything happening in Dublin today, including evening events, at /dublin/events/today.
• In Ireland most sports, including rugby union, Gaelic football, hurling and handball, cycling and golf, are organised on an all-island basis, with, where relevant, a single team representing the island of Ireland in international competitions.
• Through the eyes of their new nurse, Rose, we discover these unforgettable women who are complicated, contrary, and full of stories.
• Dockers and Demons Halloween festival bringing the community together in the heart of Ringsend and Irishtown!
• Whether you're looking for the perfect family outing, date night or just a fun night out with friends Dundrum on Ice is the next stop on your list!
• This Halloween, Newbridge House & Farm lights up after dark with thousands of glowing pumpkins, spectacular hand-carved displays, live entertainment and autumn magic.

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Dublin City Council is delighted to announce today that there will be a second TwinkleTown Christmas event and experience. This unforgettable production of Joyce's masterpiece takes place in the rich historical interior and unseen rooms of UCD Newman House. The Dead by James Joyce, a thrilling immersive theatre experience and a uniquely intimate way for small audience groups to experience Joyce's greatest short story. Nina, an aspiring actress and Konstantin’s newest obsession, draws everyone – including Boris -into her orbit and the tensions simmering beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside retreat begin to bubble over. It’s your opportunity to connect with innovators, explore emerging ideas, and celebrate the breakthroughs shaping the future of technology and society. In partnership with principal sponsor Microsoft, the AI Awards is more than an awards ceremony; it is a gathering of Ireland’s thriving AI community.

In addition, the dialect and accent of the people of Northern Ireland is noticeably different from that of the majority in the Republic of Ireland, being influenced by Ulster Scots and Northern Ireland's proximity to Scotland. A larger minority have Irish as a second language, with 40.6% of people in the Republic of Ireland claiming some ability to speak the language in the 2011 census. During the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, a strong indigenous tradition of painting emerged, including such figures as John Butler Yeats, William Orpen, Jack Yeats and Louis le Brocquy. Poetry in Irish represents the oldest vernacular poetry in Europe, with the earliest examples dating from the 6th century. The island's most widely known literary works are in English, including works by James Joyce, Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and Ireland's four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature; William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. The island of Ireland has made a large contribution to world literature in various branches, in both the Irish and English languages.

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• Starring Nicole Filan as Rapunzel, the production promises a warm, funny and family-friendly show for children, parents, grandparents and anyone who loves a proper Christmas outing in the city.
• Irish culture has been greatly influenced by Christianity, most notably by the Roman Catholic Church, and religion plays a role in the lives of many Irish people.
• Whether you’re chasing a personal best or running your very first marathon, this is your moment to be part of something truly special.

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A highlight of the Halloween calendar, the Haunted Halloween Walk offers a fun and memorable experience for families, friends and Halloween enthusiasts of all a As darkness falls, visitors will be invited to journey through the park on a specially designed Halloween trail inspired by the ancient festival of Samhain. Get ready for a spine-tingling Halloween experience as the popular Samhain – Haunted Halloween Walk returns to Marlay Park, Rathfarnham on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026. Yes — see everything happening in Dublin today, including evening events, at /dublin/events/today. Our listings are updated three times daily — browse by date, category or venue to find what suits you. There are currently 1,995 upcoming events in Dublin, spanning music, comedy, workshops and more.

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Many fulach fia sites have been identified across the island of Ireland, and some of them appear to have been in use up to the 17th century.citation needed The Irish language has the third oldest literature in Europe (after Greek and Latin),citation needed the most significant body of written literature (both ancient and recent) of any Celtic language, as well as a strong oral tradition of legends and poetry. Mass transatlantic Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century popularised Halloween in the United States and Canada. Important Christian holidays include Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, St. Brigid's Day and various Marian observances, particularly within the month of May.citation needed While many Mincéirí in contemporary Ireland are now settled, including in urban areas, they often maintain rural traditions such as horseback riding, and attend traditional fairs and festivals in the countryside.

Art Source is the most exciting art event of the year, featuring 175 Irish & International artists & galleries gathering together to showcase PAINTING, SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHY, ILLUSTRATION, P When love & tragedy collide … Based on Shakespeare’s tale of the star-crossed lovers, Romeo & Juliet is one of the greatest love stories of all time. As Other Voices heads for Dingle and its 25th edition, Home sets the journey in motion at St. James's Gate with an intimate night of music and song in the heart of the Liberties. Cheerful Earful is the global festival of funny podcasts. The UK’s biggest and most popular day time club event Day Fever is coming back to Dublin on Saturday, November 7th at the Academy, Dublin!

Join us on Wednesdays and Saturdays in October for this tour looking at the seasonal folkore and traditions of plants at this time of year Rekindle the ancient folklore and traditions of Samhain on this special Halloween tour. Mark your calendar with some unforgettable experiences. From intimate concerts and West End-style theatre productions to family-friendly festivals and free community events, we cover everything ZNAKI FM Launches Irish Edition, Expanding Its Global News and Entertainment Network that makes Dublin's cultural scene vibrant. The most active categories are music, comedy, workshops, with popular venues including 3Olympia Theatre, 3Arena Dublin, Wigwam Dublin.