WHAT’S ON AROUND COUNTY WICKLOW

THURSDAY, JUNE 28 CHESS FOR AUTISM

The six round Swiss ‘Chess for Autism’ competition takes place in the Friar Suite, Grand Hotel from 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. The entry fee is €10. The competiton is open to all aged 16 and over, beginners and improvers. All proceeds will go to ASD Social Club, Arklow, to help fund some trips and events for Teenagers and Young Adults with Autism. Entries and Enquiries to Séamus Duffy at seaduffy63@gmail.com.

MEET THE SAILORS PARTY

Ahead of the Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race, which begins on Sunday, a ‘Meet the Sailors’ party will be held in Wicklow Sailing Club, Wicklow town, from 7 p.m., featuring music by the Chosen Few.

PADDY CASEY FUNDRAISER

Paddy Casey, Declan O’Rourke and Lisa Loughrey will appear at a special concert at Temple Carrig Secondary School in aid of Tiglin. A food market and bar will be open on the school grounds from 6.30 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets cost €25 and are available from eventbrite.ie.

MUSIC IN CALARY

Calary Church will host a performance from Seán Carpio (drums), Mikkel Ploug (guitar) Simon Jermyn (guitar), Jeppe Skovbakke (bass), and Joachim Badenhorst (clarinet) who will play a concert of original music that will speak about the places of its origin, including Calary, in order to present a complex yet nuanced concert experience transforming musical ele-ments of speech into music. The concert starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are €18 or €15 with a concession.

FRIDAY, JUNE 29 CEMETERY MASS

The annual cemetery Mass at Redford Cemetery in Greystones will be held at 8 p.m.

ROCK-A-ROUND IRELAND PARTY

With the Volvo Round Ireland Festival setting off on Saturday, Wicklow Sailing Club will be rocking from 8 p.m. with a barbecue and live music from Black Slade.

EXHIBITION ON SCREEN

Cézanne’s Portraits of a Life will be on at Mermaid Arts Centre on Friday, June 29, at 8 p.m. Tickets are €8.50 or €7 concession.

Understanding the significance and genius of Paul Cézanne. Featuring interviews with curators and experts from the National Portrait Gallery London, MoMA New York, National Gallery of Art Washington, and Musée d’Orsay Paris, and correspondence from the artist himself, the film takes

STEELY DAN TRIBUTE SUMMER CONCERT NINETTE DE VALOIS FESTIVAL OF DANCE.

audiences beyond the exhibition to the places Cézanne lived and worked and sheds light on an artist who is perhaps the least known of all the impressionists – till now.

Go to mermaidartscentre.ie for more information. The band recreates the sounds of one of rock’s most legendary and enigmatic bands with stunning precision and energy. The joint will be rockin’ to all the Dan classics from Reelin’ in the Years to Hey Nineteen and beyond. This eight-piece ensemble features former members of Pretzel Logic and includes some of Dublin’s finest jazz, rock and session musicians. Their live set opens with the entire classic album Aja, hence the name. The Inver Ladies’ Choir, with conductor Tony Norton and special guests, will perform a summer concert in Castlemacadam Church, Avoca, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost €10 and are available from any committee member. A gala tribute entitled ‘Invitation to the Dance’ takes place in the Tramway Theatre at 8 p.m. It will feature Irish National Youth Ballet, Degani Ensemble, guest dancers from Cork City Ballet, and the premier showing of Spectre de la Rose featuring Zoe Ashe-Browne and Dominic Harrison and filmed at Russborough House for the festival. A specially commissioned dramatization of De Valois’ poetry entitled the Contented Ghost will feature actor Deirdre Monaghan in the title role.

SATURDAY, JUNE 30 PEDAL FOR PIETA

After a hugely successful cycle last year, Enniskerry GAA is bring back its Pedal for Pieta cycle. Participants can chose from either an 80km route (departing at 10 a.m.) or a 40km route (leaving at 11.30 a.m.). Both routes will start and finish from Enniskerry village. Registration costs €20 and all sponsorship will be split 50/50 between the club and Pieta House. For more information, visit the club’s Facebook page.

ROSE SHOW

Delgany and District Horticultural Society will hold its next show, ‘The Rose Show’ on Saturday, June 30.

The show will be held at St Patrick’s Primary School, Church Road, Greystones. This show will be open from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information go to delganydhs.com.

THE DUBLINERS

All For Me Grog: The songs and Story of the Dubliners will be on at Mermaid Arts Centre on Saturday, June 30, at 8 p.m. Tickets are €20 or €18 concession. Go to mermaidartscentre.ie for tickets.

NINETTE DE VALOIS FESTIVAL OF DANCE.

At noon the Tramway Theatre will host ‘Madame’ – a roundtable discourse on Ninette De Valois with invited guests including Paul Johnston of Dance Ireland and Joanna Banks one of the last dancers who worked with DeVaois.

FAMILY FUN DAY

It’s the day the Volvo Round Ireland Festival gets under way so what better way to celebrate than with a day of fun from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Black Castle in Wicklow town? Among the attractions will be a climbing wall, bouncy castle and obstacle course, food festival, abseiling over a cliff, drumming workshops, Volvo car display and emergency services display. There will be Pure Fitness Inter-club Challenge from 10 a.m. to noon while the main event, the start of the Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race, will provide a great spectacle at 2 p.m.

RUSSBOROUGH CONCERT

At 2.30 p.m. Russborough House and the Beit Foundation will host an Afternoon Tea Dance at the Hippodrome as part of the Ninette de Valois International Dance Festival, where the award-winning Ballymore Eustace Concert Band will perform dance hits from the 1920s to the 1970s. Entrance is free and all are invited to dress in period costumes of their choice.

ROSE SHOW

Delgany and District Horticultural Society will hold its rose show from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at St Patrick’s Primary School in Greystones.

TASTE OF WICKLOW

A music festival featuring plenty of different acts takes place in the Abbey Grounds in Wicklow town from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. as part of the Taste of Wicklow festival.

MIDSUMMER BARN DANCE

The annual barbecue and barn dance in of Moneystown Community Centre will take place at 8 p.m. in the centre featuring Paul Molloy and the Whole Hog. This is an over – 18s event only. Tickets cost €20 and are available from 086 1504221.

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

Irish comedian Neil Delamere brings his latest show – which is still a work in progress, hence the lower ticket price – to the Courthouse Arts Centre in Tinahely at 8.30 p.m. Neil thinks he has the ‘illusion of control’ idea sussed. It’s doubtful. Tickets cost €15 and are available from the Courthouse.

SUNDAY, JULY 1 5K FUN RUN AND WALK

Tesco is Wicklow town is hosting this fundraising 5k in aid of Temple Street Hospital. Participants can register from 9 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. in the Assembly Hall (beside the garda station) and the cost of entry is €10 for adults, €5 for children or €20 for families of four. The race will begin at 10.30 a.m. from the Brass Fox. For more information on registration, call into Tesco Wicklow or text Alison at 087 9579264.

TASTE OF WICKLOW

Celebrity Chef’s Catherine Fulvio, Kevin Dundon and Paul Kelly in the Main Marquee plus local chefs will be situated in the Abbey Grounds, Wicklow town from midday to

7 p.m. Lots of family fun for all with entertainment, music and plenty of food stalls. Tickets costing €5 which are bought in advance will give the ticket buyer a great opportunity to win a great variety of prizes and will give free admittance on the day to the Abbey Grounds.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE SILLY BILLY WOLF.

This Whale Theatre production for children in Greystones is a fun and gentle re-telling of the classic fairy-tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Little Red Riding Hood is adventuring through the woods to visit her Granny, but somewhere along the way the Silly Billy Wolf is waiting. Starts at 1 p.m. Go to whaletheatre.ie for tickets.

GARDA BAND

As part of ‘summer Sundays’ the Garda Band plays at the Victorian Bandstand, from 2.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Ninette de Valois Festival of dance.

At midday on Main Street Blessington a memorial to Ninette DeValois will be unveiled ceremonially to remind all who pass of her wonderful legacy and special place among her community. Following this ceremony there will be an afternoon of music and Dance Festivities in the Main Square with guest musicians and dancers.

SPCA DOG SHOW

Pet pooches around the county are lining up to take part in Wicklow SPCs annual dog show in Sharpeshill. There will be a broad range of classes – including the new ‘Best Junior Dog Handler’ – with kennels, trophies and feed up for grabs for the winners. Emmaline Duffy from Citizen Canine Ireland will be on hand to give a free class for younger dog