WHAT’S ON AROUND COUNTY WICKLOW

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18

MARATHON TALK

Wicklow Marathon Runners will be hosting its annual marathon evening in the Glenview Hotel from 7.30 p.m. Speakers will include Frank Greally, Brendan O’Shea, Gerry Curtis, Aisling Kirwan and Catherine from East Coast Physio while there will also be some tips from regular DCM pacers, hosted by Billy Porter and covering areas such as training, nutrition, care and pacing advice. Entry will be €2.

TINAHELY SHOW QUEEN

The Tinahely Show Queen showcase event takes place at 7 p.m. in Murphy’s, Tinahely.

This year’s show queen contestants will be revealed and interviewed ahead of the annual show on Monday, August 6. All are welcome to attend..

THURSDAY, JULY 19

SHELTON ABBEY GARDENS OPEN DAY

Shelton Abbey Open Centre will open its gardens to the public from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a tour of the gardens, historical talks on the house, face painting and refreshments. There is no entry fee, however, any donations will go to the Wicklow Hospice Foundation.

FRIDAY, JULY 20

SEABREEZE FESTIVAL

The Arklow Seabreeze Festival gets under way with an all-day carnival, Arklow’s Fittest Family Challenge, Trade Winds Burger Eating Contest and a demonstration by Arklow Community First Responders. Evening entertainment commences at 7.30 p.m. and live music in the park will feature Inuendo from 9.30 p.m. GROWING OLD (DIS) GRACEFULLY The Dalkey Players present Lua McIllraith in this riotous look (in song) at the perils of getting older. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets cost €15 and are available from the Whale. CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN

Irish-French chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan returns with her critically acclaimed concert of music, paying tribute to Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. Camille performs from her album, Brel, and summons the haunting Parisian soul within Brel’s repertoire, including such favourites as ‘Amsterdam’ and ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets, costing €25, are available from the Mermaid. CABARET NIGHT

Wicklow Vintage Club will be handing over the proceeds of their Hannah O’Byrne Memorial Static Show to two worthy causes at this cabaret night in Jacobs Well, Rathdrum. The night kicks off at 9.30 p.m. and there will be a raffle and music by Beat Street. Entry will be by donation.

SATURDAY, JULY 21

CARNEW SHOW

Carnew and District Agricultural Show society will be hosting the annual show at Umrigar, with a full programme of classes for horses, ponies, sheep, poultry as well as a dog show, baking, crafts and flowers. For more information, call 087 1429325. SEABREEZE FESTIVAL

A full day of festival fun begins with the AGB Festival of Football at 10 a.m. followed by the International Marching Bands and Drum Corps Competition in the Arklow Celtic FC grounds from 1.30 p.m. Throughout the day, the Dainty Bakery Baby Show takes place at 2 p.m. followed by the Busking Competition from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Drum Corps Rock the town from 7.15 p.m. and the Great Pint Challenge from 8 p.m. There will be music by Jake Carter, The Breakfast Club and LH28. The carnival and street fun and games will also take place.

OPEN GARDEN IN RATHDRUM

Lin and Michael Ryan’s private garden known as St Anne’s will be open for all to visit from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. It’s located on Rathdrum’s lower main street and includes an ancient holy well known as St Michael’s Well renowned for its healing properties. The proceeds are in aid of the roof fund for St Saviour’s Church.

WINGS FESTIVAL

Wings Food Fest is back with a great line-up of activities taking place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The weekend food festival is dedicated to the mighty chicken wing and includes 15 wing pop-up shops. There will be barbecue pitmasters at work cooking meats on the grill and the search is on to find who can survive the hottest wings challenge, who can eat the most wings but most importantly who has the best wings in Bray.

OPEN GARDEN

Denali garden opening

The Denali garden will be open at the Charlesland house in Greystones from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will also be a plant sale held. Admission is €5 and refreshments will be available. Proceeds will go to Greystones Cancer Support.

BLESSING OF THE GRAVES

The blessing of the graves will take place at 3 p.m. in Glenealy. Tea and refreshments will be served afterwards in the hall.

SUNDAY, JULY 22

CHARITY CYCLE

Bray Wheelers will host their annual Padddy Martin Memorial Randonee, with proceeds going to Aware. There is a choice of three distances: 70km, 90km and 120km. Sign-on will take place in Bray Wheelers CC clubhouse from 8.50 a.m. to 10 a.m. and all routes take in some of Wicklows most beautiful countryside. Admission is €15, including water and food stops. ROWATHON

Bray Rowing Club is holding a rowathon on rowing machines at the club from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to raise much-needed funds towards a new boat. There will also be a 500m rowing competition with a €100 One For All voucher for the winner of the fastest 500m of the day. WINGS FESTIVAL

Wings Food Fest is back with a great line-up of activities taking place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be barbecue pitmasters and the search is on to find who can survive the hottest wings challenge, who can eat the most wings and who has the best wings in Bray. WICKLOW SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

South Quay in Wicklow town is the place to be for seafood lovers from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Local chefs will give mouth-watering cookery demonstrations on the hour from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., there will be lots of local artisan food producers, puppet shows, face-painting, music all day and, of course, celebrations to mark Sammy the Seal’s birthday. Admission is €3 for adults while under-12s go free. SEABREEZE FESTIVAL The final day of the year’s Seabreeze Festival begins with the Ar- tisan Food and Craft Fair from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the McDonald’s Teddy Bears’ Picnic at 2 p.m. The Pipe Band Competition runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the Wicklow Minors Comhaltas Group will be on stage from 2.30 p.m. The pig derby will be at 4 p.m. followed by the Pipe Band Parade at 5 p.m. and Midway Chilli Madness at 6.30 p.m. The Great Ball Race commences at 7.15 p.m. followed by the final of Arklow’s Fittest Family at 7.30 p.m. There will be music by the Navvies, Feel the Pinch and E’motion from 9 p.m. and the festival will draw to a close with a fireworks display at 11 p.m.

OPEN GARDEN

Denali garden opening

The Denali garden will be open at the Charlesland house in Greystones from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will also be a plant sale held. Admission is €5 and refreshments will be available. Proceeds will go to Greystones Cancer Support.

NEWCASTLE DUCK DERBY FESTIVAL

The Castle Inn in Newcastle will be absolutely quackers from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. during this fundraiser in aid of the local community centre. There will be a DJ, barbecue, face-painting, kids games, a raffle and, the highlight, a hotly contested duck derby at 5 p.m. Ducks are on sale now in the Castle Inn or Newcastle garage at a cost of €5.

PARISH FUN DAY

St Joseph’s Parish invites people to come along for plenty of fun and games from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Baltinglass Parish Centre grounds.

THE ALEXANDRIA SINGERS

The Alexandria Singers from Virginia in America will join Gaudium from Bray for this very special concert at 8 p.m. in St Patrick’s Church, Greystones. This will be an evening of songs from the shows (including the Lion King, Wicked, The Greatest Showman) as well as choral classics, American folk and Irish Trad music. Tickets cost €10 and are available on the door or by calling 087 6250823/01 2867123, with all proceeds going to Open Door.

MUSIC IN CALARY

Calary Church will host a performance from Lorna Breen (soprano), Andrew Gavin (tenor) and Mairéad Hurley (accompanist) who will perform opera arias, Irish airs and pieces by Gilbert and Sullivan. The concert will follow an optional supper in aid of Sister Mary Killeen’s work in Mukuru slums in Nairobi. The concert starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are €18 or €15 with a concession.

MONDAY, JULY 23

MINDFULNESS FOR CHILDREN

Mindfulness for children workshops will take place at Arklow Community Action Resource Centre on July 23, 24 and 25 from 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. These workshops will cover worried thoughts and feelings through meditation, crafts and games. €45 per child and information available from Karen at 086 3916728.

TUESDAY, JULY 24

GARDENING FOR BIRDS Declan Murphy will give an introduction to the birds that live closest to us at 7 p.m. in Bray Library. During his talk, Declan will advise on what plants to grow to entice them into our gardens as well as how to feed them and encourage them to next. Contact the library to book a seat.

MINDFULNESS FOR CHILDREN

Mindfulness for children workshops will take place at Arklow Community Action Resource Centre on July 23, 24 and 25 from 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. These workshops will cover worried thoughts and feelings through meditation, crafts and games. The cost is €45 per child and information is available from Karen at 086 3916728.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 MINDFULNESS FOR CHILDREN

Mindfulness for children workshops will take place at Arklow Community Action Resource Centre on July 23, 24 and 25 from 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. These workshops will cover worried thoughts and feelings through meditation, crafts and games. The cost is €45 per child and information is available from Karen at 086 3916728.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY: THE MUSICAL

Sheevawn Musical Youth Theater (seniors) bring everyone’s favourite creepy family to life at 7.30 p.m. Based on the characters created by Charles Addams, and featuring a wonderful musical score by Andrew Lippa, the story shows the family trying to hide their macabre tendencies for the sake of the daughter Wednesdays love life. Tickets cost €15 and are available from the Mermaid.

THURSDAY, JULY 26 6KM TRAIL RACE

Rathdrum Community First Responders will host this 6k fundraising trail race from Clara Vale Church, near Rathdrum. Registration starts at 6 p.m. and entry is €5 for juniors, €10 for adults and €20 for families of four. For more information, contact Billy at 087 2928660.

MARITIME FESTIVAL LAUNCH

The annual Arklow Maritime Festival will be officially launched at an event at Arklow Lifeboat Station at 7.20 p.m. The list of events for this year’s festival will be revealed on the night.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY: THE MUSICAL

Sheevawn Musical Youth Theater (seniors) bring everyone’s favourite creepy family to life at 7.30 p.m. Tickets cost €20 and are available from the Mermaid.

FRIDAY, JULY 27

ELLEN YORKE MEMORIAL NIGHT

This charity event in aid of the daffodil nurses kicks off at 7 p.m. in Lawless’s Hotel, Aughrim. There will be a raffle with plenty of prizes and Albert Webster will spinning the tracks and filling up the dancefloor. Entry is €5. THE ADDAMS FAMILY: THE MUSICAL

Sheevawn Musical Youth Theater (seniors) bring everyone’s favourite creepy family to life at 7.30 p.m. Tickets cost €20 and are available from the Mermaid. COFFEE MORNING A coffee morning in aid of Irish Dogs for the Disabled takes place in