First stop should be the city of Cork, viewed by its residents as the ‘real’ capital of Ireland, when the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival hits the streets on October 24 to 27, 2003.

The Festival runs for four days and includes a host of jazz music events throughout the entire city. There isn’t a pub or club that will remain untouched by the sounds of jazz as the city throws off its shackles and gets down to the beat.

Major highlights include Jan Garbaek Quartet who play in the Everyman Palace Theatre on Friday October 24 at 8:30 p.m.; Jean-Michel Pilc Trio entertain at the Firkin Crane Center on Saturday October 25 at 8:00 p.m. and the Abdullah Ibrahim Trio perform at the Everyman Palace Theater on Sunday October 26 at 2:00 p.m.

Do you fancy swinging to the rhythm and doing ‘The Jitterbug’ at the Guinness Jazz Club of the Gresham Metropole Hotel? Then journey south to take in the sounds of the sax, trombone and trumpet. You can enjoy free admission to afternoon jazz sessions and take in long nights of jazz performances.

Cork presents you with dancing and music allowing the chills of October to completely drown out.

If you fancy a bit of culture then get yourself up north to the Belfast Festival at Queen’s.

From October 24 to November 9, 2024 the thriving city of Belfast plays host to a range of international theatre, drama, and music. This festival is guaranteed to brighten up the days of October and November as the city opens its arms to the performing arts.

Venues around the city vary from local community centers and halls to the classic Grand Opera House and spectacular Waterfront Hall.

Festival highlights include a performance by Bob Geldof at Elmwood Hall on Saturday November 1 at 8:00 p.m. along with the Amnesty International Stand Up Show which brings its unique brand of comedy to Whitla Hall on Tuesday October 28 at 8:00 p.m. Bring the kids along to Botanic Gardens on Friday October 24 where the amazing spectacle ‘Sticky’ takes place. The show includes fireworks, giant insects and thousands of feet of sticky tape, which has built the highest tower you’ll ever see—the fun kicks off at 6:30 p.m. sharp!

As the name suggests, this festival sprouted from the artistic influence of students on campus at Queens University. A visit to the city’s cultural highlight will prove to be an education in unforgettable entertainment and fun.

The renowned Wexford Opera Festival takes place from October 16 to November 2, 2024 in Wexford town.

This town in the ‘Sunny South East’ becomes the center of the operatic world, presenting major productions and over forty other events in a festival program that has drawn artists and audiences from all over the world.

This year, the main operas are: Die Drei Pintos (The Three Pintos) with performances on October 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, and 31; Maria Del Carmen will be performed on October 17, 20, 23, 26, and 29 and Svanda Dudak (Svanda the Bagpiper) will take place on October 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, and November 2.

Come along to experience one of Ireland’s most unique and distinguished festivals!

One of the best places to experience Ireland’s crisp autumn days is within one of the country’s National Parks.

County Wicklow in the east of Ireland is home to Wicklow Mountains National Park covering an area of approximately 20,000 hectares. This includes large areas of mountain blanket bogs, and the National Park provides protection for the landscape and wildlife, from rare orchids to the wild and beautiful Peregrine Falcon.

You can enjoy the spellbinding beauty of Wicklow by attending the Wicklow Mountains Autumn Walking Festival from October 24 to October 26, 2003. Highlights include walks through a 6th century monastic city and two clear water lakes beneath the sheer cliffs of a deep valley. There is a choice of walks to suit all types of walkers from an 11km heritage walk, a torch lit night hike to a 26km day hike.

In the southwest you can walk through the spectacular beauty of Killarney National Park in County Kerry, which comprises over 10,000 hectares of beautiful lake and mountain scenery. In the west, is the equally famous Connemara National Park in County Galway, which covers 2,000 hectares of mountain countryside with a wide range of wildlife and unique flora and fauna. Glenveagh National Park in northern county of Donegal has 16,500 hectares of lakes, woods and glens all within this rugged and remote mountain valley.