🔴#04 Festivals, Free Pints & Ireland’s Play-Off

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🌇 Cork Sunset Today: 6:55pm
🌇 Last Wednesday: 6:43pm

It’s a week of festivals around Cork, with podcasts, whiskey and trad music taking over the city and county.

Thursday night is the big one for many with Ireland’s play-off game, and two pubs are offering free pints for the first 50 fans in jerseys.

And keep Tuesday night wide open too if Ireland get through to the final, because the city will be hopping!

If you know someone in Cork who’d like this email each week, send it their way!

• Follow Cork Circle on Instagram for updates during the week.

🍜 Little Vietnam
The Fifth Quarter, Paul Street | Now open |
New Vietnamese food truck serving bánh mì, fried spring rolls and other street food favourites, with more dishes to follow soon.

Have a new business opening? Tell us here.

Cork Circle Exclusive: 10% off selected Mahers Coffee products with our code CIRCLE10
Shop Mahers Coffee

💸 Free Pint Ireland Fans (Seventy Seven) + Free Pint for Ireland Fans (An Bróg)
Seventy Seven + An Bróg | Thurs, Mar 26 | 7:45pm | 🎟 Free |
Complimentary pints for the first 50 supporters wearing an Ireland jersey during the Ireland vs Czechia match in both pubs.

💸 Open Streets Retail Deals
Maylor Street | Sat, Mar 28 | 1pm–3pm | 🎟 Free |
Participating retailers including Tommy Hilfiger, Marks & Spencer, Penneys and more offering in-store activations and special deals.

Running a deal in Cork, online or in-store? Tell us here to be featured on Cork Circle. Free to submit.

The gym comparison website is starting to take shape as we collect info from gyms all over Cork about their facilities.

As mentioned last week, I do need your help to make this genuinely useful.

Some of the most important things people want to compare, such as cleanliness and crowding, can only come from real users, not from the gyms themselves.

So I’ve put together a short survey linked below to gather that properly.

The more responses we get, the better and more accurate this becomes for everyone! Please rate fairly and avoid defaulting to extreme scores. Balanced responses help make the website far more useful.

Across the Week

🎻 Féile Fearann Rí
Venues across Cork City’s Northside | Wed–Sat, Mar 25–28 | 🎟 Mostly free (booking required)
Traditional and folk music festival featuring concerts, sessions, workshops and storytelling across Cork’s northside.

🎙️ Cork Podcast Festival 2026
Various venues across Cork | Fri–Sun, Mar 20–29 | 🎟 Ticketed
City-wide festival celebrating podcasting with live shows, talks and recordings featuring top Irish voices across comedy, culture and current affairs.

🥃 Cork Whiskey Fest
Various venues across Cork City | Mar 27–29 | 🎟 Ticketed
Three-day festival of tastings, talks and whiskey experiences across the city. Several events are already sold out, so booking early is advised.

🎻 Ballydehob Traditional Music Festival 2026
Ballydehob, West Cork | Fri–Sun, Mar 27–29 | 🎟 Ticketed & free events
Weekend festival celebrating traditional Irish music with concerts, sessions, recitals and performances from local and international musicians.

Wednesday March 25th

🎙️ Podcast Workshop – The Basics of Recording & Editing
UCC Library (Digital Scholarship Studio) | 6pm–7:30pm | 🎟 €12
Introductory workshop covering planning, recording and editing podcasts, with hands-on experience using recording setups and editing software.

🎻 Festival Launch: A Night of Traditional Music, Song & Storytelling
Holyhill Library | 7pm–8pm | 🎟 Free
Opening night of Féile Fearann Rí featuring live music, songs and storytelling, with guest Clare Sands and The Gab Storytelling.

🎬 The People’s Picturehouse – Cork Migrant Filmmakers Special
The Pav | 7pm–10pm | 🎟 €5–€10
Annual showcase celebrating Cork-based migrant filmmakers, featuring a selection of films from creatives who now call the city home.

Thursday March 26th

💃 Everybody Dance w/ Stevie G
Marina Market | 11am–12:30pm | 🎟 Free
Inclusive daytime dance session with music, movement and a relaxed, welcoming vibe for all.

📚 Clara Kumagai and John Patrick McHugh In Conversation
Boole Library, UCC | 6pm | 🎟 Free
Literary evening with two rising Irish novelists discussing their latest work, writing process and themes of identity, culture and relationships.

🍷 A Tasting Dinner with Winemaker Silvia Zabalo
The Montenotte Hotel | 6:30pm–10pm | 🎟 €110
Five-course tasting dinner paired with Rioja wines, hosted by winemaker Silvia Zabalo with guided insights into each pairing.

🎻 Gala Concert of the 4th Annual Féile Fearann Rí
Church of the Resurrection, Farranree | 7pm–9pm | 🎟 €6.34
Festival highlight featuring Clare Sands alongside young and adult traditional musicians from Cork’s northside in a cross-generational live concert.

⚽ Czechia vs Ireland – World Cup 2026 Playoff
Pubs Across Cork | Thursday March 26th | 7:45pm | 🎟 Free
World Cup playoff semi-final with Ireland facing Czechia, with pubs across the city showing the match live.

🎤 The Blindboy Podcast (Live)
Cork Opera House | 8pm | 🎟 From €33 (last few)
Blindboy brings his hugely popular storytelling podcast to Cork, blending history, culture, humour and mental health in an live show.

🎭 Tuesdays with Morrie
The Everyman | Thu–Sat, 8pm | 🎟 From €11
Stage adaptation of Mitch Albom’s bestselling story, following a journalist reconnecting with his former professor in a moving final lesson on life, friendship and meaning.

💚 VOODOO GREEN PARTY – World Cup Playoff After Party
Voodoo Rooms | 10:30pm–2:30am | 🎟 From €9.55
Late-night party after Ireland’s playoff with green dress code, drink specials and crowd-favourite anthems.

Friday March 27th

🪩 Gramophone Circle at the Rory Gallagher Music Library
City Library, Grand Parade | 11am | Free
A relaxed communal listening session featuring everything from ballads and symphonies to opera and more.

🎻 Féile Fearann Rí Trad Session
Maureen’s Pub, Shandon Street | 4pm–6pm | 🎟 Free
Open trad session led by Lisa O’Sullivan and friends as part of the festival. Priority for players, limited space for listeners. 18+.

🥃 Friday Brand Expo & Social – Cork Whiskey Festival
Cork City Hall | 7pm | 🎟 €45
Large-scale tasting event with 50+ brand stands and 80+ producers offering samples of whiskey, gin, rum and more, plus food trucks and festival exclusives.

🎤 Sinead Quinlan – The Cultured Culchie
Cyprus Avenue | 7pm | 🎟 €22
Debut stand-up show as Sinead Quinlan explores rural identity, heartbreak and finding your place.

🎸 Cutouts & Faraway Shapes: Live at Dalí
Dali, Lavitt’s Quay |  8pm | 🎟 €11.70
Local indie outfit Cutouts are joined by Helsinki alt-rockers Faraway Shapes for a late-night gig packed with live energy and loud guitars.

🎙️ Cork Podcast Festival – Crime World with Nicola Tallant
Cork Opera House | 8pm | 🎟 €35
Live podcast recording from crime journalist Nicola Tallant exploring organised crime and major criminal cases.

🎻Four Men & A Dog – Festival Concert
Ballydehob Community Hall | 8pm | 🎟 €20
High-energy trad legends bring their genre-blending sound to Ballydehob TradFest, mixing Irish music with bluegrass, jazz, blues and more.

🎤 Roast Battle League Cork – 8 Comedians, 4 Battles
The Roundy | 10pm | 🎟 €10
High-energy roast battle night where comedians go head-to-head with savage punchlines and crowd-fuelled judging

💃 Band Baaja Baarat – The Ultimate Bollywood Wedding Party
Kino Café & Event House | 10pm–2am | 🎟 From €6.34
A full-blown Bollywood-style wedding party with non-stop anthems, Bhangra, and dancefloor energy.

Saturday March 28th

🎷 Paul Dunlea & Scott Flanigan – Triskel Lunchtime Jazz Series
Triskel Arts Centre | 1pm | 🎟 €18
Lunchtime jazz concert featuring contemporary takes on standards and original compositions from two leading Irish jazz musicians.

⚽ Man Utd Legends vs Celtic Legends
MTU Bishopstown Campus | 1pm | 🎟 From €9.55
Legends match featuring former Man United and Celtic players, with meet-and-greet opportunities, autographs and a full afternoon of football.

🎉 Open Streets: Family Fun on Maylor Street
Maylor Street | Saturday March 28th | 1pm–3pm | 🎟 Free
Street event with games, activities and in-store activations encouraging walking, cycling and community participation.

🍫 Cream Liqueurs & Chocolates Masterclass
The Fountain Bar | 3:30pm | 🎟 €26
Tasting masterclass pairing Irish cream liqueurs with artisan chocolates, guided by drinks specialist Tom Curran.

🎉 MTV Generation – Daytime Party
Sky Bar Cork | Sat Mar 28, 5pm–10pm | 🎟 €6.34
Throwback hits, day drinks and a high-energy daytime party with no late-night finish.

🎙️ How To Gael – Cork Podcast Festival
Cork Opera House | 8pm | 🎟 €31
Live bilingual podcast blending Irish language, culture and humour, with Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, Louise Cantillon and guest.

🎤 Patrick McDonnell (Savage Eye) Plus Guests
City Limits Comedy Club | 8pm | 🎟 €20
Live stand-up from Patrick McDonnell, known for The Savage Eye and Father Ted.

🎶 Andy Irvine plus support Ronan O'Driscoll
St John’s Church, Monkstown | 8pm | 🎟 €40.12
Live performance from legendary folk musician Andy Irvine, with support from Ronan O’Driscoll.

🔊 Into The Void – The Awakening
The Pav | 10pm | 🎟 €11.70
Late-night techno event with local DJs, immersive visuals and a focus on groove-driven electronic music in an intimate underground setting.

Sunday March 29th

🧠 The Science of Rhythm and Regulation
Clayton Hotel Silver Springs | 9:30am | 🎟 €175 
One-day workshop combining neuroscience and music to explore nervous system regulation through theory and practical exercises.

 🧘 Yoga Day Retreat Cork
Ballymaloe Grainstore | 10am–4:30pm | 🎟 €145 (going fast)
Full-day retreat with gentle yoga, restorative sessions, meditation and a vegetarian lunch in Ballymaloe.

🚶 Regatta Great Outdoors Ballincollig Community Walk
Regatta Great Outdoors, Ballincollig | 10:30am–1:30pm | 🎟 Free (booking required)
Guided 8km community walk through Ballincollig Regional Park with outdoor tips and a coffee at the finish.

🧠 Hello My Friend: Unleash the Power Within
The Everyman | 2pm | 🎟 €25
Live personal development event combining mindset coaching, mindfulness and practical tools for building confidence and clarity.

💘 Speed Dating Cork Ages 30–45
Counihans Bar | 3pm–5:30pm | 🎟 €36.14
Structured speed dating event with short one-to-one meetings to connect with other singles in the same age group.

🎭 Drama and Improv Comedy Workshop
South Parish Community Centre | 5:15pm–7pm | 🎟 From €9.01
Interactive workshop using improv exercises and storytelling to build confidence and performance skills

🎬 Fundraiser Film Screening – “We Only Want the Earth”
Cyprus Avenue | 6pm–9pm | 🎟 €11
Screening of a documentary on James Connolly followed by a discussion, raising funds for medical patients evacuated from Gaza.

🎶 Ora Cogan
Wavelength Rooftop Bar | 7pm–10pm | 🎟 €22
Live performance from Canadian singer-songwriter blending folk, experimental and psychedelic sounds.

🎤 Rosie O’Donnell – Common Knowledge
Cork Opera House | 8pm | 🎟 From €33 (selling fast)
The comedian returns to the stage with her first stand-up show in nearly a decade, reflecting on life, family and her move to Dublin.

Monday March 30th

🎬 The President’s Cake
Triskel Arts Centre | 5:30pm, also playing Sun, Tues | 🎟 €8.50–€11
Screening of a drama set in 1990s Iraq following a young girl tasked with baking a cake for Saddam Hussein’s birthday, with a 99% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

🧠 Monday Night Table Quiz
An Bróg Bar & Kitchen | 9pm | 🎟 Free
Weekly pub quiz with prizes including bar tabs and a jackpot.

Tuesday March 31st

🎵 Ringo Music Bingo
Cork City Library | 11am–12pm | 🎟 Free (booking required)
Music-themed bingo session featuring classic songs, with prizes and refreshments in a relaxed social setting.

🎨 Famous Paintings and Their Hidden Histories: Ecce Homo by Titian
Triskel Arts Centre | 11am–1pm | 🎟 €25
Lecture exploring Titian’s Ecce Homo, examining its history, attribution and artistic significance within Renaissance painting.

🎨 Retrospect Arts Festival
Cork Opera House | 12pm–7pm | 🎟 Free (booking required, last few tickets)
Multidisciplinary arts festival featuring live performances, participatory art and installations exploring memory and nostalgia.

🎤 An Evening with Kaleb Cooper
The Everyman | 7:30pm | 🎟 €41
Live talk featuring stories, humour and audience Q&A with farmer and TV personality Kaleb Cooper. 

Events For Kids

🎡 Funderland
Centre Park Road | Fri, Mar 27 - Sun, Apr 12, 2pm–10pm | 🎟 €2
Travelling funfair featuring rides, attractions and family entertainment running over the Easter period.

🧱 Cork Brick Con
Marina Market | Sat–Sun, Mar 28–29, 10am–5pm | 🎟 €14
Two-day LEGO fan convention with displays, interactive builds, gaming zones, STEM activities and traders.

🎶 Cushion Concerts at the Library (Ages 2–5)
Hollyhill Library | Sat Mar 28, 11am–12pm | 🎟 Free
Interactive music session with the Irish Baroque Orchestra featuring singing, clapping and movement for young children.

🎉 Cork Holi 2026 – The Festival of Colours
Fitzgerald Park | Sun, Mar 29, 12pm–4pm | 🎟 Free (donation optional)
Large outdoor celebration of Holi featuring colour throwing, live music, cultural performances and food stalls.

🧸 The Toy Library First Sensory Swap & Play in Cork
Aula Maxima, UCC | Sun, Mar 29, 12pm–2pm | 🎟 Free (booking required, last few tickets)
Inclusive family event with toy swapping, sensory play areas and a calm environment designed for neurodivergent children.

Planning Ahead

🎶 Song Bird – The Songs of Eva Cassidy
St Catherine’s Cultural Centre, Kinsale | Sat, Apr 4 | 7:30pm–9:30pm | 🎟 €27.84
Live tribute performance to Eva Cassidy featuring Niamh Strong and band covering her blend of folk, jazz and blues classics.

🎶 Niall Breslin & The Polaris Quartet
Live at St Luke’s | Friday April 10th | 8pm | 🎟 €35.38 (last few tickets)
Live performance blending music, spoken word and visuals built around Breslin’s cinematic compositions.

🎶 Mack Fleetwood
Cork Opera House | Fri, Apr 10, 8pm | 🎟 €35
Fleetwood Mac tribute show covering hits from across their career with a full live band performance.

This photo shows an electric tram arriving into Douglas village around 1910, captured from what is now Douglas Village West, looking back toward the city. The trams stopped running in 1931. 

The building at the back left with the large “CRAWFORD’S” sign is what we now know as O’Driscoll’s pub, originally a Beamish & Crawford tied house. 

Today’s photo below from the same position shows that O’Driscoll’s is still going strong.

Image attribution: Fergus O’Connor Collection, National Library of Ireland