A guide to the events taking place across the country this weekend:
In Galway the Midwinter Music Festival, which this year celebrates the music and life of Ludwig Beethoven, gets underway tonight at the Town Hall Theatre, and runs until Sunday.
Tomorrow afternoon at 2pm artists from around the world will gather to discuss the composer’s work, while tomorrow night a concert ‘Passion: To the distant beloved’ will comprise pieces form the song cycle of the same name and actor Rod Goodall reading from Beethoven's letters as translated by Galway scholar Emily Anderson.
Tomorrow at 8pm a closing concert, ‘The Irish Connection: The pulse of an Irishman' features a selection of Beethoven's Irish songs for soprano, tenor and piano trio as well as Bagatelles for piano solo and the 'Ghost' piano trio.
Tickets cost €20. More information at www.tht.ie
In Wicklow, the winning production in this year's Bray One-Act Drama festival - now in its 36th year - will be announced at the Mermaid Arts Centre tomorrow evening.
The five-day event has seen amateur drama groups, from Dublin, Wicklow and Cork compete for the trophy which will be awarded after the final two shows tomorrow night.
All plays have been one-act and not more than 50 minutes in length. There have been three staged each night since Tuesday, including Costa Del Packet by Anthony Boothe, presented by the Delgany ICA drama group; Over My Dead Body by Pat Baker, presented by the Village Players, and tomorrow night the Dalkey Players present Two by Jim Cartwright at 8pm sharp.
Tickets costing €12 are almost sold out. More information at www.mermaidartscentre.ie
In Newcastle, Co Down, some of the best known models from 50 years of Bond movies will take centre stage at the 19th annual Vintage, Classic and Sports car Show at the Slieve Donard Hotel.
It runs from 10am-10pm today and tomorrow, and from 10am until 6pm on Sunday.
The Aston Martin DB5, which first appeared in Goldfinger with Seán Connery in 1964, and has featured in several other Bond films, including the most recent, Skyfall will be the star attraction.
There will also be a model of the famous white Lotus Esprit which first appeared in The Spy Who Loved Me, and a yellow Citroen 2CV which featured in For Your Eyes Only.
As well as the Bond-themed cars, there will be more than 40 other collectors’ cars, from every era including a Model T Ford.
The show, which is run for charity, generally attracts more than 3,000 visitors over the weekend.
Tickets cost £5. More information at www.hastingshotels.com/slievedonard.
In Dublin over the weekend, as part of the Temple Bar Trad Fest, there will be theatrical make-up for kids at the National Wax Museum. The team from the Belvedere Academy will transform little ones into fairy princesses, fluffy bunnies or even horrible monsters.
Family tickets for the museum are €25.
Jazz and blues singer Mary Coughlan headlines tomorrow night on the main stage at East Essex Street, at 6 pm. Other acts will play throughout the day at the same venue, beginning at 11.45am.
On Sunday from noon until 4pm a range of acts will take to the same stage, filling the cobbled quarter with music.
Declan O’Rourke will close the festival Sunday night at 8 pm in St Werburgh’s church. The concert is sold out.
More information from www.templebartrad.com
