Howth Maritime and Seafood Festival at Howth Harbour in Co Dublin, an annual free entry seafood festival with chef demos, oyster bar and boat tours, now in a late-May summer slot.
Tip: Free entry; chef demos run on the West Pier stage. DART from Connolly Station; arrive 11:00 to beat the lunch queue.
Address: West Pier and Harbour Road, Howth, Co Dublin
Dublin Coffee Festival at the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, an annual April weekend of specialty coffee with brewing competitions, latte art, workshops and roaster stalls.
Tip: Weekend pass is the value; Friday evening adds an Industry session. The brewing competition runs Saturday.
Whiskey Live Dublin at the RDS in Ballsbridge, Ireland's premier whiskey festival, two days of distillery stands, masterclasses and rare-bottle pours in early June.
Tip: General admission and masterclass packages available; book masterclasses early as they sell out first.
Bloomsday Festival on 16 June in Dublin, the annual James Joyce Ulysses literary festival, with Edwardian breakfasts and the Gorgonzola sandwich at Davy Byrnes pub.
Tip: Davy Byrnes serves the canonical Gorgonzola sandwich and Burgundy at lunch. James Joyce Centre runs the breakfast; book a week ahead.
Taste of Dublin on Merrion Square in Dublin, an annual June multi-cuisine open-air festival with chef demos, twenty Dublin restaurants and producer marketplace.
Tip: Standard entry from EUR 19.50; the Häagen-Dazs VIP Suite at EUR 52.50. Thursday afternoon is the calmest session.
