The best events happening in Ireland this summer

Despite the limited two hours of sunshine that will probably fall on Ireland this summer, we don’t let that stop us from enjoying the lazy summer days.

The start of the summer brings with it the start of festival season (see the top ten Irish summer festivals here) but that’s not all the Emerald Isle has to offer.

If the idea of sheltering from the pouring rain and cold in a tent in the middle of a wet, muddy and crowded field doesn’t sound like the ideal way to spend your weekend, there’s plenty of other big events happening around the country to keep you entertained and your spirits up while we wait for the Indian summer to strike in September.

Killarney Hotels have compiled this perfect guide to all the summer’s top event from The Best for Nostalgia to The Best for Doing Good.

Best for Kids: 2015 Galway Science and Technology Festival Exhibition

Galway City, November 22 2015

Extract DNA from bananas, meet some creepy crawlies, visit the Teddy Bear Hospital and fly fish in the 3D tour of the universe at this science and technology extravaganza. Hosted in National University of Ireland, Galway, the Galway Science and Technology Festival Exhibition is top of the list for a fun (and secretly educational) family day out.

More info: www.galwayscience.ie

Best for Traditional Music: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2015

Sligo town, County Sligo, August 9-16

A full week of Irish traditional music will descend on Sligo town in mid-August as musicians and fans the world over travel to Ireland for the biggest traditional music session in the world. Whether you want to start off learning an instrument at Scoil Éigse during the week or just soak in the atmosphere and watch the professionals at the evenings and weekends, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is a celebration of Irish music at its finest.

More info: www.fleadhcheoil.ie.

Best for Nostalgia: Riverdance 20 Returns

Gaiety Theater, Dublin, June 25 - August 30

For an extraordinary two decades, Riverdance has wowed crowds all over the world with its unique brand of Irish dance. The show returns to Ireland for its 20th anniversary show and whether you’re seeing it for the first time and the hundredth it’s not to be missed. As one of the country’s landmark theaters, The Gaiety provides the perfect backdrop for the show’s 12th summer season in the city.

More info: www.gaietytheatre.ie.

Best for Literature Lovers: Yeats 2015

Nationwide, year-long

2015 is dedicated to one of Ireland’s greats: W. B. Yeats. Barely a day will pass in 2015 where there is not at least one event happening somewhere in the country in memory of the 150th birthday of the Nobel Prize-winning poet. “Your Yeats” aims to collect an extensive online archive of live recordings of the poems of Yeats to which anybody can contribute. The archive already contains readings by Seamus Heaney and Mary Robinson. Take a look at the calendar to see what other events are taking place nationwide.

Yeats 2015 from Junior Braun on Vimeo.

More info: Yeats2015.com

Best for Party Animals: Electric Picnic

Stradbally Hall, September 4-6

The summer staple of many, Electric Picnic winds up the party with a more raucous music festival than Body and Soul. If you're not up for the rave in the woods until the early hours of the morning, take a stroll to the Body and Soul area or swing by the comedy tent, the spoken word tent or the craft workshops to celebrate the best of Irish all in one place.