Youngs Hearts’ No Idle Day festival returns this year for a weekend of music, art, fashion and three-legged racing

In Siobhán’s own words:

This Young Hearts project is most likely to DO ME IN, but in the meantime, I have concocted what I hope will be lots of fun times for everyone over Friday 21st October – Sunday 23rd October.

It will feature the 150th Banter, with Jim Carroll interviewing the wonderful Mícheál Ó’Muircheartaigh, Community Games in Ringsend Park, our own rendering of “The Sunday Game” in The Yacht Tavern in Ringsend, a vintage magical mystery bus tour with bus conductor Alison Spittle and lots of musicians, a DJ set by the ever-brilliant Donal Dineen, a screening of the powerful documentary Atlantic, a walking tour of Dublin’s Lost Fashion History, a drawing class with the legend that is Don Conroy, readings from two great short-story writers – Lara Williams and Joanna Walsh, a nostalgic dinner spread by Aoife McElwain (forkful), and lots of musical performances by people like Montreal’s Woodpigeon, and long-time supporters like Dónal Lunny, The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock, and Cian Nugent, and other great talents like No Monster Club, Shrug Life, The Run-Ons, Nialler9, and Raymond Scannell.

The bad news is the first batch of weekend tickets for the festival have already sold out, as have tickets for the Friday evening Magical Mystery Bus Tour, but you can still avail of a weekend pass for the knockdown price of €40 (plus fees) which gets you access to everything apart from the aforementioned sold out events and Sunday’s Community Games in Ringsend Park. BARGAIN.

The full weekend schedule is:

Friday 21st October

7pm-8:45pm The Magical Mystery Bus Tour (SOLD OUT)

A magical mystery tour, on a vintage bus, around the city, featuring bus conductor Alison Spittle, musicians Dónal Lunny, The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock and Annie Tierney. Tipples kindly provided by Dungarvan.

9pm – 12:30am No Monster Club, Shrug Life, The Run Ons and a Donal Dineen DJ set at a SECRET LOCATION

Come and join us for performances from some of Ireland’s most exciting bands No Monster Club, Shrug Life, and The Run-Ons, followed by a DJ set from the wonderful Donal Dineen.

Saturday 22nd October

11am-12pm Paint Your Wagon at The National Gallery – Tickets €10

A wonderful hour of drawing with the brilliant Don Conroy in the beautiful environs of The National Gallery, for children and childlike adults! With an introduction and short interview by illustrator Steve McCarthy.

1pm-3pm The Lost Fashion History Of Dublin – Tickets €10

Join fashion historian Ruth Griffin as she takes us on a fascinating walking tour of Dublin’s Lost Fashion History.

5pm-6:15pm Paperback Writer at Books Upstairs – Tickets €10

Join Joanna Walsh (Vertigo, Tramp Press), and Lara Williams (Treats, Freight Books) read from their hugely acclaimed shory story collections, and discuss the beauty of the short story form, and its enduring power with journalist and broadcaster Mick Heaney. In association with Gorse.

7:30pm-12:30am No Idle Night at The Bello Bar – Tickets €15

An eclectic night featuring; a radio listening event in appreciation of Anne Briggs (in association with A Falling Tree productions), photographer Deirdre O’Callaghan in conversation with drummers James Byrne (Any Other City) and Jeremy Hickey (R.S.A.G.) about her most recent book The Drum Thing, with a live set by R.S.A.G., and performances by Woodpigeon, full band shows by Cian Nugent & the Cosmos, and Paddy Hanna, Young Hearts DJ’s and more.

Sunday 23rd October

1pm-4pm – Community Games at Ringsend Park – Tickets €40

Get a team together and come and join us for basketball, 5-a side football, rounders, egg and spoon, the three-legged race and so much more at Ringsend Park! Get sponsored by your friends and family, turn up and you could win some lovely prizes, and the chance to be the NO IDLE DAY CHAMPION! (And raise money for the Simon Community, as always)

6pm-11pm The Sunday Game – Across The Sea at The Yacht Tavern, Thorncastle Street – Tickets €14

Join us for our last event of the No Idle Day festival in the lovely, cosy corners of The Yacht Tavern in Ringsend, our own version of “The Sunday Game”, which will feature a screening of the film Atlantic, the 150th Banter event, with Jim Carroll interviewing Mícheál Ó’Muircheartaigh, a panel discussion featuring Dublin GAA star Michael Darragh Macauley, musical performances by Shrug Life, The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock, some singing in rounds, a nostalgia-flavoured spread by Aoife Forkful, DJ sets by Nialler9 among others, surprise guests, and a free tipple for everyone courtesy of Liberties Ale and Dowd’s Lane.

Find out more at http://youngheartsrunfree.ie