Rathfarnham Castle

18/06/2026

Just 10 days left in which to view this beautiful show. 'Ar an Imeall/On the Edge', a collection of paintings by Pamela de Brí of Ireland's offshore islands runs daily until 28 June. Admission free.

16/06/2026

Booking still open for this lovely event taking place on Sunday 21 June - what a lovely way to celebrate Midsummer!

We are delighted to be involved in South Dublin Live again - always a highlight of our summer!

Details below of a very special musical event taking place here on Sunday 21st June at 3.30pm.

Presented as part of the Artscope Summer Concert Series 2026, supported by South Dublin Live, a SDCC Arts Office initiative - this special Coast2Coasts performance brings together Irish and Ukrainian musical traditions in a unique evening of collaboration, creativity and connection. Each concert is curated to present a discinctive cultural exploration, the first in the series is entitled;

"Our Skies, Our Lands, Our Music"

Join performers, collaborators and composers, Tim Doyle and Olesya Zdorovetska, alongside special guest Vsevolod Sadovyi, for an inspiring concert exploring the creative links between Ireland and Ukraine through music, spoken word and improvisation.

Artist Profiles
• Tim Doyle (uilleann pipes, concertina, low whistle and fiddle) is a composer, arranger and performer.
• Olesya Zdorovetska (vocals, keyboard and spoken word) is a Ukrainian-Irish performer and composer living in Dublin since 2014.
• Vsevolod Sadovyi (traditional percussion, string and wind instruments) is a Ukrainian multi-instrumentalist, researcher and performer specialising in ritual, improvisation and contemporary interpretations of Ukrainian folklore.

This poignant new collaboration explores heritage, memory and shared musical landscapes while creating vibrant connections between cultures, locations and countries.

"This unique performance explores the rich cultural tapestry of Ireland and Ukraine through a blend of music and poery. Weaving stories of land, love, loss and resilience the concert will offer a powerful journey across borders and hearts" Olesya & Tim

Tickets are €5 and available from Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/our-skies-our-lands-our-music-tickets-1991069305892?aff=oddtdtcreator

14/06/2026

Ar an Imeall/On the Edge is open today and daily until 28th June. This beautiful, serene and evocative exhibition of paintings of Ireland's offshore islands by Pamela de Brí.

Imeall/On the Edge is part of a larger project exploring and documenting the islands and seeking to record, celebrate, respect and remember the individual world that each island is and was to those that lived and still live on it. Having researched the history, landscape, demographics, and topography of the islands over the last few years, the artist has painted them, as seen from the mainland, trying to capture their essence.

Daily 9.30 - 5.30pm. Admission free.

Visit Dublin

12/06/2026

A limited number of the OPW’s second annual research journal Irish Heritage Studies are now available to purchase here at reception. This year’s volume contains an article on the eighteenth-century social history of Rathfarnham Castle and the Loftus/Ely household entitled ‘Further evidence for a servant of South Asian ancestry in Georgian Dublin’s Ely household.’

The journal is priced at €20 and can also be purchased directly from the publisher at the link below:
https://gandoneditions.com/products/irish-heritage-studies-vol-2-the-annual-research-journal-of-the-office-of-public-works

10/06/2026

A truly delightful bit of local history for the day that's in it (10 June), from 'Malachi Horan Remembers - Rathfarnham and Tallaght in the Nineteenth Century':

'...what we would have here was nothing to the dancing at Rathfarnham Fair. It was held on 10 June each year. The Sunday previous to the fair was called 'Walking Sunday' as it was on that day that the people who lived at a distance commenced walking their stock. Well the fun of the fair started on Walking Sunday and went on till the fair was over.

There were all kinds of side-shows in the streets. We would have trick-'o-the-loop men, wrestlers, strong men, pipers, ballad-singers, and the rest. But the cream of the milk was the dancing. Lads, the best dancers in Ireland, would not fail to attend. Every inn in the town would have a floor in its yards. The best of them were in the Yellow House, Connor's and Curtis's. There were all kinds of musicianers, but blind Kitty Shea and her daughter were as good as the best....We would be selling all day and dancing all night! Them were the days!'

09/06/2026

We are delighted to be involved in South Dublin Live again - always a highlight of our summer!

Details below of a very special musical event taking place here on Sunday 21st June at 3.30pm.

Presented as part of the Artscope Summer Concert Series 2026, supported by South Dublin Live, a SDCC Arts Office initiative - this special Coast2Coasts performance brings together Irish and Ukrainian musical traditions in a unique evening of collaboration, creativity and connection. Each concert is curated to present a discinctive cultural exploration, the first in the series is entitled;

"Our Skies, Our Lands, Our Music"

Join performers, collaborators and composers, Tim Doyle and Olesya Zdorovetska, alongside special guest Vsevolod Sadovyi, for an inspiring concert exploring the creative links between Ireland and Ukraine through music, spoken word and improvisation.

Artist Profiles
• Tim Doyle (uilleann pipes, concertina, low whistle and fiddle) is a composer, arranger and performer.
• Olesya Zdorovetska (vocals, keyboard and spoken word) is a Ukrainian-Irish performer and composer living in Dublin since 2014.
• Vsevolod Sadovyi (traditional percussion, string and wind instruments) is a Ukrainian multi-instrumentalist, researcher and performer specialising in ritual, improvisation and contemporary interpretations of Ukrainian folklore.

This poignant new collaboration explores heritage, memory and shared musical landscapes while creating vibrant connections between cultures, locations and countries.

"This unique performance explores the rich cultural tapestry of Ireland and Ukraine through a blend of music and poery. Weaving stories of land, love, loss and resilience the concert will offer a powerful journey across borders and hearts" Olesya & Tim

Tickets are €5 and available from Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/our-skies-our-lands-our-music-tickets-1991069305892?aff=oddtdtcreator

02/06/2026

Tomorrow is First Wednesday, so you can enjoy free admission to Rathfarnham Castle and a whole range of other OPW managed heritage sites. See www.heritageireland.ie for a full list.

We're open from 9.30am and last admissions are at 4.45pm. Enjoy a guided tour or a self-guided tour, and be sure not to miss Ar an Imeall/On the Edge, Pamela de Brí's gorgeous exhibition of paintings of Ireland's off-shore Islands.

Image: Aidona Photography