by Saoirse Anton

It is overcast, drizzly and chilly. People are reaching for raincoats and cardis, discussing waterlogged gardens, rained-off activities and the trials of drying laundry indoors, and all wondering when the sun will return. That can only mean one thing, its wint…oh hang on. It’s summer?

Well, whether the summer makes an appearance or not, one season is guaranteed – festival season. Whether it is a weekend of revelry at a music festival, discovering new work at a fortnight-long arts festival, or enjoying family fun at a local fair, from here until the autumn you are guaranteed to find a festival almost every week.

With so many to choose from, the options can become overwhelming, but never fear. Your friendly neighbourhood columnist is on the case. Read on for my top picks of some of this year’s fantastic festival offerings.

Clonmel Junction Festival

28th June – 7th July

Clonmel is the place to be this weekend. Though Clonmel Junction Festival has already been underway for a few days, there is plenty more to enjoy before the festival closes on Sunday. My particular picks of the programme include Irish Modern Dance Theatre’s Actions, a duet featuring powerful contemporary dancers, Kevin Coquelard and Mufutau Yusuf, the thought-provoking What’s Next For… series of lunchtime talks at the Main Guard Building every day throughout the festival, and a family classic in the form of Peter + Wolf a performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf with storytelling by Mary Hickey and puppetry by Catherine McVicker.

Eargail Arts Festival

13th - 28th July

Next up we head to Donegal for the Eargail Arts Festival. A feast of shows, exhibitions, workshops and masterclasses, Eargail Arts Festival really can boast something for everyone in their programme. The events that have particularly caught my eye are Boyfriends by Ultan Pringle, a play charting the ups, downs and roundabouts of a modern situationship, and Fág do Lorg | Ná Fág Lorg, a dance performance from Na Mic Ua gCorra and Ériu exploring the vital role we all play in the future of our environment, encouraging audiences to leave an ephemeral imprint while leaving no trace.

Galway International Arts Festival

15th – 28th July

You’ll find yourself flitting up and down the Wild Atlantic Way to make the most of two overlapping festivals, with the Galway International Arts Festival running alongside Eargail Arts Festival. As ever, the GIAF programme is awash with fantastic work. Personally, I’ll be trying to catch Circa’s Duck Pond, a fresh take on the classic story of Swan Lake, and Marina Carr’s The Map of Argentina. And I can’t miss the enchanting spectacle promised by Pegasus on the streets of Galway city.

Spraoi International Street Arts Festival

2nd – 4th August

Though it is hard to imagine heading to a street arts festival with the current weather, lets cross our fingers and toes for sunshine from the 2nd to the 4th of August as Spraoi International Street Arts Festival fills the streets of Waterford with a host of incredible performances from Ireland and around the World. I will be keeping an eye out for Osian Meilir’s Qwerin Bach, a beautiful and exhilarating celebration of queer Welsh identity, and Harry Pizzey’s interactive exhibit the Museum of Memorable Trees.

Kilkenny Arts Festival

8th – 18th August

Just recently announced, the Kilkenny Arts Festival programme is rich with music, theatre, literature and visual art. Especially exciting are Irish National Opera’s productions of Trade and Mary Motorhead, written by Mark O’Halloran and adapted for opera by Emma O’Halloran, family-friendly delights from Barnstorm Theatre Company with An Ant Called Amy, and Light Up the Castle: SIX SIDES SAWN, a thrilling audio-visual spectacle created by Jack Phelan.