Dublin 8 is a historically rich and relevant area of the capital, and there is now a festival en route to celebrate the dynamic Dublin district. 

Culture Date with Dublin 8 is a new, family-friendly event based on the life of the area, and best of all, all activities and events will be free of charge. 

The event will be centred around Kilmainham and Inchicore, and will include the re-opening of the Goldenbridge Cemetery, tours of Kilmainham Gaol, and artistic occasions at the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

For anyone interested in the history of Irish women, there will be a number of once-off, bespoke guided tours of Kilmainham Gaol, including Women of the Gaol.

There will also be a concert to launch the re-opening of Goldenbridge Cemetery, featuring performances by the St. James’s Band and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

The touring installation Assembly will be stationed at Richmond Barracks, accompanied by a sound art installation remembering the 40,000 Irish people who died during the First World War.

There will be a number of workshops with various artists at IMMA, and free entry to all exhibits over the weekend.

'We’re really excited to launch the very first Culture Date with Dublin 8 festival and our aim for this year is to engage with the people who live and work in the area and to encourage them to explore what is on their doorstep,' said Grace McEvoy, Project Manager of Culture Date with Dublin 8.

'Dublin 8 is steeped in history and culture and we want to invite them to participate in our events across the weekend and celebrate all that makes Dublin 8 great!'

'Thousands of tourists visit this part of the city each week to see the leading cultural and historical attractions located there and this initiative is about encouraging local residents as well as the many visitors from afar to enjoy all of the amenities that are located in walking distance of one another.'

The festival is on May 14 and 15, and it is definitely not an event to be missed.