The World Flower Show is set to be held in Ireland for the first time in 2014, with the RDS today named as the venue for the event. Due to take place in June 2014, the event will include a flower arrangers’ conference with over 1,200 participants, and the World Flower Show, an exhibition of flower arrangements, which will be open to the public. According to its organisers, this exhibition will showcase the beautiful and extravagant creations of flower arrangers from all over the world and is expected to attract over 10,000 visitors per day from Ireland and abroad. The Association of Irish Floral Artists (AOIFA) has been chosen by the World Association of Flower Arrangers (WAFA) to manage a three year programme, on its behalf, that will include organising an international seminar, publishing of a book, running educational events and tours, and staging the 11th World Flower Show at the RDS. “During our three year tenure, the World Flower Show will be one of our largest events,” said Kitty Gallagher, president of WAFA Ireland. “We chose the RDS because of its great location along with its excellent conference and exhibition facilities. They also have the experience of managing and marketing large public events and we are expecting huge numbers to this exciting show”  

The Ideal Home Show, Ireland’s biggest exhibition for home owners, takes place at the RDS from 26th – 29th October 2012. Now more than ever The Ideal Home Show has the Quality, Value and Choice that you want for your home and garden.   Features include Extend Expo, Eco Expo, Retrofit & DIY, Furniture & Décor, Home Accessories, Ideal Woman and, of course, the Dulux Free Interior Design Advice Centre and The Architects Extension Advice Centre. Gerry Daly of Irish Garden Magazine will be giving advice to our many gardening enthusiast at the most important time of year in the Ideal Garden Section.   Extend Your Home As well as free advice from a team of professional architects from the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, those considering extending their homes can stop by the fabulous, full scale, fully furnished and decorated home extension.  

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With more than 500 health and beauty brands under one roof, Professional Beauty 2012 is the place to be for everything in beauty. There will be a variety of the latest innovations in skincare, spa equipment, aromatherapy, nails, tanning and the full range of professional supplies. Visitors will be able to discover the biggest names in skincare including Clarins, Decleor, Elemis, Germaine de Capuccini, Dermalogica, Aromatherapy Associates, Thalgo and Crystal Clear. See equipment suppliers such as CACI, Chromogenex and Beauty Express. In nails we’ve got the best of the best: OPI, Jessica, Minx and CND and Bio Sculpture will be exhibiting their latest colours and in tanning visit Fake Bake, Australian Bodycare, Sienna X and Sunjunkie.  

Although 2011 Dublin Festival Season has wrapped up it's never to early to start thinking about 2012. Who knows what giddy suprises will be in store this year so pop a big reminder in your diary for September and October for the return of Dublin Festival Season. It is no secret that Dubliners love to party. Dublin’s unique spirit of fun and entertainment is evident in the many festivals and events organised throughout the year. Headline festivals such as the inimitable St. Patrick’s Festival held in Dublin every March, attract and enthrall visitors in their thousands every year. This autumn, Dublin unleashes an explosion of festivals with ‘Dublin Festival Season’ kicking off in early September and running until the end of October. With festivals and events celebrating everything from arts, architecture, music, film, to food, Guinness and beer, fashion, sport theatre and literature; autumn presents the perfect opportunity to visit this vibrant city of culture. For More Information: www.dublinfestivalseason.com

The Dublin Horse Show is one of Dublin's best loved events, which has attracted generations of visitors over the years. Experience the excitement of this five-day show, from the thrills and tension of international showjumping, including the Aga Khan Nations Cup and Grand Prix competitions, to the daredevil Ukrainian Cossacks, one of this year’s visiting attractions. Admire the cream of Irish horses and ponies competing at this ultimate equine showcase or enjoy some retail therapy while browsing over 300 trade stands offering art and antiques, jewellery, fashion, quaint and quirky house and home ideas and a huge choice of equestrian goods. Be the first to discover the artists of the future through the RDS Student Art Awards Exhibition or savour the work of established artisans at the RDS National Crafts competition. More attractions at the Discover Ireland Horse Show include the fashion extravaganza and millinery competition that is Ladies Day and lots of free music and family entertainment on the Band Lawn and Kids Zone. To purchase tickets online click here

Taste of Dublin gathers the great gastronomic triumphs of the city for your dining pleasure. Sponsored for the second consecutive year by fresh food retailer Superquinn, Taste of Dublin is set to be the ultimate adventure playground for foodies. Visitors can look forward to al-fresco dining, wine tastings, live chef demonstrations and the chance to meet over 100 artisan food producers. Taste of Dublin welcomes everyone to the social event of the summer, from seasoned foodies to casual cooks hoping to pick up some fresh ideas for entertaining at home.  More information to follow...

Venue: Various locations, Dublin City Centre Dublin Writers Festival, Ireland's premier literary event, gathers the finest writers in the world to debate, provoke , delight and enthral. Described by the press as "boasting a stunning array of top international literary talent" and "the country's most successful and easily the best annual literary event", Dublin Writers Festival line-up is sure to impress. With readings, discussions, debates,workshops, performance and screenings, the festival creates a hotbed of ideas. Whether it's the mix poets, writers of fiction and non-fiction, lyricists, playwrights and screenwriters, Dublin Writers Festival brings new faces and house-hold names together in ways that suprise and inspire. Children's fiction is well represented and we are spoilt for choice with the calibre of Irish language writers. Come celebrate many specially commissioned events in the City of Words. See also: W: www.dublinwritersfestival.com F: www.facebook.com/dublinwritersfestival T: https://twitter.com/#!/dubwritersfest   

Bloom, Ireland's largest gardening, food and family event, will take place in the Phoenix Park Dublin during the June bank holiday weekend for 5 days (From Thursday 31st May - Monday 4th June 2012). Bloom 2011 was the 5th year of the event and to date has been the most successful yet! Bloom 2011 attracted almost 90,000 visitors to the 70 acre site at the Visitor's Centre in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. While you wait for Bloom 2012, why not browse the website which includes the 27 spectacular showgardens, Bord Bia's new Food Village in 2011, and a day by day preview in our video section here. With something for everyone, visitors to Bloom 2011 enjoyed live cookery and craft demonstrations, free gardening advice from the experts and workshops. Kids attended Bloom 2011 for free! More information to follow...

The Irish Charities Expo 2012 will be a one day first of its kind exhibition to be held in Ireland. The Exhibition will get charities and businesses, along with members of the public, together in the same venue so that they can network, develop partnerships and share best practice. The Irish Charities Expo is FREE to attend and over 5,000 company representatives will be invited to attend the event to engage and communicate with up to 100 charities that will be showcasing and promoting themselves to the key charity related personnel in Irish businesses.   Doing nothing is not an option if you want to raise your charities exposure, build relationships and most importantly help those who need it most. Booking a cost effective stand at the Irish Charities Expo 2012 will be your best decision for the year ahead.   Interact & Network- Face-to-face contact with the CSR or Charity committee members in Irish Businesses. Recruit -Target members of the public to achieve your volunteer quota. Meet suppliers to the not-for-profit industry. See what other not-for-profits are doing to attract corporate interest or indeed find out when they will be holding their flagship events to avoid clashes. Free seminars to help develop your expertise.  

Since 1883 the 4 Home Unions (Wales - WRU, Ireland - IRFU, England - RFU and Scotland - SRU) have done battle to claim the Home International Series, but we had to wait till 1910 before the 4 nations became the 5 nations Championship when France (FFR) joined in. Finally Italy (FIR) joined the party and now we have the RBS 6 Nations Championship. Ireland vs Wales - Sunday 5th February 2012 Following Ireland’s defeat to a strong Welsh side, putting an end to their world cup dreams, Ireland will be looking to make amends at what promises to be a great match as both teams kick off their RBS 6 Nations campaign. Ireland vs Italy - Saturday 25th February 2012 Ireland has won the last 16 encounters with Italy, but Italy is not a team to be written off. Ireland’s narrow win over Italy in the Stadio Flaminio in the last 6 Nations is a stark reminder that Italian passion and flair for the game make them a formidable opponent that is capable of almost anything. Ireland vs Scotland -Saturday 10th March 2012 Having played Scotland in the warm up matches for the world cup and lost, Ireland will be looking to show Scotland what they can do when they’re at their best at what is their penultimate game for this RBS 6 Nations championship.

Ireland vs. Wales Sunday 5th February 2012 Following Ireland’s defeat to a strong Welsh side, putting an end to their world cup dreams, Ireland will be looking to make amends at what promises to be a great match as both teams kick off their RBS 6 Nations campaign. For more information: www.irishrugby.ie

JDIFF continues its commitment to celebrating film as an art form by presenting over 120 films from the four corners of the globe to the Irish Audience. The festival is a citywide event that takes place in all of the Dublin City Centre Cinemas including Cineworld, The Savoy, Screen, Irish Film Institute and Light House Cinema in Smithfield. The majority of films shown at the film festival are Irish premieres, and for some of the films shown, the festival represents the only public screening that will take place in Ireland. Since its inauguration the festival has prided itself on creating a unique forum of exchange between the public and the filmmaking community through hosting a whole range of events that allow the public to interact with filmmakers in the form of public interviews, panel discussions and Q&A sessions. Over the years an array of film talent has joined in with the celebration including Daniel Day Lewis, Gabriel Byrne, Jim Sheridan, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Charlize Theron, Collin Firth and Liam Neeson, among others, all of whom have graced the JDIFF red carpet. Audiences and industry members have been delighted to meet a widely diverse range of luminaries and gain insights in to every area of the film world including perspectives from directors, producers, screenwriters and critics such as Mike Leigh, John Sayles, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Mc Donagh, Jeremy Thomas, Wim Wenders, Neil Gaiman, Jan Troell, Sarah Polley, Frederic Raphael and Todd McCarthy among many others. To purchase tickets online: www.jdiff.com

Ireland vs. Italy Saturday 25th February Ireland has won the last 16 encounters with Italy, but Italy is not a team to be written off. Ireland’s narrow win over Italy in the Stadio Flaminio in the last 6 Nations is a stark reminder that Italian passion and flair for the game make them a formidable opponent that is capable of almost anything. For more information: www.irishrugby.ie

Ireland vs. Scotland Saturday 10th March 2012 Having played Scotland in the warm up matches for the world cup and lost, Ireland will be looking to show Scotland what they can do when they’re at their best at what is their penultimate game for this RBS 6 Nations championship. For more information: www.irishrugby.ie  

The principal aim of St. Patrick’s Festival, since its inauguration, is to develop a major annual international festival around the national holiday over which the ‘owners’ of the festival, the Irish people, would stand proud. It sets out to reflect the talents and achievements of Irish people on many national and world stages, and it acts as an exciting showcase for the manifold skills of the people of Ireland, of every age and social background. Get set for St. Patrick's Festival 2012! The Festival will be jam-packed with a variety of different events taking place; Family, Comedy, Music, Culture, Film, Visual Arts and Irish events! More information coming soon! See also: www.stpatricksfestival.ie

The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their fifth title. More information coming soon! See also: www.crokepark.ie

Dublin: One City One Book is a project designed to encourage everyone in the city to read the same book during the month of April.   2012 will feature James Joyce's Dubliners. Partners across the city are organising imaginative, fun, informative events. Put Friday 13th April in your diaries for Celebrating Dubliners in the National Concert Hall (Joyce's alma mater). This will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Dubliners folk group who got their name from James Joyce's book. More information to follow! See also: www.dublinonecityonebook.ie 

Handel's Messiah was premiered in Dublin on 13 April, 1742. In Handel's Day marks this day with a celebration of 18th-century Dublin music and history. It features a performance of A Global Hallelujah, Irish music, workshops and outdoor film in Temple Bar.  More information to follow...

Ireland's fastest growing running event The Great Ireland Run returns to the beautiful surroundings of the Phoenix Park, Dublin!          More information to follow! See also: www.greatirelandrun.org