The anniversary will be celebrated through a number of new expeditions, exhibition’s, publications and documentaries. The exhibition is on loan to the Athy Heritage Centre, Shackleton museum in Athy from the world famous Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway, will use the centenary to present a broader story of Shackleton, the much-admired Antarctic explorer, in a special exhibition at the museum and in this accompanying book.  In the exhibition you can read about all of Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions, in addition to his personal life; his voyage on Discovery with Robert F. Scott and Edward Wilson, the successful Nimrod Expedition, the Endurance Expedition and his often-forgotten Ross Sea Party and finally his death during his 1922 voyage on the Quest. The story of Shackleton’s life is fully illustrated with more than three hundred photos and maps from many of the Shackleton archives around the world.

This exhibition provides opportunities for exploring children’s creative and imaginative potential in Visual Art with a particular emphasis on Visual Art and Science education (STEAM). Four interactive prototype helmets are on display as part of this exhibition, which are a combination of students and children’s ideas coming together to solve a particular problem, in this case how to construct an optical device exploring the art of perception.  Come and try on these helmets to see how a bee, a jumping spider and a fly sees the world!   The exhibition includes works by students from Kildare primary schools who explored the theme during workshops with local artists. The exhibition will highlight the importance of the ‘A’ (ARTS) in STEAM, allowing students to embrace innovation, enhance creative and critical thinking skills and solve problems.  The exhibition includes works by students from Kildare primary schools who explored the theme during workshops with local artists. The exhibition will highlight the importance of the ‘A’ (ARTS) in STEAM, allowing students to embrace innovation, enhance creative and critical thinking skills and solve problems.  The School of Looking MIC is collaboration between Visual Art Lecturer Anne Marie Morrin (Mary Immaculate College), Connolly and Cleary, MIC B.Ed Visual Art Students and Donoughmore National School, Limerick

045 448330       box office@riverbank.ie       www.riverbank.ie

Easter is a great time to focus on family and this year at Kildare Village family time is made even more fun with the return of Ireland’s only children’s museum, Imaginosity, from Monday 15 to Sunday 28 April inclusive. Book online for €10 per child (age 4-9 years only) at www.KildareVillage.com/Imaginosity 

Other events to keep your little ones busy during the Easter break at Kildare Village include, baking classes with Le Pain Quotidien, Starbucks’ Kids’ Club, tasting events so much more. Visit www.KildareVillage.com/Easter for more information.

The Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) are hosting as part of Féile an Dúlra supported by Kildare County Council an event to mark World Curlew Day on Saturday 20^th of April 2019.

This day is a celebration of the iconic Curlew, Ireland’s most threatened bird.

Save Saturday 20th in your diary and come along and join the IPCC at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre from 2-5pm.  Relax with a cup of tea and sweet treat while IPCC provide an information talk on this wading bird while young visitors will have an opportunity to discover how the Curlew’s long curled beak is used to pluck food from bog pools.

A guided walk to Lodge Bog will complete the afternoon with the hope that participants will either catch a glimpse or hear the unmistakeable call of the elusive Curlew.

If you feel like getting into the spirit of Easter then we have just the event for you! This Easter as promised and to follow on from the hugely successful Spooky Hollow we are delighted to bring you Hoppy Hollow! This event is aimed at the younger ones and is recommended for ages 2-10 years. Are you looking for things to do in Kildare for Easter? Then look no further. Hoppy Hollow runs on Easter Monday the 22nd April and we are very egg-cited about our latest event!

This one day only event on the Bank holiday Monday is not to be missed and promises to be one of the Things to in Kildare for Easter this year. Meander the tall grass paths marking off your list as you go along as you search for the Easter Bunny and your egg! As if that isn’t fun enough, encounter the Easter Bunny’s friends along the way, paint your own egg, take part in our Easter Make n’ Do, try our obstacle course as seen on Ireland’s fittest family, play giant puzzle games and more!  Refreshments (Hot Food, Tea, Coffee and Snacks) will be available to purchase on the day courteousy of Flippin Awesome Burgers! Looking for Things to do in Kildare for Easter? – We bring you Hoppy Hollow!

Ticket Price

Child                                                                            €15

Adult                                                                           €7

Babies Under 1                                                           Free

Groups – 15 or more                                                  10% Discount

Tickets will be available via www.redhillsadventure.ie/activities/hoppy-hollow/#booknow

Deirdre O’Kane has really hit her stride; footloose from a glittering turn
on Dancing with the Stars and revelling in her return to stand-up, don’t
miss Deirdre at her hilarious best in a straight-talking look at twelve
frantic months in the life of this tango-tripping, family-minding,
telly-making, house-moving, comedy dynamo.

“Unique star quality” – The Guardian
BOOK TICKETS TO DEIRDRE O’KANE
https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873599070?utm_source=Master&utm_campaign=bfb497109b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_15_11_50&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7fb9b008cd-bfb497109b-235730081&mc_cid=bfb497109b&mc_eid=583a40d1da

CINEMA: THE MERGER

Time: 8pm
Tickets: €18
Saturday, 27th April

Top class Racing, Style, Entertainment and the ultimate Race Fan Experience.     The Punchestown Festival takes Place from Tuesday 30th of April to Saturday 4th of May and is expected to attract a record crowd of over 130 000 people.

The Festival is a unique combination of top class racing action, brilliant live entertainment, delicious food, style and glamour all topped off with that famous buzzing atmosphere.    Gates open @ 12 noon each day ( 11.00am Sat)

Entrance Fees: €30- €50

https://punchestown.com/

The anniversary will be celebrated through a number of new expeditions, exhibition’s, publications and documentaries. The exhibition is on loan to the Athy Heritage Centre, Shackleton museum in Athy from the world famous Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway, will use the centenary to present a broader story of Shackleton, the much-admired Antarctic explorer, in a special exhibition at the museum and in this accompanying book.  In the exhibition you can read about all of Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions, in addition to his personal life; his voyage on Discovery with Robert F. Scott and Edward Wilson, the successful Nimrod Expedition, the Endurance Expedition and his often-forgotten Ross Sea Party and finally his death during his 1922 voyage on the Quest. The story of Shackleton’s life is fully illustrated with more than three hundred photos and maps from many of the Shackleton archives around the world.

Top class Racing, Style, Entertainment and the ultimate Race Fan Experience.     The Punchestown Festival takes Place from Tuesday 30th of April to Saturday 4th of May and is expected to attract a record crowd of over 130 000 people.

The Festival is a unique combination of top class racing action, brilliant live entertainment, delicious food, style and glamour all topped off with that famous buzzing atmosphere.    Gates open @ 12 noon each day ( 11.00am Sat)

Entrance Fees: €30- €50

https://punchestown.com/

Whether it’s a date night, a friends’ night out, or just some alone time for yourself, we strive to offer the best experience and have a bit of craic along the way.  Our main goal with this class is for you to have fun but we also want you to leave with something you’re proud of, and that you might actually hang on your wall.  No experience necessary: just be ready to have a great time!  All art materials provided along with two glasses of wine or a soft drink.  Tickets €30

045 883030   info@moattheatre.com   www.moattheatre.com

The 17th Annual Historic Houses Conference will take place at Maynooth University, Castletown House and the National Gallery of Ireland on 13-15th May 2019. The theme of event will be ‘Country House Collections: Their Past, Present & Future’.

The conference will look at how and why collections were amassed, examine their break up, and consider the afterlife of objects as they moved into the art market, the museum world, or elsewhere.

MONDAY 13 MAY –  MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY @ 9.15AM

TUESDAY 14 MAY – CASTLETOWN HOUSE @ 9.15AM

WEDNESDAY 15 MAY – NATIONAL GALLERY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN @ 9.45AM

To register online, click here.

Calling all Spartans: The World’s Biggest Obstacle Course Race Series, Spartan Race Announce 2019 UK and Ireland Race Calendar Registrations are now open for the Spartan UK and Ireland race season. The obstacle course events, which are organised by Spartan Race, the world’s leading obstacle course race and endurance brand, are taking place in six different locations across the UK and Ireland between May and November. More details and registration information on the Punchestown Spartan Events are available at Spartan Race Ireland – www.spartanrace.uk/en/race/detail/4634/overview All the Spartan races are perfect for the adventurous type and those seeking a new challenge. The adrenaline will be pumping as racers travel through beautiful forests, across stunning landscapes and look to conquer obstacles such as the Spear Throw, Inverted Wall, Monkey Bars and Barbed Wire Crawl. The first race weekend of the season kicks off with the South East Super on the outskirts of South East London at St Clere on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May, before travelling across the Irish Sea to Punchestown Racecourse on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th May, next up is the Aston Down Airfield in Gloucestershire, on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June, then Spartan returns to the home of Spartan Race UK in the Midlands on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July, then Spartan will be returning to the beautiful Scottish Highlands around Perth for a second year on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September concluding with the season finale, the Windsor Trifecta Weekend, on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October – renowned for being the biggest and best race of the season. Each of six race weekends have open heats to cater for racers of all fitness and abilities, Age Group and Elite heats for more competitive racers as well as Kids races for young adventure thrill seekers aged between 4-13 years old, designed to help inspire them to be more active and get outdoors. Spartans have four race options to choose from: Sprint, Super, Beast and the Ultra – all of which vary in distance, obstacle count and difficulty. The Sprint puts endurance aside and will test the racers speed over a 5km course. The course is packed with 20 of Spartan’s most fun, exciting and challenging obstacles. It’s the perfect distance for either first time Spartans who are new to obstacle course racing, or the more experienced racer who is looking to test their speed against the clock. The Super meanwhile appeals to competitors who are seeking a new challenge and looking to push themselves further. The course spans 13km and with 25 different obstacles to conquer it’s sure to get the heart pumping! The Beast is the perfect for the experienced athlete and involves a demanding 21km circuit across varied terrain with 30 obstacles of all shapes and sizes to navigate along the way. The Ultra is the most challenging of the four distances is and is designed for the ultimate Spartan runner. It’s course that covers more than 26 miles, and with 60 obstacles to manoeuvre along the way it’s certainly not for the faint hearted. All competitors have the option of taking on the course as an individual or with the support of a team of friends, colleagues or training partners, something that half of racers opted to do last year. Completing the course as team is a great way of adding some extra fun and excitement to the race and keeping motivation going all the way to the finish line. All events are open to men and women, and last year, 40% of competitors racing were women. This year, the UK & Ireland Regional Series will see elite racers challenge each other at the three qualifying events – the South East Super, Ireland Sprint and Midlands Super – to become the top 3 men and women in the Spartan world. There is a total prize pot of ??17,600 up for grabs, which includes ??3,000 for the overall male and female series winners and ??600 for the winners of the individual series races so competition looks like it will be fiercer than ever. Many athletes from other sports such as CrossFit and traditional trail running are flocking to OCR try their hand at both a new challenge and to attempt to win some of that prize pot. Spartan General Manager for UK and Ireland Sam Lansdale said: “Everybody at Spartan is absolutely thrilled to announce the schedule for the 2019 UK & Ireland series. With three different events of varying distance on offer, as well as a special event for kids, there really is a race for everyone to try their hand at this year. All our events will be bigger and better this year and we can’t wait to show everyone what we have in store!” Spartan was founded by world-class adventure racer Joe De Sena in 2008 and has grown to become the world’s largest obstacle race and endurance brand, with more than 200 events in more than 42 countries across the globe.

https://www.spartanrace.uk/en

The anniversary will be celebrated through a number of new expeditions, exhibition’s, publications and documentaries. The exhibition is on loan to the Athy Heritage Centre, Shackleton museum in Athy from the world famous Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway, will use the centenary to present a broader story of Shackleton, the much-admired Antarctic explorer, in a special exhibition at the museum and in this accompanying book.  In the exhibition you can read about all of Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions, in addition to his personal life; his voyage on Discovery with Robert F. Scott and Edward Wilson, the successful Nimrod Expedition, the Endurance Expedition and his often-forgotten Ross Sea Party and finally his death during his 1922 voyage on the Quest. The story of Shackleton’s life is fully illustrated with more than three hundred photos and maps from many of the Shackleton archives around the world.

Award winning and multi-platinum selling band Keywest will kick off Naas Racecourse’s Summer Racing & BBQ Season on Wednesday 26^th June.

The Summer BBQ’s are held in our BBQ Pavilion located adjacent to the parade ring. The BBQ Package includes admission to the races,  a race card, BBQ meal, reserved table for the day and access to live music from Keywest after racing.

The first race goes to post at approx 6.00pm, the last race is at approx 9.00pm and music will commence just after the last race. Admission Tickets are just €15, Student Tickets & OAP Tickets are €9, the BBQ Packages is €42 and the Beer & Burger package is €30. All mentioned Ticket options include access to the Keywest concert after racing. Visit www.naasracecourse.com to find out more information or to make a booking.

Summer BBQ and Racing will also take place on Saturday 6^th July and Wednesday 24^th July.

Festival goers can expect a weekend filled with hit after hit as Ireland’s greatest musicians take to the stage with fan favourites from The Stunning’s “Brewing Up A Storm” , The 4 of Us’ “Mary” , Jerry Fish’s “Celebrate”, The Frank and Walters’ “After All” to Declan O’Rourke’s “Galileo” alongside many more! Saturday 24 August The Stunning headline The Playing Fields on Saturday 24 August following a brilliant 2018 which saw the band release a number one album “Twice Around the World”, two singles which burnt up the radio and a host of sold out shows and headline slots at festivals. The Stunning are most definitely back, sounding as fresh as ever. Joining The Stunning on Saturday 24 August 2019 are The Frank and Walters and Jerry Fish. One of Ireland’s most recognisable alternative rock bands, The Frank and Walters continue to sell out venues across the UK, Europe and the US, and their records, both new and classic, sell worldwide. Jerry Fish, who has released a catalogue of hits from his multi platinum selling albums, brings his famously energetic performance to The Playing Fields stage. Sunday 25 August Northern Irish legends The 4 Of Us are set to headline The Playing Fields on Sunday 25 August. The 4 Of Us shot to early fame with their debut album “Songs for the Tempted”, which featured the massive hits “Mary” and “Drag My Bad Name Down”. The 4 Of Us were recently listed No.7 in TV3’s ‘Top 10 Best Irish Bands Of All Time’ and the Murphy brothers have notched up an enviable catalogue of timeless songs, including six top 20 Irish charting albums. Declan O’Rourke, The 2 Johnnies and the Dublin Gospel Choir will also take to The Playing Fields festival stage along with headliners The 4 Of Us on Sunday 25 August. Declan O’Rourke, a dynamic performer, is a highly successful multi platinum selling Irish artist who has released 5 hugely successful albums and performs sold out tours across the country and abroad. The 2 Johnnies who are best known for their comedy sketches and songs about all things Irish are not to be missed – they’ve racked up over 8 million views on their YouTube channel, with every episode of their podcast going to No.1 in the Irish charts and sold out shows around the country. Last but not least, Dublin Gospel Choir will uplift and energise with powerful voices and rich harmonies sure to raise the roof and leave their audiences shouting for more. Booking/Listings Information THE PLAYING FIELDS Clane GAA Grounds, Co. Kildare. 24 & 25 August 2019 Doors 4.00pm on Saturday 24 August Doors 2.30pm on Sunday 25 August.

€39.50 (one day)/€69.50 (two day)

Website: www.theplayingfields.ie      Facebook: theplayingfieldsfest       Twitter: @TPFFest     Instagram: theplayingfieldsfest