Mid-October, and the clocks are ours a while longer, so there’s still time to fill the evenings before the dark sets in properly. This week belongs to the theatres: a family musical in its final days, a murder-mystery that won’t seat latecomers, and a dance show tracing the women who made modern Ireland. Out west, Westmeath’s hurlers settle the season on Sunday. Here’s the plan.
Events This Week
The week’s best nights out, in the order they land.
Irish Arts and Human Rights Festival 2026, Now in its eighth year, Smashing Times and Front Line Defenders pair art with human rights across the programme.
Sun 18 October · Sandycove, Dublin · Dublin · €10 · Festival
EPIC x Jeanie Combo Ticket, A guided tour of the Jeanie Johnston famine ship paired with EPIC’s self-guided emigration museum.
Mon 19 October · The Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship · Dublin · €34
Matilda the Musical (Touring), The RSC’s sharp, big-hearted take on Roald Dahl lands for its closing week.
Wed 14 October · Bord Gais Energy Theatre · Dublin
The Other Side Of Murder, A touring stage thriller built around a proper whodunnit twist.
Thu 15 October · Gaiety Theatre · Dublin
Mná na hÉireann, Irish dance, music, song and poetry woven into the story of the women who shaped the country between 1912 and 1918.
Fri 16 October · Ambassador Theatre · Dublin
The Other Side Of Murder, Closing day of the Gaiety run, with a matinee on if you’d rather do your sleuthing by daylight.
Sat 17 October · Gaiety Theatre · Dublin
What’s Happening
One for the weekend if you’re near Mullingar.
Lough Lene Gaels v Raharney: Westmeath Senior Hurling Final, The county’s hurlers settle the championship in Mullingar.
Westmeath
Making a night of it in Dublin
With a full week of theatre in the city, a central stay turns a show into a proper evening instead of a dash for the last train. If you’re coming in from one of the outer counties, it’s worth seeing what’s near the Docklands or O’Connell Street. Find a Dublin stay for the week
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Events & attractions: Fáilte Ireland Open Data (failteireland.ie), CC BY 4.0.