10 reasons to visit Dublin Ireland in 2010

1. The Six-Nations Rugby Series. Ireland are defendingsuccessful running of the 2009 Phoenix Park Motor
Grand Slam Rugby Champions for only the secondRaces, a chance to feel like you are at the
time since 1949 and play three of their five matchesSilverstone Grand Prix arrives on the 14th and 15th
at home in Croke Park. Visitors this year will be Italy,August. The circuit to be used for the 2010 races will
(6th February) Wales (13th March) and Scotlandbe the Oldtown Circuit, with a change to Mountjoy
(20th March). Any game is good, but the Welsh oneCorner.
is particularly attractive this year as a repeat of the6. The All-Ireland County Football and Hurling Finals.
game that clinched the title for Ireland in 2009. ThisThe two really glamour days of the year for the
will also be the final series of rugby matches to beGAA occur on the 5th and 17th September as Croke
played in Croke Park as the IRFU move into theirParks holds two of the great days of the year in
new Aviva Stadium in Lansdowne Road which onlyDublin. Kilkenny are defending 2009 hurling champions
has a capacity of 50,000 compared to 82,000 inand Kerry is their football equivalent. What bets the
Croker. Soak up the wonderful atmosphere that onlytwo are not there again in 2010?
Dublin can offer on a rugby weekend!7. Adidas Dublin City Marathon. Now firmly established
2. The All-Ireland Club Hurling and Football Finals.as one of the great marathon races of the world,
These are held on the 17th March each year. This isthe Dublin City Marathon, sponsored by Adidas, takes
when the unsung heroes of club football get aon the 25th October 2010, which is the October
chance to shine on the big time stage of Croke ParkBank Holiday Monday. The race provides a wonderful
as they battle it out for the honour of beingatmosphere whilst raising huge money for worth
crowned club champions of Ireland in their respectivecharities.
codes.8. Dublin Horse Show. The Failte Ireland Dublin Horse
3. St. Patrick’s Day Festival. The annual party inShow is a wonderful week of showjumping for both
honour of of the patron saint of Ireland takes placeprofessional and amateur participants, which attracts
from the 12th until the 17th March with a hugethousands of spectators and hundreds of
variety of entertainment to please young and oldcompetitors to the RDS in Ballsbridge. The 2010
culminating in the St Patrick’s Day Paradeevent runs from the 4th August to the 8th of
through the streets of Dublin on March 17th. A nowAugust 
traditional end to the festival is the massive fireworks9. The Flora Women's Mini Marathon. This annual
display that takes place down by the River Liffey onevent which will be held on the 7th June 2010 is the
the night of March 17th.biggest all women's event of its kind in the world. It
4. The Dublin Handel Festival. This is an annual eventhas grown steadily in numbers since it began in 1983
that takes place every April to bring to life thewith its popularity increasing significantly over the last
connections between Handel and the City of Dublinfew years. Over those years some 600,000 women
for Dubliners, Irish people and international visitors,have entered the event and raised millions for charity
through a week long programme that celebrates thein the process.
cultural riches of the 18th century in a modern and10. The Rod Stewart Concert at the O2 area,
contemporary context. This year it is on from theformerly the Point Theatre, on the 11th May. Tickets
10th to the 13th April at the National Concert Hall.are on sale and the show is probably a sell-out but it
5. The Phoenix Park Motor Races. Following the highlyis quite possible a second gig will be announced.