The Stoneybatter Festival 2023
The Stoneybatter Festival, a three-day festival taking place this year from 16th to 18th of June, promises to deliver on a number of different events that will appeal to everyone in the family in various locations throughout Stoneybatter, Arbour Hill and Grangegorman. Events are set to begin at 11am on Friday and Saturday, and at 9am on Sunday, with the final events of the day to begin between 8pm and 8:30pm.
A festival set out to celebrate the local community and the creativity, food, and history that surrounds Stoneybatter, the Stoneybatter Festival is the best way to take the opportunity to enjoy over 100 sporting, culinary, literary and music events and activities that will take place throughout the three day festival. Keep reading to discover some of the fantastic events scheduled to take place every day, and don’t forget to check out the Stoneybatter Festival website for a full list of events.
Tasty Treats
There is no shortage of culinary events set to take place during the three day affair, the first of which takes place on Friday evening from 6pm to 10pm where the Lilliput Stores invite guests in for an evening of seasonal dishes and selected wines. While no reservations are required for this event, tables will be available on a first come, first served basis so make sure to arrive early if this is an event that you are eager to take part in. But don’t worry if you miss out on this relaxing event on Friday evening as Lilliput Stores have agreed to open their doors for guests at the same time on Saturday.
There are a number of events set to take place over both Saturday and Sunday. Penders Market will set up on Manor Street all day where people can enjoy food, drinks, art and crafts, and a variety of entertainment. Outcasts will also be providing bagels, pizza, open bbq and African cuisine all day on Saturday and Sunday with different DJs and musicians providing music from all corners of the world. In partnership, Clarke City Arms, located just next door, is offering refreshing pints and the opportunity to enjoy the food and music in their beer gardens.
For a change of scenery, The Glimmer Man also promises any guests the opportunity to experience fun music and dancing in the beer garden all day Saturday and Sunday.
For anyone looking for specific events taking place on Saturday, why not try out some authentic Indian cuisine where Kerala Kitchen, found on 73 Manor Street, will introduce a new lunch menu and wine list from 12pm to 3pm on Saturday where those who attend will be able to enjoy the food, and have a chance to win a Kerala Kitchen voucher. Just a nine minute walk away, from 12pm to 2pm, Little Italy promises free pizza and fun for all the family!
Sunday also promises to have a number of events for any foodie festival-goers. Stone Pizza on Manor Street is offering mini-pizzas for takeaway and a special menu for anyone wishing to dine in from 12pm to 7.30pm. Starting at the same time, Grano will be making and cooking fresh pasta for takeaway outside of their restaurant on Manor street until 6pm. If Italian food isn’t really your style, why not head over to Mahon’s Family Butchers where they will have a delicious pig on a spit for just €8 per portion!
Lilliput Stores, a local artisan grocery store in the heart of Stoneybatter will serve food and drinks during the Stoneybatter festival. Image via @lilliputstores.
A pleasure to the eyes and the ears
The Stoneybatter Festival holds a vast array of entertainment and musical events for the three days. Sunlight by Claire Dix will be the opening film of the festival, followed by a Q&A on Friday at 6.30pm at Lighthouse cinema. Shot in Stoneybatter, this independent movie tells the story of a friendship shaken by a terminal diagnosis with humour
The documentary The Asylum workshop, directed by Peter McDermott, goes back into the history of the Grangegorman mental hospital in Dublin’s north inner city. It will be screened on Friday and Saturday at Blackbox Theatre at TU Dublin. On Saturday, from 5pm to 7pm, Lighthouse cinema will host the Stoneybatter film festival short film awards with screenings of the best selected independent short films followed by a ceremony.
Kavanagh’s pub will give you the best of live jazz and classic hits at 8pm on Friday and Saturday and all day on Sunday. If you are more of a rocker, the beer garden of Clarkes City Arms will give you non-stop rock music from 3pm to 7pm. Put the headphones on and dance for the Stoneybatter festival silent disco at L. Mulligan Grocer on Sunday.
Our furry friends will be the centre of attention at Woofstock with a dog parade on Sunday at 12.30 from Stoneybatter Stone to Main Stage and prizes for the Best Dressed/Groomed Dog, Best Dressed Dog/Owner Combination and Super Dog.
At 2.30pm at the main stage on Manor Street, the competitors of the PicklePalooza will be cheered by the public.
Woofstock 2023 will be on Manor Street on Sunday. Image via @stoneybatterpop.
Fun Activities
Why not try out some of the sport events that will be on offer over the three days. If cycling is your thing, make sure to check out the relaxed 5km cycle around Stoneybatter where you will be accompanied by amazing music. If this sounds like something you would be interested in doing, make sure to meet at Grangegorman Central Quad at 7pm on Friday evening.
For all kids over the age of four, St Brendan’s GAA Kidz Club offers the chance to join in GAA games for fun and face painting on the Grangegorman GAA Pitch on Saturday from 10am to 11am. For more GAA events, stick around to watch an exciting match as the St. Brendan’s GAA adults play for the Stoneybatter Cup at 4pm.
However, if that doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, why not join Museum Educators at the National Museum of Ireland- Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks, on Saturday at 11am. Join the Safari in their Silver gallery where you can discover all the different animals hidden in the Museum’s silver collections for the See the Animal, Be the Animal event. Once you have seen all of the animals, don’t forget to join Yoga instructor Clair Anne Tobin for a session of Animal Yoga where, after having seen the animal, you can now learn to be the animal. Although this event is free, make sure to book your place on the Stoneybatter Festival website!
If you love Irish dancing, why not dance the afternoon away at The Stoneybatter Festival Céilí that is set to take place on Sunday at 2.30pm on the Prussia Street stage outside Haynes. Or even sign up to take part in the first Stoneybatter Festival Push-Up Contest on the Stoneybatter stage at 4.15pm on Sunday.
The adult St. Brendans GAA club will play for the Stoneybatter Cup on Saturday. Image via St. Brendan’s GAA Club
Celebrating History and Culture
With this being a festival to celebrity Stoneybatter’s history, community, and its people, it is no wonder that the festival has set up a history trail where those who embark on the journey will get the opportunity to discover the various historical landmarks Stoneybatter has to offer as you follow the trail set out through the village. If this sounds like something worth checking out, make sure to look for the map made available from the Stoneybatter Festival Office.
Similarly, why not follow the walking trail featuring images of Stoneybatter past located in their modern counterpart alongside memories from locals.
If you’d like to experience the beautiful art created by some of Stoneybatter’s local artists, make sure to stop by Joli to view the exhibition that will be there all day on Saturday. In further celebration of Irish culture and history, the pop up Gaeltacht, set to take place at 2pm on Saturday in Hynes’ Bar, gives you the perfect opportunity to practise your Irish while you listen to the best of traditional music.
For more traditional Irish music, make sure to head back to Hynes’ Bar on Sunday from 1pm to 5pm where Comhaltas Ceoltóití Éireann, the largest group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music, will provide some amazing traditional Irish music.
