October Festivals and Events
Cork City Libraries | October
A guide to all the events taking place across the 10 libraries in Cork City can be found at October Events - Cork City Libraries
Night Market | Cornmarket Street | Friday October 3
Join us for a special night market on Cornmarket Street with entertainment and stalls galore, ran by our Night Time as part of Cork's Folk Festival
The markets will feature a variety of stalls, including craft vendors and food stalls. Live entertainment will round out the evening.
The market will run from 4pm to 8.30pm.
Beneath Our Feet | North Main Street | September 20 – October 8
Discover what lies beneath North Main Street.
Get ready to step back in time at North Main Street, Cork! Thanks to a groundbreaking excavation led by Avril Purcell and her team, an extraordinary window into the lives of medieval Corkonians has been uncovered beneath the city’s busy streets. Twelve remarkable buildings dating from the 12th to the 14th centuries, including stake-built timber houses and intricate post and wattle constructions were uncovered, shedding light on daily life, crafts, and the vibrant community that once thrived here.
Now, with the support of Creative Ireland Funding, archaeologist Ciara Brett and artist John Sunderland are bringing these discoveries to life through an imaginative exhibition running from September 20th to October 4th. Visitors can explore a stunning altarpiece inspired by medieval iconography, striking glass sculptures, evocative photographs, pressed flora, and even oral histories from the excavation’s specialists. This unique fusion of art and archaeology promises to ignite curiosity, celebrate Cork’s rich heritage, and offer a fresh appreciation for the city’s fascinating medieval past!
Schedule of Events
Saturday October 4 – Art and Archaeology Voices 1.30 pm - 4.30pm
1.30 – 2.00 Sara Baume, Artist and writer
2.00 - 2.45 Penny Johnson, Environmental Archaeologist and Eva Kourela, Entomologist
2.45 - 3 Tea/Coffee
3 - 3.45 Cathy Moore - Archaeologist and woodwork and wooden artefacts specialist
3.45 – Timo Menke, Interdisciplinary Artist, Curator and Writer
Adapting your Business to Climate Change | Online Webinar | October 9
Join us in the Resilience Journey where the why and the how of adapting your business with practical examples to build resilience into your company will be covered. Suitable for all businesses, big and small, so if your business is based in Cork city, join Dr. Cera Slevin, Climate Matters Member State Facilitator for Ireland, Mission on Adaption to Climate Change and Sharon McDonnell, Senior Executive Planner, Cork City Council, for this insightful session.
This free online webinar is on Thursday, 9 October from 11a.m to 12.30pm.
To register, visit Adapting your Business to Climate Change - LEO Cork City
Guinness Cork Jazz Festival | Cork City | October 23 to 27
The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is a renowned five-day event that has attracted top-tier artists and devoted fans for over 46 years. Steadily growing in stature over that time, the festival is known for combining electrifying performances from jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins with statement sets from contemporary standard-bearers and trendsetters pushing the boundaries of the genre like Damon Albarn, Macy Gray, and De La Soul. The festival’s offer of unprecedented access to such an eclectic mix of artists has made it the largest music-centred city celebration in Ireland.
Celebrating its 46th year, the world-renowned festival will will take place over the October bank holiday weekend and see its biggest programme yet, with an extra date added and more ticketed shows than ever before, an extended music trail through the city, and a stellar line-up of Irish and international musicians, both veteran and emerging talent.
The full line-up for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival can be found at Line Up - Guinness Cork Jazz Festival
Spooky Shandon Stroll | Firkin Crane | October 27 - 30
The family Shenanigan will take you on a cinematic adventure through their strange family story, from their first encounter with the dragon in the first Viking Settlement of Cork, to their role as protector of the great beast through the city's long history. This is no ordinary tour so expect films projected on the walls of the area, scary interventions, and spooky mischief, as you follow this ghostly tale through the windy streets of Shandon.
Tickets are free for children (under 16), the unemployed, and the elderly.
Tickets can be found at Spooky Shandon Stroll - Eventbrite
Dragon of Shandon | Shandon | Friday October 31
The Dragon of Shandon began in 2006 as a street parade celebration of Samhain and creative partnership between artists and communities which has taken place on the night of October 31 in the heart of Shandon, Cork.
Each year thousands take to the streets of Shandon on Cork ’s Northside to walk with the Dragon as it travels between worlds in a celebration of the living and the dead accompanied by an assortment of creatures from the underworld.
The centrepiece of each parade is the Dragon, 36ft in length and made entirely of tape. This spectacular giant puppet is animated by twelve puppeteers on the night who walk it through the streets of Shandon along with an array of illuminated props, lanterns and characters.
Cork Rocks for Rory - June - Dec
The Rory Gallagher estate, in collaboration with Cork City Council and Cork City Libraries has put on a massive citywide tribute to the guitar legend, ‘Cork Rocks for Rory’.
This includes simultaneous photographic and original memorabilia exhibitions at Cork City Hall, Central Library and Public Museum which will coincide with a city-wide walking trail commemorating the life and legacy of the blues and rock icon.
Cork will rock like never before for Rory Gallagher's 30th anniversary - Cork City Council