The Aoife Beary Fun-Raiser takes place on Saturday from 11am to 6pm at Donnybrook Stadium in Dublin. Organised by the family and friends of Aoife Beary, one of the Irish students seriously injured in the Berkeley balcony collapse, the day will begin with a mixed tag rugby event at 11am, with registration for teams and players at 10.30am. Registration is €25 per player while spectators pay €10. Later there will be a barbeque, a raffle, entertainment for children and face-painting. All proceeds will go towards the medical costs of Aoife Beary. http://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-aoife-beary-fun-raiser-tickets-17651977540?aff=es2
The Cara O'Sullivan Recital will take place in the Grand Entrance Hall of Castletown House, Celbridge, Co Kildare, on Saturday at 7pm. Ms O'Sullivan is a renowned Irish soprano. Tickets are €25 plus booking fee. www.castletown.ie.
The Carlow Garden Festival gets underway on Saturday and is an opportunity for both budding and experienced gardeners to obtain practical advice and tips from gardening and nature personalities. The festival features a number of lectures and workshops at various locations around Carlow. Prices vary. www.carlowgardentrail.com
The Durrow Scarecrow Festival, nominated for best festival of 2012 and 2013 in The Irish Times Ticket Awards, gets underway on Sunday in Durrow, Co Laois. In the All-Ireland Scarecrow Championships, more than 120 scarecrows will come from all corners of the country to compete for €3,000. There will also be craft workshops, entertainment, a duck derby, and other sporting events. Prices vary. http://www.durrowscarecrowfestival.com/
The Festival of Curiosity is Ireland's annual celebration of the intersection of art, science, technology and design. It takes place this weekend in 14 different locations around Dublin city centre. Among the events will be Date Night/Love Hack in the Smock Alley Theatre on Saturday from 7.30pm to 10.30pm. It will explore smells, tastes and sounds as Irish scientists attempt to arm you with the "Irish survival guide to love". There will be a live dissection of a heart. Tickets €12. http://festivalofcuriosity.ie/
The Killarney Folk Fest takes place this weekend at the INEC. It will feature a host of musicians including Kila on Saturday from 11.30pm, and Sharon Stone at the same time on Sunday. A weekend pass is €98 while children under 12 can gain access for €25. http://folkfestkillarney.com/
The Ugly Animals Family Roadshow comes with the tagline: "For too long cute and fluffy animals have taken the limelight." Taking place in the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin on Saturday from 12pm to 1pm, the show will feature biologist and presenter Simon Watt who will bring the audience on a journey to explore the animal kingdom's "most monstrous creatures". The show will feature videos, demonstrations and audience participation. It is being run by the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, which is dedicated to raising the profile of the world's "most aesthetically challenged" endangered species. Tickets €4. http://uglyanimalsoc.com/
