May holiday marks the start of summer festivals season

This weekend will give the public a chance to find out how enthusiastic the country is for a summer of music and frolics as the festival season opens in earnest.

The slogan "Are you festival fit?" comes into its own tonight. The energetic minds who coined it are running the Heineken Green Energy Festival in Dublin.

Among its offerings are teatime gigs at Dublin Castle, followed by late-night shindigs at both the Olympia and the Ambassador, with more intimate gigs at the Temple Bar Music Centre and Whelans.

The Whitestripes play Dublin Castle this evening, followed by Muse tomorrow evening and The Frames, Damien Rice, Mundy and Bell XI from 2 p.m. on Monday.

Meanwhile in Kilkenny, the Carlsberg Rhythm 'n' Roots Festival began last night and runs until Monday evening.

Mary Gauthier and C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Lousiana Band are among those appearing in the city tonight.

The weekend jazz trail may for some lead on to Derry for that city's festival.

Among those playing will be Jazzanova, Courtney Pine and Perfectly Frank, the Quantico Marines Band from Washington and Johnny Quigley's All Stars.

There's also jazz on offer in Bray, Co Wicklow, at the Wicklow Arts Centre. Some 28 bands and vocalists are billed, including the Honor Heffernan Quartet and Havana Che, which organisers say promises everything from from mambo and cha-cha to rhumba and guaguanco.

Belfast will be taking a holistic approach to your fitness, testing not only your festive, but also your physical, stamina. The third annual Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival began on Thursday but runs through next Sunday, May 12th.

There will be street theatre, literature, movies, and today there will be a celebration of Van Morrison.

The celebration includes a bus tour of the landmarks associated with The Man.

In Cork the International Choral Festival runs until tomorrow at the City Hall as well as the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne.

Green-fingered enthusiasts should make for the Garden County as an estimated 40 gardens open their gates to the public throughout Wicklow, from this weekend until the end of July.

The county is also the venue for the Wicklow Mountains Spring Walking Festival. Details of eight walks tomorrow and Monday are available on 0404 66058, or at www.wicklow.ie