MEDIA RELEASE COURTESY OF: The Arts Council

The Arts Council launched a free on-line guide to the vast and diverse mix of activities, shows, exhibitions and performances that it supports around the country. The guide gives information on the wide range of events taking place and features can be selected by county, by month or by category - for example festivals, concerts, opera, plays and arts for children. There are already more than 1,000 events currently detailed on the website.

Pat Moylan, Chairman of the Arts Council believes that the guide will provide a boost for local and regional tourism and employment: "This resource has been designed to assist local communities and individuals access cultural information. We hope that tourist offices nationwide will use the website to plan around, and raise awareness of, events taking place in their locality at particular times of the year.

"Income generated from both domestic and international tourism is a key source of revenue and one that we can ill-afford to lose. Cultural tourism is currently estimated to be worth more than €5 billion annually to the Irish economy through direct and indirect spending. It is through making people aware of all of our arts events, and promoting them at home and abroad, that we can assist in driving Ireland’s cultural tourism."

Mary Cloake, Director of the Arts Council, said: "The arts are our greatest national resource, and have the capacity to drive significant economic investment and job creation in Ireland. The arts also greatly enhance our national reputation and deliver an eclectic, imaginative and innovative world-class showcase for our society."

Log onto www.events.artscouncil.ie to view the event guide and check out what’s happening in your locality.