The word picnic is a particularly evocative one, conjuring up images of pleasure, enjoyment, and sunny days that never seem to end.

Des O'Driscoll picks his cultural highlights.

FESTIVAL TIME: All Together Now and Indiependence are among the events making the most of the bank holiday weekend, with strong line-ups over the next few days.

Paul Muldoon has gathered a motley crew of writers and musicians for a tour of Ireland, writes Alan O’Riordan.

Here's your summer events guide for the month of August, including all things music, arts and ents.

James Finnegan's first collection of poetry is the work of a mature man with a teaching career behind him. His work has been highly commended by the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry competition, and published in Cyphers and The Irish Times, among others, writes Alannah Hopkin

Poet Paul Muldoon’s intensely intimate work, ‘Incantata’, is being re-imagined for the theatre and will premiere at the Galway Arts Festival, writes Marjorie Brennan.

Indiependence (Aug 3-5) in Mitchelstown has revealed its day-to-day lineup.

A portrait of the late John Montague by artist Colin Davidson will be unveiled in UCC today.

Des O’Driscoll with the latest entertainment news and events

****

Five things from the worlds of arts, culture and film to get your teeth stuck into this week.

The centenary of the Easter Rising has given us an abundance of commemorative

Thomas Bartlett and Paul Muldoon weren’t surprised that lines by Ireland’s great poet worked so well as song lyrics, writes Padraic Killeen

Music, poetry, dance, and visual art will feature in projects commissioned as part of the Government’s official Ireland 2016 Centenary programme.

Peter Murray wonders why, in an eclectic collection of writers’ responses to works on show at the National Gallery the majority of contributors chose pieces that allowed them avoid eye-to-eye contact with the subject.

Irish authors have taken pieces in the National Gallery as inspiration for prose and poetry, writes Peter Murray

Poetry readings, art, music, and photography will be the subject of free public events over the coming months to coincide with the display of the $1m Great Book of Ireland at University College Cork.

An elite artists’ group has rejected public criticism over the amount of funding it receives from the taxpayer, claiming the Government would drive “JCBs full of money” to any private business that provided such a return on the “investment”.

A ‘map’ tells the story of the city’s poems, songs and characters, says Richard Fitzpatrick.

Jean Hanff Korelitz’s new novel is about self-deception, says Richard Fitzpatrick.

IN 1970, fresh out of St Colman’s boarding school, I attended UCC.

Northern poet, Paul Muldoon, tells Richard Fitzpatrick about the power of words

In the Morning I’ll Be Gone

At home his kids called him head-the-ball, their fondness for Seamus Heaney the father more than a match for their awe of him as artist.

Family and friends of Nobel Laureate poet Seamus Heaney have gathered with his contemporaries and dignitaries to pay last respects to one Ireland’s literary greats.

WITH influences as diverse as Séamus Heaney and David Bowie, African American poet, Tracy K Smith, will enthral audiences at the Cork World Book Fest, which runs at Triskel Christchurch from Apr 23-27.

David Seymour’s paintings reflect the confusion of conflict, when the abnormal is the norm, says Tina O’Sullivan

WE’RE bang in the middle of the summer festival season, and July shows no signs of letting up. Practically every weekend is cram-packed with music and/or arts festivities all around the country, ranging from Kinsale Arts Week to the Galway Film Fleadh to a national scarecrow festival. So get planning.

Maggot

THE CURTAIN came down on this year’s Electric Picnic early this morning after British trip hop legends Massive Attack were cheered off the stage after their 10.30pm gig.

THE award-winning writer Colm Tóibín has condemned the construction of the M3 motorway, which opened yesterday.

Irish writer Colm Toibin has condemned the construction of the controversial M3 motorway which opened today.

Liam Neeson gave a touching tribute to his late wife Natasha Richardson at his first public appearance since her tragic death in March.

Fans of Booker Prize winner John Banville can today read the first chapter of his forthcoming novel for free.

Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney will head up a celebration of Tara at the controversial site of the M3 motorway, organisers said today.

Campaigners battling the development of the M3 motorway near the historic Hill of Tara will take their protest to America this weekend.

Actor Stuart Townsend will take time out from Hollywood this weekend to protest against the routing of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara, campaigners said.

Campaigners blocking the M3 motorway near Tara in Co Meath may form a political protest party to run at the next general election, it emerged today.

WRITING is hard work, Doris Lessing told the 500 people who gathered to hear her read on Saturday. “And keeping writing is even harder.”

An anthology of Irish literature has been published in China as part of the ongoing festival of Irish arts and culture in the world’s most populous nation.

Belfast poet Paul Muldoon has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry.