Ed Sheeran Foundation: The Ed Sheeran Foundation is expanding into Ireland with a cross-border youth music project, North South Sounds 2026, linking children and young people in Cork and Belfast through songwriting and performance, kicking off at the Fleadh. Traditional music & culture: French filmmaker Vincent Moon brings his live Live Cinéma show to Dublin, drawing on his Take Away Shows street-performance format and his global archive. Literary life: Author Theo Dorgan will discuss his philosophical thriller Camarade at EPIC Emigration Museum, tying the story to friendship, memory and exile. Music scene: An experimental Dublin concert featuring Lankum, Landless, Poor Creature and ØXN is set for August 6, paired with an art exhibition and a pay-what-you-can fundraiser for Women in Hebron textiles and Irish Activist Solidarity. Community inclusion: Galway City launches a pilot scheme for wheelchair-friendly beach mats at Ballyloughane and Silverstrand, aiming to make seaside access genuinely workable for families and people with mobility needs. Sport & local pride: Mayo’s 75-year All-Ireland wait ends as the county brings Sam Maguire to Athlone for a homecoming moment that’s already become part of Irish cultural memory. Public mourning: Dublin prepares for a public wake and funeral for Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard at IMMA and St Patrick’s Cathedral.