Something for the weekend 16-18 July

Welcome to the weekend, courtesy of JOE.ie. Whether you’re staying in or going out, we’ve got it covered. It’s time to leave the working week behind.

GOING OUT

Gigs

The rain may be continuing unabated but so is the festival season. While many festival-goer types will be resting their livers after last weekend’s Oxegen-related debauchery, those in the mood for another helping of warm beer, stinking portaloos and live music have the option of continuing the party this weekend.

Paircfest may not boast the sort of star-studded line up we’ve come to expect in this country, relying instead on cover acts, but this one-dayer promises to be good craic all the same – you’re talking Knights of Leon, AZ-DZ, Bon Jovi Experience as well as Speedking, Gascan Ruckus and Raw Dawgs. Festival kicks off on Saturday 17 July in Pairc na Sairsealaigh in Newbliss, County Monaghan. Click here to get your tickets from ticketmaster.ie.

Time for the hip-hop purists among you hop from one foot to the other screaming ‘Oh my God, oh my God’ because arguably the greatest talent ever to grace the game is coming to Dublin this weekend. Lyrically gifted Queens rapper Nas will be taking to the stage on Saturday 17 July in Tripod along with Damien ‘Jr Gong’ Marlay, his collaborator on their recent album Distant Relatives. Click here for tickets.

If you’re way out est this weekend, you could do worse than popping along to see Badly Drawn Boy in the Radisson Hotel Galway on Saturday 17 July. I suppose. Gig kicks off at 8pm and tickets can be bought through ticketmaster.ie.

Film

He’s been a convincing diamond smuggler, a believable orphan of an Irish-American gang leader and a credible washed up basketball player. For his next trick, in Inception, Leo DiCaprio is going to attempt to pull off a dream-stealing espionage agent.

We at JOE.ie are of the opinion that DiCaprio has re-earned the respect he tossed away by involving himself in the likes of Titanic and his latest offering looks well worth a look. It’s also got Cillian Murphy in it. We already have a five-star rave review of the thriller on JOE, in case you hadn’t noticed.

Events

There is also plenty of action in the GAA this weekend – although it looks very much like you’ll have to brave the rain. The big one of course is the Connacht Gaa Football Championship Final between Roscommon and Sligo. You can catch the action at McHale Park in Castlebar on Sunday at 1:30pm.

Another one which looks to be well worth popping along to is the Munster Hurling Final Replay between Waterford and Cork. It’s on in Semple Stadium in Thurles on Saturday at 7pm. As usual, head on over to ticketmaster.ie for all your GAA ticketing needs.

Getaway

God evidently thinks it’s funny to urinate all over his servants on this his greenest isle during summer time, but you don’t have to stand for it. You could convert to Buddhism or alternatively make a break for it – check out the hottest late, late travel deals featured in the newest edition of the Last Minute JOE.

STAYING IN

Sport on TV

With the World Cup finally behind us (and probably not missed), the aforementioned GAA schedule brings some big ties this weekend, with the Connacht Senior Football Final between Roscommon and Sligo the stand-out highlight for all GAA viewers this Sunday.

Will Sligo be celebrating this weekend?

 

Saturday 17 July

SFC Qualifiers 3rd Round: Derry v Kildare (RTE 2 from 14:40pm)

SFC Qualifiers 3nd Round: Dublin v Armagh (TV3 from 4:30pm)

SHC Munster Final Replay: Cork v Waterford (RTE 1 from 5630pm)

Sunday 18 July

SFC Ulster Final: Monaghan v Tyrone (RTE 2 from 1:30pm)

SFC Connacht Final: Sligo v Roscommon (TV3 from 3:30pm)

If you’re looking for something a little different, aside from the GAA, JOE has you covered. Friday, Saturday and Sunday bring Day 2, 3 and 4 of the Open Golf Championship 2010, with coverage on Setanta Ireland and BBC. Alternatively, if you’re still pining for football, ESPN are showing the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2011 Qualifiers on Sunday – it can’t be much worse than Holland’s hack-fest against Spain last week.

Friday 16 July

Open Golf Championship 2010 Day 2 (Setanta Sports 1 from 9:00am, BBC2 from 9:00am)

Saturday 17 July

Open Golf Championship 2010 Day 3 (Setanta Sports 1 from 10:00am, BBC1 from 10:00am, BBC2 from 5:15pm)

Sunday 18 July

Open Golf Championship 2010 Day 4 (Setanta Sports 1 from 11:00am, BBC2 from 11:00am, BBC1 from 12:45am)

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2011 Qualifiers (ESPN from 3:00pm)

On the Box

The stand-out highlight on the box this weekend is the last ever edition of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (Friday, BBC 1, 10:50pm), with a star-studded line-up to see Wossy off before his move to ITV this autumn. Joining Ross is English football legend David Beckham, Hollywood bad boy Mickey Rourke, martial arts star Jackie Chan, and a performance from Roxy Music. No sign of Andrew Sachs though – perhaps some people just can’t take a joke.

Jonathan Ross is set to receive a star-studded send-off Friday night

Alternatively, why not grab a sofa and let Quentin Tarantino’s anarchic vision of WW2 wash over you, with the Brad Pitt-starring Inglourious Basterds (Saturday, Sky Movies Premiere, 10:00pm). Featuring an international cast, tension-filled set-pieces and a deserving Oscar win for Christoph Waltz and as the dastardly, multi-layered ‘Jew Hunter’ Hans Landa, Basterds is possibly Tarantino’s best feature since Pulp Fiction in 1994. Whether you’re a fan of the director’s work or not, Waltz’ performance deserves to be seen.

DVD

Stieg Larsson’s literary phenomenon Millennium Trilogy arrives on DVD this weekend, with the Swedish-language adaptation of the series first installment, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Soon to be re-made with Director David Fincher and starring Daniel Craig, the US team has a tough job to better this atmospheric pot-boiler. Encapsulating Sweden’s Nazi past, modern-day domestic violence and a cracking murder mystery, Dragon Tattoo is an exceptional foreign-language release and an easy pick for JOE’s DVD of the week