Happy New Year everyone! Chinese people in Dublin have been celebrating New Year since February 12th and the party will go on to February 21st.  You don’t have to be from China to enjoy the dancing and festival food.  This year is the Year of the Tiger so if you know people born in 1974, 1986, 1998 or 2010 they will be optimistic, energetic and courageous!
Our favourite things to do in Dublin this year are:

• Follow the Asian Trail at Dublin Zoo this weekend
• Visit the exhibitions at the Chester Beatty Library. This goes on until April 27th
• Look at Chinese fashion at the Treasury Holdings Art Space, Ground floor, Burlington road, Dublin 2  Today’s the last day!
• See photographs from Chinese and Irish photographers at 15-19 Essex Street West, Temple Bar,
• Eating yummy Chinese food on Parnell Street and Capel Street.

Get more information on the Dublin City website here

What are you doing this weekend? Let us know!

Photo is Chinese New Year at Smithfield by informatique

Sunday is Valentine’s Day! There are lots of romantic things you can do in Dublin. And because it’s on Sunday, even students can stop learning and take a break! There are lots of free things to do too so you don’t have to spend a lot of money.

• Visit St Valentine in the Carmelite Church on Whitefriar  Street.  His body is buried there.
• Go for a romantic walk on the beach in  Killiney or Dun Laoighaire.
• Visit the Iveagh Gardens on Harcourt Street  – which we posted about here.
• Try the gorgeous bar upstairs in the Central Hotel on Exchequer Street.
• Some of you went to the Chester  Beatty Library last year, as we posted here. Did you know there is a romantic garden on the roof?

Let us know if you find any other romantic activities in Dublin for St Valentine’s Day!

Love Heart by Suchitra Prints

We posted before about the makeup courses at Abbey College – you can read it here.

And this week we launched a new course; Media Makeup and Beauty Studies,  FETAC L5

You can see the students in action here and also see our Facebook page for more photos! They look like real professionals already and we can’t wait to see what they can do at the end of the course. More photos are on the Abbey College International Facebook page.

How do you think this student will look when her Makeup Artist is finished?

This is from a class about shooting Advertisements.  Do you know this brand?

Nighttime look – time to party!

Another serious student!

Look at her eyelashes!

Weekend Tips

The Shebeen Chic around the corner on George St hosts a great Comedy Night every Sunday. Free entre and free ice-cream. See  The Comedy Crunch facebook page for details.

Another free night takes place every Monday in the International Bar on Wicklow St. Called ‘Glor’ which means noise or voice in Irish, you can hear music,  spoken word and other creative things! See their website Glor for details.

What course are you studying?