This coming July I will be vacationing in Ireland. When I visited China last year, Drew McManus suggested I take pictures of performing arts spaces and do entries on the arts in China. My travels kept me mostly in the countryside and with a big group so there wasn’t any opportunity.

This year, however, there will be more time to see the sights and take small side trips. I have already started scouting out places but tourism websites don’t necessarily give the most complete picture about available opportunities. I have also noticed that scheduled events end before my arrival so I might need to make special arrangements to tour buildings.

So if you are associated with some great performance and visual arts spaces and I can stop by this summer, let me know! If I can get a tour, participate in one of your events, chat about the state of the arts in Ireland over drinks or a meal, it would only add to the experience.

Now the bad news. Our plans, alas, don’t take us to Dublin much to my sorrow. So much exciting stuff to see that I will miss! More’s the pity since I am pretty sure I have some periodic readers from Dublin and that is where an invitation is likely to come.

I am pleased that I will be in Galway on the opening day of the Galway Arts Festival. (But alas, not any more than that.) I will be visiting County Limerick, County Tipperary, Dingle Peninsula, Ring of Kerry, County Offaly and County Galway.

So if something is possible, let me know- Buttsintheseats@mindspring.com Otherwise, keep your eyes open for a strange American pressing his nose against your windows.