For many people in the UK, summer means one thing above all else - festivals! And with a variety of music, dance and performance art festivals taking place throughout Britain from June to September, people with an interest in a variety of pursuits will always find a festival that suits them. However, if it's your fifth consecutive year at the Cambridge Folk Festival or there's nothing in the Edinburgh Fringe programme that you really fancy this summer, why not venture outside the UK for a festival experience with a difference? Dublin, for instance, is replete with festivals that residents and visitors alike will love.

Travel to Dublin in June and you'll be able to experience the world famous Dublin Writers Festival. Usually taking place over a period of five days, the Dublin Writers Festival has in the past played host to the likes of journalist Rageh Omaar, renowned Irish writer Roddy Doyle and Lionel Shriver, the award-winning author of "We Need to Talk About Kevin". Alternatively, the Darklight Festival, also held in June, is Ireland's foremost festival for filmmakers, animators and other artists who thrive on the merging of art, film and technology.

If you're planning a trip to Dublin in July, make sure you check out the Rose Festival. Held over the course of a weekend, the Rose Festival is held in St Anne's Park and Rose Gardens, where you'll be able to take your pick of a range of horticultural exhibitions, trade and craft stands. And if you're travelling with children, you'll also be able to let them take part in the Annual "Choose Your Rose" competition.

August sees the BEO Celtic Music Festival hit Dublin, held over a week at the National Concert Hall on Grafton Street. Here, you'll be able to hear the best traditional music from Ireland and overseas, through a series of lunchtime concerts and musical workshops offerings spectacular music. National Heritage Week, occurring in late August, also sees a week of outdoor and indoor events, throughout which culture vultures will be able to celebrate Ireland's rich heritage in a variety of locations.

And if you're willing to let your summer break extend to September, don't miss the Dublin Fringe Festival. One of Ireland's largest performing arts festivals, the Dublin Fringe Festival offers a range of music, dance, street theatre, puppetry, comedy and visual arts events. It takes place at numerous venues across the capital, but you'll be able to find more information on all the shows at the Dublin Fringe from the festival's office on East Sussex Street, Temple Bar.

Dublin's close proximity to the UK means that you won't lose as much holiday time to travel as you would if travelling further overseas. Moreover, if you're keen to minimise your carbon footprint, take a ferry to Dublin from Holyhead. Not only will you eliminate the environmental cost of flying, you'll also be able to avoid long check-in queues and even take your car with you so, if the entertainment of Dublin begins to wear thin, you'll be able to escape to the Irish countryside at the rev of an engine.