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This Saturday 10 March sees Macmillan Cancer Support & TAG – The Active Group holding a Moonlight Walk around Newry city.
The 5K walk starts at Altnaveigh House, opposite Tescos and walkers will stroll to the Mourne Country Roundabout, over to Fiveways and back via Armagh Road, Canal Street and Newry Courthouse.
TAG – The Active Group is a social group for young adults who have mild/moderate learning disability and who live local in the Newry, Mourne and Down area.
People with learning disabilities, like everyone else, face many challenges in life. TAG help them to develop independence and self-confidence through engagement in challenging activities in an enjoyable social grouping.
The walk starts at 8pm and it's a family friendly event suitable for all ages and abilities. All funds raised stay in the area.
Registration opens at 7pm - £10 per family & £15 per family.
Light supper served after the walk.
Contact 07818418486 for further information or follow them on www.facebook.com
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Newry city will be buzzing with top class traditional music over St Patrick's weekend, with Newry Business Improvement District (BID) hosting the first TradFest in the City at 12 different venues.
Running from March 16th-18th this new festival has been designed to highlight the thriving trad and folk artists within the Newry area while promoting this genre of music to all generations.
St Patrick’s Day is always a busy time for the city, with the annual parade and fun fair, and Newry BID wanted to add to the celebrations by offering some of the top trad artists from the area and further afield including Finbar Magee & Briege Quinn, Warrenpoint Comhaltas, Cara Quinn, Michael Coney and Kyle Macaulay; Petey Doran, Terry Conlon and Padraig Carragher; Fil Campbell, Traditional Arts Partnership, Grainne Smith, Oisin McCann and Draiocht.
Newry BID manager, Eamonn Connolly said, “We are excited to bring something new and exciting to the events calendar within the city, especially on such a busy weekend when we have so many visitors to Newry, and it is great to have some many local businesses on board as venues.”
Free admission to all sessions and sessions run over the weekend in 12 venues. Venues are: Bridge Bar, Railway Bar, Nan Rices, Tin House Coffee Shop, The Phoenix, Synge & Byrne, Cobbles, The Buttercrane, The Quays, Canal Court Hotel, Maddens and The Bank.
There will be plenty of opportunity to avail of some top notch traditional music over the weekend.
Be sure to check out Newry BID’s website newry.com for full list of venues and schedules.
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There are lots of Christmas concerts happening at this time, but few can boast to have music from around the world, blending the best of traditional Irish, Bulgarian, Romanian and Israeli music!
The “Christmas Bagpipes Concert” at the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre on Monday 18th of December at 7 pm offers just that. Prepare to be amazed and enthralled by the musical performance of an international group gathered for this special performance.
The performance is part of a project by Accolade’s musical directors Nikolay and Veselka Ivanovi and brings to fruition many years of their experience and research.
The concert will merge local music, with Brendan Monaghan (Uilleann pipes and whistles) and his daughter Aoife (Vocal and guitar) with traditional music from Bulgaria performed by duo Dragni Dragnev who plays the Bulgarian traditional bagpipes, kaval and tarambuka, with singing from Peta Dragneva.
Dragni Dragney, is a professional musician, educated in two of the most prestigious schools for traditional music in Bulgaria. He works alongside wife Petya, both appearing as soloists in various concerts. They also teach music for various instruments in schools in Bulgaria. Recently they have started classes in bagpipes, kaval and singing in Armagh, in the first Bulgarian school in Northern Ireland.
Their students have already performed in different multi-cultural events. Dragni and Petya have each made recordings and composed and arranged traditional music which is performed throughout Bulgaria and on other European stages.
Brendan Monaghan has been playing music since he was ten years old and the uilleann pipes since he was 18 years old. He was performing with the band Heritage when they won the Letterkenny Folk Festival in 1986. He has done a four week American tour with Phil Coulter, making numerous recordings with him and appeared on many TV shows.
Brendan has played Carnegie Hall four times as well as Boston City Hall and Radio City. He joined the tour Celtic Thunder for a couple of years and recorded music for that. A huge highlight of his career was playing with Phil Coulter for President Clinton in the White House.
Brendan says that he is looking forward to his daughter Fiona joining him in the concert. He says that Fiona is an amazing young lady who carries the music gene that is evident in her beautiful voice and accomplished guitar playing.
Regarding the Christmas Bagpipes Concert Brendan quotes Tommy Sands who said “if you have the time, taste and temperament" Brendan goes on to say “Come out of your house for this one night over Christmas. Enjoy the cultures and traditions from not only your own country but from different parts of the world. The music and song will evoke a whole range of emotions, laughter and tears and reminiscences.”
Brendan says it is a joy and a privilege to be playing with such talented and amazing musicians as Veselka and Nikolay. He is grateful for the experience of sharing his culture and experiencing theirs through music. He feels happy to be passing on a musical message of peace, reconciliation and love at this time of the year, when our country and indeed the world needs a coming together.
The Newry Concert is on Monday 18th December in the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre. Admission : £10
Other Dates/ venues for the Christmas Bagpipes concert:
Friday 15th Dec. 7 00pm Banbridge Old Town Hall
Sunday 17th December 6 30pm Armagh City Hotel
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The Ring of Gullion Winter Solstice Festival Hosts Lectures on Land of Fire and Ice
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and the Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership as part of their Winter Solstice Festival, are hosting a series of enlightening lectures on the significant events which have shaped the landscape and culture of the area.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Roisin Mulgrew said, “The exciting programme will incorporate a range of prestigious local and national speakers laying claim to the reputation of the Festival and the significance of this area with regards to the history, architecture and geology of Ireland. The speakers will share their expertise on a variety of fascinating topics which will provide a really engaging and informative series of lectures”.
Kicking off the programme on Tuesday 28 November at 7.30pm in Tí Chulainn Cultural Activity Centre, Dr Kirstin Lemon from the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland will speak about the Ring of Gullion area and the formation of the landscape tens of millions of years ago. Dr Lemon is an animated speaker who will explain the Ring of Gullion’s complex and unique geological landform. Unparalleled elsewhere in Ireland or the UK, it was the first ring dyke in the world to be geologically mapped and is one of the ‘Top 100 Geosites of UK and Ireland’.
On the 30 November at 8pm in Dromintee GAC Club, well known local community historians, Una Walsh and Seamus Murphy will regale the audience with stories and anecdotes of life in the 15th and 16th Century - the time of the O’Neills and Lord Mountjoy. They will explain how certain strategic events in the Ring of Gullion changed the entire fate of Ulster. This discussion is bound to be popular so book early to be sure of a seat.
This December marks fifty years since M J O’Kelly first investigated the winter solstice at Newgrange and on Thursday 7 December at 7.30pm, Dr Frank Prendergast, one of the leading experts in the country on the prehistoric phenomenon of winter solstices and the passage tomb architecture, will be speaking in Cross Square Hotel. He will shine a light on the complex significance of the route of the sun on the shortest day and its impact on ancient grave design.
Solsticial alignments also light up Lough Crew and Thomastown in Co Meath and Townly Hall passage tomb in Co Louth. Dr Predergast will weave fabulous linkages between these sites with evidence drawn from as far a field as Knockroe in Co Kilkenny, to tell the tale of a sophisticated and mathematically advanced civilisation that in some cases, predates the pyramids.
Dr Prendergast’s latest article was published in Archaeology Ireland and publishers, Wordwell Ltd will also be there on the evening with copies for sale.
Check out the Ring of Gullion website ringofgullion.org for the full programme of events and book your spaces early to avoid disappointment or call into the office in Crossmaglen Community Centre, O'Fiaich Square, 028 3082 8590.
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Winter Solstice Festival – Alive with Myths and Legends
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and the Ring of Gullion Partnership have kicked off their Winter Solstice Festival this month.
Events include the Michael J. Murphy Winter School, Christmas decoration workshops, retreats, races, walks, plays talks, finding out about the geological history of the area and much much more.
Highlights
Highlights include a Willow Wreath Workshop, 18 November, 1.30pm, Slieve Gullion Courtyard, £10. Get into the spirit of the season by learning how to make traditional Christmas wreaths using willow. In this workshop you will be shown how to create these unique decorations and given the skills to produce your very own piece of traditional Christmas craft, decorated with green foliage, ribbon and festive Christmas trimmings. Once you’re finished you can take this hand made creation home for all of your friends and family to enjoy and admire.
Straw Craft Ireland is based at the shores of Lough Neagh in North Armagh; an area steeped in the history of traditional Irish crafts. They provide beautifully intricate items woven in straw in a traditional and uniquely Irish plaiting method as well as promoting the continuance of ancient traditional Ulster and Irish crafts, customs and culture, click here for further details of their work .
This workshop is designed for adults, but children may accompany adults to assist with the decorating. Booking is essential.
Ballymoyer Christmas Experience 26 November, 3pm, St Malachy's PS, Ballymoyer. £6 per child, adults free. Join Father Christmas and his Elves as they sprinkle some magic Christmas dust on the hills of Ballymoyer.
Visit Santa in his Winter Wonderland. Make a Christmas Wish in Santa’s cottage, Children’s Games and Craft Activities. Local Arts and Craft Stalls, Festive Cake Sale, Hot Chocolates and Mulled Wine.
Tí scannán – Bad Day for the Cut1 December 7pm, Ti Chulainn. £5 - featuring a Q&A session with director Chris Baugh.
A locally produced thriller Bad day for the cut, stars Nigel O’ Neill and Susan Lynch in gritty revenge drama.
It is the debut movie by director/writer Chris Baugh and producer/writer Brendan Mullin, a Tyrone pair who run Six Mile Hill Productions.
The film, tells the story of a mild-mannered middle-aged Irish farmer, who still lives at home with his mother, who sets off on a mission of revenge when the old lady is murdered.
Redmond O’Hanlon – The Life and Death of an Outlaw 2 December, 7pm, Ti Chullainn, £10
Rapparee Five present a unique performance, telling the Redmond O’Hanlon story, brought to life using narration, original songs, and dramatic portrayals of the principal characters.
The story begins at Downpatrick Gaol, in 1681, with a mother grieving the loss of her son, Redmond O’Hanlon, recently assassinated, and whose head is spiked above the walls. The mother laments her son with an Irish language keen.
We are then transported back in time to 1640, and the birth of Redmond. We meet his parents, and see him grow to boy and man. His journey takes him away from family, to war in Europe, and back again in Ireland, with all his hopes and aspirations.
As his fate creeps ever closer, we meet the various characters who played major parts in his life. Treachery and bloodshed are never far away as Redmond becomes outlawed, and we edge towards the tragic conclusion of our tale.
Arriving back where we started, at Downpatrick Gaol, we wonder if this really is the end.
A Magical Programme
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Roisin Mulgrew said,” For the next two months, the Ring of Gullion Partnership is providing a magical programme of events showcasing all that is great about the area with a range of lectures, plays, and craft workshops. This area reflects the mix of cultures from the Neolithic Era to the present day. The Ring of Gullion and South Armagh is an area which has always represented a frontier: from the ancient Iron Age defences of the Dorsey, through the Anglo-Norman Pale, and latterly to the modern border. It is alive with history, awash in scenic beauty and bursting with culture. It’s been said of South Armagh that you can ‘kick any stone’ and it will tell a story.”
Councillor Mulgrew continued, “This Winter Solstice Festival wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of a number of partners and event organisers across the area. The Festival will provide an enriching experience and enlighten people’s view of the Ring of Gullion, leaving them hungry for more, giving them a taste of this rich cultural and archaeological place which is brimming with talent, myths, legends and history.”
The region’s geological history and archaeological heritage can be explored with expert Dr Kirstin Lemon on 16 November. For those interested in astronomy, Dr Frank Prendergast will be speaking in Cross Square Hotel on 7 December about his work in the field of Cultural Astronomy and the cultural symbolism and meaning in the solstice alignment of standing stones in the Irish landscape.
For a full list of events and bookings check out the Ring of Gullion website at www.ringofgullion.org or telephone 028 3082 8590.
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Rumours abound in the fairy village of Slieve Gullion Forest Park, the Calliagh Berra is on the move, gathering her minions and preparing for all manner of mischief this Halloween. Willie Clarke, Deputy Chairperson of Newry, Mourne & Down District Council, says, “My inside sources in the fairy village, have reported that the Calliagh Berra is preparing to curse the mountain and awaken the Weeping Maiden, a wailing banshee, and create Ghostly Gullion on 28th October! Together they plan to awaken the Willow Dragon from its slumber, which would be devastating for Slieve Gullion and the surrounding area, so we mustn’t let it happen. We are requesting the help of brave children and their families, to come to Slieve Gullion Forest Park and help us defeat the Calliagh Berra and foil her dastardly plan.”
If you think you have what it takes to tackle the Calliagh Berra and the Weeping Maiden, come along to Slieve Gullion Forest Park on 28th October, dressed in your scariest costume, from 12pm to 4pm. Don’t worry if you don’t have time to paint your face, there will be the opportunity to get it painted at the forest. The Calliagh Berra won’t be at her full mischievous strength between 12pm and 2pm, so this would be a better time for younger children (recommended 0-7 years old) to try their might against her. After 2pm fraidy cats beware...only braver children should attend (recommended for children 8+). Fearless adventurers will depart every 15 minutes with their guide and sworn protector; places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Adventurous travellers will have the opportunity to take in a showing of ‘Hotel Transylvania’ in the Hawthorn Suite at 12pm, courtesy of Slieve Gullion Events. Tickets cost £5 per child and adults go free. To warm up from the cold, why not visit Synge & Byrne and enjoy some of their special autumn themed menu; there will be a free Halloween cookie for every fearless explorer with the purchase of any hot drink, while stocks last.
For further information visit www.ringofgullion.org/events
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The 2017 King of Gullion 10K Challenge promises to be bigger and better this year with all proceeds to Southern Area Hospice Services.
The event takes place on Sunday 12th November 2017 at Slieve Gullion Forest Park.
Registration will open at 8.30am and the race will start at 10am sharp. The King of Gullion 10k is a race from the Courtyard around mountain roads and trails where participants can enjoy the spectacular scenery in the Ring of Gullion.
There are winner’s prizes of 1st, 2nd & 3rd for male and females and finishers medals up for grabs which have been kindly sponsored by our headline sponsor mac-group.com. This year we are also offering a prize for the first running club to have 3 members cross the finish line.
Participants can also avail of the tasty refreshments which will be sponsored by Synge & Byrne Slieve Gullion post run! Race registration costs £17. You can run or walk or do both! The race is suitable for all levels– so why not challenge yourself and try something new?
Families are also welcome to come along to enjoy an arts and crafts workshop and have fun at the award-winning Adventure Playground and the fantastic Giant’s Lair onsite. Fancy dress is also welcome from runners and spectators.
You can register for this event online at www.active.com or contact the Hospice fundraising office via email mulgrewg@southernareahospiceservices.org or telephone on 028 3025 1333.
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With Halloween on the way Bates Motel 'formerly known' as Fitzpatrick's Bar and Restaurant in Jenkinstown is ready to welcome you - Just don't use the shower!!!
Even wandering around the displays during the day can be a scary experience but it really comes into it's own at night!
Fitzpatrick's is already decorated to within an inch of it's death, with crazy psychos on the loose, a wedding feast complete with corpse bride, skeletons in every closet, pickled heads, zombies, 'jacuzzi, butchers oh and the odd killer clown of course just to mention a few of the absolutely bonkers scenarios.
It's part of their fun filled thrilling Halloween Scarefest and from now till Halloween It's open every day to look around and at night from this Wednesday 25 to Tuesday 31 October from 6pm - 9pm with 'live' actors.
Be prepared to queue at busy times.
Funds are raised at the event for Temple Street Children's Hospital.
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Southern Area Hospice Services are getting ready for their Hospice Does Strictly next month and tickets are now on sale.
‘Hospice Does Strictly – Country Style’, will take place in Armagh City Hotel Saturday 11 November 2017. If you love country music and dancing, this is a night you don’t want to miss!
Eight couples take to the stage to showcase their dancing skills to the beat of Country music, in a bid to win the votes of the judging panel and the audience to ultimately be crowned the ‘2017 Hospice Does Strictly Champions’.
The Dancers
Couple 1: Cathal Livingstone (Glenanne) & Frances Boyce (Markethill);
Couple 2: Pete O’Neill (Coalisland) & Aimee White (Newry);
Couple 3: Christopher Fletcher (Caledon) & Kelly Grant (Rathfriland);
Couple 4: Martin Hanna (Derrylaughan) & Laura Millar (Portadown);
Couple 5: Aidan Morris (Galbally) & Claire McKeever (Brantry);
Couple 6: Plunkett Rafferty (Ballygawley) & Catherine Kennedy (Cookstown);
Couple 7: Gary Reid (Eglish) & Laura Cornett (Loughgall);
Couple 8: Raymond Moan (Rathfriland) & Pauline Mallon (Benburb).
The event will be compered by Malachi Cush and will follow a similar format to ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ with participating couples jiving, line-dancing and doing the hucklebuck with some impressive lifts added in for good measure in what is sure to be a very entertaining show.
After the dancers have performed, the judging panel and the audience will place their votes to determine who the winners will be. The show will be followed by a disco with the very entertaining, Mini Mac’s Disco Road Show (over 18’s only).
Anne Mac Oscar, Regional Marketing Officer in Armagh and Dungannon for Southern Area Hospice Services said, “We are really looking forward to a great night in the Armagh City Hotel on Saturday 11th November 2017. I would encourage as many people as possible to get their tickets and come along and support the dancers. They are working very hard in preparation for the show. All the money raised will help the Hospice to continue to provide care and support to people in the local area who are living with Cancer and other life-limiting illnesses, such as Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease, HIV and Aids. Every penny really does count as we work towards our 2017 fundraising target of £2.5 million. Previous years have been very successful for Southern Area Hospice and we really hope that 2017 will be even bigger and better.”
Tickets for the show (£15 each) are on sale now at www.armaghcityhotel.com at Armagh City Hotel reception, at Southern Area Hospice reception (Courtenay Hill, Newry), from the participating dancers or by contacting Anne in the Southern Area Hospice Services fundraising department on 028 30251333.
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