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A truly unique group of senior citizens from Newry are currently involved in one of the most talked about theatre events of 2014 and it just goes to show you really are never too old to Rock n Roll!
The group are starring in "The Last Dance" a New Musical that celebrates the golden age of the 1960’s, with its showbands and ballrooms.
The show premieres on the 14th of May at the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre.
The Last Dance is one of the most spectacular pieces of theatre ever to come out of Northern Ireland. What makes it even more spectacular is the fact that the entire cast is over 60 years of age. There are over 40 pensioners in the cast, proving you’re never too old to rock n roll!
The performers are all part of Newry Acting Up, a performing arts project especially for older people which is the brainchild of one of Northern Ireland most successful theatre companies, Kaleidoscope. The project is supported by the Big Lottery Fund.
The musical was conceived and created by the members of Newry Acting Up whose own memories of the dancehalls and showbands helped to provide the raw material for the script.
The show is set in the present day and tells the story of a small rural town in Ireland. When some of the older residents find out that their local ballroom – The Palace is to be demolished, long forgotten memories of dances and the romances begin to flow and when one local man decides to hold one last dance at The Palace the town and its residents get a new lease of life.
Kerry Rooney, Kaleidoscope’s Artistic Director and the show’s director told us, “This is one of the most exciting shows I’ve ever worked on. The cast are incredible, they are bursting with excitement and enthusiasm about telling this story. Their story. The Last Dance looks back at a really special time in the history of Northern Ireland when people were united by their love of music, when the showbands ruled and the ballrooms were the place to be. The music and the memories are just incredible. It’s really surprising that there has never been a musical about the showband era before now. What makes this show even more special is the fact that it’s been created by the people who lived through that era, the showband generation. It’s wonderful to be bringing so many great memories to life.”
The Last Dance will have its world premiere at the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre on Wednesday 14th May and will play an exclusive, must-end, run of just three performances. But don’t worry if you can’t get a ticket, the show will be returning later in the year with an extended run, and a tour. The group having already accepted a booking for the Waterfront Hall in October. There are even rumours of a West End transfer with a number of high profile Producers said to be interested in taking the show to London.
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Southern Area Hospice Services are holding their Annual Ladies Luncheon on Thursday the 29th of May in the Canal Court Hotel and this year mentalist David Meade is the special guest.
The luncheon sponsored by the Canal Court Hotel and all 3 Studio features mentalist David Meade as special guest. With his successful BBC One TV Projects, services as a keynote speaker and trainer and also embarking on a 2015 tour he will surely have many games and surprises in store to wow the crowd.
Ladies will be treated to a sparkling reception, mouth-watering two course lunch and entertainment from special guest David Meade.
Tickets are £25 and are available from the Hospice – to book your place or for more information please contact Fiona Stephens on 028 302 51333 or stephensf@southernareahopsiceservices.org
The event will commence with a drinks reception at 12 noon.
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Ireland's newest number one music star Derek Ryan is set to play at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh on Saturday the 31st of May.
Derek called into the Athletic Grounds to check out the venue for his up-coming gig. He was very impressed and took the time to meet some adoring fans and practise his football skills.
Derek Ryan held showbiz aspirations since the age of 12 and his dreams have certainly come true as he is now one of Ireland's biggest country music stars. Derek grew up in Garyhill near Carlow town and was raised with a love of Irish traditional music winning two all-Ireland titles at fleadhanna ceoil. At 17 his music career took off and he signed with Warner Music London and became a fulltime performer. His debut single 'God's Plan' has achieved huge airplay and meant that Derek has been seldom off the touring circuit with his exciting live show playing to packed audiences in Ireland, England and Scotland. Derek has now four critically acclaimed albums on release including his most recent 'Country Soul'. Derek said, 'I'm really looking forward to playing the Athletic Grounds, it's a super venue and I know it will be a fantastic night'.
Armagh County board are really delighted to offer patrons and supporters the opportunity to hear all Derek's best known hits such as '100 Numbers', 'Welcome Home (The Gathering) and 'It's Friday'.
Come along to this huge event on Saturday 31st May in Armagh Athletic Grounds for another memorable event.
Tickets on sale from, Stewarts Dungannon, McNicoll insurance Moy, Carlin records Newry, Hughes off license Middletown, TG Hawthornes Armagh , Rocks newsagents, Skelton travel Lurgan and of course they can also be purchased online from www.armaghgaa.net/shop/
Everybody is more than welcome and will be assured of a huge welcome in Armagh Athletic Grounds.
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Two community groups from Co Armagh and Co Monaghan will join together on the 10th of May at 8pm for a North and South in Harmony Concert at the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre.
The groups bring together a feast of popular light and classical music – from Bach to The Beatles to produce a concert of the very best of modern, traditional and popular music guaranteeing an uplifting and entertaining evening encompassing everything from a Vivaldi violin concerto through music from the opera and musical to popular film.
The Farney Singers are a mixed-voiced community choir based in Carrickmacross. The Choir was formed in 2010 and is directed by Carmel Watts. The South Ulster Sinfonia with conductor Roger Jarvis, is one of the very few amateur orchestras for adults in NI and draws players from the SELB area and beyond.
The South Ulster Sinfonia were formed in January 2005 under the auspices of the SELB, the SUS is based at the Portadown Music Centre. String Coach: Brigid Walton.
To book Contact the Centre on 028 3031 3180
Email: arts.reception@newryandmourne.gov.uk
Admission £8.00 (concession £5.00)
The concert is to be repeated in The Garage Theatre, Monaghan, on Saturday May 17th.
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Gaudeamus Chamber choir are holding an evening of Choral music based on the Passion of Christ in the Convent of Mercy Chapel, Catherine Street, Newry on Tuesday the 15th of April at 8pm.
The event called Passiontide will contain works by Palestrina, Lotti, Mawby and a variety of other Choral composing masters.
Soloist on the evening is Brian Mc Alea who is currently a Choral Scholar at New College, Oxford.
Take some time out to relax, reflect and listen to some beautiful music in the splendid setting of the Convent Chapel.
There will be a collection in aid of local charities.
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World class is certainly how you would describe the calibre of Irish Traditional Musicians bound for the Canal Court in Newry on the 25th of April in a night of music in memory of Caroline Fegan that aims to raise much needed funds for the Southern Area Hospice.
A number of Ireland’s top Irish traditional groups and musicians will descend on the Canal Court Hotel, Newry on Friday 25th April to perform at a fundraising concert in memory of Caroline, one of our finest button accordion maestros. Caroline nee Judge from Burren sadly passed away in November after a short illness.
In what promises to be one of the biggest line ups in Irish traditional music that Newry has seen in many years, artists including the renowned Four Men and a Dog, Sioda, Oscail, Singer Alana Henderson, and many more famous musicians from across Ireland and overseas will treat the audience to what promises to be an Irish music extravaganza.
Following the concert the audience can choose to dance the night away at a Ceili with music from both St Colmcille’s All-Ireland Winning Ceili Band who are re-forming especially for the night together with the All Set Ceili band. Due to the large number of musicians staying at the hotel, a mega session will also follow the concert and the music and craic is expected to continue well into the weekend.
A native of St Albans in England, Caroline moved to Burren in 2001 where she lived with her husband Cormac and their two girls, Aislinn and Cliodhna. A multi instrumentalist, Caroline was a highly accomplished prize winning champion representing Comhaltas on many overseas tours and broadcasts. Caroline contributed to the local Irish music scene in a variety of roles as a teacher with both Warrenpoint CCE and Armagh Pipers Club, a mentor, performer and adjudicator. Just a few months before her untimely death Caroline adjudicated at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Derry adjudicating the highly prestigious button accordion competitions as well as the senior ceili band competition.
Caroline’s husband Cormac and their two girls Cliodhna and Aislinn, the wider family circle and friends wanted to acknowledge the excellent care and support provided by Southern Area Hospice and what better way to do this than through her gift of music. Caroline’s love for Irish music was insatiable and she instilled this same passion and enthusiasm in her two girls who are both following in her footsteps as fine musicians. It is fitting that both girls will perform on the night. All proceeds will go to Southern Area Hospice. The concert will commence at 8pm on 25th April in the Miller Suite, Canal Court Hotel.
Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for children. Doors open at 7.30pm. Early ticket booking is advisable to avoid disappointment. Tickets available from the following contacts:
Cormac Fegan: 02830851213/07734878413
Derrylecka Bedding Centre: 02830851213
Claire Byrne: 07745609391
Marian McGauley: 07547786897
Mary Fox: 07711987182
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Ballyholland Development Association is currently planning a major fundraising event “Strictly Come Dancing” in the Canal Court Hotel on the 28th of February 2014.
22 wannabe dancers will hit the stage at the Canal Court to battle it out for the Ballyholland Strictly title and a fantastic night of entertainment and craic is guaranteed at the top city venue. Tickets are selling fast and can be purchased from any of the dancers or committee members on the BDA, they can also be picked up at O Hare's Shop in Ballyholland, BOW'S Newry, Haircity Newry and Central Florist also in Newry.
Hot favourites to take the title are husband and wife duo Paddy and Gloria Havern who have a wealth of dancing experience behind them and will have the backing of the older clientele in the audience.Ex Down GAA pin up boy Ronan Murtagh and his dance partner Jennifer Devine are big contenders and have launched a massive poster campaign in a bid to secure votes for their routine,Ronan will happily sign posters or anything else on the night. Dark horses for the event include south Down pair Paddy Cole and Nicola Grant but Paddy's rather unusual dance moves could spoil their chances of victory.
The full line up is:
Paddy McKevitt and Laura Clerkin
Paddy Havern and Gloria Havern
Ciaran Quinn and Rachel Horgan
Paddy Cole and Nicola Grant
Stephen White and Mary Maguire
Anton Haughey and Caroline Poland
Robbie McGreevy and Louise Campbell
Ronan Murtagh and Jennifer Devine
Joe Murphy and Trish Heaney
Niall McQuillan and Helen McAteer
David Magill and Barbra Keenan
The Ballyholland Development Association was established with the intention of building a new community centre in Ballyholland for the benefit of the entire area.
Over the past 10 years the group has worked tirelessly to secure the necessary funding to complete this project.
The association has now secured £750,000 from SOAR and £150,000 from Newry & Mourne Council but must raise match funding of £50,000 during 2014 of which it has already raised £10,000. The project will go on site in March 2014 for completion by December 2014.
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Ré an Ghuail – When Coal was King is the title of a bilingual Gaelic League exhibition which will open at the Gaeláras, 6b Upper Chapel Street Newry on Friday 7th February at 8.00 pm.
The event is being organised in conjunction with Newry Maritime Association.
The exhibition will look at the importance of the native Irish coal industry to the initial development of Newry’s Inland Canal; the official opening of the sea canal with its busy Albert Basin; and the importance of the coal importing business to the new Northern Ireland State and to the survival of Newry Port through most of the twentieth century. The ‘coal’ theme serves to link the last coal yards at the Albert Basin (Fishers/Cawoods and O’Rourke’s) with the whole history of Newry shipping, the waterways and rail network and the work of Newry’s merchant seamen and casual/full-time dockers.
Central to the exhibition will be a number of original documents pertaining to Fishers and their subsidiary companies, notably the Antrim Iron Ore Company. The Fisher family traded locally and their own network of Newry-based suppliers will be well represented in a fine range of billheads and papers of long forgotten Newry commercial interests. The materials for the exhibition have been culled from local history enthusiasts who worked in the coal yards or who have shipping history interests. Newry Maritime Association will provide models of some of the Fisher colliers and a couple of local experts will be on hand to explain the workings of these iconic coastal ships. An original Fishers’ flag will be on display as well as several facsimiles of rarely seen Newry Navigation Company charts and diagrams, some ships’ trading logs, maps, and coal yard shovels.
A previously lost locally made short film (Kick Any Stone), which portrays in the main the rich cultural traditions of South Armagh, but which also boasts footage of the last trading ship to enter the Albert Basin, will also be shown on Friday night and again on Saturday (the exhibition will run from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm on Saturday). The original film reel was found by chance a local teacher on top of a skip in Newry some years ago and was given to local studies enthusiast Gabriel Curran who successfully contacted the BBC to have the film converted to a modern DVD format. Some video footage taken just before the Fishers/Cawoods coal yard closed will also feature.
The event is free and anyone who wishes to supplement the exhibition is welcome to do so.
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Folk Club An Bonnán Buí is moving from its home in Crossmaglen to the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre with a first gig from Daoiri Farrell scheduled for Saturday the 25th of January.
The years have definitely been good to Folk Club An Bonnán Buí. To date, the very finest exponents of traditional Irish Music flock there to weave their magic among a captivated audience which, of late, seems to number more and more people from outside the confines of Crossmaglen.
With this in mind, the organisers have made the decision to move their well established brand to a more centrally located venue and there is no doubting that the Auditorium at the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre in Newry will cater to a constantly growing number of people from South Down, Armagh and even as far away as Tyrone who are making this monthly concert and workshop a regular fixture in their calendar.
This month the Folk Club will feature a very special singer who is making big waves in Folk and Traditional Irish Music circles. Daoiri Farrell is a very accomplished folk singer and bouzouki/guitar/banjo player from Dublin who is a graduate of the Ceoltoir Higher National Diploma in Traditional Music Performance Course in BFCE. One of his accolades is that he is, currently, the All Ireland Senior Ballad Singing Champion. A title that is justly deserved and just one listen to his debut album The First Turn will confirm this.
Farrell has a pure and natural voice and influences like Andy Irvine, Christy Moore and Frank Harte are evident in his delivery. All of this and his innate ability to grab the audience with his humour and marvellous story telling promise to make his appearance at Folk Club An Bonnán Buí in The Sean Hollywood Arts Centre on 25th of January one well worth attending. Tickets are limited and can be bought at the Sean Hollywood Centre (028-30313180) or booked through the An Bonnán Buí Facebook account at the very reasonable rate of £10 per Adult, £5 per Child and £25 per family (2 adults and 2 children). Doors open at 8:30PM and music commences at 9PM sharp. So whether you come for the craic or the cheoil, be assured that a great night awaits you.
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