The Manchester Irish Festival: 4th - 19th March 2006
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Friday 17th March
Manchester Irish Festival Message Board
St
Patrick’s Day Special
with Irish DJ David Hennigan plus special guests
The Pack Horse
Stockport Road, Levenshulme
0161 224 4355
12noon-8pm Admission Free
After the runaway success of last years session, Irish DJ David Hennigan returns to host a full day of Irish Music, Comedy and entertainment. Guest musicians, dancers and comedians are welcome to join in the party, just turn up on the day. Sponsored by Guinness
St
Patrick’s Night Special Acoustic-Fest
with Ray Heffernan
M19 Bar
Stockport Road, Levenshulme. 0161 225 8359
7.30pm-1am
Dublin born Singer songwriter Ray Heffernan, best known for writing the Award winning ‘Angels’ for Robbie Williams will be headlining the St Patrick’s night ‘Acoustic Fest’
In this exclusive gig Ray Heffernan will be supported by Belfast group 'Doctors in Sessions' plus sets from Dave Green, Adam Kelly, October, Little Whispers, The Logicals, Redwood Thinkers, Amida and Rifles.
Ray will be showcasing songs from his new album “Postcards from the periphery” which is being released in June. Louis Walsh credits Ray as “The man who saved Robbie Williams” and Noel Gallagher was adamant about crediting Ray at the Brit Awards when Angels was voted best song “Let the real writer of “Angels” be credited”
Ray said about his meeting with Robbie “We met in a Dublin pub during the Christmas holidays of 1996, and proceeded to go out and have a few beers etc. He ended up staying in my place, as we had said we would try to write some songs together. I had one that I had written in Paris called "An Angel Instead", which he liked, and we worked on it together. He called Louis Walsh, who organised a studio for us, and we recorded a version of it here in Dublin. He went back to England after that, and we lost touch. I was therefore very surprised to hear that "Angels" was on his new album. I got in touch, and essentially signed a waver of my rights to the song for just £7,500 and the rest is musical history, I'm still writing songs and selling albums independently and he is a corporation.”
The BBC is currently preparing a documentary called “Chasing Angels”, which will be an hour long insight into Ray’s life and work and Channel 5 are broadcasting “The secrets of my success’ featuring the story behind ‘Angels. Both documentaries are due to be screened in the summer to coincide with the release of Ray’s new album.
More information about Ray is available on his website www.rayheffernan.com
Free admission with advance ticket from bar or email your details to Ray Heffernan guest list at irishfest@hotmail.co.uk
Sponsored by Murphy’s Irish Stout
It's A Green Day
The Hard Rock Cafe
in The Printworks
FREE Admission
Come and celebrate St Patricks Day from 3pm with authentic
Irish music in our famed Hard Rock party atmosphere
Live music from 10pm delivered with an Irish twist
St.
Patrick’s ALL Day Session
with Driftwood and Doc’s Karaoke
Union Inn
Stockport Road, Levenshulme
0161 224 1271
3pm-late
Free
All Day Irish session with the legendary ‘Driftwood’ during the day from 3pm-7pm followed by ‘Docs’ St. Patrick’s night Karaoke and Irish Disco from 9pm – late. Sponsored by Guinness
St Patrick’s Night Dance
The Irish Association Club
Chorlton
0161 881 2898
Come celebrate St Patrick’s Day dancing to the one & only Sharon – Aiden & The Strangers.
Mustang
English Martyrs Parish Centre
Alexandra Rd South, Whalley Range
0161 226 1107
8pm
Come along and enjoy St Patrick’s Night with dancing to the fabulous Mustang
St Patrick’s Day Special
Whalley Hotel
Whalley Range
J.I.B Sound
Afternoon
Phoenix
Night
More
Irish Manchester - Book Signing
Alan Keegan & Danny Claffey
The Stationery Office Bookshop
Albert Square, Princess St
12noon – 2pm
The Irish World Heritage Centre
Queens Rd, Cheetham Hill
4pm-6pm
This new book is a follow-up to the very successful Irish Manchester which Alan Keegan published two years ago. This time the book has been compiled by Alan Keegan and photographer Danny Claffey who supplied the majority of the photographs. More Irish Manchester is another celebration of photographic memories of Irish people and their descendents in this vibrant and cosmopolitan city of ours. The majority of the photographs in the book were taken in the 1980’s when there was a real resurgence of the Irishness of the city, from the opening of the Irish World Heritage Centre to the forming of many new county associations, G.A.A. clubs, Irish dancing schools and the dynamic emergence of young second and third generation Irish traditional musicians, many of whom are now internationally famous in their own right. Many of the characters depicted in the book have now sadly passed away, but all of them leave a happy lingering memory and the knowledge that they helped to successfully gel together the Irish community of Manchester in a very positive and sometimes entertaining way.
Barry James & Slap ‘n’ Tickle
O’Shea’s Irish Bar
Princess St, City Centre
0161 236 3906
Day time
Free
Evening Tickets Available
Celebrate the biggest day in the Irish Calendar at Manchester’s year round live music venue with Barry James and the ever popular Slap ‘n’ Tickle
Magners Irish Cider presents Barrel of Laughs
Irish Special.
The Frog & Bucket
0161 236 9805
£12 / £6 concsession.
Doors 7.30pm - Show starts 8.30pm.
Three comics from the international circuit, one of
the fantastic Frog comperes and a disco until 2am.A full night out with
a special Irish flavour. MC Mick Ferry presents … Brendan Burke,
Caimh McDonnell, Mary Bourke. Log onto www.Irishfestival.co.uk for Comic’s
Bios.
Mick Flavin
St Kentigerns
7.00pm
£10 on the door
Irish Music all day
‘Hennigan’s Hooley’ St Patrick’s
Night special
with DJ Leanne Scott
Hennigan’s Sports Bar
Stockport Road, Levenshulme
0161 257 2702
8pm-late
Free
DJ ‘Leanne Scott’ brings her glamour and
full on Irish party to ‘Hennigan’s’ for this pre club
warm up for St Patrick’s Night.
Sponsored by Guinness
St Patrick’s Day Party
M19 Bar
Stockport Road, Levenshulme.
0161 225 8359
12noon-8pm
Free
Chill out with a Irish coffee or enjoy one of the bar’s famous ‘baby Murphy’s’ cocktails whilst enjoying musicians from the evening Acoustic-Fest warming up with a session from 5pm. Sponsored by Murphy’s Irish Stout
Collette and the Jive Beat accompanied by Sean
McSherry
Irish World Heritage Centre
Doors open 8.00pm, band 10.00pm
£8.00
Live Music call 0161 205 4007 for further information.
St Patrick’s Night Special Acoustic-Fest
M19 Bar
Stockport Road, Levenshulme. 0161 225 8359
7.30pm-1am
Friday 17th March
St Patrick’s Night Special Acoustic-Fest
Dublin born Singer songwriter Ray Heffernan, best known for writing the Award winning ‘Angels’ for Robbie Williams will be headlining the St Patrick’s night ‘Acoustic Fest’
In this exclusive gig Ray Heffernan will be supported by Belfast group 'Doctors in Sessions' plus sets from Dave Green, Adam Kelly, October, Little Whispers, The Logicals, Redwood Thinkers, Amida and Rifles.
Ray will be showcasing songs from his new album “Postcards from the periphery” which is being released in June. Louis Walsh credits Ray as “The man who saved Robbie Williams” and Noel Gallagher was adamant about crediting Ray at the Brit Awards when Angels was voted best song “Let the real writer of “Angels” be credited”
Ray said about his meeting with Robbie “We met in a Dublin pub during the Christmas holidays of 1996, and proceeded to go out and have a few beers etc. He ended up staying in my place, as we had said we would try to write some songs together. I had one that I had written in Paris called "An Angel Instead", which he liked, and we worked on it together. He called Louis Walsh, who organised a studio for us, and we recorded a version of it here in Dublin. He went back to England after that, and we lost touch. I was therefore very surprised to hear that "Angels" was on his new album. I got in touch, and essentially signed a waver of my rights to the song for just £7,500 and the rest is musical history, I'm still writing songs and selling albums independently and he is a corporation.”
The BBC is currently preparing a documentary called “Chasing Angels”, which will be an hour long insight into Ray’s life and work and Channel 5 are broadcasting “The secrets of my success’ featuring the story behind ‘Angels. Both documentaries are due to be screened in the summer to coincide with the release of Ray’s new album.
More information about Ray is available on his website www.rayheffernan.com
Free admission with advance ticket from bar or email your details to Ray Heffernan guest list at irishfest@hotmail.co.uk
Sponsored by Murphy’s Irish Stout
Elevation
St Patrick’s Night Special
with DJ James Hennigan
The Pack Horse
Stockport Road, Levenshulme
0161 224 4355
8pm – 1am Admission:
Free if you are wearing GREEN.
Free Advance tickets also available by emailing ygg@levenshulme.com
Up and coming DJ James H is your host for County Levenshulme’s biggest night of the year with all kind of music from the Cranberries to the Saw Doctors and U2 mixed in with Indie classics. Sponsored by WKD Iron Brew
St Patrick’s Day Celebration
Dunicans Bar
(The Great Western), Moss Side
0161 226 2724
Afternoon – Tony Sullivan
Evening – Gordon & Josie
Whistle
in the Dark
by Tom Murphy
Royal Exchange Theatre
Box Office 0161 833 9833 www.royalexchange.co.uk
England, the early 1960s, somewhere in Coventry; into the home of Michael Carney and his English wife come his brawling family of brothers and their father, the fire-breathing Dada. Michael came to England for a better life but as the Carney brothers gear up to confront a rival gang for control of the area, Michael is forced to take a stand as age old resentments and tensions begin to explode. Written when he was 25, A Whistle in the Dark launched Tom Murphy onto the stage in London and Dublin to a storm of shock, controversy and applause. Now regarded as a classic of Irish drama it remains a devastating portrait of the pull of tribalism and violence in men and the desperate need to stand against it. The show features Gary Whelan as Dada, with Patrick O’Kane as Michael.
Jim McCloskey & the McCloskey
also Michael Bracken from Ireland
St Ann’s Social Club
Cross Street, Stretford
0161 865 3739 or 865 9247
8pm
St. Patrick’s Day Concert of Music &
Dance
St. Annes
Higginshaw, Oldham
8pm
Organised by Oldham Irish Group,
featuring Nicky McShane
The Country Boys
Talbot Catholic Club
Eldon Place, Eccles
0161 789 1021
8pm
The
Flags
by Bridget O’Connor
The Studio, Royal Exchange
Theatre
Box Office 0161 833 9833 www.royalexchange.co.uk
JJ and Howie are lifeguards on the second worst beach in Ireland. They dream of Banna Strand, the perfect beach with ‘tits and ass as far as the eye can see’. The jobs at Banna are unexpectedly vacant, presenting and opportunity for the lads. But somking, losing the lifeguard manual, and the dead birds on the beach mean their chances are slim. Until a young woman comes to the beach with surprising intentions and Aonter is offered up to JJ as a way out. Bridget O’ Connor’s comedy about ambition, dreams and the taste of Pot Noodles answers the question: what is the real reason for The Flags. With Francis Magee and Kieran Cunningham