Manchester stages Europe’s biggest Irish Festival

From Tony Hennigan
Manchester Irish Festival Press Office
Email press@manchesteririshfestival.co.uk for Full size images or further information
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Manchester stages Europe’s biggest Irish Festival

This years 2011 Manchester Irish Festival is expected to attract over 200,000 people to its two week celebration featuring over 200 events at 56 venues, making it Europe’s biggest Irish event. The Festival was launched with a Civic reception by the Lord Mayor of Manchester and Shay Given - Ireland’s most capped international and Ceallach Spellman on Friday 4 March. The party continues until Sunday 20 March with sell out shows by the likes of ‘The Script’ at the 20,000 capacity MEN Arena and Westlife having to add an extra date to their date at the same venue to cope with demand, it looks like Manchester will certainly be turned ‘Green’ in March. Other headline acts include the likes of ‘Boyzone’, ‘The Dubliners’, the X-Factor’s, Shayne Ward, Liam Gallagher’s new band ‘Beady Eye’ and the award winning traditional Irish musicians Dezi Donnelly and Eddie Sheehan.

Unlike other Irish festival around the world the Manchester extravaganza does not just celebrate St Patrick’s day itself on the 17th March, but instead it stages a 16 day party,which features a full programme of Irish culture, comedy, heritage, literature, music, sport and theatre. Full festival listings are up on the official festival website at www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk

Kevin Fitzpatrick one of the co-chairs of the annual event said “This year’s festival has a fantastic line up and it looks like being our biggest festival to date. The St Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday 13 March in the city centre will be celebrating its twenty-first anniversary and is expected to attract 100,000 visitors. It is always one of the major highlights of the festival. Officially named as one of the biggest in the UK by the Irish Embassy last year and this year we are hoping that we might get the European title. To coincide with the Parade, Albert Square in front of the Town Hall will be turned Green with a three day Irish community Market and entertainment marquee from Friday 11 March until Sunday 13 March.”

Other festival highlights include the Guinness sponsored two week tradfest in Levenshulme village and Burnage which is home to the biggest Irish community outside of London. Other festival hubs which are putting on a full schedule of events include the award winning St Kent’s Irish club in Fallowfield, O’Shea’s Irish Pub in the city centre and the Irish World Heritage Centre in Cheetham Hill.

The Irish party continues in earnest right through to St Patrick’s Day itself on Thursday 17 March with events all over the city, which range from special all day traditional Irish music sessions to black tie dinners and special Irish club nights.

Interesting Facts
The Festival website www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk is the world’s premier Irish Festival website.
It’s the world’s longest Irish Festival lasting just over two weeks. Dublin itself just stages a weekend.
It’s a community based festival, run by volunteers from the city’s vibrant Irish community. It is not commercially led, but has the support of local businesses and the Manchester City council along with some corporate sponsors.
Levenshulme village is one of the main areas of focus for the festival, it is home to the biggest Irish community outside of London. The village organises its own two week tradfest during the festival, which features two weeks of Irish music, Comedy & Dance.

Highlights include:
*21 concerts staged in its pubs, most of them free
* Special international Photography exhibition ‘We Love County Mayo’ features over ten different photographers from New York to Mayo.
*Special Levenshulme Pub Company – 21st Anniversary Exhibition – From Peter Kay to Peter Hook.
One of the highlights of the festival is the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade which has over 70 floats representing every county in Ireland is run by the Irish World Heritage Centre. The Parade is the biggest outside of New York and goes right through the city centre. It is solely a non commercial parade featuring different community groups and run by volunteers.
It has its own very popular annual three day Irish community market attracting traders and visitors from all over Ireland and the UK.
There is a large School based free cultural educational programme, which is run by volunteers during the two weeks of the festival.
The first festival was launched in 1996 by the then President of Ireland Mary Robinson. Other VIP's and celebrities to launch the festival include the late Dr Mo Mowlam, Roy Keane, Michael Flatley and the Irish Prime Minister - Bertie Ahern.
The festival has played host to the likes of Shane McGowan, Toss the Feathers, Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Westlife, The Corrs, Van Morrison , Mary Black, Sharon Shannon, Hazel O'Connor, Stocktons Wing and The Oyster Band.
Irish Comedians involved have included Peter Kay, Ardal O'Hanlon, Jason Manford, Tommy Tiernan, Jason Byrne and Dylan Moran. They have all appeared in Levenshulme village during the Irish Festival and a special exhibition featuring those famous faces will take place in the area.
The festival takes place all over Manchester at over 56 venues featuring 200 events and involving just over 1,000 performers.
It annually attracts close to 100,000 visitors to its Parade Day alone.
An estimated 1 million pints of mostly Guinness and Magners will be drunk during the 16 day festival which takes place all over Greater Manchester.

For more information log onto www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk