Mayo joins forces with Manchester in Tourism drive

From Tony Hennigan
Tel 07912512977 for further details

Mayo joins forces with Manchester in Tourism drive

Mayo and Manchester have joined forces to promote tourism in the West of Ireland. The Marketing team behind Mayo County Council’s, Diaspora website: www.mayo.ie have joined forces with Lawrence Hennigan from the Manchester Mayo Tourism and Business group and the marketing manager of www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk. Lawrence whose parents come from Attymass Parish, just outside Ballina in County Mayo said “We are delighted with the response to our newly formed group, which was started last summer. We have got Midwest Radio and the Mayo’s new TV station ‘Ireland West Music TV’ on board as one of our media sponsors in the festival. Plus Ireland West Airport at Knock and Flybe are also involved. We are staging a Manchester-Mayo weekend to officially launch our group at the festival and a whole series of Mayo events will be taking place to promote all things Mayo in Manchester.”

The Mayo Diaspora team are flying over to Manchester to launch the website and promote business and tourism in the West of Ireland. The visit coincides with the annual two week Manchester Irish Festival which is Europe’s biggest Irish Festival outside of the Emerald Isle. ‘The voice of Ireland’ - Tommy Flemming will also be flying in from Mayo to help launch the Town Hall reception on Friday 9th March and promote his forthcoming UK tour. Tommy will be performing a special festival closing party concert at the Manchester Opera House on Sunday 18th March. When asked about his appearance at the festival the singer who now lives in Castleconnor, Ballina which is just on the border of Ballina and Sligo said "I am delighted to be associated with the Manchester Irish Festival and I look forward to playing this very special venue with my full band in March. I have been here a few times but this is my first time in The Opera House. It promises to be a fantastic night and I look forward to meeting all the ex-pats in Manchester. See you all then!"

Project Manager of the Mayo.ie project, Martina Hughes when asked about her reasons for being part of the festival said “We are delighted to be involved with this year’s Manchester Irish Festival, which is one of the biggest celebrations of Irish Culture in Europe. The links between Mayo and Manchester has always been strong, and we look forward to forging these links even further. Manchester-Mayo Tourism and Business group are staging a Mayo weekend to coincide with our visit and we are looking forward to meeting everyone at the festival.”

“The aim of the our project is to provide a platform for Mayo communities to connect, share information and form linkages both within their own communities and with other Mayo communities worldwide and also to link all Mayo people, irrespective of their location in the world, back to their home here on the west coast of Ireland.”

Martina and her team are attending the VIP Festival reception at Manchester Town Hall on Friday 9th March and will be having a special Mayo Tourism stall at the Festival City centre market in Albert Square on Saturday 10th March and Sunday 11th March. The market which coincides with the festivals St Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday 11th March which comes through Albert Square is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors during this weekend alone.

The Festival which is now in its 17th year is a 17 day event with over 200 events staged at 80 different venues throughout the city. Manchester is home to one of the biggest Mayo communities outside of London and this years festival has a host of Mayo events.

Other highlights include the Manchester Mayo Association annual dinner dance on Saturday 25th February at the prestigous multi million pound 'Point complex' at Lancashire Cricket ground, this will be a special pre-launch event for the festival activities. Whilst a special Michael Davitt concert will kick start the festival celebrations on Friday 2nd March. To coincide with the visit from Mayo County Council a special Manchester-Mayo weekend is being staged on Friday 9th, Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th March. The weekend takes place in the Union Inn and M19 Bar & Venue in Levenshulme village in South Manchester. It will feature a two hour Irish Music concert with Reel Rhythms and Shake the Barley on the Saturday and an Irish Music & Dance tradfest with Attymass band 'Peel Your own Spuds' on the Sunday, along with a special Photographic exhibition by Ballina photographer – Richenda Barrett.

The Festival annually attracts over 200,000 visitors from all over the world. Major festival highlights include a four day City Centre Irish Festival Market and Entertainment Marquee which will turn the City Centre Green from Thursday 8th March to Sunday 11th March. The Marquee will have is own licensed Irish Bar called ‘O’Briens’ which is staging a four day Cask Ale Festival alongside live Irish entertainment and food. The special family friendly event, takes place in Albert Square just outside Manchester Town Hall. It coincides with the three hour St Patrick’s Day Parade(officially the biggest Irish Festival Parade in the UK) on Sunday 11th March and a VIP Town Hall Festival reception on Friday 9th March.

Headline events include ‘The Pride of Eireann international Irish Awards’ Gala Dinner hosted by Keith Duffy from Coronation Street, plus special concerts from Tommy Flemming, The Dubliners, Sinead O’Connor and the debut of Manchester’s first Irish Orchestra ‘Ivernia’ and a two week Tradfest in Levenshulme. The world premier for Paul O’Grady’s ‘Street of Dreams’ about Coronation Street is also being staged alongside the festival and is featured in the festivals brochure.

All listings for the festival are featured on the official website

www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk

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 of events.

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:

* Annual Four day Irish community market and free Irish Entertainment Marquee attracting traders, visitors and performers from all over Ireland and the UK.

* The annual St Patrick’s Day Parade which has over 70 floats representing every county in Ireland and is run by the Irish World Heritage Centre. The three hour Parade is one of 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.

* ‘Pride of Eireann International Irish Awards’ Gala Dinner

* The Guinness sponsored South Manchester Tradfest featuring 22 Traditional Irish Music concerts staged in the Levenshulme Pub Company’s venues, most of the concerts are free admission

*UK screening of ‘Beautiful People’ an Irish Music Documentary filmed in New York

*Irish Literature Festival

*Irish Genealogist Surgeries to trace your Irish roots

* Special international Photography exhibition ‘I love MCR Mayo’ which features the work of photographers from County Mayo in the West of Ireland and Manchester

*UK Debut for ‘Ivernia’ Manchester’s first Irish Orchestra

*5oth Anniversary Concert for ‘The Dubliners’

*Special concert by ‘Tommy Flemming’ (The Voice of Ireland) – UK tour

*Special anniversary gig by Sinead O’Connor

* Irish National Studies Conference

*School based cultural educational programme

Festival Facts

*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, Shay Given and the Irish Prime Minister - Bertie Ahern.

The festival has played host to the likes of The Script, Liam Gallagher, Boyzone, Shane McGowan, The Corrs, 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, Brenda Carroll (Mrs Brown) Ardal O'Hanlon, Jason Manford, Tommy Tiernan, Jason Byrne and Dylan Moran.

*The festival takes place all over Greater Manchester at over 80 venues featuring 200 events and involving just over 1,000 performers.

*It annually attracts over 200,000 visitors, 100,000 visitors are attracted to its Parade Day alone.

*An estimated 1 million pints of mostly Guinness and Magners will be drunk during the 17 day festival which takes place all over Greater Manchester.

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