Get ready for something a bit special! A new radio show is set to hit the airwaves across Belfast in February – adding to the existing Feile FM line up will be TheVinny Hurrell Show – hosted by the man himself -and co hosts Tracy Dempsey, Caroline Peddle and James Gracey (film review).
The new show will be broadcast live on Monday evenings from 7.00pm-9.30pm and will be kicking off on Monday 1st February.
The new show will include a review of the big stories in the news that week, featuring on one in particular. There will be 4 live and 1 pre-rec interviews each week, a film review and and what’s on at the cinema run down. There will be a gig guide and a feature involving Twitter.
You can follow the Vinny Hurrell Show on twitter www.twitter.com/thevinnyshow and become a fan on facebook. There will also be a link with NI chart and playing some music.
So don’t forget to tune in to Feile FM on 103.2fm or online at
Local runners and walkers will be taking to Ormeau Park, Belfast to raise money to help with the continuing aid effort in Haiti. The event, a 5 kilometre fun run will be taking place on Sunday 31st January 2010 starting from Ormeau Park at 11am. Organised in conjunction with ‘Befast 4 Haiti’, all proceeds will be donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee.
One of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, Haiti suffered a massive earthquake, followed by several less powerful aftershocks in the last week. With over 72,000 reported dead, the lack of infrastructure and total devastation has led to a desperate need for international help. ‘Belfast 4 Haiti’ was set up in the aftermath of the earthquakes by local musicians wishing to help in any way they could. As a result, they have organised a day of gigs in Limelight, Katy Daly’s and Spring and Airbrake featuring over 50 bands. Again, all proceeds are going directly to the DEC.
The charity run is suitable for all ages and fitness levels, one of the organisers, Austin Tanney said “We want everyone to come down and walk or run. I’m expecting mums and dads pushing prams, toddlers and dog walkers. You don’t have to be an elite athlete to take part”. With many of the organisers getting involved through Twitter, it is a great example of the community spirit of the people of Northern Ireland as well as how social networking can be used to its best advantage.
Entry price: £10 per adult, £5 for under 16’s, £20 for families. Registration for the race will be online, race packs and numbers will be given out on the day from the Ozone Complex, Ormeau Embankment, Belfast.
For more information and to register for the race, visit www.belfasthaiti.com Registration will also be available on race day, from 10am until 10.45am. Updates will also be posted on Twitter (http://twitter.com/Belfast4Haiti5k). Monetary donations can also be made online by going to http://www.justgiving.com/belfast4haiti.
For more information, visit www.belfast4haiti.com, email race@belfast4haiti.com or call Lorraine Anthony on 079 3639 1996, email Lorraine_anthony1@hotmail.com or Austin Tanney on 077 9583 4121.
The race will consist of several laps of Ormeau Park. At no time will participants be on roads or will traffic be disrupted- a map of the route is available on request.
The concerts will be taking place on the same day, entrance is £10. More information can be found on www.belfast4haiti.com.
Photo opportunities and photographs of organisers will be available on the day, please contact us for more information.
The registered charity number is 1062638 and contact address is DEC Haiti Earthquake, PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA
One of the best known psychic mediums in Britain, Sharon Neill, will be performing at Strabane’s Alley Theatre on January 29th. With an expected sell out audience expected to see her unique gift, tickets are being sold to patrons from across the North West, keen to see Sharon Neill share her unique gift.
Sharon has an incredible life story, losing her sight at birth, she has overcome tremendous hurdles in her life, which she recounts in her new autobiography, “Second Sight”.
Born 12 weeks early in July 1965, Sharon weighed only 2lb 11oz. Miraculously, and to the amazement of the doctors and her mother, she survived. However Sharon was soon placed in an incubator for six weeks, where her weight plummeted to 2lb 1oz and she suffered a reaction against the oxygen being pumped into the incubator. Unfortunately, the medical profession hadn’t yet understood that premature babies who needed to be given extra oxygen to help their lungs develop should be blind-folded during treatment, because the pure oxygen can be toxic to their immature eyes. As a result, her optic nerves were burnt in the incubator, leaving her permanently blind.
A traditional image is of a clairvoyant looking into her crystal ball – but Sharon ‘sees’ images ‘as if a scene from a film was being projected on to a screen in my mind’. “When I left college, I worked as a receptionist in the health service – using my psychic skills to help colleagues, friends and family – but as my skills improved, I quickly gained a local reputation as a medium. Everything changed in 1995 when I was approached by the BBC, who wanted to make a documentary about my involvement in the psychic world. “A Touch On The Blindside”, and the publicity and overwhelming response from the public it engendered, led me to devote myself full-time to being a medium and to start performing demonstrations in hotels across the country. I went on to appear on ITV’s This Morning, and at the Edinburgh Festival doing psychic readings.”
“When I was asked to participate in an Everyman documentary for the BBC, the film crew arranged for me to do a reading for a couple who refused to tell the director anything about themselves. When the pair were introduced to me, almost immediately a man of 21 or 22 came through, trying to communicate. I told them it was their son, who had passed away very suddenly – at which point the man broke down. I told them their son was saying he was sorry he didn’t have the chance to say goodbye. He went on to talk about the ring his father was wearing, music that was important to him, and say he was a cider drinker.” My purpose these days is to help people understand that life on earth is not the end – and that their loved ones who have passed on are, I believe, still watching over them.”
Tickets to see Sharon Neill at the Alley Theatre are £15 and are available from the Alley Box office on 028 7138 4444 or book online at www.alley-theatre.com. Patrons are advised tickets are limited and are advised to book as soon as possible.
John (right) with Burnavon Centre Manager Tony McCance and one of the Photographs of Lough Fea that will be on Exhibition.
The 1st February sees the launch of the solo exhibition entitled The Dark Side by local award winning photographer John O’Neill of Sperrins Photography. The exhibition will take place at the Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre in Cookstown from 1st – 27th February 2010. The exhibition corresponds with the Burnavon’s 10th Anniversary Celebrations – which happens to coincide with John’s 10th year as a professional photographer.
John’s love for photography developed in the late 1990s when he realized he had a gift for capturing landscapes and images through a lens. In recent years John has been know for his photographic ability in rally photography, wedding, landscape and portrait photography.
‘The Dark Side’ exhibition at the Burnavon will allow people to see John’s version of the Sperrins. With a unique lighting technique used on sunset images he exposes the Sperrins as never seen before.
When asked how this exhibition came about John says “This exhibition has been three years in the making and is a celebration of the beauty of the Sperrins as you have never seen them before. The photos are all long exposure shots taken around dusk. I also feel really privileged to be part of the Burnavon’s 10th Anniversary Celebrations as a local photographer from the Cookstown Area.”
To view the exhibition which is sponsored by Outdoor Services Magherafelt call into the Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre from 1st – 27th February. Opening hours are Monday – Saturday 9am – 5pm daily.
Contact John O’Neill of Sperrins Photography at info@sperrinsphotography.com. Follow him on twitter @sperrinsphotos and become a fan on facebook
Predicting who will make it in the art world isn’t easy, however Tom Climent, the celebrated Cork artist who is currently exhibiting at the Alley Theatre is always one name mentioned by leading Irish art cirtics.
His growing reputation has spread across Ireland over previous years and Strabane’s Alley Theatre and Art Gallery was delighted when Tom promised to open his new exhibition “Ashlar” at the award winning Alley. This is a major coup for Strabane’s Alley Theatre, which is receiving plaudits from all directions at present for the quality and success of their exhibitions, leading the way in the North West as the premier arts venue for people interested in the arts. His exhibition, entitled “Ashlar”, which runs from January 11th until February 5th, is consistant with his previous exhibitions, winning plaudits and praise wherever it shows.
Half-Irish, half-Spanish, his influences of Spanish and Italian art (both Baroque and Renaissance) on his stlye is obvious enough, heavily influenced by his chilldhood visits to Spain as a child. His major breakthrough came when he won the prestigious Victor Treacy Award in the late 90’s, from that his career has been rocketing through the art world. “Ashlar is based on the idea of sacred space embodied in the landscape all around us. Fascinating, abstract and dramatic, Tom Climent’s exhibition is not to be missed” commented Nathan Flatman from the Alley Theatre. “The exhibition is free to attend at the Alley, however if you want a sneak preview, check out the new Alley Theatre You Tube Channel at www.youtube.com/alleytheatrestrabane, where patrons can view a short video of his work or visit www.alley-theatre.com/exhibitions.”
January 2010 will see the launch of Belfast’s newest, most exciting and only old school and classic rock club night, Paradise City Belfast.
Setting up home in Madisons from January 28th, the monthly club night will offer “The AC/DC to ZZ Top of classic rock” tunes to music fans who have longed for such a night to exist.
The night will feature a lively stage show by DJ Monk (returning to the decks after a 15 year sabbatical), who will be spinning classic rock and old school tunes from the glory days of the genre. Monks set will feature mainly vinyl and a sporadic selection of CDs.
Co-promoter Phil Allely has also said that this is only the beginning for Paradise City Belfast, the PR man behind the club night and his associate Monk are said to be in negotiations with other venues and plan to expand their empire throughout 2010.
Paradise City Belfast kicks off on January 28th at Madisons, Belfast, door tax £3 and doors open at 10pm
Check out www.paradisecitybelfast.blogspot.com and the official Paradise City Belfast Face Book page for more information and to submit songs for the opening nights set list.
Media please contact Phil Allely on 07856092964 for more information/photo/interview opportunities
Probably best known for his appearance on RTE’S The Blizzard of Odd and The Panel and the BBC’s The Blame Game, top stand up Colin Murphy is set to perform at Strabane’s Alley Theatre on February 12th in front of an anticipated sell out audience.
Since he first started comedy in the late 90’s, Colin has performed over the world, from New York, Boston, Montreal, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Prague, Brussels, Antwerp, Singapore, Paris, Milan and even Helsinki. His skills have not just been reserved to the stand up stage, as he also appeared in several films including “Road” by Jim Cartwright and the hit Irish comedy, “The Most Fertile Man in Ireland.”
So what kicked started Colin into comedy? “Well it wasn’t a eureka moment” stated Colin” It was more of an ‘oh f*ck’ moment! I had got a job working on the Kelly show on UTV writing sketches and performing them every week but then after three weeks I was sacked. So I basically just had to do it, I had to earn a living. So I just threw myself into it, I did Edinburgh all those places, I slept around England, playing in every kip. It beats working! I’ve had endless terrible jobs!” Since his Kelly Show job he has not looked back and is now seen as Ireland’s top stand up comedian, with a number of hit shows to his credit. “We are delighted Colin is set to return to the Alley for a great night of stand up on Feb 12th” commented Nathan Flatman from the Alley Theatre. “Looking at ticket sales I think his show must have been the number one present this Christmas in Strabane, as the show has only limited tickets left!” Tickets for the gig are only £16 and are available from the Alley Theatre Box office on 028 7138 4444 or by booking online at www.alley-theatre,com.
Get ready for something a bit special! A new radio show is set to hit the airwaves across Belfast in February – adding to the existing Feile FM line up will be TheVinny Hurrell Show – hosted by the man himself -and co hosts Tracy Dempsey, Caroline Peddle and James Gracey (film review).
