Month: August 2022

ENJOY A FUN-FILLED FAMILY BREAK AT THE STORMONT HOTEL

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WITH the summer holidays drawing to an end, the Stormont Hotel has a fabulous selection of fun-filled family breaks on offer that won’t break the bank and give everyone something to look forward to!

 

Enjoy one last day out this weekend before school is back with the Teddy Bear Afternoon Tea on Saturday 27th August from 12pm – 3pm. This magical afternoon tea will have a host of fun activities including the chance for children to create their very own teddy bear with Bear Necessities. Afternoon Tea including a glass of Prosecco is £36 per adult and Mini Afternoon Tea & Teddy Bear is £26 per child.

 

The Titanic Package starts from £180 for a family of four and includes overnight accommodation with breakfast and entry to Titanic Belfast. Spend time exploring Belfast’s Titanic Quarter and visit one of the world’s leading tourist attractions, Titanic Belfast, which tells the story of Titanic from her conception, through her construction and launch, to her maiden voyage and subsequent place in history.

 

Or why not enjoy the Picnic in the Park package from £175 for two adults and two children which includes overnight accommodation and a special picnic to take with you to enjoy wherever you want with fresh sandwiches and scones, sweet treats and games to keep the children entertained as you spend some quality time in the great outdoors.

 

The Stormont Hotel has a fabulous selection of newly upgraded family rooms that now cater for two adults and up to three children with a selection of interconnecting rooms also available. There is a fantastic new kids menu with a great selection of dishes, made using the very best of local produce, that the younger family members will love ensuring everyone goes to bed with a full belly!

 

Family rooms can be booked by phoning the Stormont Hotel on 028 9065 1066 or for more information go to www.hastingshotels.com

 

Drama Packed September at The Market Place

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Armagh’s Market Place Theatre is gearing up for an action-packed September, with several renowned drama titles due to take to the stage, kicking off on 7 September with the renowned Prime Cut Productions with their critically-acclaimed drama, ‘The Border Game’, from award-winning writers Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney [My Left Nut and The Alternative].

On a farm on the border, a fence needs repair after being destroyed by vandals. When Sinead finds Henry hungover in her field, she ropes him in to help. But re-building a fence is more complicated than it seems. What begins as a simple task soon turns to talk of their past, a reliving of old memories, and a relentless competition to come out on top. ‘The Border Game’ is a timely and powerful reflection on 100 years of the border and how it has impacted those who live along it.

Then on 9 September, the political and historical fantasy ‘The Trial Of The Gaelic Lords Of Ulster In The Court Of History’, will see Conn O’Neill, the last Gaelic Lord of east Belfast, called from the grave to answer the charge that he and his fellow chiefs betrayed Ulster and her people. As in Anthony Russell’s other trial plays there is no fourth wall, the audience is the jury, and all are expected to vote guilty or not guilty only on the evidence presented.

The exceptional Kabosh Productions return on 21 September with the award-winning ‘Green & Blue’ exploring the painful and humorous realities faced by the individuals who patrolled the border during the height of the conflict. An officer from the Royal Ulster Constabulary in his green uniform, and Eddie from An Garda Síochána, resplendent in blue, communicate via crackly radios until an explosive incident forces them to meet across a field only farmers know the location of. Focusing on what it’s like to be hunted when you’re protecting a man-made line on the ground, the play looks at the societal and human cost of borders.

Tickets can be booked online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre, or through the Box Office on 03300 561 025. ‘The Border Game’ and ‘Green & Blue’ are part of the Theatre’s Autumn 22 Drama multibuy offer.

And to keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Market Place Theatre, you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) where you will find all the latest information, special offers and video previews.

European Ploughing Championships Set For Northern Ireland Return Next Month

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The leading ploughmen from across Europe will travel to the village of Ballykelly, in County Londonderry, next month to take part in the European Ploughing Championships.

Hosted by the Northern Ireland Ploughing Association, the event will see experienced contenders from France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, England, Wales, Isle Of Man, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland demonstrating their skills in reversible ploughing and vintage ploughing, among others.

Taking place at Shakelton Barracks airfield in Ballykelly on September 2-3, the event is set to be a family friendly fun-packed event with trade stands, horse ploughing exhibitions, children’s entertainment, craft stalls and a vintage display among other attractions.

The Northern Ireland Ploughing Association is the governing body of competition ploughing across Northern Ireland uniting 21 affiliated ploughing societies across the country with approximately 500 members.

These affiliated societies run ploughing matches across the country each year for ploughmen to qualify for the opportunity to compete in the International Championships. The top ploughmen at this event qualify to represent Northern Ireland at the World, European Reversible and European Vintage Ploughing Championships.

Adrian Jamison, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Ploughing Association said: “We are delighted to be bringing the European Ploughing Championships back to Northern Ireland and to be able to welcome our fellow ploughmen from across Europe to Ballykelly.

“Competitions like these are the perfect place for people within the farming community to congregate and meet as well as people in the local areas who are just interested in finding out a bit more about the agricultural traditions here in Northern Ireland.”

This year over 100 competitors are set to compete in seven different categories: World Style Reversible, World Style Conventional, Vintage Class, Horse Class and Horse Style & Appearance Class.

Also attending the event will be the Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster with their fencing and soil assessment competitions as well as a range of entertainment traders from bouncy castles and slides to a rodeo bull.

The Northern Ireland Ploughing Association’s key mission is to bridge the gap between the older generation and the younger.

Adrian explained that hosting events like the European Ploughing Championships helps to “encourage the older generation to hand down vital skills, whilst on the other hand, giving stimulus to the younger generation to engage more with the older members of their communities.”

The European Ploughing Championships take place at Shakleton Barracks in Ballykelly, Co Derry/Londonderry, on Friday and Saturday, September 2-3, 2022.

More information can be found at niploughing.com or at facebook.com/niploughing 

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