10 THINGS TO DO IN NORTHERN IRELAND NEXT WEEK

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland over the next week (August 4 – August 10).

  • 2014 Maiden City Festival, Co Londonderry until August 9. Enjoy Derry~Londonderry’s walls coming to life as a wealth of talent including musicians, dancers and actors take to the streets for the 2014 Maiden City Festival.  The Festival is running at various venues and features over 20 different events including live music, dance, living history, tours and exhibitions.

  • Open House Festival, Bangor, Co Down August 3 – 31. Enjoy a music based festival with a difference featuring headline concerts, informal music sessions, comedy, poetry, walking tours and exhibitions throughout the month in various venues throughout Bangor.

  • Heart of the Glens Festival 2014, Cushendall, Co Antrim until August 10. One of the most successful community festivals in Northern Ireland, the ‘Heart of the Glens Festival’ has over 100 events catering for all age groups, from toddlers to grandparents.  This year’s colourful programme includes the ever popular ‘Theme Street Night’ Ceili, the Lurig Run, the Family Fun Vintage Day and of course the Irish dance ‘Waves of Tory’.
  • Hooley in the Valley, Augher Summer Music and Dance Festival, Augher to Ballygawley Road, Co Tyrone August 7-10. Hooley in the Valley is all part of Augher Summer Festival, with music holding centre stage but there are numerous other events taking place during the course of four busy days. There is an added attraction built into the programme this year too as ‘The Voice Ireland’ singer Jim Devine will make his inaugural appearance.

  • William Carleton Summer School, Corick House Hotel, Clogher, Co Tyrone August 4 – 7. Discover all about the history, literature, music and art of Ireland at an enjoyable day or evening at the 2014 William Carleton Summer School. There will be a range of themes and focuses including Famine in Scotland and Ireland, Irish Literary Figures and Reflections and Memories of world renowned Seamus Heaney.
  • 7 Hills Blues Festival 2014, Armagh City, Co Armagh August 7-10. Relax and listen to some blues classics and discover new talent, with this year’s festival  which will host over 50 free gigs, plus the return of some old fringe events and exciting new ones.

  • Stendhal Festival of Art, Ballymully Cottage Farm, Limavady, Co Londonderry August 8-9. Stendhal Festival of Art brings an all encompassing artistic experience to the Roe Valley, home of Danny Boy in a celebration of the creativity of artists, including musicians and comedians, from all over Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and further afield.

  • Summer Extravaganza, Share Discovery Village, Smiths Strand, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh until August 31. The Share Discovery Village is the largest outdoor residential activity centre in Ireland and their ‘Summer Extravaganza’ is a day visitor activity programme for individuals, groups and families that allows them to experience a number of different and exciting outdoor and indoor activities.
  • Festival of Fools, Cornmarket and Cotton Court, Belfast, Co. Antrim until August 25. Visit Belfast’s Cornmarket at 1pm or Cotton Court at 3pm and delight in some of the finest and funniest street art that Belfast has to offer.
  • Maiden of the Mournes International Festival, Warrenpoint, Co Down August 3 – 10. This festival has something for everyone from the colourful opening parade, concerts featuring great entertainment, free open air music each evening, children’s events, fireworks display, sports events, the festival banquet and the Crowning of the ‘Maiden of the Mournes’.