Top 5 Picks for St Patrick’s Day

Join in the celebrations this St Patrick’s Day (Saturday 17^th March) with food, fun and music in some of Belfast’s best bars and venues.

From BBQs in Babel, trad music in The National and The Dirty Onion, a whiskey infused menu in The Cloth Ear, and the all-important Six Nations live final, there’s a jam-packed programme of events happening throughout the city.

Be sure to make the most of your St Patrick’s Day weekend and plan ahead with this what’s on guide;

1. Babel

Spend St Patrick’s Day weekend drinking in the views of the city from Belfast’s coolest new rooftop bar, Babel. Kick off the festivities with live music from Drum & Bates on Friday 16^th March from 6pm and DJ Bobby Analog in the bar until late. On Saturday (1-9pm) and Sunday (4pm onwards), grab a gourmet kebab at the rooftop garden BBQ, listen to live music and DJ sets and sip a St Patrick’s themed Tipperary Cocktail or Slane Sour overlooking the city. 

2. Bullitt

Belfast Ukulele Jam will be taking over the Bullitt courtyard from 1pm on St Patrick’s Day, playing your favourite tunes and getting the good vibes flowing, followed by Bullitt DJs who will be playing an eclectic mix of disco, soul and electronics until late. Watch the rugby from the comfort of the cosy Baltic bar from 1pm onwards and enjoy a pint of Guinness and a hearty bowl of wagyu beef stew for £10. 

3. The Cloth Ear

The Cloth Ear is starting the celebrations early this year with an Irish whiskey infused menu, available from Monday 12^th – Sunday 18^th March. The festivities continue with Irish music from Acoustic Soul on Thursday 15^th (6-9pm) and Six Nations Super Saturday on St Patrick’s Day, where rugby will be screened live throughout the day (12.30pm-7pm). On Sunday, unwind with a sharing roast and live music from 8pm to 11pm. 

4. The National & Sixty6

One venue, six bars – there’s plenty to do this St Patrick’s Day in The National and Sixty6. Expect twelve hours of live traditional music in The National’s beer garden (12pm -12am), followed by DJ sets throughout Sixty6’s cocktail bar, lounge and nightclub. Don’t worry about missing the Six Nations final, it will be played live on the big screen in The National’s Café bar from 1pm.

5. The Dirty Onion

The Dirty Onion will host five live music performances in its legendary beer garden throughout St Patrick’s Day (12pm-1am) and will serve up food from the grill at an all-day BBQ from 12pm. Doing what it does best, the bar will also host a mammoth 10-hour traditional music session from 1pm – 11pm.

Crème de la Crème of NI Produce Adds Local Flavour to Celebrity French Chef’s Table    

He’s been ‘keeping mum’ about it until now but Jean-Christophe Novelli, the multi-Michelin-starred and 5-out-of-5 AA Rosette-winning chef yesterday revealed the menu for his hotly-anticipated début Belfast restaurant.

And in a ringing endorsement of local suppliers, Jean-Christophe, who has been dubbed the UK’s ‘Favourite French Chef’, has given Northern Irish produce top billing.

Set on Belfast’s waterfront, with stunning views accentuated by a double-height glazed façade and open-air terrace, the 112-seater ‘Novelli at City Quays’ restaurant will open in April as part of the all-new AC Hotel Belfast, the £25million contemporary-luxe hotel developed by Belfast Harbour in the heart of its prestigious City Quays quarter.

‘Novelli at City Quays’ will be the celebrity chef’s first restaurant on the island of Ireland, representing a key milestone for him, a major coup for Belfast’s hospitality offering, and a valuable boost to local suppliers.

“You need to have wonderful ingredients to produce wonderful food, and I have been thoroughly inspired and excited by the quality and variety of produce available to me here on my Belfast doorstep,” said Jean-Christophe Novelli.

“At ‘Novelli at City Quays’, our customers can look forward to the authentic Mediterranean-inspired cuisine I am best known for, including my famous Coq au Vin, French Onion Soup and Loin of Sugar Pit Pork, and all made with the best of locally sourced ingredients.”

Reading like a veritable Who’s Who of NI producers and processors, Abernethy Butter, Hannan Meats, Ewing’s Seafood, Yellow Door and North Down Group are just some of the local companies hand-picked by Jean-Christophe and Jim Mulholland, his Belfast grand chef, to supply the new restaurant.  Even the charcuterie board features homegrown chorizo and salami, produced by Limavady-based Corndale Farm.

“It has always been my passion and my mission to source whatever I can locally, and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience to introduce our amazing local produce to such a globally celebrated chef as Jean-Christophe Novelli and to see him, in turn, become a champion of it,” said Jim Mulholland, grand chef of ‘Novelli at City Quays.’

The 188-room, four-star quality AC Hotel Belfast is the first AC Hotel by Marriott on the island of Ireland, and the first purpose-built AC Hotel in the UK.  ‘Novelli at City Quays’ is the first destination restaurant in the AC Hotels by Marriott® 100+ global portfolio.  Built to Jean-Christophe Novelli’s exacting specifications, the made-to-measure kitchen features a rotisserie oven to enable him to produce his signature roasts.

Get ready to be amazed and captivated by Rain Falling Up, a Dumbworld Production in collaboration with Ulster Orchestra, Ulster Hall, Friday 16^th March.

Guaranteed to be a joyous concert for all the family, this spectacular musical production features a large chorus of 300 children from local schools in Belfast, the Ulster Orchestra and a live shadow puppet animation – all created with the support of world renowned film-maker, director and writer John McIlduff and composer Brian Irvine.

Combining music, song, narration and animation, Rain Falling Up, produced by Dumbworld in collaboration with the Ulster Orchestra and supported by National Lottery funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, tells the story of a little boy Jake, who is fascinated by all things scientific. One day, after being blamed for breaking his mum’s vase he comes to the conclusion that gravity is not his friend anymore. So he builds himself a gravity switch so he can turn gravity off. Life seems so much more fun when you can float around freely, but when the switch disappears and Jake finds himself drifting alone through the universe he realises that perhaps he made a mistake.

Rain Falling Up was first performed in the Waterfront Hall in 2010 with the Ulster Orchestra and has since been performed in Dublin, City of Derry and in the Italian city of Aosta, each time with a different orchestra and children’s choir. In 2013 Rain Falling Up, was nominated for a British Composers Award (community award).

The current project has been running since November 2017 involving a specially formed children’s chorus made up of 300 primary school children drawn from 10 schools across Belfast.  During the project children will have taken part in 130 workshops including; animation, developing music, performance, learning, composition and singing skills led by  Brian Irvine, the Dumbworld creative team and members of the Ulster Orchestra. Alongside these workshops the schools engaged in an art project focusing on the invention of their own gravity switches which will culminate in an exhibition of their work.
Looking forward to the performance at Ulster Hall, Creative Director of Dumbworld Production, and writer of Rain Falling Up, John McIlduff said;

“On behalf of Dumbworld Production we are delighted to be bringing Rain Falling Up back to Belfast.  Rain Falling Up is a joyful avalanche of orchestra, animation, narration and 300 singing children – a roller coasting rollicking ride that tells the uplifting story of one boy’s struggle with the ups and downs of gravity. Rain Falling Up bursts at the seams with hope, adventure, celebration and big unapologetic tunes. Watch out for the creaky, dancing Grandfather, the flocks of flying penguins and watch out for the black holes.”

John further added;
“Since November 2017 we have been working with 300 children from schools across Belfast to engage with each other as well as with professionals, including the Ulster Orchestra, to create this ambitious and exciting piece of work. Through image, music and words audiences of all ages will be charmed by this truly amazing and highly creative production. We are grateful for the support of our principal funder, Arts Council of Northern Ireland along with Belfast City Council as well as our project collaborator Ulster Orchestra and everyone on the Dumbworld creative team. We hope everyone who sees Rain Falling Up is truly inspired by this very unique experience.”

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added;

“Dumbworld is an award-winning organisation that excels in creating bold and captivating new works.  The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to support the Rain Falling Up project which has brought together many school children from across Belfast to share together in the joy of music-making, culminating in an epic finale performance in the Ulster Hall; an experience few will forget.”

Rain Falling Up takes place at Ulster Hall on Friday 16th March 2018, 7.30pm. Tickets are £12, Snr citizens & children (5yrs-16yrs) £5, and children under 5 go FREE. For further details visit www.ulsterhall.co.uk or www.dumbworld.com. Follow Dumbworld on Facebook @dumbworldltd, twitter @dumbworldltd and Instagram @dumbworldltd.

Belfast Cathedral is to be transformed into a high class dining room on the evening of March 24, offering a truly special night out as part of the BelFeast Festival.

Pews and kneelers will give way to some of the classiest tables in town, and diners will be able to enjoy atmospheric music throughout the evening from the Cathedral’s choristers and musicians.

St Anne’s is known not only as the spiritual heart of the booming Cathedral Quarter and the city of Belfast, but is also a key venue for concerts and corporate events.

This ability to switch from a ‘working’ place of worship, offering four services daily, to a breath-taking setting for events makes Belfast Cathedral a unique space in the city centre.

Following a reception on arrival, guests will enjoy a five-course dinner prepared by the talented chefs at Posh Nosh, served with paired wines from Mark Jefferson Wines.

Tickets are £60 per person and the evening will raise vital funds to further the mission and ministry of Belfast Cathedral.

BelFeast is a new three day food and drink festival based in and around the Cathedral Quarter aimed at showcasing everything great about the local food and drinks industry.

Holly Wilson, Marketing and Events Manager at Belfast Cathedral, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the headline event of the BelFeast Festival and look forward to welcoming you for an unforgettable dining experience and evening of music in the aisles of the majestic Belfast Cathedral.”

More information and tickets, contact Belfast Cathedral on 028 9032 8332 or visit www.belfastcathedral.org.

The annual Newtownabbey Drama Festival returns to The Courtyard Theatre from Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 March.  Offering five nights of full-length plays, from the best amateur dramatic groups from Northern Ireland and beyond.

Kick-starting the festival on Tuesday 13 March Newpoint Players present Seduction and Murder at the Red Barn. This is a new version of the play. It’s a farce. The style is Victorian melodrama with some music and dance. It draws upon the story of the Red Barn murder of Mariah Marten at Polested in 1829.

On Wednesday 14 March Rosemary Drama Group present Pride’s Crossing.  90-year-old Mabel is a passionate woman, preparing to throw a Fourth of July party for her granddaughter Minty Renoir. Present events call to Mabel’s mind memories of her life, and through these memories we glimpse her wit, resilience, youthful spunk and geriatric wilfulness. We see her as a young girl preparing to swim the English Channel.

The Clarence Players present John Gabriel Borkman on Thursday 15 March (Contains strong language and adult material) John Borkman has been in solitary seclusion in an upstairs room in his drab mansion since enduring a prison sentence for embezzlement. Still blindly hoping his career will be reignited, only his clerk Fodal, an aspiring poet, remained loyal to him throughout the years. Unhappily married to Gunhild, she is surprised when her twin sister Ella arrives. Having been tossed aside by Borkman in favour of her twin, Ella was left to raise their only child, Earhart. Now that he is grown up and in love with an older woman, the sisters become locked in a desperate spiritual battle over his future. As Borkman rages against the confines of his claustrophobic household, he ventures out into the snowy hills where he finally learns the true consequences of love betrayal.

Friday 16 March sees local group Theatre 3 Newtownabbey present Quartet.  Cecily, Reginald and Wilfred are in a home for retired opera singers and musicians. Each year, on the 10 October, there is a concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday. Jean, who used to be married to Reggie, arrives at the home and disrupts their equilibrium. She still acts like a diva and refuses to sing in the gala, but, the show must go on.

Rounding off the festival on Saturday 17 March, Slemish Players present Say Cheese. Bridie and Val have won a competition organised by the Celtic Cheese Company. They have gained the crown of Ireland’s Happiest Couple. The prize is an enactment of their original wedding 30 years earlier. Will their new title hold fast for the day? Watch as the drama unfolds and the hilarity begins on this biggest of days.

Shows 8pm Tuesday – Friday and Saturday 7.30pm Tickets available from only £7, contact Box Office T: 028 9034 0202 or online thecourtyardtheatre.com

HASTINGS Hotels has launched its new Who Made My Breakfast? booklet which celebrates the dedication and passion of the group’s suppliers from across Northern Ireland and the local produce used in what is said to be the most important meal of the day.

The new booklet was launched at a recent Food NI event in the Culloden Estate & Spa with members, local suppliers and representatives from Tourism NI in attendance.

As part of the launch, the leading hotel collection has announced two new breakfast suppliers – Grand Café Coffee from UCC, roasted in County Antrim and Grant’s Dry Cured Bacon from Derry-Londonderry.

Also showcased in the booklet are the stories behind Hastings long-standing breakfast suppliers including black and white pudding from Gracehill Fine Foods in County Antrim, mushrooms from Malachy McKenna in Dungannon, Waggle Dance Honey from Portadown, Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt from Bangor and Just Live a Little granola and muesli from Portaferry.

Howard Hastings, Managing Director of Hastings Hotels said: “It is no secret that we at Hastings Hotels are extremely passionate about food provenance and our fabulous local suppliers. We make no apologies for only working with the very best of Northern Ireland’s food producers who continue to enable us to offer guests wonderful, seasonal menus in each of our six hotels.

“The Who Made My Breakfast? booklet is our little book of stories introducing our local suppliers and the delightful produce that helps us serve up the finest breakfasts every day. It allows guests to see the photos of the people responsible for the produce they are eating and find out more about where it comes from including McCann’s Apple Juice and White’s Oats from Co Armagh, Bushmills Whiskey which is served with the porridge, milk from Farmview Dairies and Thompson’s Tea from Belfast, Carnbrooke Meats from Dromara who produce Honeybee Sausages, Clements Eggs from County Down and Get Fresh Tomatoes from Bob Colhoun in Drumbeg,” Howard continued.

“Food is a hugely important part of the visitor experience and at Hastings Hotels we are exceptionally proud of our local suppliers who help us create great menus. We hope the new Who Made my Breakfast? booklet will help increase the business of our local suppliers, who I think are amongst the best in the world,” Howard concluded.

Details of the St Patrick’s Day Spring Carnival celebrations in Derry have been unveiled with an action packed weekend of entertainment on 17 and 18 March for all the family that includes, music, dance, food and culture.

The route of this year’s Carnival parade on Saturday 17 March has changed and will depart from Bishop Street car park at 2pm when the colourful spectacle of carnival participants will go through the city centre much to the delight of spectators.

The new route will see the parade depart Bishop Street car park, making its way toward the Diamond and down Shipquay Street towards Harbour Square Roundabout before heading up Custom House Street across Waterloo Place and down Strand Road to finish up at the Strand Road Carpark at around 3.30pm.

Welcoming the new route, the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Maoliosa McHugh said he was confident it made the event more accessible for the public.

“I am delighted that the Derry carnival parade on St Patrick’s Day will be taking place through the city centre and through areas such as Shipquay Street and Waterloo Place. Not only will it make it accessible to more people but it will bring atmosphere and colour to the city centre and help create a real festive spirit for St Patrick’s Day,” he said.

The theme for this year’s carnival parade is Spring is Sprung with a strong emphasis on the Spring goddess of growth and flowering. Up to 600 participants from local schools, youth clubs, community groups and arts and cultural organisations are expected to take part in the parade that will feature pageant pieces created by the North West Carnival Initiative, Greater Shantallow Community Arts, In Your Space Circus and Bluebell Arts Project.

Mayor McHugh says he is really looking forward to the parade and the range of events for everyone to enjoy over the weekend including the LegenDerry Food Festival in Guildhall Square, musical performances, street theatre and family activities, and the Ubuntu Global Festival.

“Derry is going to be a hive of activity over St Patrick’s weekend with something for every member of the family to come along and be part of. In addition to a real carnival atmosphere there is a strong focus on celebrating our diverse multi-cultures and making the event accessible and inclusive to everyone. A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes getting ready for the event and I am confident it will be a huge success for everyone involved.”

Among the highlights on St Patrick’s Day itself in addition to the parade will be the live musical performances on the Spring Stage at Guildhall Street with local musical acts, Dara, CCÉ Baile na gCailleach, Voices of the Foyle Choir and Suil.

The Mayor also will host a series of events in the Craft Village throughout the day including live traditional music and dancing, kids’ activities and crafts.

A key element of this year’s celebrations is the number of events being organised by organisations across the city including a St Patrick’s Day Road Race organised by the Foyle Hospice, a Family Dun Day at an Culturlann, Irish music and dance at Foyleside Shopping Centre, a Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication by the Apprentice Boys at the St Columb’s Cathedral, to name but a few.

For a full listing of what is happening log on to www.derrystrabane.com/springcarnival

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