The Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre is delighted to present the Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition Joan Miró: Painting and Poetry.

Running from Saturday 7th June to 19th July 2025, this prestigious exhibition brings together 26 lithographic prints created by the artist to illustrate the writings of the celebrated French surrealist poet Robert Desnos.

One of the 20th century’s most influential and recognisable artists, Joan Miró’s highly individual style placed him at the forefront of Surrealism and Dadaism.

Primarily known as a painter and sculptor, Miró was also a celebrated and dynamic printmaker. Within this practice the artist produced a remarkable and extensive output of book illustrations, often created for artists, writers and poets associated with the Surrealist movement.

The exhibition will shine light on Miró’s prints and how they are not only an excellent example of the richness and variety of his print production, but also his famous experimentation with vivid colours and abstract shapes.

Council’s Arts Service is delighted to present another touring exhibition of world-renowned artists in partnership with the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, London.

From displaying prints by Henri Matisse in 2013, with following exhibitions over the years by artists Louise Bourgeois, Michael Craig-Martin and Karl Blossfeldt at Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, and prints by Georgia O’Keeffe hosted by Flowerfield Arts Centre, the service continues to provide access to internationally acclaimed visual arts for local communities.

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Ciarán McQuillan commented: “I am delighted that Roe Valley Arts have been chosen as a host venue for this wonderful new touring exhibition.

“Not only does the Arts Service support and showcase local and regional artists but it is also so important that our local schools, creatives and general public have the opportunity to see the work of world-renowned artists from some of the most acclaimed art venues and museums in their local arts venues.

“We’re delighted to continue our beneficial partnership work with the Hayward Gallery and the Southbank Centre and I would encourage everyone to visit this stunning exhibition of works by Joan Miró.”

There are two public workshops accompanying the exhibition – Abstract Glass Panels for adults on Saturday 14 June and Miró Mobiles for children on Saturday 7 June.

Please visit www.roevalleyarts.com for further information.

Get ready for another giant-sized adventure as the legendary Fionn Mac Cumhaill makes a spectacular return to Warrenpoint, County Down, for the much-anticipated Wake the Giant Festival 2025 – and this year, he’s not coming alone!

Taking place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June, this year’s festival invites visitors of all ages to join in a thrilling new celebration: The Gathering of the Clans.

Following the incredible success of last year’s event, festivalgoers can once again look forward to the awe-inspiring sight of Fionn and his towering companions, Wee Binnian and Carley, as they lead the unforgettable Giant Parades. And this year, they will be joined by ‘The Clans’, adding even more excitement, sound and story to the experience.

The Giants will also take part in a range of interactive activities throughout the weekend, giving families the chance to get up close and be part of the adventure. At the heart of it all will be the majestic Giant’s Plaza at Osborne Terrace, setting the scene for a truly magical experience.

Talking about the return of Wake the Giant, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Pete Byrne said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Fionn back to Warrenpoint for another magical weekend. The 2025 festival builds on everything that makes our events special – world-class experiences, community spirit and the power of storytelling rooted in place.

“With the exciting new theme ‘Gathering of the Clans’, visitors can expect a rich and unforgettable celebration of our local myths, culture and creativity. We look forward to welcoming you to Warrenpoint this summer for another Giant Adventure.”

Over two enchanted days, Warrenpoint will be transformed into the mythical Land of Giants, brimming with family-friendly activities, immersive experiences and captivating performances.

As part of the new theme, the festival will expand its cultural offering, bringing together traditional storytelling, vibrant music and hands-on creative workshops in Warrenpoint Municipal Park. Families can enjoy:

• The much-loved Giant Awakening Ceremony
• Family garden games
• Green crafts and the Curious Minds zone
• A bustling Food Village serving a mouth-watering mix of local and international flavours.

Food lovers are in for a treat as the popular Giant Food Trail returns, inviting visitors to explore Warrenpoint’s eateries and sample delicious giant-themed dishes. A new addition for 2025, Savour & Sip: Warrenpoint Food and Drink Tour, will take guests on a guided taste journey celebrating the best of local and artisan produce.

The Magnus Reenactment Group invites you to visit the new Living History Village to journey through time as they bring ancient traditions to life with captivating storytelling, heritage demonstrations and crafts. This immersive experience offers a unique insight into the region’s fascinating past – perfect for curious minds, both young and old.

The bandstand in Warrenpoint Park will come alive with a toe-tapping line-up of live music, with Belfast’s own Brian Kennedy, whose soulful vocals are sure to raise the festival atmosphere. Joining him over the weekend are folk favourite Matt McGinn, indie-pop sensation Reevah, All-Ireland Singing Champion Niamh Noade, and the uplifting global rhythms of Magwere and Havanna Roots.

Elsewhere, street performers, musicians and dancers will pop up throughout the town. Look out for the ever-popular Casino Jazz Band, a family disco on Sunday, and a show-stopping Giant Street Performance that promises to delight and dazzle.

A heartwarming family film screening will be held at Warrenpoint Methodist Church: The BFG on Sunday – perfect for a more relaxed family moment.

Meanwhile, the Sensory Hub in Warrenpoint Town Hall offers a calming space for all ages, with Changing Places facilities nearby to ensure everyone can enjoy the festival in comfort. Visitors with sensory or access needs can enjoy a more relaxed festival experience from 10am to 12.30pm, with reduced crowds, quieter surroundings, and minimal queuing — creating a calmer start to the day.

As part of Fionn’s environmental legacy, local schoolchildren will once again take part in a tree planting ceremony at the Giant Orchard, reinforcing the importance of sustainability and stewardship. The popular community-led beach clean, in partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, will also return – a small way to give back to this spectacular setting.

Wake the Giant is one of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s Giant Adventures – a signature series of events set in the heart of the Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark, celebrating the region’s legendary landscapes, rich folklore and cultural heritage.

For full event details and to plan your visit, head to:
www.visitmournemountains.co.uk/whats-on/giant-adventures/wake-the-giant

Explore more of what Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion has to offer at www.visitmournemountains.co.uk

Follow us: @VisitMourne #VisitMourne #WakeTheGiant #GiantAdventures

School children in Causeway Coast and Glens are getting an opportunity to experience golf through the development of a new ‘Road to the Open’ programme.

Council’s Golf Camp workshops have been especially created for school children in the Borough.

With the 153^rd Open Championship taking place in Portrush from 13^th – 20^th July, children from local primary schools have been invited to receive golf coaching in schools from local golfing professionals and golfing coaches.

Through Golf Ireland, coaches have been trained in the Community Golf Leader Award and now children from those schools participating will be getting an opportunity to try the sport for themselves.

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Ciarán McQuillan, who recently hosted a charity golf day in Portstewart Golf Club said: “Council is delighted to offer this programme to local primary schools, and we hope the young people who participate really enjoy this in the lead up to the Open.

“I’m sure we will see stars of the future at the pro-golfers pass on tips for starting out in the sport.”

Following the programme for schools, there will also be a number of ‘Mini Open’ Golf events taking place in the following locations:

• Roe Park Golf Club in Limavady 21^st May
• Bushfoot Golf Club in Portballintrae 11^th June
• Ballyreagh Golf Course in Portrush 17^th June

These events will provide an insight into how it feels to play a golf course in the form of a competition similar to The Open.

Councillor Mc Quillan added: “Council’s Sports and Wellbeing Team have delivered a fantastic programme to local school children in the lead to The Open this summer and who knows we may unearth the next Rory McIlroy on the North Coast.”

“The Road to The Open” project is a collaboration between the R&A, Golf Ireland and The Golf Foundation. From 13th – 20th July, The Open will be played at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

For more information on these events contact sportsdevelopment@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

Grammy-nominated global pop sensation Benson Boone has announced his Fall 2025 American Heart arena tour. The run of European dates will follow the release of his highly-anticipated upcoming album American Heart, arriving June 20 via Night Street Records/Warner Records.

Kicking off Thursday 23^rd October at SSE Arena in Belfast before coming to Dublin’s 3Arena on Friday 24^th October, the tour also includes stops at The O2 in London, Accor Arena in Paris and more before wrapping up at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

Tickets on Sale Thursday 5^th June at 10am from Ticketmaster.ie

Grammy-nominated global pop sensation Benson Boone continues to level up in 2025. Earlier this week, he lit up the stage at the American Music Awards, delivering an electrifying performance of “Mystical Magical.” 

Next Thursday,  June 4th, he will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for an interview and performance. Then, he will bring his showstopping set to Governor’s Ball, where he makes his debut on June 6.

Benson’s highly anticipated new album American Heart, arrives June 20 via Night Street Records/Warner Records. In addition to “Mystical Magical,” the album boasts lead single “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else,” which served as his first release of the year and the heartfelt “Momma Song” which was released last week.

In February, he delivered a show-stopping performance of smash hit “Beautiful Things” at the 67th annual Grammy Awards, where he was nominated for Best New Artist. The hitmaker took over the Coachella main stage in April, where he brought out surprise guest Brian May of Queen for an acclaimed, viral performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” On May 3, he lit up the Saturday Night Live stage, where he made his debut as musical guest performing  “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” and “Mystical Magical.”

Boone’s 5x-Platinum hit “Beautiful Things” was the #1 most-streamed song in the world last year, earning the IFPI Global Single Award for 2024. The chart-conquering track has now surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify and over 4 billion total streams since its release last year. Most recently, it broke the record for the longest run of a single music video on YouTube’s US Music Video Chart, with 69 consecutive weeks and counting.

Featured on his acclaimed, Platinum certified debut album Fireworks & Rollerblades, the viral smash logged an impressive 7 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart, hit #1 at Top 40, Hot AC, and AC radio, and vaulted to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also earned Boone two Billboard Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, an iHeartRadio Music Award, the BMI Champion Award, and multiple global accolades.

Boone has a record year of touring ahead, as well. His American Heart North American arena tour—which includes stops at Madison Square Garden in New York and Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, among others—sold out instantly. Last year, he opened for Taylor Swift’s ERAS Tour in London at Wembley stadium, following a performance with Lana Del Rey at Hangout Festival in May, in addition to embarking on his own fully sold-out Fireworks & Rollerblades Tour, playing shows across the globe.

Belfast City Council has joined together with Fís an Phobail to deliver a series of workshops in Irish medium schools during June, highlighting the upcoming Oireachtas na Samhna festival.

Belfast is hosting Ireland’s oldest Irish language and arts gathering from 29 October to 2 November at venues across the city.

With just over 150 days to go until its arrival, the council is working with Fís an Phobail, the Irish language network for west Belfast, to encourage young Irish Gaeilgeoirs to get involved in participating and attending the festival.

As the end of the school year approaches, pupils at Bunscoil Phobal Feirste, Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh and Gaelscoil na bhFál will be exploring the history of the festival, first held in Dublin in 1897, and learning more about the various events and activities taking place across arts, music, sean-nós singing and the spoken word.

Other schools keen to take part in the programme can also sign up by emailing gaelige@belfastcity.gov.uk

Joining schoolchildren at the Cultúrlann on Falls Road for the programme launch, Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray, said:

“Belfast last hosted Oireachtas na Samhna in 1997 and we’re looking forward to welcoming it back again, following our successful bid with the Department for Communities, the tourism sector and Irish language organisations, including Visit Belfast, Féile an Phobail, Fobairt Feirste, Conradh na Gaeilge and Fáilte Feirste Thiar.

“Our city’s Irish language community is flourishing and having the festival in Belfast provides a valuable opportunity for young people to see the language in action, meet up with other young speakers and develop their skills even further.

“This festival is a chance to celebrate the cultural significance of language and show exactly why all languages need to be protected and nurtured, for both this generation and those to come. We look forward to showing off Belfast and our many attractions and strengths to those visitors who will be travelling from across Ireland to attend Oireachtas this autumn.”

Up to 10,000 participants and spectators are expected in Belfast for Oireachtas, with a packed timetable of events planned, including competitions, debates, film screenings, workshops, awards and more.

“We look forward to a phenomenally successful Oireachtas festival in Belfast in 2025, in light of the invaluable support being provided by Belfast City Council and other Irish language and arts groups,” said Máirín Nic Dhonnchadha, CEO of An tOireachtas.

“I cannot conceive of a more fitting or welcoming city than Belfast to host this vibrant, annual celebration of the traditional and contemporary performing arts, as well as the dedicated patrons, inclusive of all age groups, who attend the festival in their many thousands every year.

“We have introduced new arts genres this year in honour of local performers, past and present, who have excelled in their chosen artistic form.  The new performing arts genres are rap and choral music (junior – for performers under 18) and solo singing with guitar accompaniment (performers over 18), in honour of the Belfast singer Albert Fry who was President of the Oireachtas when the festival was last held in Belfast in 1997.”

As with previous events in Dublin, Cork, Killarney and other locations, all events at Oireachtas are delivered in Irish, providing a unique opportunity for those from Gaeltacht areas, and Irish speakers from non-Gaeltacht areas, to come together, exchange learning and celebrate language and culture.

“It is over quarter of a century ago since the festival last visited the city of Belfast and we look forward to a very successful, vibrant Oireachtas Festival by the banks of the Lagan in 2025,” said Éimear Nic Ionnrachtaigh from Fís an Phobail.

“We are extremely excited that the Oireachtas is coming to Belfast this year. It is recognition for the incredible language revival taking root in the city over many decades, a community revival which has rightly gained international attention.

“We must, however, make sure that we gain every advantage from the coming of the Oireachtas and the profile that comes with it, especially in terms of our young people.

“We hope to inspire them around the Oireachtas and, in particular, the culture that is showcased at it. We are very grateful to Belfast City Council for their generous support that will allow us to deliver a roadshow to our young people in the coming months.”

Further information about Oireachtas na Samhna 2025 is on the council website at belfastcity.gov.uk/events or on the official festival website at antoireachtas.ie/oireachtas-na-samhna/

The Mercer family has proudly celebrated the official opening of its new location, Hillmount Carrick, as it expands its garden centre portfolio.

Situated at Beltoy Road, the new centre marks a significant milestone in the Mercer family’s fourth-generation gardening business, as it continues to blossom with the addition of this fifth site, extending their presence to five prime locations across Northern Ireland and England.

The £1.5 million investment by the family has transformed the former Sunnybank business into a vibrant and modern garden lifestyle destination. The revitalised Hillmount Carrick site retains the original charm while offering an enhanced customer experience featuring an expanded plant area, extensive range of garden furniture and outdoor living essentials, BBQs, gardening equipment and exquisite giftware.

The newly introduced 60-seater Gardener’s Rest Café, with a choice of indoor and outdoor seating, offers visitors a serene spot to relax and enjoy refreshments throughout the day amidst lush greenery.

Robin Mercer BEM, managing director of Hillmount, said: “We are thrilled to bring the multi award winning Hillmount experience to Carrickfergus. Our family has been dedicated to the mental health and wellbeing of the gardening community since 1940, urging local families to connect with nature and share in the joy of gardening, and this new chapter in Carrick reflects our ongoing commitment to excellence, sustainability and community engagement.

“Already we have been inundated with well wishes from new customers of Hillmount Carrick and we are encouraged by the warm welcome we have received from the local community. We are grateful to the Mayor for performing our official opening and we are looking forward to building lasting relationships with our neighbours across the Mid and East Antrim borough.”

The opening of Hillmount Carrick enhances the local retail landscape and contributes to the community with the creation of 10 new retail and hospitality jobs. The expansion comes at a time when consumer interest in home gardening, outdoor living, and green wellbeing continues to grow, and Hillmount is well-positioned to meet this demand.

Hillmount Carrick is open seven days a week, offering a new destination for garden lovers, families seeking inspiration, great service and an enjoyable day out. Hillmount Carrick joins the expanding Hillmount portfolio of award winning garden centres in Ards, Bangor, Belfast and Cheshire, each renowned for their quality products, expert horticultural advice, and strong community ties.

For more information, visit www.hillmount.co.uk and follow the Hillmount Carrick on social media.

This September, Ballymoney Museum will open a special exhibition celebrating the legacy of Sherwood Medical Industries Ltd, one of the town’s key employers of the 20th century.

The museum is appealing for photos, memorabilia, and personal stories from anyone who worked at or had connections to the factory.

Sherwood, originally opened in 1966 as Brunswick Corporation and was later known as Argyle Medical Industries, producing disposable medical equipment, such as syringes and catheters. At its peak, it employed over 250 people and gained international recognition, including a Queen’s Award to Industry in 1972.

The factory played a vital role in humanitarian aid, sending hundreds of thousands of syringes abroad during global health crises, including cholera outbreaks and earthquake relief efforts.

But Sherwood was more than a workplace – it was a community. From football leagues and charity fundraisers to the popular Miss Sherwood beauty contests, the factory was a hub of social life in Ballymoney for over four decades.

The factory closed in 2007 and is now the site where Happy Days Community Childcare is located.

The museum team hopes to capture these memories and share the local stories behind the industry.

Do you have photographs, uniforms, awards, newspaper clippings, or fond recollections of working at Sherwood?

If so, Ballymoney Museum would love to hear from you. Please contact the museum at museums@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk or via their Causeway Coast and Glens Museum Services Facebook page: https://bit.ly/4mIquou.

Co Down Artist Kathryn Callaghan is exhibiting her ‘Irish Golf’ artworks of 13 iconic Irish links golf courses from 5 June to 31 July on Northern Ireland’s historic ‘golf coast’.

This captivating showcase of poured original paintings will be on display in The Bushmills Inn together with ‘Master Swing’, a Rory McIlroy inspired work to celebrate his win at The Masters and career grand slam.

Visitors will be able to purchase originals and prints of these unique paintings which include Ardglass, Royal Belfast, Connemara Links, Royal County Down, Royal Dublin, Galway Bay, Lahinch, County Louth, Old Head, Portmarnock, Royal Portrush, County Sligo and The Island (Co Dublin),

Speaking about the inspiration for her latest collection, Kathryn said: “Few places in the world rival the raw beauty and character of Ireland’s landscapes, especially its iconic links golf courses. With The Open making its much-anticipated return to Royal Portrush, I felt compelled to honour this moment through art. I set out on a journey across the island, visiting 13 of its most prestigious courses, capturing their spirit, energy, and unique charm in my signature poured-paint style. The response so far has been incredibly heartening, and I’m truly excited to share the full ‘Irish Golf’ collection with visitors at The Bushmills Inn.”

Known for her distinctive poured-paint technique, Callaghan captures the essence of her subjects with vibrant energy and spontaneity. Her work, which blends realism with abstract expression, has garnered international acclaim and is featured in collections across the globe.

The ‘Irish Golf’ exhibition is free to visit and follows on from Kathryn’s Northern Ireland Art Trail, a series of ten original artworks which were displayed in venues along the stunning Northern Ireland coastline last summer.

To view the collection online, visit https://www.kathryncallaghan.co.uk/irish-golf-exhibition-by-kathryn-callaghan/ and follow Kathryn Callaghan on social media.