The Merchant Hotel’s iconic Fabulous Fashion Teas returned over the weekend to treat Belfast fashionistas to another season of style and decadence, serving up the hottest spring/summer fashion trends for 2017.

Guests were treated to two days of sumptuous, new season styles from top designers and independent boutiques across Northern Ireland, accompanied by the famous Merchant Afternoon Tea a chilled glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne.

Models from The Style Academy graced this year’s catwalk, showcasing this season’s hottest looks with an intimate round table show in the hotel’s stunning Rita Duffy Suite. Hair looks were created and styled by Andrew Mulvenna, with complementary on-trend make-up looks from Lancôme.

Harper at The Merchant Hotel, The Walk in Wardrobe, The Rosh Collection along with APD Jewellery and David Yurman at Lunn’s all wowed guests with their spring/summer collections. The Merchant also invited guests to shop the collections hot off the catwalk at special pop-up boutiques, with spring/summer must-have fashion buys available from each of the featured retailers and designers.

The event kicked off at 12pm on Saturday 18^th March with Harper at The Merchant. Harper is an exclusive Northern Ireland stockists of some of the world’s most sought after brands, including Christian Louboutin.  The Harper fashion show did not disappoint, giving all fashion lovers the tools to put their best foot forward at every occasion this season with a selection of both classic shapes and fashion forward designs.

Exclusive Banbridge-based retailer, The Walk in Wardrobe, took its latest collection from boutique to catwalk at 2.30pm on Saturday 18^th March. Specialising in the finest ladies’ fashion, the vibrant collection was jam-packed with beautiful dresses, hats and accessories sourced from Italy, Spain, Croatia and beyond. The collection exuded sophistication, with perfectly paired outfits ideal for weddings, mother of the bride and groom and special events.

Closing the Saturday 18^th March line-up was a striking collaborative show from The Rosh Collection, styled and accessorised by APD Jewellery at 5pm. Making their debut at this year’s show, The Rosh Collection offered a host of designer ranges and leading fashion labels from all over the world, boasting eye catching pieces for any occasion. The Rosh Collection are experts in mixing edginess with elegance, serving as the perfect accompaniment to the eye-catching pieces from this seasons APD Jewellery collection. The new spring/summer collection is the crème-de-la-crème of statement jewellery; with unique, one-off pieces beautifully hand-crafted from various materials, both new and re-found.

On Sunday 19^th March, the Fashion Teas were rounded off with the return of the beautiful David Yurman Jewellery range from Lunn’s the Jeweller at 1pm.  David Yurman’s master craftspeople expertly blend modernity with tradition using the finest precious metals, rare gemstones and innovative materials to make jewellery of enduring quality and beauty.  The jewellery is exclusively available at its UK and Ireland stockist, Lunn’s the Jewellers, in Queen’s Arcade, Belfast.

Funds raised from a luxury ballot at the events will be donated to The Merchant’s charity partner, Action Cancer.

The Fashion Teas will return for their autumn/winter style offerings later this year. For further information visit www.themerchanthotel.com.

Following its Irish Premier in 2016 and sold out shows in Belfast, Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance: Dangerous Games – a spectacular new staging of the traditional masterpiece, has confirmed Derry dates in 2018 for a limited run to celebrate the creation of the Lord Of The Dance phenomenon.

With all the visceral precision and thrills of the original, Lord Of The Dance: Dangerous Games features new staging, new costumes and choreography and forty of the world’s most outstanding young performers. The show is directed by Michael Flatley, including his protégés, Morgan Comer and Cathal Keaney, who were trained to take on the lead role of Lord Of The Dance following Flatley’s departure from the show.  With new music by composer Gerard Fahy, this latest iteration combines the best of tradition with all the excitement of new music and dance.

After securing the dates with Joe Gallagher Entertainments, Flatley said:

“I am delighted to be bringing ‘Lord of the Dance’ Dangerous Games to Derry.  It is a perfect setting and myself and the troupe are very excited about our run. It is also a great time for me to be involved in taking  ‘Lord of the Dance’ to a new  level with Dangerous  Games.  There are so many great dancers in Derry, the home of Irish Dancing in Northern Ireland. I suppose you could say it’s Irish Dancing coming home.”

Tickets for Lord Of The Dance Dangerous Game go on sale on Friday 24th March from the Millennium Forum Box Office.  Telephone 71 264455 or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings.

Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening goes from strength to strength with 267 major landmarks and sites in 44 countries taking part this year.

Some 267 iconic landmarks and sites in 44 countries around the world will be illuminated in green over the coming days – as part of Tourism Ireland’s 2017 Global Greening initiative to celebrate the island of Ireland and St Patrick.

From Rome to Rio and from London to Las Vegas, a host of buildings and sites around the world are turning a shade of green to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. New sites taking part in 2017 include four of Australia’s famous ‘Big Things’ (The Big Banana, The Big Kangaroo, The Big Merino and The Big Tasmanian Devil), One World Trade Center (the main building of the re-built World Trade Center complex in New York and the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere), the beautiful Petit Palais on the Champs-Élysées in Paris and the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc in Barcelona.

They are joined by some ‘old favourites’ which have gone green in previous years – including the Colosseum in Rome, the Sacré Cœur basilica in Paris, the Great Wall of China, Niagara Falls and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.

Tourism Ireland’s annual Global Greening initiative has gone from strength to strength – from its beginning in 2010, with just the Sydney Opera House and the Sky Tower in Auckland going green, to this year, with 267 sites taking part.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “This is the eighth year of Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative and it’s bigger and better than ever this year, with some wonderful new additions like One World Trade Center in New York, A’DAM Toren in Amsterdam, the Petit Palais in Paris and the Chain Bridge in Budapest.

 “St Patrick’s Day traditionally marks the real start of the tourism season for us; our aim is to bring a smile to the faces of people around the world and to convey the message we offer the warmest of welcomes and great fun, as well as wonderful scenery and heritage. Our St Patrick’s programme spans Great Britain, Mainland Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, as well as emerging tourism markets like China, Brazil and the Middle East.

They say a fiver doesn’t take you far these days!  Well ferry company Stena Line disagrees!  Their brand new Fiver Fever fare will take you across the Irish Sea, to Scotland or England, for a fun adventure that won’t break the bank – but be quick as you only have three days to bag a bargain!

Leading ferry company Stena Line clearly has that ‘Friday feeling’! With the launch of their Fiver Fever fare giving customers the chance to purchase a special £5 single foot passenger ticket to Liverpool or Cairnryan.

This extraordinary offer is available to purchase from March 17^th until March 19^th and is valid for travel up to December 15^th 2017 on the Belfast – Liverpool and Belfast – Cairnryan routes.  This means BIG savings for upcoming Easter, mid-term and summer breaks.

Orla Noonan, Travel Commercial Manager at Stena Line, said: “We are excited to launch our first ever Fiver Fever which gives our customers the opportunity to take a family holiday that won’t break the bank. Our £5 fares are only available to book from 17^th to 19^th March, so don’t miss out. Be quick to book as we expect this offer to prove very popular and for our sailings to fill up fast!

“On top of that, our low fare means there will be plenty left in the kitty to spend on having fun at your destination – so what are you waiting for?  Book now!

“Our Fiver Fever fare allows passengers to visit another country and enjoy all of these wonderful benefits once onboard, including excellent service, comfortable seating, speciality coffee house, free WiFi, free movies, great value dining options, kids play areas, discounted shopping, and so much more.”

Get online today to book your Fiver Fever crossing with Stena Line by visiting www.stenaline.co.uk/fiverfever.

*Terms and conditions apply. See the Stena Line website for full details.

Join the Ulster Orchestra in a musical celebration of fifty years as Northern Ireland’s world-class symphony orchestra in ‘The Music Of Genius’ at Armagh’s Market Place Theatre.

Few in history truly deserve the epitaph of ‘a creative genius’ but tonight we can enjoy not one, but two composers who are undoubtedly worthy of such praise! In their short lives [Mendelssohn died at thirty-eight, Mozart only made it to thirty-five] they each wrote some of classical music’s greatest masterpieces and this evening the Ulster Orchestra perform two of the best-loved of these.

Mozart’s brilliant ‘Jupiter’ symphony No. 41 and Mendelssohn’s virtuosic Violin Concerto. The Ulster Orchestra’s Leader, Tamás Kocsis, takes centre stage as soloist and the concert will be conducted by the Orchestra’s sensational young Music Director, Rafael Payare.

The Music Of Genius will be staged on Saturday 1 April at 8pm. Tickets are priced £17.50 and £15 (concession) and a limited number of £5 student tickets are available.

Tickets for all performances can be booked through the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.marketplacearmagh.com 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.

The National Trust is delighted to invite everyone to experience first-hand the myth and legend of the Giant’s Causeway as it celebrates St Patrick’s Day with a weekend festival of traditional music, dance and family fun from Friday 17 March to Sunday 19 March.

The celebrations and festivities will be taking place daily from 11am – 4pm and will be kicking off with the’ Wakey Wakey Finn Children’s Trail ‘, which invites little leprechauns to follow the trail to the stones where they will be rewarded with gold.  Young budding artists can also get involved in the colouring competition which is taking place in the café, to win an exclusive Giant’s Causeway goodie bag.There will also be lots of family fun activities on offer throughout the weekend including face-painting and balloon modelling

Visitors will also be treated to a selection of traditional Irish performances- on Friday the Lir School of Irish Dance Music will be performing Irish dancing; on Saturday visitors will be treated to traditional Irish Dancing from theDominic Graham School of Irish Danceand on Sunday, Harpist Katy Graham will be playing in the café and down at the Causeway stones – weather permitting.

On St Patrick’s Day the Causeway Hotel, located beside the Visitor Centre, will be offering themed menus and drinks, including of course some green Guinness, and  there will also be the opportunity to enjoy some live music from 8pm – 11pm.

So why not come along to the World Heritage Site this St Patrick’s weekend and join in the celebrations and fun!

Spring is in the air and bikers in the greater Ballymena area are keen to get back on the road for another season of motorcycling.

For many whom had bikes tucked away over winter the riding season is officially launched by taking part in the annual Easter Egg Run organised by Ballymena Rider Training. Typically held on the Sunday before Easter this year’s event takes place on 9^th April 2017 leaving at 1.30pm sharp from outside Ballymena Honda in Pennybridge Industrial estate

Incredibly the organisers have been making this charity event happen for over two decades and this year sees the 24^th anniversary of the ride out which attracts 100s of bikers on all shapes and sizes of machines. In a procession of bikes numbering into the hundreds each year marshals oversee a scenic tour past Slemish and through the Glens down into Carnlough where there will be a short stop. After a ride along the coast road, the run will return to Ballymena Showgrounds where refreshments will be provided for participants. Cost is a minimum of £5 per bike plus an Easter egg if possible.  The Easter eggs will all be donated to local children’s charities and all other proceeds go to Marie Curie Cancer Care

Over the past 24 years the Egg Run has raised thousands of pounds for charity and many of its participants having been turning up since the first run in the early 90s. Ballymena Rider Training Chief Instructor David McGuckin acknowledges the support from bikers attending the event in the past. “I’m always amazed at the support we get. Many bikers have the Egg Run marked on their calendars as the first proper run out of the biking season, blowing off those winter cobwebs for a fantastic cause. There is always a great atmosphere and each year people make new friends and associates based on the great comradery on the day. It is also learner friendly, something we get asked often, and moves at a sensible pace. I would even encourage those who are not motorcyclists to come along and see the event.”

Marie Curie Cancer Care is a charity that supports patients with terminal cancer and other illnesses and all funds raised will help the charity to continue to do the invaluable work that it does in Northern Ireland

The overwhelming support from the motorcycling fraternity means that in the week following the event organisers will also distribute 100s of Easter Eggs to charities across the borough

“It is important to mention that none of this is possible without the support of local businesses providing a variety of raffle prizes for participants. Without this help and dedicated support the run just simply wouldn’t exist. We have ongoing and valued support of the council (Braid Arts Centre) and these fantastic local businesses that quite frankly are key in making this and many other charity events happen in the first place”

Organisers wish to extend the invite to everyone on two wheels to come along and take part. Whether you have a scooter, sports bike, custom or classic everyone can have a fantastic day out whilst helping to raise some money for charity and those without motorcycles are always welcome to come and view the wonderful array of machines as they set off

Further Information can be found on Facebook & Twitter (The Annual NI Easter Egg Run) or by contacting co-organisers Gary Olphert – 07710 733292 or Walter Millar – 07507 639699. Organised by Ballymena Rider Training & David McGuckin – 028 2564 3497

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the night sky?

Causeway Coast and Glens Museum Service is holding two stargazing events in the coming weeks where you will have the opportunity to learn all about constellations, stars and planets.

It’s part of the ‘Comet Man’ project, funded by the Royal Society.

The events will highlight the life and work of Cushendun born astronomer Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin (1865-1939), who is perhaps best known for predicting the return of Halley’s Comet in 1910, which earned him the nickname ‘The Comet Man’.

His contribution to astronomy is significant, with a total of four astronomic objects named after him including a crater on the moon.

The first stargazing event takes place on Friday 31^st March at Glenmona House in Cushendun. Beginning at 7:45pm, the evening will include a short presentation by Dr Nicholas Wright. This will be followed by an observation session until 10.30pm.

The second event takes place on Friday 7^th May at Ballintoy Harbour from 8:15pm until 10.30pm.

The Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomy Society will provide telescopes and guidance during the stargazing sessions.

Participants are advised to wear appropiate clothing and footwear.  Children must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times.

Admission is free however booking is essential as places are limited.  To book please contact 028 2766 0230 or email : Ballymoneyvic@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk.