Tourism NI has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland next week (May 25-31).

• GAA Legends Exhibition Game, St Patrick’s Park, Castlewellan Road, Newcastle, Co. Down, May 25.  Some of Ireland’s renowned sports legends will participate in an exhibition game involving personalities from a range of sports including hurling, Gaelic, football, rugby and soccer. From 7pm.

• Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation, Royal Country Down, Newcastle, Co. Down, May 28-31. Visit this ‘unmissable’ event and get involved in making history at Royal County Down golf course when superstars such as Sergio Garcia, world number one Rory McIlroy, and Rickie Fowler will compete for the illustrious title of Irish Open champion! Beginning at various times per day.

• Mourne Landscape Guided Bus Tour, Donard Park, Newcastle, Co. Down, May 27. Come along and enjoy a guided bus tour through the Mourne Mountains, with lunch in Annalong overlooking the Harbour and Cornmill then enjoy the afternoon sightseeing and cultural experience. The event is free (lunch additional). Departs from Donard Park at 10.00am.

• Banff Film Festival – World Tour, Theatre at The Mill, Mossley Mill, Co. Antrim, May 27-28. The world’s most prestigious mountain film festival presents two incredible evenings of extraordinary short films. Follow the expeditions of some of today’s most daring adventurers, see incredible footage of adrenaline packed action sports and be inspired by thought-provoking pieces, shot in some of the world’s most far flung locations. Show begins at 7.45pm.

• Evening Of Music and Song with The Priests, St Patrick’s RC Cathedral, Cathedral Road, Armagh, Co. Armagh, May 29. Enjoy an evening of music and song with ‘The Priests’. The classical music trio ‘The Priests’ will present a special concert for audiences to sit back and get lost in.  Concert starts at 7.30pm.

• Rogue Robots – A Lasertag Activity, W5 at Odyssey, Belfast, May 23-25. Rogue Robots is W5’s new laser tag activity for summer 2015 and is a fun challenge for all the family. You will learn how to use phasers and then be challenged to deactivate robot targets as you make your way through two target range sets. Have you got what it takes to be a member of RoboSquad and will your squad deactivate the most robots in the time available to make it onto the Roll of Honour? Check w5online.co.uk for available time slots.

• Loughfest at Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, Co. Fermanagh, May 30.  The annual extravaganza is a free event which promises thrills and spills for the whole family with a range of activities including climbing walls, bouncy castles, high ropes course, face painting, fossil making and rubbing and much more! From 12-4pm.

• International Children’s Day, An Creagán, Creggan, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, May 25. Celebrate international culture and heritage at this fun-filled day of international arts and crafts. The festival brings world geography to life through hands-on activities that help to give the children a taste of some ancient traditions. There will be arts and crafts from around the world, Henna, face painting, storytelling and much more.

• Wild West Party, The Jungle NI, Moneymore, Co. Londonderry, May 30. In celebration of their 10th Birthday The Jungle NI are hosting a Wild West Party. The event will be staged in The Jungle’s activity barn which boasts a bar, state-of-the-art lighting and sound system. Visitors are encouraged to adopt the funky theme and come dressed as Cowboys or Indians and dance the night away to Country Music provided by a top local DJ. There will be a Rodeo Bull contest with prizes up for grabs in addition to some dancing wild-west cowgirls.

• Fringe Festival – Comedy Night, Mary’s Hall, Main Street, Newcastle, Co. Down, May 29-30. Northern Ireland’s queen of comedy May McFettridge headlining on Saturday night for even more laughs. Friday show starts 7.15pm and 8pm on Saturday.

Please note some of the events require pre-booking. For more details on these and other events click on www.discovernorthernireland.com/events, visit your local tourist information centre or log onto www.facebook.com/discovernorthernireland.

Down

Families and Garden fans are in for a treat on Sunday 24th May at the Clandeboye Estate Food, Craft and Garden Fair in association with Simon Brien Residential.  What could be better than a Sunday afternoon spent with the family enjoying the picturesque surroundings of Clandeboye, one Northern Ireland’s most beautiful private estates?  Enjoy a delicious lunch, music, local crafts and children’s entertainment in the Courtyard followed by a leisurely walk through the private gardens and arboretum at Clandeboye – a rare treat as the gardens will only be open to the public once in 2015.

Armagh

This Sunday is Welly Sunday at Navan Fort.  A free family event celebrating our great Irish weather so get the wellies out and enjoy some fun making the most of that favourite footwear.  Have fun with welly throwing and welly games.  Even make your wellies into a useful garden planter to take home.  Jumping in muddy puddles on the day is a must!  Don’t forget to bring your wellies!

Fermanagh

The County Fair at Florence Court takes place this Sunday 24th May with dog shows, rare breeds, live music, craft stalls and much more from 12noon-5pm. Normal National Trust admission applies.
Members go free.

Tyrone

This Saturday 23rd May from 10.00 am the Royal Hotel in Cookstown are hosting a charity craft fair and coffee morning in aid of the Mid Ulster Dementia Support Group. Admission is £5.

Derry

‘Be Our Guest’ is a Disney themed Charity Gala at the Maldron Hotel Derry this Saturday 23rd May, where you can escape into an enchanting world filled with musical performances, dance and even a Princess Pamper corner to treat yourself for a night.  Dress to impress or dress as your favourite Disney character, with raffles, competitions and much more, it’s sure to be a magical night for all. Beautiful princesses will be there to guide you through the night with photographers on hand to capture each moment.  There will be a VIP after party for those over 18.  All proceeds are going to Aware Defeat Depression and Link Music Academy.  Tickets are available on the night, no pre-booking required.

Antrim

At the very heart of the spectacular Causeway Coast and Glens the communities of Ballycastle and Rathlin Island would like to extend a very warm welcome and would like to invite you to come along and join in and help celebrate the rich and diverse maritime culture during the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival. The festival is centred on Rathlin Sound, the body of water that lies between Rathlin Island and Ballycastle.  The festival opens with an evening parade at Ballycastle seafront on Friday 22 May and continues through the week and both weekends until the closing event on Rathlin on Sunday 31 May 2015.

Belfast

Bonkers Betty’s Bizarre Bazaar.  A big bunch of artisan makers, bakers and sellers, all together under one roof. Come and see our wares at Fortwilliam and Macrory Church, Antrim Road this Saturday 23rd May for out-of-this-world, unique, precious handcrafted goodies! All our traders are handpicked to ensure only the finest and most quirky, unusual products are on offer. All of our traders are local, and we aim to make your visit to our fair a unique experience with something for everyone on offer!

Add your events free at www.whatsonni.com. Follow us on twitter @whatsonNI and on facebook at fb.com/www.whatsonni.com for news, competitions and what’s on near you.

Planning permission has been granted for a new four-star boutique hotel in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.

Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee today approved the application from Titanic Foundation Ltd and Titanic Quarter Ltd, for the conversion and refurbishment of the Harland and Wolff headquarters and drawing offices into a 84-bedroom hotel with heritage-related tourist and event facilities.
It’s the first major application that the committee has approved since council became responsible for planning in April, under Local Government Reform.

Giving the green light to the development, committee chairman Cllr Matt Garrett said it represented another boost for tourism in the city.

“The H&W site and the drawing offices are iconic on the city’s landscape, and it’s exciting that this project will be breathing new life into these beautiful buildings for a whole other generation of visitors and tourists to enjoy,” he said.

“The development work will be sympathetic to the heritage of the buildings in order to preserve the history of the site.”

Cllr Garrett added: “We have seen what a huge success story the Titanic Belfast visitor centre has been and this new development will further enhance the tourism offering in the Titanic Quarter area, so entwined with the city’s shipbuilding history.”

A number of remedial works – including archaeological digs and environmental impact assessments – will have to be carried out at the site before construction work can begin.

Planning permission had already been approved for a 111-bed hotel on the site; however the application was revised and a new one submitted for a 84-bedroom hotel.

It’s understood the development could generate up to 250 jobs during construction and 75 once the hotel opens.

The current buildings on the site were built between 1900-1919 as part of the world famous Harland and Wolff shipyard.

The committee considered a total of 33 applications at tonight’s meeting.

For more information on council’s planning role, visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/planning

Ards and North Down Borough Council is pleased to welcome the return of the much-loved Sea Bangor Maritime Festival which is taking place this June 27 & 28.

Sailing into Bangor for the event is the impressive tall ship “The Morgenster” along with the HMS Ramsey navy vessel which will both be moored alongside The Eisenhower Pier and open to the public for both days of the festival.

“The Morgenster” has been sailing as a clipperbrik since 2008 after being restored. The owners Marian and Harry Muter aimed to build a beautiful historical ship, one to pleasantly spend time on and as a bonus they built her to be a great sailing vessel, as it can always be found in the leading group at the Tall Ship Races.

If you fancy sailing the high seas on the spectacular “Morgenster,” there are opportunities available for hour-long sailings on both evenings. The sailings will be at 7:00pm on June 27, and at 7:30pm on June 28. Tickets cost £15 each and are available now at Bangor Visitor Information Centre, Ards Visitor Information Centre and North Down Museum.

This year’s Sea Bangor, which is being kindly sponsored by Tourism NI, is absolutely packed with something to do for everyone. Situated in a tented village in Quay Street car park, highlights of the festival will include the “Big Bangor Bake Off” competition hosted by SERC which will include baking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, a cake contest and pancake challenges. Over in the kid’s tent “Tiddlers,” Cahoots NI will be performing a special magic show and The Dockside Emporium which is being hosted by Bangor’s Craft Emporium promises to be a world of entertainment and wonder with demonstrations and crafts from lots of local artists.  With maritime themed street theatre, a gourmet food tent, a fantastic live music programme, an aerial display from the Twister Aerobatic Team, Jet Lev demonstrations and so much more, Sea Bangor is definitely not to be missed!

Speaking about the event, Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Events Officer, Wendy Smith said; “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Sea Bangor back as part of Ards and North Down Borough Council’s 2015 Events Programme. It’s always a great event with something on offer for all the family and we would encourage everyone to come on down and join in the fun.”

Sea Bangor will be open from 10am to 6pm on Saturday 27 June and Noon to 6pm on Sunday 28.

For further information check www.visitardsandnorthdown.com

Local Produce is Star of Festival

THOSE attending the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival this year are in for a real treat with local cuisine and local chefs at the ready to tantalise the taste buds.

Festival goers are being urged to bring their appetite along to the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival this year as food traders are being joined by renowned chefs to celebrate the local fare of the Causeway Coast and Glens.

The Festival will take place between 22^nd May and 31^st May this year, with the Ballycastle Town Market running from Saturday 23^rd to Monday 25^th May, offering a diverse mix of local produce, art and crafts. The Market has a strong maritime theme, incorporating various seafood and inspired cookery demonstrations.

Caroline Carey, Tourism Officer at Causeway Coast and Glens explains: “The food on offer at the Festival celebrates our love of local produce, especially seafood and how it is such a big part of our cultural heritage. In addition to delicious seafood, we have some exemplary cooks and bakers exhibiting the culinary talents here in the Causeway Coast and Glens, with some amazing bread, cakes, cupcakes and tray bakes on offer, to name but a few!

“We are also lucky to have secured Derek Creagh from the Great British Menu, who will be appearing from 12:30 to 2:30pm on Sunday 24th May at the seafront in Ballycastle.”

Derek won the Georgina Campbell Chef of the Year Award and has worked with proprietor Donal Doherty to open the new Harry’s Shack restaurant on Portstewart Strand. Derek’s cuisine is modern with a focus on using the best local produce – this time pioneering the best on offer in the Causeway Coast and Glens.

“Local lad Oliver Molloy will be representing Gidleigh Park in the Seafood Cookery demonstrations. Well known for providing quality food at O’Connor’s Bar in Ballycastle, he was offered a position after his placement with 2 Michelin Star Gidleigh Park in Devon, after completing his Professional Chef’s Diploma in June 2014.  He will be on the same afternoon as Derek, which is perfect, as it shows the level talent in the area,” continued Caroline Carey.

Shauna McFall, Ballycastle Town Market, said, “This Festival is great news for the town and we are delighted to be playing our part. We are a not for profit community group which holds a regular market in Ballycastle with the aim to promote and encourage local producers, crafters and artists with a strong ‘shop local’ ethos.

“At this event there will be some amazing gastronomy on offer and Ballycastle will be a hive of activity over the ten days of the Festival, with a variety of events happening throughout, so I’d encourage everyone to come along, particularly to the Ballycastle Market as you’ll be missing out if you don’t!”

“It’s also worth mentioning that our fabulous restaurants and hotels use the freshest local produce on a daily basis, so make sure to sample these delights too. The Traditional boats, the Drontheim and the Currach are gracing Ballycastle seafront, as well as a fabulous Maritime Exhibition, exploring our fishing heritage. We have Treasure Hunts and Fishing Trips as well as the RNLI and Coastguard displaying their equipment and holding rescue exercises,” concluded Caroline Carey.

For further information about the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival, log on to www.heartofthecausewaycoastandglens.com/maritimefestival or contact Ballycastle Visitor Information Centre on 028 2076 2024 or email ballycastlevic@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk.

Fane Valley recently announced plans to become the headline sponsor to Armagh County Agricultural Show.

The support for the annual family Show will commence from Saturday 13^th June 2015 until 2018 and once again reinforces Fane Valley’s close relationships in the rural and local community.

The Armagh Show is one of the oldest and standout dates in the County calendar and has grown significantly over the years with its re-location to the beautiful backdrop of Gosford Forest Park. The show each year endeavours to broaden its appeal and add to its vast selection of attractions and family festivities.

Speaking at the launch Trevor Lockhart, Fane Valley – Chief Executive said: “Fane Valley is very excited to become Principal Sponsor to Armagh Show for the next three years. This wonderful family event has gone from strength to strength and is a testament to the commitment and dedication of their members and volunteers.   We feel it is the correct time to increase our sponsorship for the show and where we can, help support the vision for its growth over the coming years.”

Stephen Hamilton – Armagh County Show Chairman commented: “We are very proud to be able to announce Fane Valley as our lead sponsor. Fane Valley is a major player in the agri-food industry and have long and established relationships with many of our farming and local communities. Fane Valley is no stranger to the show and has contributed to our success over the years. So it’s great that they have officially came onboard as headline sponsor.  This new partnership is a perfect fit for the show and the committee and I are delighted to work with Fane Valley over the coming years.”

See this year’s full programme at armaghshow.com/show-programme with some exciting additions including:

• Expanded Artisan Food Village featuring All-Ireland Home Cook Championship.
• Fashion Show and Best Dressed Lady and Gentleman Competition

Applications to enter classes in all Sections can be made online … see website for details.

Park & Ride at Mullaghbrack and Tandragee Road entrances.  Use Parking Fields on these roads.

The revised schedule for Saturday’s racing at the 2015 Vauxhall International North West 200 following the postponement of the Spidi Superstock race on Thursday evening is as follows:

Roads close 9.30 am

Racing begins at 10.30am

Race 1 Spidi Superstock race 6 laps

Race 2 Betmclean.com Supersport Race 6 laps

Race 3 Monster Energy Superbike Race 7 laps

Race 4 The Anchor Portstewart Supertwin Race 4 laps

Race 5 CP Hire Superstock Race 6 laps

Race 6 Vauxhall NW200 Superbike Race 7 laps

Ever wanted to come face to face with some of the biggest Robot stars of the big screen?!

Titanic Belfast’s exciting summer exhibition ROBOTS will give you the opportunity to do just that!

ROBOTS will be taking over from 26^th June – 13^th September with a collection of robots, cyborgs and androids from some of the most popular films and TV series…there’s something for everyone!
If it is the good guys that you like, come along and meet stars from Star Trek, Red Dwarf and Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet. Film fans will also recognise the B9 robot from Lost in Space, Iron Man and the cyborg RoboCop amongst others.
Or if you prefer the darker side of things, come along and see ABC robot from Judge Dredd, a Sontaran from Doctor Who and T-800 from Terminator 2 are awaiting your visit!
With over 50 pieces on display including firm favourites R2D2, a Battle Droid, as well as stars such as Sonny from the film I, Robot and Michael Jackson’s bust from Moonwalker, robot fans will be spoilt for choice!
Enter into a world of ROBOTS from 10am – 7pm daily for an experience to remember!
Adult: £6
Child (5-16): £3
Family (2A,2C): £16

Book online now at www.titanicbelfast.com/robots.

Flower power is set to transform Ballyclare soon with the arrival of the annual May Fair!

This year’s ‘Ballyclare in Bloom’ theme, will see the town awash with vibrant colours as shop window displays embrace the floral theme ahead of the programme of events that will run from Tuesday 19 May until Saturday 24 May.

The fun of the fair begins on Tuesday 19 May when the Main Street will be closed off for the traditional horse trading from 11am-5pm and a gourmet food market with market stalls in place throughout the town. The day will be packed with entertainment for all the family such as Hugo Duncan in the Square,  a Family Fun Day at Sixmile Leisure Centre and a Garth Brooks tribute band in the Main Street later that evening.

Other highlights throughout the week will include half- price amusement rides from  7-9pm on Wednesday 20 May and a Ceilidh night on Thursday 21 May from   7.30pm-10pm in the Town Hall. A sing-along screening of Frozen will take centre stage at the Town Hall on Friday 22 May at 4.30pm and tickets for this will be on sale at Sixmile Leisure Centre.

The programme of events will end on Saturday 23 May with plenty of activities including the  Mayor’s Parade at 1pm and ‘Another Wee Gatherin’ with the Major Sinclair Pipe Band at 7.30pm in the Town Hall. A spectacular fireworks display will close the May Fair at 10.15pm in the Town Centre.

Copies of the programme are available at Ballyclare Town Hall and at www.yourballyclare.com or follow Ballyclare May Fair on Facebook.