Passengers on the railway lines of Northern Ireland may recently have enjoyed a glimpse of blue, a rush of steam, the unmistakable sound of a steam train whistle.

After 10 years of restoration work, mighty express steam locomotive “Merlin” is back on track and ready to pull passengers on Sunday 13^th April.

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, based at Whitehead, has worked since 2004 to restore, repair and breathe life back into one of Irelands finest express steam engines.  The locomotive has been trial running for a few weeks and the results have been excellent.

Sunday April 13^th will see Merlin pull a passenger train from Belfast Central to Portadown, with two return trips from Portadown to Lisburn, before returning to Belfast Central and the Society is selling tickets for the trains.

Built in 1932 in Manchester, Merlin was one of 5 locomotives built especially for the Belfast-Dublin “Enterprise” service operated then by the Great Northern Railway Company (Ireland).  Designed to climb the steep gradients and haul heavy passenger trains at averages of over 60mph, the locomotives revolutionised the Belfast-Dublin train service at the time.  The Society is especially pleased to have Merlin back in-traffic 50 years after the RPSI was formed in 1964.

RPSI Operations Officer Mervyn Darragh picks up the story “Naming steam locomotives was quite common.  Whilst Merlin is magical to us, she and her sister locomotives were actually named after birds of prey.  The locomotives were painted a very striking shade of blue, trimmed in red and lined in black and white.  Merlin makes a very impressive sight and oozes pent up power.  We are taking the opportunity to get as many miles of running-in as possible and it is great to get the opportunity to bring the engine back to the former GNR(I) route between Portadown and Lisburn.  We hope lots of people in the Lisburn and Portadown area take the opportunity to experience the magic of travelling behind this marvellous machine.”

“After Sunday 13^th Aprils operations, we will take Merlin back to our depot at Whitehead for checks, then she will be used to haul our annual Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday “Easter Express” trains.  These trains are lots of fun for all the family, with Easter Eggs for children and plenty of nostalgia for the adults.  Merlin will be the icing on the cake for us.”

Ticket details, timings and online sales (where relevant) are handled through www.steamtrainsireland.com.

Tickets for the Sunday April 13^th trains cost just £10 and are available on the train on the day.  For that fare passengers can choose to travel in any combination of Belfast Central (1110)-Lisburn (1130)-Portadown and then on two return trips from Portadown (1210 and 1455) to Lisburn and back (1310 and 1610), before departing Portadown at 1655 to drop off at Lisburn (1735), Belfast Central (1755).

Tickets for the Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday steam trains are selling fast from Belfast Welcome Centre (Tel: 028 9024 6609).  They cost £11 each and ticket holding children will receive an Easter egg.

Tickets are also on sale from the Belfast Welcome Centre for the Railway Society’s annual Steam and Jazz trains with the Apex Jazz band.  Held on Friday evenings in June each year, these trains are a social calendar mainstay.

FACTFILE:

• The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland was formed in 1964 and is celebrating it’s Ruby Anniversary in 2014.  Set up to preserve and operate steam trains and associated railway heritage stock and items, the RPSI is still managed by volunteers and the majority of restoration work is carried out by volunteers in Whitehead, Dublin and Mullingar.
• Merlin is unique, the last of 5 “V”-class, three-cylinder compound locomotives built by Beyer Peacock in Manchester for the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) in 1932.  The locomotives were built to be powerful and fast, but still be small enough to be worked on inside the dimensions of the railway company workshops at Dundalk.
• The 5 locomotives were named after birds of prey – No.83 Eagle, No.84 Falcon, No.85 Merlin, No.86 Peregrine, No.87 Kestrel.
• No.85 was last steamed in about 1962 and was eventually bought by the Belfast Transport Museum.  The locomotive was on display at their museum in Witham Street Belfast until 1982 when Lord Henry Dunleath provided substantial funding to have the locomotive restored.
• The locomotive’s first overhaul in preservation was largely carried out by Harland and Wolff and she ran from 1985 to 1990 before returning to the RPSI depot at Whitehead for further extensive work.
• She hauled steam trains all over Ireland from 1994 to 2004 before retiring again for overhaul.  The overhauls are largely carried out by volunteers and the work on Merlin earned junior volunteer Nathan Lightowler from Moira the national award of UK Volunteer of the Year 2013.
• The RPSI is always seeking new volunteers and interested persons should first of all join the Society, details of which can be found online at www.steamtrainsireland.com

This week Bangor marked the starting point for an ambitious pilgrimage that will take one man on a spiritual journey covering over 3000 kilometres and take approximately three months to complete.

French pilgrim Simon Derache, from Lyon in France, is re-tracing the steps of Bangor’s most famous Saint, Columbanus, on a journey that took the Saint through six European nations spreading the Christian message during the 7^th Century. This challenging trip will see him walk the length of Ireland before travelling to England, France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and finishing in late June in Bobbio, near Milan, the resting place of St Columbanus.

Wishing him “bon voyage” was the North Down Tourism Development Officer, Alex Irvine, who commented, “This pilgrimage highlights the importance that is placed on the legacy of Columbanus from within mainland Europe. To undertake such a journey shows true dedication and we wish Simon all the best for his epic journey”.

Simon’s visit is the first of a number of pilgrimages to Bangor in 2014 with another in June seeing a number of Italians and French arriving. It is expected that 2014 and 2015 will see an increase in followers of Columbanus visiting Bangor with the 1400^th anniversary of the Saints death to be celebrated throughout the year from November 2014 to November 2015.

Biographical play ‘The Trials of Oscar Wilde’ unravels at Theatre at The Mill on Thurs 15 May to uncover the ending of arguably one of the greatest literary masters in history.

From the triumphant opening night of renowned social comedy ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ and peak of Oscar Wilde’s career to a dramatic and public demise that resulted in his arrest and sentencing to two years hard labour.

This Irish writer and poet created masterpieces such as ‘An Ideal Husband’, ‘A Woman of No Importance’ and his only novel ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. As an individual, Oscar Wilde was renowned for his sharp wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversation, making him one of the biggest celebrities of his time.

Entangled in a legal conflict with his lover’s father, Oscar Wilde stood trial for gross indecency and laws that governed immoral activities in Victorian England. During his imprisonment the author found the harsh treatments intolerable as he was accustomed to his many creature comforts.

After serving his sentence, Oscar Wilde departed Britain for Paris, spending his final few years in impoverished exile. With a decline in his health in 1900, he was confined to his hotel until his death. One of his most famous and final quotes was amusingly, “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One of us has got to go.”

Based on the original court transcripts and Wilde’s own sparkling words, audiences can feel what it was like to be in the company of a flawed genius – as this less than ideal husband was suddenly reduced to a man of no importance.

Find out if Oscar Wilde was harshly treated or whether he was the author of his own downfall on Thurs 15 May for one night only at Theatre at The Mill. Tickets, which cost £15, £13 & £11, can be booked online at www.theatreatthemill.com or through Box Office on 028 9034 0202.

Bruiser Theatre Company is back on the road, and coming to The Market Place Theatre in Armagh, with ‘The Nose’, a hilarious comedy that shines a merciless light on the murky world of bureaucracy. This great new show will be fun, fast, visually exciting and very funny.

In this fresh new adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s classic story, Alexey, a government bureaucrat, awakens one morning horrified to discover that his nose has run off! Join Alexey as he frantically tries to stop his runaway nose from causing him all manner of public humiliation and get back on his face! This adaptation pokes fun at the incompetence of ‘the powers that be’ and the superficial nature of society’s ‘respectable’ classes.

Gogol‘s short story of the Nose wonderfully captures the public downfall of a man in Government by removing his nose entirely from his face; forcing the corrupt politician to face ridicule and shame as his nose runs around creating havoc in the city. Completely absurd and manic in style, ‘The Nose’ is a satirical masterpiece that is just as relevant today as it was back in 1836. ‘The Nose’ is a dark physical comedy, completely bonkers with of course, an element of truth.

‘The Nose’ will be staged at The Market Place Theatre in Armagh on Saturday 12^th April at 8pm. Tickets are priced £12 and £10 (concession), and can be booked by contacting 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.

Pubs of Ulster launches the inaugural Great Ulster Pub Week

The greatest celebration of Northern Ireland’s pub culture is coming to a town near you this May, following the launch of a brand new initiative launched by Pubs of Ulster.

The Great Ulster Pub Week, which takes place 1^st-9^th May 2014, will be the biggest pub centric multi-venue event seen in Northern Ireland and will showcase all that is ‘Great’ about the Ulster pub.

With over 150 pubs from right across Northern Ireland signed up, and more expected to join the roster over the next month, The Great Ulster Pub Week will feature hundreds of unique events showcasing great food, great entertainment and great craic.

From live music to magic; pub quizzes to arts, crafts, charity challenges and much more besides, bars across NI will show their best side with a packed programme of hundreds of events this May.

The Great Ulster Pub Week will kick off on Thursday 1^st May 2014 with a Guinness World Record attempt to stage the world’s largest simultaneous multi-venue pub quiz in association with Downtown Radio. The attempt, which will see registered Pubs across NI take part in the live pub quiz, will be broadcast on Downtown and aims to beat the current record of 2,679 participants in 39 venues.

Commenting on the launch of the launch, Mark Stewart, chairman, Pubs of Ulster said:

“From the traditional country pub, to the cosmopolitan city centre wine bar; pubs play a vital part in our economic, social and cultural past, present and future and ‘The Great Ulster Pub Week’ aims to recognise and build upon this.

“It’s not just the regulars who treasure our pubs – tourists rate our pubs as one of the best attractions and experiences in Northern Ireland.  In fact, pubs are the largest grossing tourism sector in Northern Ireland with almost 80 per cent of all tourists visiting a pub and almost 70 per cent eating in one.

“Today many of our local pubs serve top notch food and provide weekly entertainment; they showcase sports and games and get involved in fundraising.  Our pubs are the first and best form of social networking, providing a safe place to meet old friends and make new ones and they can offer a platform for aspiring musicians, entertainers and chefs to showcase their talents and develop a fan base.”

The Great Ulster Pub Week aims to reposition the pub in the hearts and minds of people in Northern Ireland, and support an industry which is not only extremely important to the local hospitality and tourism sectors, but also to the wider economy.

Commenting on the launch, Colin Neill, CEO, Pubs of Ulster said:

“We are lucky to have such a huge selection of award-winning and iconic pubs and through The Great Ulster Pub Week, we want to encourage people to visit their local pub and experience this for themselves.

“Pubs are no longer just about alcohol; they’re increasingly focused around great quality food, entertainment and events. The Great Ulster Pub Week will showcase all of this and more; giving people a reason to return to their local pub and, we hope, inspiring publicans to think differently about their businesses.

“It is fantastic to see the enthusiasm in the pub industry about The Great Ulster Pub Week and we are delighted that so many pubs want to get involved.  We already have a number of exciting events planned and, with many more still to be added to the schedule, I have no doubt that the Great Ulster Pub Week will give everyone something to enjoy.”

In pubs right across Northern Ireland, The Great Ulster Pub Week will be jam packed with events,  creating a real buzz across and serving as an important reminder of how ‘Great’ Ulster’s pubs truly are.

The Great Ulster Pub Week will also be used as an opportunity to raise the skills and standards of service in our local pubs as each participating pub will undergo training in social media and World Host Customer Service Training.

The Great Ulster Pub Week kicks off on Thursday 1^st May 2014 and is supported by Discover Northern Ireland, Coca Cola, Coors Light, Guinness, Harp, Heineken, Jameson and Tennent’s, with media partners, Downtown/Cool FM, Hospitality Review NI and The Sunday Life.

A special promo video, filmed by local filmmaker, Ben Price and sound tracked by local band, Pretty Child Backfire can be viewed at Youtube.com/greatulsterpubweek

For further information, visit www.greatulsterpubweek.com or find The Great Ulster Pub Week on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Instagram using the hashtag, #UlsterPubWeek

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland over the next week (April 7 – 13).

• Me and My Girl, Island Arts Centre, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, April 8 -12.  A toe tapping and infectiously happy musical including instantly recognisable and cheerful melodies which gives an insight of London in the good ole days.

• Together Again with Philomena Begley and Ray Lynam, Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, April 9.  The legendary Queen of Country Music, Philomena Begley has reunited with her duet partner Ray Lynam having previously released albums together, they are back together following solo success.  

• What Would Beyonce Do?, The MAC, Belfast, April 10-12. Following a sell-out run in Edinburgh and London, What Would Beyonce Do? is the hilarious debut show from the talented stand-up comedian Luisa Omielan.

• Annual Variety Showcase, Market Place Theatre, Armagh, Co. Armagh, April 12. Talented students from Drama for Kids and DFK Anomaly will take to the stage performing dazzling dances, songs, acting pieces and versatile solos.

• Brass Band League Championships, The Alley Arts and Conference Centre, Strabane, Co. Tyrone, April 12. Join over 21 brass bands as they perform in four sections in this now annual festival day in Strabane and a must see for those who enjoy brass music.

• 3^rd Annual Castleward Challenge, Castle Ward, Strangford, Co. Down, April 12. A great chance for runners to take part in the Castleward Challenge’s half marathon and 10k race set in the idyllic surroundings of Castle Ward.

• Saint George’s Singers and Studio Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Hall, Belfast, April 12. A large Belfast-based choir specialising in the great choral works of the Baroque and Classical periods will perform Handel’s Messiah along with local soloists and conducted by Marion Doherty Hayden.

• Mind, Body & Soul Festival, The Guildhall, City of Derry, April 12 -13.  The festival will bring a variety of therapists, holistic retailers and readers to the Guildhall offering talks and workshops on the full holistic field from reflexology and massage to incense and the various readings available.

• Upper Lough Erne Pike Fishing Festival, Lisnaskea Boat Club, Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh, April 12-13.  A brand new event on the competitive Pike fishing calendar the Upper Lough Erne Pike Fishing Festival will be boat based and is set in the scenic surrounds of Lough Erne.

• Craft and Collectables Fair, The High School, Ballynahinch, Co Down, April 12, 10am – 3pm.  Come and browse and buy some unique and interesting collectables and craft items which are being sold to raise funds for Newcastle based, Mourne Mountain Rescue.

Down

Take a ride on the Drumawhey Junction Railway on Sunday. The Belfast and Co. Down Miniature Railway Society operates a 7 1/4” gauge railway called Drumawhey Junction, located at Four Road Ends on the Upper Gransha Road, midway between Bangor, Donaghadee and Newtownards in Northern Ireland. It was established in 1991 with the aim of building a miniature railway complete with locomotives, carriages and buildings for the pleasure of the members and the general public. Open Sunday 6^th, 13^th, 20^th, 21^st and 22^nd April.

Tyrone

Omagh Craft Fair takes place this Sunday 6^th April at Killyclogher Hall from 11.30am to 5.00pm.  Local crafts on display will include jewellery, handbags, home ware, greeting cards and even home baked goods. Admission is free but please make a donation at the door.   All money raised will go towards Horizon West Children’s Hospice, a local facility which cares for children and young people from Tyrone and Fermanagh with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses.

Fermanagh

Crom Castle Cruises – West Wing Tour.  Cruise to Crom and enjoy a tour of the West Wing by Castle Manager Noel Johnston.  Your cruise will depart Share Village Sunday 6^th April 10.30am navigating its way through the intricate maze of islands on Upper Lough Erne towards Crom Castle Boathouse where you will alight and enjoy a tour of the West Wing at Crom Castle.  Crom has been the historical seat of the Earl of Erne for over 400 years and the setting for the recently televised – BBC’s 1920’s Period Drama – Blandings. See where the programme was filmed and the cast resided during filming.

Derry

Mid Ulster Mums are holding their 3rd Indoor Market & Craft Fair at Magherafelt High School on Satyrdat 5th April 2014 10.00am-1.00pm. A market to buy or sell your pre-loved baby and children’s items and local crafts in support of TinyLife. £1 entrance, £15 to sell. Everyone welcome!

.

Armagh

At the Take Away Orchestra this Saturday 5^th April at the Market Place Theatre, kids can have fun creating and decorating their own instruments, discover new sounds and how to play them. Make and take away your very own rainsticks, shakers, drums and other instruments at this fun workshop. There will be a chance to play them at the end as part of the Take away Orchestra! Age: 6-9 years.

Antrim

The Annual Ballymena Egg Run is Charity Motorcycle run from Ballymena to Carnlough and back to Ballymena in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. This year’s Egg Run takes place this Sunday 6^th April.  All Easter Eggs collected are donated to children with special needs. Follow them on Twitter @BallymenaEggRun or look them up on Facebook.

Belfast

On Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 3pm and 7pm, at Strand Cinema, Holywood Road in East Belfast wrestling returns to the big screen!  This time they present their WrestleMania Special and it’s all happening on the day of the monumental WrestleMania XXX pay per view.  This is the perfect addition to any Belfast wrestling fans WrestleMania Sunday.

For more details on these and other events across Northern Ireland, news and competitions see www.whatsonni.com, follow us @whatsonni and like us at fb.com/www.whatsonni. Add your  events FREE OF CHARGE at www.whatsonni.com

Seed sharing and plant swapping is at the core of the new exhibition, ‘Dispersal’, by artist Alice Clark, which will be on display in The Market Place Theatre’s Main Gallery over the coming weeks.

Alice intends to have an interactive event based round a greenhouse in the gallery whereby the audience is invited to bring seeds to the gallery and share stories of how they have nurtured them, where they came from and what they mean to them. These stories will be documented and mapped using elements of sound recording, photography and drawing. Over the course of the show the visual elements will change as more seeds, and the backgrounds to them, are added.

Alice Clark will be present from 1-4pm on Thursdays for the duration of the show Dispersal to continue the collection and exchange of seeds from the audience. The process is two way and audience participation is needed and very welcome. All transactions are free.

Continuing the outdoor theme, artist Sue Morris will bring her exhibition, ‘Up The Garden Path’ to the Theatre Foyer. Sue returns to the motif of the garden to explore notions of private and public space and the fractal nature of time. The installation consists of a series of mixed media works, including drawings, photographs and photomontages, supported by a sound piece with three elements – birdsong, the human voice and an electronic wall clock.

Both exhibitions will be on display from Friday 28^th March until Saturday 26^th April. Admission to both exhibitions is free. For further enquiries, please contact the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821.

You can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) for the latest information and video previews.

Riverbank Productions bring to life Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale ‘The Jungle Book’ at The Courtyard Theatre on Sunday 18 May with a delightful afternoon performance.

Lost in the Indian, man cub Mowgli is brought up by wolves and befriends Bhagheera the panther and Baloo the bear. Mowgli must avoid the playful monkeys, Shere Kahn, the dangerous tiger and Kaa the snake.

With original catchy, sing-a-long music, comedy and audience participation, four talented performers present a show guaranteed to please old and young alike, ideal for all the family.

Relive the magic of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’ on Sunday 18 May. Tickets for this adventure cost £8 and are available for this adventure online at www.thecourtyardtheatre.com or by contact Box Office on 028 9034 0202.

The Tandragee 100 is the largest National Motorcycle Road Racing Event in Northern Ireland. It is held early in the racing season, usually in the first weekend in May, and the circuit is located in County Armagh between Tandragee, Markethill and Armagh.

It attracts approximately 160 competitors which equates to approximately 300 entries from around the globe.  Spectators at the event number in excess of 10,000 and television audiences are also in the thousands.

The first Tandragee 100 took place on Saturday 19^th April 1958 and has been one of the most popular events on the annual calendar, always attracting top-class entries and huge spectator attendances.  It was, on that first day, a 100-mile handicap race (thus the name) and over the 53 years it has run (with the exception of 1972, 2001 & 2010 when it was cancelled) it has evolved into the prestige event it is today.

It’s now a 2-day event with practicing on day 1 and racing on day 2.  There are various classes ranging from the support classes, the smaller 125cc bikes, through to the larger 1000cc bikes.  It’s a culturally inclusive event in that all types of people from differing countries, cultures and walks of life are involved as competitors, officials or spectators many of whom stay overnight in the local area.  The North Armagh Motorcycle & Car Club Ltd, which is affiliated to its governing body The Motor Cycle Union of Ireland (Ulster Centre), co-ordinates approximately 800 volunteers to run the event.

There is a long tradition of sporting culture in Northern Ireland, not least of motorcycling.  Promoted by the North Armagh Motorcycle & Car Club Ltd, the Tandragee 100 has been held on the same course between Markethill and Tandragee in the shallow hills of County Armagh since 1958 and has now developed into the best National Road Race in Ireland, with winners that include all the big names from Creith to Farquhar, two generations of Dunlops, as well as County Armagh’s local motorcycling hero Philip McCallen.  It has been called a ‘mini TT’ by top riders with its mix of flat out blasts, narrow technical bumpy sections such as Cooley Hill Road, its fast sweeping bends and the 180 mph Cabragh Straight – the 5.3 mile course is a test of road racing unmatched by other national courses. It offers riders the chance to really ‘set up’ their bike for the NW200 or the TT.

This year, six-times World Champion and TT Legend Jim Redman will be taking part in the Parade Lap at the start of the event on the Saturday.

On Friday 2^nd May 2014 the public roads that make up the course are closed from 3.30pm; practice starts at 4.00pm and the roads open again at 9.30pm.  On Saturday 3^rd May 2014 the roads close from 10.00am; racing starts at 11.00am and the roads open again at 7.00pm.  This year we will have the following 8 separate races:-

A	Open Race (201 –1010cc ) Non Championship	6 laps
B	Junior Support Race (201/400/650cc/Supertwin machines) (Irish/Ulster Championship)	5 laps
C	Supersport Race  (Irish/Ulster Championship)	6 laps
D	Classic Race (a) up to 250cc (b) 251-350cc (c) 351-1000cc (Irish/Ulster Championship Race)	5 laps
E	Lightweight 125cc Race/450cc Singles /SS400* (Irish/Ulster Championship)	5 laps
F	Senior Support Race (401-750cc machines excluding 650cc/Supertwins) (Irish/Ulster Championship Race)	5 laps
G	250GP* & 650cc Twins* (Irish/Ulster Championship)	5 laps
H	Senior Open Race “Tandragee 100 Race” (Irish/Ulster Championship)	7 laps

Entry into the race area is free, however, the Club do ask spectators for a donation (however big or small) and to buy a Race Programme which costs £10 Stg.  Access to grandstands costs £2 Stg on Friday and £5 Stg on Saturday.  Parking in one of the official car parks is £2 Stg for the entire day and camping at the back of the paddock is free of charge.  Food stalls are available in the paddock and various locations around the course on the Saturday.  Toilets are also provided around the course.  There is a map of spectator facilities available on our website www.tandragee100.co.uk.

The event takes place on a Bank Holiday weekend and there are many tourist attractions in the Armagh area – check out the Visit Armagh website – www.visitarmagh.co.uk and the Discover Craigavon website – www.discovercraigavon.com.

Why not stay in Northern Ireland a while longer and check out the North Coast – check out the website – www.northcoastni.com or visit the NW200 – www.northwest200.org.

All of the above websites include accommodation and travel links.