Coca-Cola Future Flame has once in a lifetime experience of running with the Olympic Flame

On Monday Aymen McGonigle, 16 from Upperlands joined Jamie McClelland, Jane Jones, Paul Meikle, Ryan O’Connor and Timothy Shiels – six of Coca-Cola’s 40 Future Flames honoured with the chance to carry the Olympic Flame on part of its journey through Northern Ireland. These inspiring individuals were chosen as an official London 2012 Olympic Torchbearer via Coca-Cola’s Future Flames campaign, which recognises and rewards the positive contributions young people make every day in their local communities by giving them the once in a lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame.

Aymen was chosen to carry the Olympic Torch in Derry~Londonderry because of his enthusiasm for downhill mountain bike racing. In 2010 he  sold everything he owned in order to build his own bike from scratch built a track in his village of Upperlands and repairs friends bikes.

Other inspirational Torchbearers who ran through Derry~Londonderry today are:

Timothy Shiels 30 from Waterside – chosen because of his works with children as a motivational speaker in primary schools across Ireland. He is a great athlete and runs for charity.

Jamie McClelland 17 from Ballygowan – chosen for his contribution to performing arts in his local area. Jamie has been acting and producing shows for his local community from a young age.

These Torchbearers were cheered on by huge crowds of local people who lined the streets of Derry~Londonderry, joining Coca-Cola and it’s ‘Beat Fleet’ in creating a euphoric procession of music and dancing as the Olympic Flame passed through on its journey around the UK. The ‘Beat Fleet’ encouraged everyone in Derry~Londonderry to ‘Move to the Beat’ in celebration of the fantastic achievements of all their Future Flames.

To further celebrate the thousands of inspirational Torchbearers running the 8,000 mile route of the Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola is helping the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and host Local Authorities to bring music and celebration to every corner of the UK with 66 nights of celebrations during the Olympic Torch Relay.  This comprises 61 Evening Celebrations plus four Special City Celebrations in Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham, and a finale concert in London’s Hyde Park, presented by Coca-Cola.  Each night features incredible performances from some of the nation’s best loved stars, including Dizzee Rascal, Emeli Sandé, Eliza Doolittle, Friendly Fires, General Fiasco, Katy B, Kids In Glass Houses, Labrinth, Little Comets, Loick Essien, Morning Parade, Mark Ronson, Rizzle Kicks, Tribes, Wombats, The Wanted, Wretch 32, You Me At Six and Young Guns.

James Williams, Director, Olympic Torch Relay, The Coca-Cola Company, said:

“I’m delighted we’ve been able to give these amazing young people – our Future Flames – the once in a lifetime opportunity of running with the Olympic Flame in recognition of the outstanding contributions they make to their local communities. It was great to see so many people in Derry~Londonderry out in force to join in the spectacular celebrations along the route of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. I hope everyone enjoyed being part of London 2012.”

Details of the full line up of the evening celebrations can be found at: www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay

Tickets for the event in London’s Hyde Park cost £15 (plus order processing fee) and are still available via http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/coca-colacelebrations

The events team at Magherafelt District Council are jumping hurdles to make sure the Olympic torch relay’s arrival in Magherafelt on June 7 will leave a lasting legacy.

The planned celebration is the biggest participatory event ever organised by the Council to mark the once-in-a-lifetime visit of the world-famous flame.  An estimated 7,000 people from the district will be involved directly, and this will include people from schools, businesses, charities and community groups. The impressive events will also involve all sectors and all ages of the community, making sure that everyone has an opportunity to be involved.

In the build-up to the torch’s arrival, a community carnival parade will take place on June 6 and is expected to attract record crowds. The carnival will kick off at 6pm and be a celebration of excellence in sport, dance, commerce and music from the Magherafelt area, with some world class champions. Groups, charities, schools and businesses from the Council district are dressing up carnival style and the emphasis will be on celebration, colour and visual expression. On that night a big screen will transmit messages from some of NI biggest names, wishing Magherafelt well.

In the run up to the event the people of Magherafelt were asked to nominated Olympian Greek gods and goddesses, who will also form part of the festivities. The LOCAL sporting champions and heroes have been nominated by the public and will parade in the town with a specially-made Olympic chariot.

On the morning of the torch arrival itself, over 3000 children will take part in a series of visual displays at Meadowbank Sports Arena just before the flame’s arrival. Weather permitting, the children, from 31 local schools, will come together to form an Olympic message and then line the streets with members of the public to receive the Olympic flame.

The event will be streamed live via the internet and hosted by local personality and sports broadcaster, Claire Glancy. The internet program will also be transmitted on a large screen set up in the town centre where audiences can also view good-will messages from local celebrities.

Magherafelt District Council Chairman Ian Milne said “We are delighted that the Olympic committee has decided to bring the torch to Magherafelt, the centre of Northern Ireland. This is a one-off opportunity for the people of Magherafelt and surrounding community to take part in celebrations; to see the Olympic flame and witness the spectacle of the Olympic torch relay.  We are organising several exciting events around the torch relay and are expecting large crowds to get involved by lining the streets and enjoying the atmosphere the events will bring.”

As part of the package of celebratory activities, a collaborative art project is already underway involving all sectors of the community. Schools, community groups and individuals are producing art/graphics to be transferred on to ceramic tiles to decorate an abstract torch shape created by the Northern Regional College. The artwork will express collectively what the Olympic relay event represents to people of the district and, as well as being displayed during the carnival parade, will be later installed as a piece of public art at the new Greenvale Leisure Centre.

All planned events will ensure that the Olympic torch visit will be one which will be ingrained in the memories of the people of Magherafelt for years to come.

For further information, please contact Michael Browne, Davina McCartney or Charmain Bell on 028 7939 7979 or email olympictorch@magherafelt.gov.uk

FOLLOWING the ‘small but massive’ success of a G Spot comedy stage at last year’s festival, Glasgowbury are delighted to announce its return for 2012.

Headlined by Irish based New Zealand comic Danny Dowling, the stage will also feature a plethora of up and coming Irish talent.

Dowling, a regular face around Ireland’s comedy clubs has played everything from support slots for comedy greats including Tommy Tiernan to major Irish comedy festivals.

He may be best known however for winning Ireland’s Come Dine With Me programme with a series high score for throwing 250 custard pies at his fellow contestants.

Throughout the day, the G Spot comedy stage, run in conjunction with the team at Panicdots.com, will feature a further 7 slots filled by some fantastic new talent.

Monaghan born comedienne Niamh Marron’s exuberant style will work well as the only female acts amongst the men; her excitable style setting her out as one of Ireland’s premier female acts.

Joining them will be a couple of Glasgowbury returnees in Colin Geddis (best known for his I Am Fighter work) and Micky Bartlett.

Meanwhile the line-up is completed by Magic George, Ronan Linskey, Ryan Hand and Philip McEwan – acts judged to be showcasing their work to great effect across the country.

“Comedy is just one part of what makes a vibrant and exciting festival,” said organiser Paddy Glasgow.

“Glasgowbury aims to be the sort of event which showcases new talent across a range of arts. And the comedy scene in Ireland is a really exciting one at the moment so we’re delighted to be able to include a stage full of it,” he said.

“The massive success of last year’s stage, fuelled by the excitement from the audience, prompted us to work with the team at Panicdots.com to bring some laughs back to the mountain.”

Glasgowbury 2012 takes place across the weekend of Saturday 21^st July and tickets are on sale now. Full details at www.glasgowbury.com

It is as the ad says, ‘Our Time and Our Place’, the year we get to show off what we in Northern Ireland do well.

That’s why the famous Belfast Continental Market is delighted to be celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee as the highlight of its successful Spring Tour, which has brought culinary delights to towns and cities through out Northern Ireland.

After a wonderful Spring tour across Northern Ireland including Bangor, Downpatrick, Newcastle, Lisburn and Derry with record-breaking visitor numbers, the Continental Market returns to its home in the grounds of Belfast City Hall. Arriving in Belfast on Friday 1 June, the Market will be concluding its tour in joint celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in the City Hall Gardens until Monday 4 June. Trading from 10am-10pm on Friday and Saturday, 1-6pm on Sunday, and 10am-6pm on Monday, this is your chance to experience the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the famous Belfast market in royal fashion.

Prepare yourself for the novelty of stepping back in time to the good old days, with market traders serving your favourite culinary delights, while dressed in vintage 1950’s fashion, as the extra icing on the cake during the celebratory weekend.

We’ve teamed up with local and visiting traders to create tea for two fit for a Queen. The first 25 customers will also have the chance to get a free copy of Glenn Patterson’s The Mill for Grinding Old People Young served alongside their cuppa as we’ve joined forces with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to support the final weekend of their literary initiative One City One Book.

Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development at the Arts Council, commented: “What better occasion to take some time out and immerse yourself in a good book than on a long bank holiday weekend. The Jubilee celebrations at the Continental Market will be the last chance for members of the public to get their hands on free copies of the book chosen to front Northern Ireland’s first One City One Book campaign. This initiative is all about celebrating local writing talent and we believe Glenn Patterson’s The Mill for Grinding Old People Young is a story which will resonate with local people, who find familiarity in the many landmarks, street names and local characters referenced.”

Running every hour on the hour from 11am-2pm each day, visitors will be offered an assortment of naughty-but-nice treats to enjoy such as macaroons; French tarts, cup cakes and Belgian chocolates sourced from the markets very own traders and tea from the cities leading tea company Suki Tea.

Suki Tea founder Oscar Wooley said: ‘ We are delighted to be involved with the Continental Market on its Spring Tour to mark such a momentous occasion like the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. What a perfect way to pay homage to our traditional heritage, with tea as it should be.’

Sponsored by Stena Line, the award-winning Belfast Continental Market has been an annual fixture in the grounds of the Belfast City Hall for the past seven years. With traders from 26 countries as far afield as Morocco, India, Belgium, France, Russia, Tanzania, Spain and China, the tour has visited a number of towns and cities across Northern Ireland, providing a colourful shopping experience. The Market’s on-going commitment to local business means indigenous traders have also been seen offering the finest local produce alongside the amazing mix of International stalls, helping to attract visitors to town and city centre’s throughout the four week tour.

A SOLO Derry cyclist, a mammoth 3000 miles across America and a breath-taking 170,000 climb…in the space of eight and a half days.

This is the epic challenge facing Joe Barr as he prepares to compete in the Race Across America on June 13 to raise funds for Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children.

Joe, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and winner of the 2009 Race Around Ireland is not taking this ultimate endurance test lightly and reveals he is going to America “to win”.

Race Across America (RAAM) is the most gruelling cycling challenge in the world, it is viewed as the pinnacle of athletic achievement in both cycling circles and the wider sporting community.

Joe will cycle across 12 states, covering 370 miles per day – no mean feat in the humid June climes typical of the USA. Beginning in California and finishing in Maryland, the race is 30 per cent longer than the Tour de France.

Racers must complete the distance in 12 days, Joe is planning to do it in eight and a half. He will survive on less than two hours sleep a day and all of his meals will be eaten on the bike.

Joe admits RAAM is as much a test of mental strength as it is physical prowess. It would seem the 53 year-old has both of these qualities by the bucket load – he completed a substantial part of the Race Around Ireland with a broken foot.  RAAM is another challenge he is determined to look straight in the eye.

“I have been in training for this since August last year and I am out on the bike six days a week,” Joe reveals. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a few jitters but I am confident my courage will out-perform my fear. I will be competing against the world’s most elite endurance riders. When we take these capabilities to the extreme the result is an intense race to the finish line.”

It is this professionalism and strength of courage that will no doubt see Joe cross that finish line but there is also another force propelling him.

Joe’s world was torn apart when his son Ross was diagnosed with cancer at just five months old. Seeing his little boy go through two years of hospital visits and chemotherapy altered Joe’s life perspective significantly and gave him the urge to give something back.

“I will be taking part in this race with two hats on – as a professional athlete of course but primarily as a parent who has first-hand experience of NICFC’s Shimna Valley respite centre and the life-changing effect it has on children with cancer and their families,” he said.

“Over the past three or four years my family has been involved in many fundraising events for NICFC, including the Race around Ireland and the subsequent BBC documentary No Ordinary Joe. NI Cancer Fund for Children’s Shimna Valley centre delivers in such a profound way. It is difficult to truly understand unless you are in the situation where you require the facility,” Joe added.

Joe cannot speak highly enough about Shimna Valley’s team of staff and said the “whole mechanism delivers exactly what each family needs at that particular time.”

“I will never forget our Shimna experience and I am passionate when it comes to raising vital funds to keep it going. The majority of the general public don’t know about this facility and this is why I am doing this cycle – to raise awareness and funds,” he concluded.

Fundraising is more important to NICFC than ever as it embarks on £3M plans to replace the existing Shimna Valley facility with a purpose-built therapeutic and respite Centre ­ which will be the first of its kind in Europe.

The impressive plans mean the state-of-the-art centre will be able to facilitate six families in fully equipped suites. This will ensure more families will benefit from the wonderful respite services already on offer at Shimna Valley.

NI Cancer Fund for Children’s Chief Executive, Gillian Creevy, described Joe as “truly inspirational” and thanked him for taking on this physically and mentally demanding challenge to raise funds for the charity.

Joe is stepping his fundraising up a gear head of his departure next month and is appealing to members of the public who wish to sponsor him to text JOE to 70444. Text Costs £5.00 plus network charge. NI Cancer Fund for Children receives 100% of your donation. Obtain bill payers permission. Customer care 08448479800. Charity No XR29768.

The text donation service only works in Northern Ireland so people from the Republic of Ireland or those who prefer to donate online are invited to log onto www.justgiving.com/joe-barr-raceacrossamerica.

Joe is also appealing to cycling clubs to inject a dose of pedal power into this fundraising. Clubs can help out by holding their own fundraising event on behalf of NICFC, making a donation to the charity in recognition of Joe’s challenge or they can nominate NICFC as their official charity of the year.

Clubs who are interested should contact Dawn Weir by emailing dawn@nicfc.com or calling 028 90 805 599.

Coca-Cola has launched the ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’ and announced the availability of €125,000/£103,000 in funding to community and voluntary groups promoting active lifestyles throughout the island of Ireland. The ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’ is open for entries from today until July 6th, 2012 and will be accepted through www.coca-cola.ie.

The ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’, which is being supported by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) and the Wheel, has been developed to support innovative projects and initiatives that are helping people and communities adopt and enjoy more active lifestyles.

Speaking today, Maire Campbell, Public Affairs and Communications Director, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland said: “In 2011 the Coca-Cola Company celebrated its 125^th anniversary in Ireland with the launch of the ‘Coca-Cola 125 Years Thank You Fund’ which recognised the very worthwhile work that is happening in communities all over the island. We were overwhelmed by the response that the Fund received with a total of 600 worthy applications. Fifteen grants were awarded to support initiatives in three broad areas: Youth programmes, environmental projects and programmes supporting active lifestyles. The majority of applications were in this last category so as a result this year we have decided to make this area the focus of the fund.

“Not only do we want to support relevant initiatives which are already in place, we are particularly keen to hear from organisations that have new and innovative ideas which they want to introduce and require the funding to make it happen.

A total of €125,000/£103,000 is available for distribution to eligible organisations.

Ten projects will €10,000/£8,200 grants and this year, an outstanding overall winner will be awarded funding of €25,000/£20,500. The project selected will represent best practice and will be a creative and innovative initiative capable of being replicated in other communities.

As the official partner to the ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’ James Laverty, Fundraising Information Officer of the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action said: “NICVA is delighted to be partnering with Coca-Cola again this year for the ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’. The Coca-Cola Company is to be commended on its continued investment in communities across the island of Ireland. Now, more than ever, many of our members are operating with less and less money yet the demand for their services continues to increase. Corporate leaders, like Coca-Cola, are helping to meet a growing funding gap for many organisations and we would expect this to be a keenly contested application process.  We are delighted to be involved again for the second year in a row. I would encourage any organisation with an innovative idea in this area to enter.”

The ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’ is open for entries from today, 30^th of May until the 6^th of July. All applications will be accepted online at www.coca-cola.ie. After the entries are closed a judging panel consisting of Coca‑Cola, The Wheel and the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action will create a shortlist of 45 organisations which will be published on the www.coca-cola.ie website on September 1st, 2012. The public vote will account for 50% of the final decision and a vote by an expert judging panel will account for the remaining 50%. The winners will be announced by November 2012.

Full details on ‘The Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’ can be found at www.coca-cola.ie.

Excitement is mounting this week as the nation prepares to celebrate 60 years on The Throne for Queen Elizabeth II. Celebrate in style in Bangor this weekend with a series of world class entertainment acts and plenty to do and see for the whole family.

The celebrations will kick off on Saturday 2^nd June with the arrival of the HMS Bangor at The Eisenhower Pier following a sail-past involving boats from local yacht clubs. The ship will be open to the public from 12 – 5pm all day Sunday. Also on Sunday, there will also be Armed Forces activities on The Pier with climbing towers, a shooting range, displays of military vehicles and a static Royal Navy Helicopter display.

On Sunday June 3^rd, you are invited to attend The Big Jubilee Lunch which will take place in Castle Park from 2pm. This is the perfect opportunity for you to bring along a picnic, take part in The Big Lunch and enjoy the host of amazing live music celebrating the 50s, all in the splendid surroundings of The Town Hall.

Jazz fans will adore AJ Brown and The Swingshift Big Band who will be taking to the stage at 2.00pm.  This 18 piece band will perform favourites from the likes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and pride themselves on bringing big band music into the 21^st Century.

At 4.00 pm the internationally renowned Jacqui Dankworth Band will be performing. Considered to be “one of the classiest acts in British jazz singing” (The Guardian), Jacqui’s highly acclaimed recordings are stylistically diverse, incorporating elements of folk, blues and many other forms that have also demonstrated her superb skills as an eclectic songwriter.

Sunday’s activities will conclude at 7pm, with an Interdenominational Church Service which will take place on the stage in front of The Town Hall. A United Schools Diamond Jubilee Choir, drawn from primary and secondary level schools across Bangor, will lead the singing with talented soloist, Sylvia Burnside and the Salvation Army Band.

For the kids, the entire Town Hall area will be transformed into a vintage-inspired Cartoon Wonderland – look out for old friends Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben and other surprises in a celebration of the creations of the 50s. There’ll be treasure hunts, crafts, a tea party, plant-potting, dressing up and lots more, guaranteed to keep the kids entertained for hours with lots of nostalgia for the adults!

In the courtyard just in front of the Town Hall – a special Jubilee version of the popular Frock Around The Clock Vintage Fair will delight the shopaholic!  This will feature a fabulous line up of around 50 handpicked local vintage dealers and creative designers offering an extravaganza of vintage and handmade fashion, jewellery, furniture, homewares, collectables, gifts, sweet treats and much more.

For the car-lovers, a Vintage Car Display featuring cars and military vehicles from the era will be taking place in Castle Park. Hosted by The MMOC, highlights of The Show so far, which will feature over 50 cars, include: a Morris Minor Panda Police Cart, fully restored complete with Police equipment, a 1971 MG B Roadster and a 1973 Triumph 2000. A beautifully restored old Council refuse collection truck will also be on display.

There’s lots happening inside The Museum too with exhibitions based on Royal Visits to North Down and the Cinema Room will be screening films from The Coronation and previous Royal visits.  The Museum will also have Jubilee related crafts on Sunday 12noon- 4pm and Monday 10am – 4pm.

In a marquee on The West Lawn, a recreated 1950s home will reflect the best of the 50s with sections on Food, Frolics, Frocks and Furniture. The Council’s recycling team show you how to make the best of what you’ve got, with themed workshops to turn your old clothes into outfits fit for a Queen.

All Town Hall activities will be repeated on Monday 4^th June with some adjustments to the musical programme.

The Ulster Orchestra will be rehearsing for their grand finale performance from 4.00 – 6.00 pm in Castle Park, followed by the Ulster Youth Jazz Orchestra.

At 8.00 pm the Ulster Orchestra will perform a very special Jubilee concert with Internationally renowned soprano Rebekah Coffey who will be performing for her home crowd. Come along, bring a picnic and kick-back and enjoy this very special musical treat. The day’s events will conclude at 10.30pm with a spectacular 3D Projection light show onto The Town Hall. Watch The Town Hall move like it’s never moved before with this amazing show entitled “The Elegant Lady.” The light show will be followed by The National Lighting of the Jubilee Beacon.

So get your vintage gear on and prepare to step back in time this Bank Holiday weekend when you come and celebrate the Diamond Jubilee with us, lots of fun and entertainment for the whole family for the whole weekend!

Please note that Monday night’s concert is by ticket only. Free tickets are available  for collection only from Bangor Leisure Centre, North Down Museum, Bangor’s Tourist Information Centre, Bangor Library and Holywood Library. Alcohol is not permitted at any of the weekend’s events.

For further information, please phone our Tourist Information Centre on: 028 9127 0069 or visit www.northdowntourism.com

THE grounds of Glenarm Castle Estate are set to quake this July as teams of leading strongmen go head to head in a battle worthy of the legendary Finn McCool.

Taking place on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th July at Glenarm Castle, County Antrim, the CLASH OF THE CELTIC GIANTS, Highland Games will make a welcome return to Glenarm Castle Estate as part of the P&O Ferries Dalriada Festival in partnership with UTV.

Glenarm has played host to the world famous Highland Games for 14 years and is promising to put on the toughest challenge yet for teams from Scotland and Ireland who will compete in the grounds of the historic estate.

The Clash of the Celtic Giants, Highland Games was launched this week at Glenarm Castle with the UK’s strongest man Glenn Ross throwing down the gauntlet to his Scottish counterparts who will be making the trip across the Irish Sea this summer.

Adrian Morrow, Glenarm Castle Estates Managing Director, said, “I can’t wait to see how our own strongmen fair against the mighty Scots. This is a new twist on the traditional Highland Games with teams competing for the title and we hope that visitors will come along and enjoy the spectacle.

“The Clash of the Celtic Giants is just one part of the P&O Ferries Dalriada Festival in partnership with UTV and we can’t wait to welcome visitors to what promises to be one of the UK and Ireland’s biggest cultural events.

“Come rain or shine there will be something on offer for visitors to the Estate and this year we have worked hard to make sure that even if the rain does come you can still enjoy the events with covered areas all around the Estate – so make sure to come along and see a legendary battle.”

The festival is a celebration of music, sport and fine food and includes a headline performance from international pop star Ronan Keating with special guest star Sharon Corr on Saturday 14th July.

This is Ronan’s only performance in Ireland this year and promises to be a night to remember – all under cover of a big top, so you don’t need to worry about the weather!

Arthur Murphy of title sponsors P&O Ferries, said: “As operator of the shortest, fastest and most frequent crossings between Ireland and Scotland, P&O Ferries is delighted to sponsor the Dalriada Festival for the 10th year running.

“Since the start of our sponsorship of the Highland Games in 2002 we have witnessed the event grow in size, stature and popularity attracting even greater audiences to the picturesque coastal village of Glenarm.

“Operating on one of the oldest traditional trade routes between Ireland and Scotland P&O Ferries has been bringing these two Celtic nations together for many decades. We are delighted to have played a part of the continuous evolution of the games now known as the Clash of the Celtic Giants Highland Games and celebrate we are offering a series of ‘one time only’ rates which will allow even more people to come to Co. Antrim and take part in the fun.”

Visitors to the CLASH OF THE CELTIC GIANTS will also be treated to the finest food that Northern Ireland is famous for with demonstrations from TV chefs The Fabulous Baker Brothers as well as a line up of award-winning Taste of Ulster Chefs, local producers and artisans, who together will celebrate some of the exceptional produce of the Glens of Antrim and Northern Ireland as a whole. In addition to this it will be an opportunity for visitors to enjoy the Estates own produce which will be available through-out the two days as well as Glenarm Organic Salmon.
The week-long festival also includes a free Gospel Concert on Saturday 15th July with a headline performance from singer songwriter Brian Houston as well as a show-stopping fireworks finale on 21st July. The week includes a rowing regatta, horse hunt chase, triathlon and much, much more.
Tickets for the concert are available at www.ticketmaster.ie, while tickets for the Clash of Celtic Giants can be purchased on the gate. The Festival Week events will incur no admission charge. Further information on the festival and concert can be found at www.dalriadafestival.co.uk.
Tickets for Ronan Keating can also be purchased at the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau and Woodsides Pharmacy in Ballymena.

JASON CLARKE

(Full Band)
‘UNDERCOVER’ EP LAUNCH
& Guests
The Stiff Kitten, Belfast
Friday 6th July 2012

Doors 8pm / Tickets £6 / Over 18’s only

Tickets available from www.shine.net , The Kitten Bar and Ticketmaster Outlets this Friday from 9am

ʻUndercoverʼ is the eagerly anticipated second EP from Belfast singer songwriter Jason Clarke, which is set to be available both digitally and on CD. Jason has supported the likes of Paolo Nutini, Scott Matthews, Tommy Reilly, Kassidy, Ryan Sheridan, The Walls and Shayne Ward on tour, and is one of the most hotly tipped young talented artists to come out of Northern Ireland this year. Jason & his band will be officially launching the EP at The Stiff Kitten Belfast on Friday July 6th. Tickets go on sale this Friday from www.shine.net , The Kitten Bar and all usual Ticketmaster outlets

Lead track from the EP “Gotta Go” is already picking up plays on TV.

Jason Clarkeʼs hook-laden melodies punctuate his music with an excellent blend of rock and grown-up pop sensibility. With a gracious nod towards soul, marked by well crafted lyrics and gripping vocals.

www.jasonclarkemusic.com
www.facebook.com/JasonClarkeMusic
www.soundcloud.com/jasonclarkemusic
www.shine.net

The summer holidays are always a tricky time to entertain your teenagers – that is if you can get them out of bed!

An exciting opportunity exists this summer for an International Drama Summer Course.

The course is being held at Campbell College from 2^nd – 29^th July and is run by Madrid based international drama and communication experts, Interacting. It offers teenagers the chance to improve their drama and communication skills and a unique opportunity to mix with children from all over Europe.  The Interacting team working on the school chosen both locally and from abroad are all experienced actors and educators.

During the course students will be trained in techniques of comedy, improvisation and circus during workshop time.  Using these skills they will work towards a series of performances for a final show performed at Campbell College theatre and broadcast live on the internet to parents and friends in participating countries.

Outside of workshop time there will sports activities as well as the chance to share and learn of other cultures through exchanges of dance and cookery.

Company director, Ed Cousins said:

“Working through drama and sport builds confidence, we have been running successful schemes all over Europe for the past 20 years with many students coming back year after year.

This is a brilliant opportunity for young people from here and abroad to get together share experiences, have fun and learn a lot”.

Costs for the course are 4 weeks £350, or 1 week for £120 – this includes all workshops, sports activities and lunch.

To make a booking please contact wendy@interacting.info