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This Mother’s Day let Hastings Hotels take away the worry of how to spoil your mum with lots on the menu at the seven hotels across Northern Ireland including delightful lunches and Afternoon Teas.

Mother’s Day Lunch:

• Europa Hotel in Belfast – Table d’Hote lunch menu in the Causerie – £30 for adults with children’s menu available   
• Everglades Hotel in Derry~Londonderry – Grand Buffet Lunch – £30 for adults and £16 for children
• Stormont Hotel in Belfast – Grand Buffet Lunch – £38 per person and £15 for children
• Ballygally Castle in Co Antrim – Grand Buffet Lunch – £35 for adults and £18 for children
• Slieve Donard Resort and Spa in Newcastle – Grand Buffet Lunch – £48 for adults and £25 for children or £30 for adults in the Percy French (kids menu will be available)
• Grand Central Hotel in Belfast – Seahorse a la carte menu – £50 for adults and £30 for children
• Culloden Estate and Spa in Belfast – 5-course table d’hote with a glass of Pink Champagne – £55 for adults and £25 for children in the Mitre Restaurant and a Buffet lunch in the Cultra Inn is £35 for adults and £20 for children

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea on Saturday 30^th and Sunday 31^st March:

• Culloden Estate & Spa – £45 per person and includes a glass of Pink Champagne and ESPA gift
• Europa Hotel – £32 per person or £42 per person with glass of Prosecco
• Stormont Hotel – £22 per person or £32 person with glass of Pink Prosecco (also available Friday 29^th March)
• Ballygally Castle – £28 person or £38 per person with glass of Prosecco
• Everglades Hotel – £24 per person with a gift for every mum (also available Monday 1^st April)  
• Slieve Donard Resort & Spa – £30 per person with a gift for every mum or £40 with a glass of Prosecco (only available Sunday 31^st March)
• Grand Central Hotel – Observatory Afternoon Tea – £45 per person with a gift for every mum

And to show your mum just how much she means to you, a Hastings Hotels Gift Card is the perfect present as it can be spent in any of the seven hotels and redeemed against an indulgent Spa treatment, a delicious afternoon tea or a relaxing break away, there’s something to suit everyone and every budget which she can enjoy in the future.

For further information or to book Mother’s Day lunch in the hotel of your choice simply contact 028 9047 1066 or go to www.hastingshotels.com.  

An inclusive cycling session will take place at Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney on Sunday 24^th March from 2pm-4pm.

The event follows on from a previous session delivered in January which proved a resounding success.

The inclusive cycling session will give participants a chance to come and try out a range of specialist cycling equipment available through the Disability Hub.

Organised by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and Every Active 2020 Coaches, the event is tailored for all abilities and will provide an opportunity for people with a disability to experience the inclusive cycling initiative.

To register contact lisa.mullan@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk, for further information telephone Sports Development Manager Stephen McCartney on 028 7035 5048.

Further sessions are planned throughout the year at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney as outlined below:

• Sunday 28^th April 2pm-4pm
• Sunday 26^th May 2pm-4pm
• Sunday 16^th June 2pm-4pm
• Thursday 13^th June 7pm-9pm
• Thursday 4^th July 7pm-9pm
• Sunday 7^th July 2pm-4pm
• Sunday 28^th July 2pm-4pm
• Sunday 18^th August 2pm-4pm

Appropriately trained Every Body Active staff will be on hand at each session to offer guidance, equipment demonstrations and safety advice.

 C.S. Lewis Square has a new feature – the Poetry Jukebox. 

Only 52 jukeboxes exist across global locations and this is Belfast’s second ( the other location is Crescent Arts Centre).  The Poetry Jukebox is placed on street locations with the aim of making poetry accessible to all.

For the C.S. Lewis Square Poetry Jukebox, the curators Maria McManus  and Tade Ipadeola (Nigeria) put out a call for poetry based on the theme, ‘A Deeper Country’ which features in The Chronicles of Narnia by east Belfast-born author C.S. Lewis.

Over 100 submissions were received from around the world, but only 20 could be included.  The poets featured come from NI, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, US, Australia, Canada, Nigeria and Argentina. The project is supported by Arts Council NI from National Lottery Funds, EastSide Partnership, Belfast City Council and Connswater Community Greenway, and will be in place until 1^st April 2019.

To find out more, visit @poetryjukebox on Twitter

Australian comedian, Eleanor Conway returns to the MAC 5-6 April with her hotly anticipated sequel, Walk of Shame 2 (Reality Bites).

Fresh from the success of a 100 date, 10 country tour, Conway is back at the MAC with her award-winning sequel about what happens when you stop chasing the ‘perfect’ version of you and realise she’s been there all along.

Winner of the 2019 FRINGE World Weekly Comedy Award, Conway has been performing nationwide since 2014, appearing at Edinburgh Fringe, Glastonbury and the famous Comedy Store.

Her original show, ‘Walk of Shame’ sold out at the MAC last April, and part two is set to be just as popular. The perfect girl’s night out, expect more confessional life advice and laugh out loud anecdotes from this ex-party girl.

Make a night of it with a pre-theatre meze platter or cocktail from the MAC’s latest menus, launching this month in the Café Bar. The new menus offer a selection of tasty treats and tipples for guests to enjoy before and during the show. Beat the queue and pre-order interval drinks from the bar before the show begins or using the handy link in your pre-show text. 

Tickets for Walk of Shame 2 (Reality Bites) are on sale now at www.themaclive.com, or call the box office on 028 9023 5053.

Escape to the Causeway Coast’s natural play area this spring, as the Giant’s Causeway opens its doors to the local community and visitors from near and far on Saturday 9 March for two special events.

Experience the outstanding beauty and award-winning Visitor Experience free of charge during the National Trust’s Community Open Day which will take place from 9am – 6pm.

The Open Day coincides with the Randox NI Potato Festival which has returned once again to the Causeway Hotel, boasting a variety of attractions including Naturally North Coast and Glens artisan market with food and craft producers, cookery demonstrations and talks, bouncy castles, potato inspired games and a petting farm.

On the day visitors will enjoy free admission to the Visitor Centre and embark on an interactive journey through 250 million years of captivating history, experiencing the mystery, myth and legend of the Giant’s Causeway. The Ranger team will be showcasing the National Trust’s conservation work at this incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site with wild flower planting taking place between 1pm and 3pm. Visitors will also have the option of exploring themselves with an audio guide or joining one of the inspiring guided tours, followed by a well-earned local delicacy in the café or the chance to browse the handcrafted items in the gift shop, 90% of which are from local suppliers.

Ciara McClements, Visitor Experience Manager at the Giant’s Causeway commented, “Since 2012 more than 30,000 people have come along to our Community Open Days, availing of the opportunity to enjoy the Visitor Experience free of charge to connect with friends, family, and meet new people. Visitors of all ages can take part in arts and crafts sessions, face painting and celebrations galore creating memories at our special place. We are also delighted to host the Randox NI Potato Festival on the grounds of the Causeway Hotel once again, allowing visitors to enjoy even more activities and a jam-packed family day out set against the backdrop of our famous World-Heritage Site.”

Final admission to the Community Open day is 5pm, with the Visitor Centre closing at 6pm. There will also be a free Park & Ride from Bushmills to the Giant’s Causeway. For more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway

The next concert in the series of Music In The Chamber concerts at Bangor Castle, is taking place on Thursday 21 March and will feature the Irish folk sensation Daoirí Farrell.

Dublin-born traditional singer and bouzouki player Daoirí Farrell worked as an electrician, until a Christy Moore performance on Irish TV inspired him to down tools. The trade’s loss has been our gain, with Daoirí quickly becoming one of the biggest names in Irish folk and one of most important singers to come out of Ireland in recent years.

Six months after the release of ‘True Born Irishman’ in 2016 Daoirí had picked up two prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Best Newcomer and Best Traditional Track, and also performed live at the awards ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

He has since toured Australia, Canada, Denmark and Belgium, featured at the likes of Festival Interceltique Lorient, Shetland Folk Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival, and toured alongside the Transatlantic Sessions project. 

He is a musician championed by the likes of Christy Moore and has been described by Donal Lunny as; “one of the most important traditional singers to emerge in the last decade.”

Just last week, Daoirí launched his third album ‘A Lifetime of Happiness.’ In his own words ‘This is my third solo album and it feels different, somehow more grown up. That for me is partly down to the song choice. Each song was very carefully chosen and each is beautiful in its own way. I really enjoyed the process of searching each one out and arranging them all.  And I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to have recorded it with some of my favourite musicians.’

The Bangor Castle date is part of a five-venue Northern Ireland tour presented by Moving on Music and supported by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Tickets cost £12 and are on sale now at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ardsandnorthdown.

Tickets can also be purchased from North Down Museum or any of Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Visitor Information Centres.

The Walled City Music Festival has announced a stunning line-up of world-class musicians for this, its 10^th anniversary, taking place from 7 to 10 March. The north-west’s premier classical music festival, which will take place in the Guildhall, the Great Hall Magee and Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, will feature return appearances by some of the outstanding performers from the festival’s first decade, including Dimitry Sitkovetsky (violin), Kirill Troussov (violin), Sylvain Blassel (harp) and Jeffrey Zeigler (cello). Artistic Director of the festival, Derry-born Cathal Breslin, will perform in all four of the concerts, both as a soloist and with his Trio Festivale, which also features fellow Artistic Director Sabrina Hu (flute) and Gerald Peregrine (cello).

In addition to the impressive concert series, the festival will run an extensive outreach programme in primary schools throughout Derry and the surrounding area. These highly interactive workshops will include a performance of a new commission by Joe Csibi based on the tale of The Children of Lir, incorporating well-known excerpts from classical and Irish music repertoire.

The festival’s opening concert in Magee will herald the imminent arrival of spring with Beethoven’s ever popular Spring Sonata, Spiegel im Spiegel by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and masterpieces by Debussy and Ravel. This is followed on Friday by a chamber recital in the Guildhall focusing on the wild and romantic side of classical repertoire, with works by Liszt, Bartók, Wagner and Sarasate.

Saturday sees a double-bill of UK premieres written in the past year. Ian Wilson’s The Great Hunger, commissioned for Trio Festivale, takes as its starting point the epic poem by Patrick Kavanagh and complements the exhibition of Great Hunger artworks running at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin. This concert also features Jeffrey Zeigler, one of the world’s foremost contemporary cellists and a former member of the renowned Kronos Quartet, who returns to the festival with a trio of works from the cutting edge of New York’s new music scene.

The 2019 Walled City Music Festival comes to a rousing conclusion with a return visit by the Ulster Orchestra, performing with the festival’s guest artists in an evening of overtures, concertos and solo works, ranging from Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp to the richly romantic music of Tchaikovsky’s Concertos for Violin and Piano. Conducted by the orchestra’s former Principal Conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky, and showcasing some of classical music’s most iconic repertoire, this concert promises an experience to remember.

The Walled City Music Festival will take place from 7 to 10 March and tickets are now available via the Millennium Forum Box Office or online at www.millenniumforum.co.uk.

For more information visit www.walledcitymusic.com.

Skating Spectacular Featuresa Magical Medley of Classic and Modern Tales, Including Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory, Disney’s The Lion King, Frozen, and many more!

The SSE Arena, Belfast: Friday 3^rd May – Sunday 5^th May

Tickets on-sale THURSDAY 28^th February at 9am

Audiences will relive the magic and memories of their favorite Disney animated films when The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice skates into Belfast. Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as they venture through a treasure-filled journey bound for heartwarming adventure. Featuring more than 50 Disney characters, this production includes the box office smash hits Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory and Disney’s Frozen.

Don’t miss your chance to secure *priority booking and save £10/£12 on family of four ticket  for The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice before they officially go on general on-sale next Thursday 28^th February. Follow the link to get yours now www.ticketmaster.ie/disneyoffer  

Tickets for performances at The SSE Arena, Belfast go on sale THURSDAY at 9am

The SSE Arena, Belfast Box Office: Tel. 02890 739074
Book on Line: www.ssearenabelfast.com

Ticketmaster: In person: From 100 Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide
By Telephone (24 Hour):   0844 277 44 55 (ROL: 0818 719300)
Book on Line: www.ticketmaster.ie

Feel the rush of the stampede as Simba learns to live by the motto of “Hakuna Matata” from the wise-cracking meerkat Timon and his warthog pal Pumbaa. March alongside the seven dwarfs, as they whistle off to work to the catchy tune of “Heigh Ho.”  Be dazzled by the hilarious Genie, as he makes Aladdin’s wishes come true with a spectacular parade for Prince Ali. Watch as the ice transforms into the wintry world of Frozen during Elsa’s emotionally powerful performance of “Let It Go.” Plus, discover the true meaning of family with everyone’s favorite forgetful fish, Dory, as she searches the deep blue sea for her parents with a little help from Marlin and Nemo.

“What I like best about Disney On Ice is that we are privileged to bring classic and modern Disney and Pixar stories to hometowns around the world live on ice,” says Producer Nicole Feld.  “In this production, our amazing creative team chose action-packed stories that really resonate with not only kids today, but with their parents as well.  The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice has everything from an underwater adventure in Finding Dory to the comedic duo Timon and Pumbaa in The Lion King.”

Crowd interaction is a key component to the Disney On Ice experience and Director Patty Vincent focuses on immersing audiences in key segments of the production.  “In The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice, we’ve created a beautiful moment where an audience member gets to release a lantern with Rapunzel and Flynn at the beginning of “I See the Light,” says Vincent.  “It’s breathtaking to watch, and then Rapunzel and Flynn skate a beautiful duet with the lanterns glowing above them.” 

Visit www.DisneyOnIce.co.uk for more information

Stay current on the latest developments through social media:                                                                                                           

• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DisneyOnIce 
• Twitter: @DisneyOnIce
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/DisneyOnIce 
• Instagram: @DisneyOnIce

*Priority booking  and save £10/£12 on a family of four ticket

Offer valid on all price levels excluding ringside

Offer not available on Saturday or Sunday matinee shows

Offer not valid with any other promotional discount.

Offer is limited, subject to availability and on a first come, first served basis.

Internet and phone bookings are subject to a Ticketmaster service charge

Outlets (in person) may be subject to a local agent fee

Offer valid until 11:59pm on Wednesday 27^th February 2019

Audiences at The Market Place Theatre in Armagh will be ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’ ‘All Night Long’ with a magical evening of pure Lionel Richie  & The Commodores.

‘Oh! What A Feeling’, winner of ‘Best Newcomer’ at the ‘National Tribute Music Awards’ is coming to town. With a stellar line-up of world class musicians, this is a high octane show including all the greatest hits – ‘Easy’, ‘Say You Say Me’, ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’, ‘Three Times A Lady’, ‘Hello’, ‘All Night Long’ and many more… Following his recent TV appearances on the ‘Graham Norton Show’ and ‘Sunday Night At The Palladium’ with Lionel himself, Malcolm Pitt delivers a powerhouse performance as the iconic Lionel Richie in this must-see theatre production. Tickets for this show on Thursday 28 February are priced £21.50 and £20.00

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Also on 28 February, comes ‘Orlando’, the latest offering from the award-winning creators of ‘Jane Eyre: An Autobiography’, ‘I, Elizabeth’, ‘Female Gothic’ and ‘Austen’s Women’. The life-affirming, comedic tale of an immortal poet, whose gender cannot be pinned down, whose spirit cannot be caged, and whose irreverent, romantic adventures across British history provides a magic-realist exploration of human identity. Drawing on a decade’s worth of critically acclaimed theatre-making, Dyad Productions explore what it means to find our place in the world whilst remaining utterly true to who we are. Based on the satirical 1928 novel by Virginia Woolf, tickets are priced £13.50 and £11.50 [conc].

Join us on Friday 22 February for an evening of top quality music from two of the very, very best. With their critically acclaimed new LP ‘Music Confounds The Machines’ garnering high praise, Villiers and The Villainscontinue their upward spiral with raw and raucous gigs at Electric Picnic, Stendhal Festival and Crumlin Road Gaol. Old school rhythm, rock ‘n’ blues akin to The Band and Bob Dylan with a hint of Little Feat and The Stones, these villains are proving they are ones to watch out for. The band will be joined by Paul Meehan, one of Ireland’s finest guitar and banjo players, who has recorded two albums and toured for seven years with traditional group Lunasa. Tickets are £12.

Tickets are available from the Theatre Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre. 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 Planning Committee of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has granted planning permission to Hammerson Ltd for a major new £8 million development comprising a multi-screen cinema and café/restaurant units on a disused brown field site at Old Church Road, Newtownabbey.

Welcoming the decision, Committee Chairman, Councillor Henry Cushinan said; “This is a fantastic investment in the Borough’s economy that will provide an exciting new entertainment facility for Newtownabbey and create over 70 new full time jobs.  The new development will occupy a key location next to the Abbey Centre Shopping Centre, creating a truly family-orientated offer for residents and visitors to the area. This latest investment will bring an element of trade that will extend into the evening, creating a strong daytime and evening attraction for the area. It will regenerate a site that has been derelict for a number of years also bring much needed construction jobs to the area both during construction and after completion.”

Full details of the planning application are available to view at the Planning Portal www.planningni.gov.uk